Martin Ødegaard: El Capitanø Incognito

[coleio]

Like a lot of our players he looks better when he’s allowed to play with freedom and not shoehorned in one area. Come deep get involved in the play, I maintain he’s a quality player held back by our style

Him coming deep to get involved in play is literally one of the drawbacks with him currently and something he's clearly asked to do for our style.

Having Zubimendi next season will hopefully allow Ødegaard to remain central and further forward in order to influence play more in the attacking third.

 

[Rasmi]

Him coming deep to get involved in play is literally one of the drawbacks with him currently and something he's clearly asked to do for our style.

Having Zubimendi next season will hopefully allow Ødegaard to remain central and further forward in order to influence play more in the attacking third.

He’s not central. He’s next to saka which makes our set up lopsided and easy to defend against

 

[coleio]

He’s not central. He’s next to saka which makes our set up lopsided and easy to defend against

He's central but closer to Saka when he chooses a channel to run or drive into.

Either way your initial point was about him dropping deep. Let's not start tearing into his relationship with Saka though, as that pod with Ben White is/was one of the best things about our attack.

The issue is we need something as dangerous off the left.

 

[Sanchez11]

Abit better, still meh loses the ball too much.

 

[Menard]

I thought he was extra bad today before he actually took a rage-shot that came off. He's just not reading situations correctly and trying way too hard to overcompensate. He wasn't just not creating anything today, but he was actively giving the ball away when we were pushed up and getting us ****ed in transition. Maybe his contribution to the goal will give him a bit of confidence to end the season with

 

[TheGreatWright8]

An improvement i guess.

 

[Zaza]

Best game in a while. He should've passed to Zinchenko tbh.

 

[Hleb's Sirush]

Just slightly above average game which for him lately is a huge improvement. Just as inexplicably the power in his shots had completely disappeared, in the last two games they have returned. That shot he had that required a great save by Donnarumma had some venom behind it. The shot that led to Merino's goal also was hit powerfully. Makes a change from his usual backpass shots to GK.

Maybe there is a slight hope for next season after all. Ideally we still need to get in an attacking midfielder to atleast compete with him or if his form drops off again to replace him.

 

[Jae]

Is it just me or does he literally never puts a foot in? He will chase players down like a man possessed but once he reaches them he never even attempts to make a tackle, needs to put himself about more.

 

[viktor]

 

[djpeat]

I’d rather have Kai on the pitch over this guy every day of the week. Even when Kai is off it he gives you certain intangibles this lad just doesn’t. Hard to put a word on it but he’ll just sniff something out (even if he misses), unlike Martin.

Get some proper forwards in and start the season with Kai in the 10 (if we don’t get a new 10 entirely).

Stop with the 10 talk
He does not play 10
And we dont play with a 10

 

[MikelHadADream]

Stop with the 10 talk
He does not play 10
And we dont play with a 10

Out of possession he plays as part of the front 2 in a 442, and in possession he plays as an advanced central midfielder. Call that what you want, but he always plays close to the CF.

 

[KrissKringle]

Call that what you want, but he always plays close to the CF.

And does nothing for the offense. I'd drop him like a hot potato if we could get KDB.

 

[bastun]

What a coincidence he played one of his better games when we don't play for anything anymore. This guy is allergic to pressure.

 

[Fabregasm]

What a coincidence he played one of his better games when we don't play for anything anymore. This guy is allergic to pressure.

He's the sort of player that will steer your 5 games winning streak into 10 but drag your 5 games winless streak into 10 as well

 

[DJ_Markstar]

And does nothing for the offense. I'd drop him like a hot potato if we could get KDB.

 

[Batman]

Out of possession he plays as part of the front 2 in a 442, and in possession he plays as an advanced central midfielder. Call that what you want, but he always plays close to the CF.

We don't play with an actual CF though so while it's true that he plays close to the player technically playing as the CF, that player is not really generally occupying CF positions. Ødegaard also largely stays on the right side of the pitch which is not a restriction that a true 10 or shadow striker has. If he were really a 10 or even close to it, he would be knitting play everywhere on either side of the pitch rather than operating almost exclusively on 1 side of the pitch.

 

[KrissKringle]

If he were really a 10 or even close to it, he would be knitting play everywhere on either side of the pitch rather than operating almost exclusively on 1 side of the pitch.

Aside from whatever he's dealing with mentally or physically, he's been pinned down by Arteta on that right side and has no room to maneuver, nor do we play in such a way that he can spot channels for others to run at.

As of this season he's a 10 only because of the shirt he wears, but his play couldn't be further from the job description.

 

[Gooner Zig]

I didn't watch the game vs Liverpool live, watched the second half the day after and he was absolutely everywhere. That's the Ødegaard we've been missing this season.

 

[Tnegs]

Been pretty much useless this season needs a proper rebuild. Send him 2-3 years Dagestan and forget.