Martin Ødegaard: El Capitanø Incognito

[Batman]

People can cope all they want to, it's not a good look for him individually that the team has come to life both times that he's come off.

7 goals this season with Nwaneri on the pitch and 2 with Ødegaard out there. Much better urgency and a faster tempo with Nwaneri too.

The guy needs to first find a way to stay on the pitch and then improve quickly because this squad now has multiple solutions that don't need to involve him. He may be the next player that the starting XI outgrows as it evolves.

 

[2Smokeyy]

People can cope all they want to, it's not a good look for him individually that the team has come to life both times that he's come off.

7 goals this season with Nwaneri on the pitch and 2 with Ødegaard out there. Much better urgency and a faster tempo with Nwaneri too.

The guy needs to first find a way to stay on the pitch and then improve quickly because this squad now has multiple solutions that don't need to involve him. He may be the next player that the starting XI outgrows as it evolves.

It’s just some getting a bit touchy whenever he’s mentioned or play the shill game when someone states Eze would be better centrally. Feels like Nelli before people started smelling the coffee.

Not even trying to hate on him but just like we saw the massive difference between Eze who’s not naturally a wide player and Nelli/Dross, I get the sense we’d see the same if things are shuffled around and we somehow fit Saka/Noni/Eze all behind Gyok. Could really damage teams on the break with fluid football.

 

[OnlyOne]

You feel the inevitable is coming, especially if he keeps this crap up with being subbed off after an injury.

 

[TakeChillPill]

Glad he's away from the first team, he needs time to reflect and build himself up and his confidence.

 

[Sanchez11]

Look like not big issue according to Mikel but it's at same area he injured against Leeds so it's sucks

Shoulders injury are always painful it don't go Away

Tell me about it.

 

[Sanchez11]

He still holds onto the ball too long.

 

[2Smokeyy]

he needs time to reflect and build himself up and his confidence.

he just came off an 11-1 victory with his country. Getting a goal and two assists.

 

[Batman]

It’s just some getting a bit touchy whenever he’s mentioned or play the shill game when someone states Eze would be better centrally. Feels like Nelli before people started smelling the coffee.

Not even trying to hate on him but just like we saw the massive difference between Eze who’s not naturally a wide player and Nelli/Dross, I get the sense we’d see the same if things are shuffled around and we somehow fit Saka/Noni/Eze all behind Gyok. Could really damage teams on the break with fluid football.

Saka was almost playing Ødegaard's role in possession when he was out with the ankle injury and he was a chance creation machine in that slightly more central role.

To me, that's the most dangerous front 4 we could field and one I hope to see at some stage. Just like we could rotate Rice today, I see no reason we can't explore rotating Ødegaard and finding different ways to play that may be more fruitful.

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

He was horrific until his injury.

 

[Riou]

Man went from hair flick memes, to shoulder memes!

Is he trying to build a sympathy arc for his big Wrestlemania return...wrong sport Martin ffs

 

[2Smokeyy]

I somehow have an agenda lol when I’m just keeping it real. If Ode starts performing then he’ll 100% have my support but until then he needs to up his game as something just seems off. It’s like he’s a yard behind the rest:



He’s been a magnet for turnovers and getting dispossessed since last season.

 

[Batman]

I somehow have an agenda lol when I’m just keeping it real. If Ode starts performing then he’ll 100% have my support but until then he needs to up his game as something just seems off. It’s like he’s a yard behind the rest:



He’s been a magnet for turnovers and getting dispossessed since last season.

Nobody can tell me we don't look quicker and more incisive with Nwaneri out there. In fact, if you didn't know who the 2 players were, you'd think that Nwaneri was the player in his mid 20s and Ødegaard was the teenager with a bit of timidity about him.

 

[dino bravo]

Saka was almost playing Ødegaard's role in possession when he was out with the ankle injury and he was a chance creation machine in that slightly more central role.

To me, that's the most dangerous front 4 we could field and one I hope to see at some stage. Just like we could rotate Rice today, I see no reason we can't explore rotating Ødegaard and finding different ways to play that may be more fruitful.

Eze - Gyok - Noni
---Rice----Saka
-------Zubi

Interesting

 

[2Smokeyy]

Nobody can tell me we don't look quicker and more incisive with Nwaneri out there. In fact, if you didn't know who the 2 players were, you'd think that Nwaneri was the player in his mid 20s and Ødegaard was the teenager with a bit of timidity about him.

Exactly this. It’s quite evident that our attack looks a lot fluid with someone who’s comfortably able to carry in the space left between the opposition’s midfield and defenders especially with Zubimendi who’s able to pick that pass out. It’s not even something new, last season there were calls from a few on here that we needed a ball progressor or spark in the 10 but it’s become even more of a priority to use what we have given Gyokeres needs support a bit like the Haaland/KDB duo in the past.

Might sound like a hot take but had we started with Eze or even Nwaneri in there vs Liverpool then I’d have been confident we would have left Anfield with all three points as Pool weren’t anything special and they struggle when someone is driving at their CB’s in those areas.

 

[Thrice]

Yeah, when I look at our front 5 now Ødegaard unavoidably sticks out as the weak link.

The idea of Saka in his role is intriguing, but I'm not sure Saka and Madueke mesh well together stylistically.

 

[Batman]

Exactly this. It’s quite evident that our attack looks a lot fluid with someone who’s comfortably able to carry in the space left between the opposition’s midfield and defenders especially with Zubimendi who’s able to pick that pass out. It’s not even something new, last season there were calls from a few on here that we needed a ball progressor or spark in the 10 but it’s become even more of a priority to use what we have given Gyokeres needs support a bit like the Haaland/KDB duo in the past.

Might sound like a hot take but had we started with Eze or even Nwaneri in there vs Liverpool then I’d have been confident we would have left Anfield with all three points as Pool weren’t anything special and they struggle when someone is driving at their CB’s in those areas.

Agree completely. It's why I was so livid about the Liverpool result. We very clearly have the personnel and a formula to hurt teams now but it's about the manger having the willingness to really commit to what might be an uncomfortable transition away from Ødegaard being integral to that formula.

 

[Batman]

Yeah, when I look at our front 5 now Ødegaard unavoidably sticks out as the weak link.

The idea of Saka in his role is intriguing, but I'm not sure Saka and Madueke mesh well together stylistically.

Try to think about the synergy that White and Saka have when White overlaps and why that helps him.

Now move Saka more centrally where he can't be double teamed and he's getting in positions to shoot or cross the ball far more frequently against a CB or defensive midfielder who is going to struggle to stay in front of him.

Now consider that he would have a lightning quick Madueke who beats his man for fun as well as Timber to play off of and he would now be in a position to be on the receiving end of cutbacks that make use of his finishing ability far more often.

From Madueke's perspective, it helps him too because you can never double him either and he'll have more time once he gets into the box because people would be far less likely to leave a crashing Saka any space than they would an Ødegaard who isn't the same goal threat.

 

[Thrice]

Try to think about the synergy that White and Saka have when White overlaps and why that helps him.

Now move Saka more centrally where he can't be double teamed and he's getting in positions to shoot or cross the ball far more frequently against a CB or defensive midfielder who is going to struggle to stay in front of him.

Now consider that he would have a lightning quick Madueke who beats his man for fun as well as Timber to play off of and he would now be in a position to be on the receiving end of cutbacks that make use of his finishing ability far more often.

From Madueke's perspective, it helps him too because you can never double him either and he'll have more time once he gets into the box because people would be far less likely to leave a crashing Saka any space than they do an Ødegaard who isn't the same goal threat.

Sounds good, but I'm worried that both Saka and Madueke are more dribblers than passers. Regardless of his shortcomings right now at his best Ødegaard is still much better than Saka at distributing the ball.
I don't think Saka has that eye for that final pass.

 

[Batman]

Sounds good, but I'm worried that both Saka and Madueke are more dribblers than passers. Regardless of his shortcomings right now at his best Ødegaard is still much better than Saka at distributing the ball.
I don't think Saka has that eye for that final pass.

I understand your perspective but when Ødegaard was out injured, I saw Saka able to express that part of his game far more as Arteta changed the dynamic slightly to get Saka in more central positions more often and have the left 8 drag out to the wing in the final third to allow him that position. Remember Saka was on pace to break the assist record when he was hurt and it wasn't all from his corners.

We also have to be honest about what Ødegaard is offering as a passer presently. He was never Özil or KDB in that regard and he's not even the Ødegaard of a year ago anymore in that sense. Having someone who can at least carry the ball and is a goal threat is probably more valuable than whatever now negligible advantage Ødegaard might still have as a passer, particularly when the guy has not created a single chance for our striker yet this season.

 

[Thrice]

I understand your perspective but when Ødegaard was out injured, I saw Saka able to express that part of his game far more as Arteta changed the dynamic slightly to get Saka in more central positions more often and have the left 8 drag out to the wing in the final third to allow him that position. Remember Saka was on pace to break the assist record when he was hurt and it wasn't all from his corners.

We also have to be honest about what Ødegaard is offering as a passer presently. He was never Özil or KDB in that regard and he's not even the Ødegaard of a year ago anymore in that sense. Having someone who can at least carry the ball and is a goal threat is probably more valuable than whatever now negligible advantage Ødegaard might still have as a passer, particularly when the guy has not created a single chance for our striker yet this season.

It's probably worth a try to see Saka in that role, just to test it and see how it works. Not necessarily in a big game though.
But for now I would like to see how adding Eze to the team frees Saka of getting doubled all the time. At the end of the day he's still the best RW in the league after Salah and you don't want to rob him of his strengths which for example is his ability to cut in from the right and finish.