Martin Ødegaard: El Capitanø Incognito

[HattoriHanzo]

Barking orders from the touchline is the dumbest thing.
Who can hear him, with all the noise from the crowd?

 

[Clrnc]

Almost worked ? Zubi was where he was because Ødegaard was out of play physios nursing his knee. Otherwise it would have been Ode trying some weak shot barely troubling their keeper.

I cannot comprehend how people don't understand the overanalyzing of Ødegaard. He is held to the highest standards because he is our ****ing CAPTAIN. For the past two years he is nothing but a disappointment. Always injured, always hides when he needs to lead the team, cannot create **** , cannot score a goal, so weak and gets dispossessed in every 50/50, always slows up play.

Please explain to the common folk what is he doiing that we don't want to acknowledge ?

The funny thing is if you look at all the passing and most importantly attacking statistics/metrics, his game is so different from his loan spell here and his first 2 full seasons here. He attempts a lot of through passes, dribbles vertically and doesn't rely that much on wingers. He takes responsibilities himself and crucially makes A LOT of runs into the box scoring from cut backs, playing and pressing high in opponent areas. His game has almost changed 360 degree to become utterly useless as a 3rd midfielder, snatching Rice/Zubimendi's job and yet don't provide enough as a playmaker to penetrate. These days he get on the ball a lot to dribble sideways, spins, turns and then pass it back to our defenders or sideways to wingers. It's almost as if all his biggest positive traits has been coached out of him.

There are people who tries to blame Ødegaard failing on players around him not being good enough, but yet when others play in his position they don't fall back to become a 3rd CB to receive the ball, stays high up as AM on the pitch and is penetrative, scores goals and tries killer passes. But it's not Ødegaard's fault lol, make that make sense.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

There are people who tries to blame Ødegaard failing on players around him not being good enough, but yet when others play in his position they don't fall back to become a 3rd CB to receive the ball, stays high up as AM on the pitch and is penetrative, scores goals and tries killer passes. But it's not Ødegaard's fault lol, make that make sense.

Or they get stuck in the between the lines, not receiving the ball and having no impact on the game, like Eze vs 10 man Chelsea, Wolves etc… or Kai in most games he’s played 10.

We have a problem with how we attack, it’s not down to one player or another, it’s a coaching thing. Every single attacker has regressed. The midfield have regressed. Myles has regressed. We just need to ride this season out, hope we secure the league and reset.

 

[Thrice]

I don't see Ødegaard as a CM, not a good one anyway. He's not a box to box player, he's not a physical presence, he's not good at setting the tempo.
If he's not an attacking midfielder, he's useless for us.

 

[bastun]

If you don’t see it, you don’t want to see it. You are looking at him as an attacking mid/SS, as opposed to what he is, a CM.

Nobody in midfield or attack is playing well going forward, it’s been like this all season, it was like this last season, yes, even with Eze, we’ve had some dreadful games where we don’t create a thing. But I get it, Ødegaard is set for the Xhaka, Zinchenko treatment. Be careful because our level of control and tech has been in the mud since.

And who really cares about this Captain thing? Arteta is the captain. Did you not see him last night, on the touchline, barking orders, prowling like a caged dog. He’s the captain of this team. Tell me, what did Saka do as captain?

Care to elaborate or will just write gibberish without any context ? I am looking at him as anything. Arteta is looking at him as an attacking mid, not a CM because his defensive abilities are non-existent.

The last part about the captain I don't even want to comment. Because you don't know what to say in defense of your favorite footballer, you move the narrative to Arteta being the captain from the touchline. Lol.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

Care to elaborate or will just write gibberish without any context ? I am looking at him as anything. Arteta is looking at him as an attacking mid, not a CM because his defensive abilities are non-existent.

The last part about the captain I don't even want to comment. Because you don't know what to say in defense of your favorite footballer, you move the narrative to Arteta being the captain from the touchline. Lol.

He’s not my favourite footballer. I’m just not dense enough to think he’s the problem.

Ok, so vs Southampton, His combination play was very good, he would draw players towards him and then release the ball to Dowman or White who would have more space to produce a final action.

Last night, Gabriel and Saliba were struggling on the ball, Zubi was invisible in the first half, Ødegaard dropped deep, found space, moved across the pitch from right to left, and kept the ball moving, and yea, he did pass forward despite what others say.

Could he be more incisive, yes, could he take more risks, yes, but ask yourself who is playing ahead of him. Where was the movement from Trossard, Gyokeres, Madueke? And if you play it into these players with defenders around them, they are losing the ball.

Who has he got around him? Zubimendi? Is he incisive? Can he play in combinations? Drive with the ball? What about Declan? Does he play quickly? Does he have some guile?

The whole make up of the team isn’t ideal to play good football. As a result, I don’t really get why one player gets singled out.

 

[Clrnc]

Or they get stuck in the between the lines, not receiving the ball and having no impact on the game, like Eze vs 10 man Chelsea, Wolves etc… or Kai in most games he’s played 10.

We have a problem with how we attack, it’s not down to one player or another, it’s a coaching thing. Every single attacker has regressed. The midfield have regressed. Myles has regressed. We just need to ride this season out, hope we secure the league and reset.

Guess which is the player you claim don't get stuck between the lines, receive the ball a lot and have great impact on the game?

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

View attachment 45189

Guess which is the player you claim don't get stuck between the lines, receive the ball a lot and have great impact on the game?

?

What point is this making?

 

[Clrnc]

?

What point is this making?

Why do we play better when Ødegaard is out of the team?

Why does our results and performance suffer whenever he plays?

Why individually all their stats as AM is way better than Ødegaard in every single attacking metric?

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

Why do we play better when Ødegaard is out of the team?

Why does our results and performance suffer whenever he plays?

Why individually all their stats as AM is way better than Ødegaard in every single attacking metric?

This is a false narrative. We’ve had good and bad games with and without Ødegaard. Just like we’ve had good and bad games with and without Eze.

Some of our best football this season (which has been rare) came with Merino LCM instead of Rice. Does that mean Rice is a problem, should he be dropped? No.

 

[Sanchez11]

The team has evolved without him, if people like it or not. Sell him!

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

The team has evolved without him, if people like it or not. Sell him!

Evolved how? It’s been a strange season because we’ve competed well on multiple fronts, still going well in the league, but I’ve enjoyed previous seasons more.

How would you say the team has evolved past him? Because I think most players have struggled

 

[bastun]

​

He’s not my favourite footballer. I’m just not dense enough to think he’s the problem.

Ok, so vs Southampton, His combination play was very good, he would draw players towards him and then release the ball to Dowman or White who would have more space to produce a final action.

Last night, Gabriel and Saliba were struggling on the ball, Zubi was invisible in the first half, Ødegaard dropped deep, found space, moved across the pitch from right to left, and kept the ball moving, and yea, he did pass forward despite what others say.

Could he be more incisive, yes, could he take more risks, yes, but ask yourself who is playing ahead of him. Where was the movement from Trossard, Gyokeres, Madueke? And if you play it into these players with defenders around them, they are losing the ball.

Who has he got around him? Zubimendi? Is he incisive? Can he play in combinations? Drive with the ball? What about Declan? Does he play quickly? Does he have some guile?

The whole make up of the team isn’t ideal to play good football. As a result, I don’t really get why one player gets singled out.

Thank god your are not dense like the rest of us.
You are mistaking cause and effect. Because Ode dropped deep, the effect was that the rest gave him the ball and reshuffled their places. It wasn't because everyone is so uncapable to play with the ball that Ode decided to drop to help...
Your point of view is really interesting. So everyone else is at fault but not Ødegaard.
You do know the whole team is build so Ødegaard is comfortable, right ?

One last thing and I will stop going back n forth with you ,because there is no point. Let's see if Ødegaard will lead us to glory as he is really needed right now for the last PL and CL games. Let's see if he will hide behind Rice's back like previous two years.

 

[Batman]

He’s for sure lacking confidence. He’s doing build up bits okay but decisive bits all wrong. Overhitting passes and messing up little flicks and stuff.

I want him starting with Eze out wide. I think the two them can build a strong understanding. Both top class technical players.

It's over for him. He's an impediment. Just like we outgrew Zinchenko, Jesus and now probably Ben White, it's time to turn the page.

Your captain and primary creator can't be putting 2 solitary pass into the box in 70 mins.

He's had a handful of respectable performances in 18 months and the team itself has been better without him.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

Thank god your are not dense like the rest of us.
You are mistaking cause and effect. Because Ode dropped deep, the effect was that the rest gave him the ball and reshuffled their places. It wasn't because everyone is so uncapable to play with the ball that Ode decided to drop to help...
Your point of view is really interesting. So everyone else is at fault but not Ødegaard.
You do know the whole team is build so Ødegaard is comfortable, right ?

One last thing and I will stop going back n forth with you ,because there is no point. Let's see if Ødegaard will lead us to glory as he is really needed right now for the last PL and CL games. Let's see if he will hide behind Rice's back like previous two years.

No, Arteta is at fault, because this is a brand of football and this is the team he’s created, it’s unbalanced. But while we are sitting top of the PL, people just have to stomach it and hope for a rest next season.

Tell me, Carabo Cup final, how was the ball progression from the back? After the first 20 or so minutes, we struggled to get out of our own half didn’t we? Leverkusen away? He didn’t play that either, how was that game as a spectacle with Eze 10?

Our problems aren’t one player, it’s so so obvious.

 

[Clrnc]

This is a false narrative. We’ve had good and bad games with and without Ødegaard. Just like we’ve had good and bad games with and without Eze.

Some of our best football this season (which has been rare) came with Merino LCM instead of Rice. Does that mean Rice is a problem, should he be dropped? No.

False narrative is just an excuse, you don't want to see it. 100 over pages ago there was already stats posted about it. We have lost only 4 games this year, guess who was the only midfielder that played in all 4?

It's not a coincidence he was the common denominator. It's not all his fault, but he definitely can't be excused.

 

[Batman]

It's over for him. He's an impediment. Just like we outgrew Zinchenko, Jesus and now probably Ben White, it's time to turn the page.

Your captain and primary creator can't be putting 2 solitary pass into the box in 70 mins.

He's had a handful of respectable performances in 18 months and the team itself has been better without him.

*1 solitary pass.

 

[Sniper Mik]

Look at our captain dawg

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

It's over for him. He's an impediment. Just like we outgrew Zinchenko, Jesus and now probably Ben White, it's time to turn the page.

Your captain and primary creator can't be putting 2 solitary pass into the box in 70 mins.

He's had a handful of respectable performances in 18 months and the team itself has been better without him.

Agree with the premise that we've outgrown Zinchenko, Jesus and White but I think Ødegaard is a class above all those players, comfortably too.

A lot of other players get the benefit of the doubt in terms of Uncle Mikel's instructions hindering their game, it should be the same for Ødegaard. If you ask me, of course I want him closer to the box and building a connection with Gyokeres. But Arteta clearly likes when he drops in, when Eze plays in the 10 he doesn't ever drop so deep.

I still think Ødegaard is a great player. His performance against PSG away last season went under the radar because we lost, but he was superb against who many believe is the best CM in the world in Vitinha. He's just woefully short of confidence, you can see it. I'd hoped he'd kick on after his goal against Brighton but this is probably his most injury hit campaign in his career.

Hopefully he lifts the trophy for us in May then taps back into the baller we know he is.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

False narrative is just an excuse, you don't want to see it. 100 over pages ago there was already stats posted about it. We have lost only 4 games this year, guess who was the only midfielder that played in all 4?

It's not a coincidence he was the common denominator. It's not all his fault, but he definitely can't be excused.

Some quotes from just a couple of pages in the Leverkusen thread. Ødegaard didn’t play. Game sounds familiar.