Who is superior, Martin Odegaard or James Maddison? As Arsenal fans, we obviously believe Odegaard is superior. But, since Maddison, who we were interested in at one point, joined our North London rivals Tottenham Hotspurs, the topic of which North London club has the finest playmaker has come back into being.
Danny Murphy, a former Liverpool midfielder, believes our No. 8 is superior to Maddison. Murphy claims our captain doesn’t just focus on attacking, he contributes to our defensive game. He’s tireless and runs all day, and it is this incredible stamina and contributions that elevate him beyond Maddison, despite the fact that they can all score and assist on goals.Madison has 2 goals and 5 assists this season, while our Norwegian sensation has 4 goals.
On the FIVE YouTube channel, the ex-Premier League star said, “I think the only question mark over Maddison…is his defensive duties.”
“Does he press with real intent, or is it a bit more gestured? When it’s tight and hard and things aren’t going his way. He [Ange Postecoglou] brings him off a lot, and Leicester did as well. Odegaard, I very rarely see him come off, and he’s still pressing at the end, fit as, as well as the creativity.”
It’s great to see Odegaard being recognized for his contributions. He’s progressed from strength to strength since joining us from Real Madrid. He starts for us week after week. He is the heartbeat of our team because of everything he provides, both on and off the field. As for Maddison, he has joined one club, where he will receive the attention his talent deserves, and that’s good for him, but he is not on Odegaard’s level at all.
Agreed?
Sam P
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Against City,I saw Odegaard running and pressing at the 90th plus minute, one time having to chase three City players all by himself. It is something reminiscent of the tiring but thankless work I’ve seen Mo Elneny do. Xhaka used to do it as well. It something I admire about the Norwegian; attacking players hardly ever do that job. Long may it continue.
Odegaard’s high-press and stamina reminds me of Okazaki’s, who played behind Vardy when Leicester City were winning EPL
None of our AMs had that work ethic, apart from Fabregas when he was 16 and Xhaka
Odegaard would most likely not be able to press like that five years later due to aging process. When it happens, other players will have to do the high-pressing job
As for Maddison, I think his dead-ball abilities are slightly better than Odegaard’s, but Odegaard is a rarer player type. Danny Murphy was spot on about Odegaard’s defensive contribution, as compared to Maddison’s
Gai I concur absolutely 👍
His 15 goals last season also worth mentioning not many Epl CF reach that tally last season
this is pointless. I am a Spurs fan and think Odegaard is great. But Maddison is what Spurs need at this moment, and have missed for awhile. A great passer, playmaker, goalscorer and it seems like a great character. Can Odegaard do better at that job. But I do think Odegaard with Maddison could work.. so more about the right player for the job at hand..
Does anyone remember the depressing Ozil days where his laziness was being praised, excused and defended by many? How attacking midfielders / No10’s shouldn’t be expected or made to engage in any gritty part of the game?
The excuses made for Ozil were ridiculous! And his critics were proven right as his performances post Arsenal continued to decline, with him also causing problems at every club, and I think with every manager as well.
Yeah the days when we were winning 4 FA Cups , got to the 2 other Cup Finals , finished 2nd in the league , routinely played in the CL and he got more assists then anyone else
Dark days
Sorry brother but you are introducing things that had absolutely nothing to do with my comment. I pointed to the “Ozil days”, him particularly. Instead of addressing the actual points I made about a particular player’s massive flaws that many tried to excuse and rationalise, you just obfuscated, threw in as many red herrings as you could fit in and completely deflected. That’s like me saying: Watching Saliba and looking back at the depressing days of Mustafi”. You then come back with “The days when we won this many FA cups and finished 2nd.” Then I ask, what has all that got to do with my highlighting of Mustafi’s massive flaws as an individual?
Dan’s comment is absolutely spot on. For all his so-called laziness, he has a CV that Ødegaard will probably never be able to match in this lifetime. While I do not say that Özil is without blame, the criticism of him from sections of our fan base is pointlessly outrageous. The guy has won a world cup being Germany’s most valuable player, 4 FA cups as well as being named German player of the year for 5 consecutive years. I haven’t mentioned his La Liga title, Copa del Rey and German cup with Weirder Bremen. Not bad for a lazy player is it?. Respect where it due please.
And before you say that his achievements outside our club do not matter to you, at least 4 FA cups, of which one was our first trophy in many years which “COINCIDENTALLY” happened in his first season for us speaks volumes
@dgr8.
Mate, but do you acknowledge the ridiculous excuses and rationalisation of Ozil’s massive flaws by our fans?
Always making excuses about how he shouldn’t be required to do any hard work because he was an attacking midfielder. People saying he should not press, close down, track back, shoot and score more etc. His job was to only create and assist.
And glad that you acknowledged that mentioning his CV means nothing to me as an Arsenal fan. Havertz won the CL with Chelsea, scored the winning goal. But not many Arsenal fans care about his irrelevant non Arsenal CV. Djimi traore won the CL with Liverpool in 2005.
I bet mustafi won more FA cups and trophies than Saliba. But has that got anything to do with comparing each of their abilities as Arsenal players?
Can people today acknowledge that their Ozil excuses and rationalisation of his massive flaws was always special pleading? Laziness and petulance did him and Arsenal bad.
If people were as demanding towards Ozil as they normally are against other players (Xhaka, Mustafi, Havertz, Fabio Vieira, Gabriel, Nketia, etc) then we definitely could have gotten much more from him in my opinion. But people engaged in too much Ozil special pleading, idolisation and excuses and never demanded more as they do with the likes of Odegaard.
@malaika. Some fans think because Ozil came from almighty real madrid should therefore be idolized. Some even think Ozil did us favor by joining us. Ozil did no wrong in the eyes of those fans. After 4 years of his departure, there are still advocates of his laziness.
In my post above, I did mention that he wasn’t without blame. And it would surprise you to know that I was one of those who wanted him gone even before Arteta came. I even had serious arguments with others about it and my major issue with him was that he wasn’t hardworking enough right from Emery’s time. My point is that the criticism of him is way over the top, as though he was never good for us. And you will agree with me that his ousting from our team was not Arteta’s decision but the club’s due to political and monetary reasons. Arteta saw him as important (despite his perceived laziness) and started him in all our games until the corona virus halted football. The matter of taking a pay cut was a major reason he was never seen again. I believe you know all these. He wasn’t as bad as we make him out to be
@dgr8. Sorry for the late reply.
I won’t agree with you about Özil’s exclusion being political and monetary. I do think that our fans invented that conspiracy as some sort of coping mechanism. Many did not want to accept or acknowledge that their superstar Ozil was being called out on his laziness, consistent poor performances. They were accustomed to him always getting his way no matter how poor he performed or how much mischief he caused / manufactured. But then enter Arteta, Edu and Josh. Things were about to change and no player was going to be allowed to slack without being called out on it. Calling their bluffs.
I do really think that Arsenal and Arteta had had enough of Ozil and the Covid grandstanding from him was the last straw. I think there was so much stuff bubbling beneath the surface that the Covid situation gave the club that opportunity to cut him off once and for all.
No but it’s not a Mustafi Saliba comparison
Ozil assists record and trophies were better then Odegarrd in the same time frame
You failed to also mention constant all round work rate. I do NOT wonder WHY you omitted that matter. It did not suit your agenda.
I have to wonder at the people who thought Ozil to be wonderful. To me he was the worst ever Arsenal buy.
BY A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE, GIVEN THE HARM HE DID TO OUR CLUB IN HIS LAST FIVE EFFECTIVELY ALREADY “RETIRED” YEARS.
I am talking about their overall individual performances / contributions game in game out on average.
Which one of them has more to offer the team? Not just going by one stat. Put all their individual contributions / triats together and tell me which one. Leadership skills, passing, hardwork (tackling, pressing, tracking etc), assists, goals, fight, dominanting games / taking games by the scruff of the neck kind of thing. Things like that..
It’s not because the ‘Ozil days include’ I assume all of his days as an Arsenal player .
If you compare his first two seasons at Arsenal , he’s done better then Odegarrd
Ozil was a quality player before moving to Arsenal, but coasted with us. How many seasons at Arsenal can you truly say that on an individual level, Ozil was outstanding for us?
Maybe two at most I’d say.
I remember with a shudder odf disguist at thr mercenarty anticvs of this idle fraud who took Arenl for foolls, including his foolish fan club, who never saw that after his first sublime season he effectively retired on full pay, even while still wearing our shirt when apppearing on the field in games.
As an active fan since 1958, I REGARD THIS FRAUD AS, BY A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE, OUR WORST EVER, MOST DISASTROUS PURCHASE MISTAKE.
The harm he wreaked on AFC over many wasted years was immense.
And how about the silly excuses we hear about Kai havertz??
@Fanuel.
Using the same irrelevant and always repeated talking point. “Just checkout Haverts CV. The guy won the CL with Chelsea. He scored the winning goal in that final too”.
So do we get to engage in special pleading for Havertz now that he is at Arsenal?
Hahaha! So you’re one of those that judges a player after only a handful of games! Oh dear!
👍👍👍
I’m just glad we got him ❤️
One of our very best players.
Only 1 player in the EPL created more goal scoring opportunities than Maddison last season – KDB, and he managed this on a team that got relegated. That alone speaks volumes, while MO, did his on a very good Arsenal team.
The headline is telling us that Odegaard is better but that’s for debate and something which is opinion based .
Both have their strengths and obviously their weaknesses.
I’ve always been a fan of Maddison and he’s showing this season that he’s one of the best.
His downfall is the games he misses through niggling injuries.
Odegaard while a top player I do believe his lack of pace and going missing in big games is a minus for him .
Odegaard as been doing his job and Maddison as just signed for the spuds so it’s a non story who is better as we would never know .
Personally though I would take Maddison.
For reals? Wow! End of debate then…
“Against YOU”! Not by any chance a renegade Spud are you!!
Of course you are and as such, used to talking nonsense and watching it too.
Madison IS better in an attacking sense – far more potent wrt creating chances and probably scoring goals imo. Odegaard perhaps has better close control and is clearly more effective in pressing and defending, but i certainly wouldn’t say he’s clearly better overall – depends on what the team needs.
I would have loved us to have signed Madison this summer – pairing him with odegaard and rice would have been ridiculous.
His pressing alone is better than anyone in the premier league. What a stark difference from ozil. Odegaard is the best attacking midfielder just for that alone.
Hmm, have you checked Ozil’s list of honours.
Why compare two different styles of players anyway?
It’s like saying Nketiah is a betre4 player than Giroud was, because he runs around like a blue assed fly, pressing defenders!!
By the way, I love to watch Odegaard play and he symbolises MA’s requirements as a player.
One can only judge best at the end of the season who contributed to their teams more.
So far I believe they are both on the same level.
Maddison has been very good for Spurs this season and has clearly been one of the best MF in the PL. Maddison is clearly at a comparable level to Odegaard.
However, I would rate Odegaard ahead for his all round play and consistent performances over the past year.
Odegaard’s biggest strength is his mentality. Already played for Real Madrid at the age of 16, we actually have a veteran at the age of 24 as a skipper. His work ethics, humility and the love for his teammates sets him apart from everyone else. His mental ability to soldier on only rivalled by his physical ability.
Two excellent midfielders any club would be happy to have.
Odegaard and Maddison play for different clubs and countries, so they get opportunities to play against each other.
Comparisons can be made of each individual; however it is their contributions to their respective teams which is important. In that respect they both shine.
.