Martin Odegaard delivered an outstanding performance during the 2023/2024 season, leading many Arsenal supporters to believe he was only just entering the prime years of his career, with even greater achievements ahead.
However, in the most recent campaign, his form noticeably declined, prompting concern among fans that he may have already reached his peak and could now be on a downward trajectory..
Concerns Over Odegaard’s Form
Odegaard is fully aware that he cannot afford another underwhelming season at the club. There are early indications that Arsenal may already be preparing for life without him if his struggles continue. As reported by Football Insider, Mikel Arteta has been trialling Ethan Nwaneri in a central role during pre-season, and the young player has adapted impressively.
Nwaneri has transitioned from playing on the wing to operating as Arsenal’s number ten without significant difficulty, though there is still considerable room for development. His progress has reportedly caught the attention of the coaching staff, who are keen to give him more opportunities in the first team.
A Challenge for the Midfield Role
The report further states that the time has arrived for Odegaard to demonstrate he can consistently deliver high-quality performances. Failure to do so could result in him being replaced in the starting line-up by Nwaneri, as Arsenal intensifies its push for silverware.
Nwaneri is considered an exceptional prospect with significant long-term potential. Should Odegaard’s form remain inconsistent, it is likely that the younger player will be entrusted with the role of the team’s principal creative force. This shift would represent a substantial change in Arsenal’s midfield dynamics, signalling a readiness to prioritise emerging talent over established figures who are unable to maintain top performance levels.
The coming season will therefore be pivotal for Odegaard, not only for his standing within the club but also for his career trajectory. The pressure is now firmly on him to reaffirm his place as Arsenal’s creative leader and to prove that his best football is still ahead of him.
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Dont think he should be an auto starter he should be competing with Ethan and Kai….depending on form, opposition and certainly shouldn’t be captain….a leadership team fine but not captain…
Non of those mentioned players posses the quality and dynamism we need in the middle.
I can consider Nwaneri to some extent, but Havertz? that will be shooting our self in the foot. Playing him as our main creative outlet is inconceivable.
*ourselves
If Odegaard’s form is like last season, then Arteta needs to act quickly and bench him. Being club Captain shouldn’t guarantee a player his starting place.
Captain or no Captain, earn your place in the starting 11, and if you can’t then Arteta needs to play a player that does.
And as I said on more than one occasion last season, Odegaard shouldn’t be club Captain. For me, it’s Gabriel or Rice.
He was rushed back too quickly from injury and he became a father for the first time, both would derail anyone’s season. He will be back to his old self
I have seen new fathers who still had to work from morning until night and they managed just fine.
Odergaard is a millionaire I think he can afford all the help needed for a new father without it affecting his work.
Some excuses have zero effort put into them and why does there have to be an excuses every single ducking time? If things didn’t go well cant we just acknowledge it and move on instead of searching everywhere for an excuse behind?
I like Odegaard. I think he is a fantastic player but last season he was sith!
HH,
Could not have put it better myself. 👏👏👏👏👏👍
He was a dark lord? His new son isn’t named Anakin I hope.
Should I have written sh*t instead?
You tell me. But I am glad we have a sith in the club.
we “don’t” have a sith
I wrote that way to avoid censorship 🙄
Foreverinourshadow,
Make as many excuse’s as you like. If he was rushed back as you say, then that’s on both Arteta and Odegaard himself. If he wasn’t fit he shouldn’t be playing.
And if he then isn’t performing it can’t be used as an excuse, it’s that simple.
And don’t get me started on him becoming a Father. He isn’t the first, and he certainly won’t be the last to become a father.
Yes he may have had some issue’s, if so he shouldn’t have been playing in the team. Who was it benefitting, no one as far as I could see.
This season is a big one for the club, and it most definitely is for Odegaard. I’ve said on here in previous posts that he shouldn’t be club Captain, and I stand by that. But if he’s to remain the Club Captain, then its high time he started producing Captain performances, without the incessant cheer leading with his arm waving antics. Cringe worthy at best.
I wonder how many cages my post will rattle for daring to question the club Captain, and his lack of performances.🤷♂️
I’m really not getting the whole thing with the negativity about what are being termed excuses. They are simply reasons for things or players being less than what we want them to be and are just explanations for the reality we are perceiving. They are not inherently good or bad. I cannot see where the 2nd half of your comment has nothing to do with the existence of “excuses”.
Response was to Derek.
Bruised Banana,
The second part of my post may have nothing to do with excuses. I’m just saying that its a big season for our club Captain.
His performances last season was nowhere near good enough, for whatever reason. And the fact that he may or may not have had issues, is neither here nor there as far as I’m concerned.
If said player, and I don’t care who that said player is, if they have issue’s then they shouldn’t be in the team.
It’s helping no one is it. It’s not helping the team, the Manager or the player himself. In fact it’s setting them up for criticism if their form dips, which in Odegaard’s case it certainly did.
So again for me, player with said issues, if they play there’s no excuse. If issue’s are affecting them, they don’t play until said issues are sorted out. It’s that simple.
I have no problem with the idea that a player needs to be the best available in order to be on the pitch. However, there are reasons/excuses, for any player not being the best (or being the best) on the pitch for whatever period. Do the reasons/excuses tell us in each case that a mistake or masterstroke was made in playing them? Perhaps yes, perhaps no. Until we are willing to fully analyze the reasons/excuses rather than summarily dismiss them, no one can say.
Response was to Derek. btw, not trying to target you personally of course but just seeing this kind of thing with “excuses” so often on here. No problem with your opinion on Odegaard whether I agree completely with it or not. My quandary was only with this idea that “excuses” (reasons) being bad in and of themselves rather than simply being recognized as part of reality whether they support an opinion on a matter or not.
Bruised Banana,
No worry’s of me feeling targeted by you.
Let me put a slightly different spin on the excuses. If said player is just off form from a playing point of view, then I can except that to a degree. And I’d even except the team maybe carrying him for a few games.
But there comes a time when the player just needs benching to take the heat off them that will be building.
Player’s have dips in form, of course they do. But the constant reasoning about it being because he was injured or being a new Father, just doesn’t fly with me. And yes that’s just an excuse as far as I’m concerned.
Maybe we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one Bruised Banana.
Unfortunately, a number of fans have decided to focus negatively on Odegaard and don’t like being challenged for their really quite mean-spirited views.
Odegaard has been playing his way back into form which is good for him and Arsenal. Odegaard is still a top player and if he reaches the levels he can that can only help the team. He has also not nearly been as bad as some are making out or he wouldn’t be in the team.
Nwaneri is not yet at a level that he can consistently run a game and we don’t have anyone else that can replace Odegaard. Hopefully, Nwaneri himself can continue his development and then can truly challenge for a central role.
A number of people have been attempting to shut down discourse by suggesting that any explanation is just an “excuse”. Other equally spiteful individuals then pile in so that any reasonable discussion becomes impossible.
I believe perhaps that what you mean to say is that those are poor excuses rather than simply excuses, which may be good or bad depending on someone’s take on the matter. Because some feel their narrative on a matter threatened by serious consideration of “excuses” they immediately dismiss them regardless of their content. Your take on Odegaard is that the excuses you mentioned are poor (not just excuses) excuses for his lesser play and captaincy, which is fine even if I tend to see the situation a little differently.
Bruised Banana,
Your views have got me thinking. Maybe, there’s hope for me yet. 😂👍
Thanks Derek but that really wasn’t my intent and I enjoy reading your learned points of view. David’s somewhat boils down my view in the last paragraph of his comment above except for the “spiteful” designation.
No to be honest Bruised Banana,
Reading your posts have got me thinking regards my thoughts on Odegaard. Maybe my opinion of his form was a bit to black and white to be fare.
And I’m not averse to back track if my thoughts are challenged in a good way, like your thoughts challenged me.
But the one thing I won’t back track on is my preference of Gabriel or Rice being club Captain. I’m afraid I just don’t see Odegaard as Captain material.
And I’m afraid any challenging thoughts you might have on that particular subject will not sway me. 🤷♂️👍