After Aubamayeng was stripped of his captaincy last season, Arteta had to make a tricky decision on who to name his captain. To cut a long story short, he opted for Martin Odegaard to be his skipper, despite reservervations from most Arsenal fans, but what a brilliant decision!
Over the years, we’ve seen some players affected by the additional responsibilities of being a captain. The captain’s armband weighs heavily on some players, but not the Norwegian. No doubt, the former Real Madrid man is a leader; you won’t see him backing orders or complaining, but he leads by letting his performance do the talking.
Out of nowhere, Arsenal this season found themselves in the title race; it is uncertain they’ll win it, but what a season this has been. Many Arsenal players have stepped up; Odegaard is one player who has been on another level; ironically, he hasn’t been making the headlines as he should, but silently, he’s having his best season ever. In 34 games, the 24-year-old has 15 goals and seven assists. Former Premier League star Micah Richards believes Odegaard could have easily been named Player of the Season if Erling Haaland hadn’t happened.
“If it hadn’t been for Erling Haaland, Arsenal’s captain would be odds-on for Player of the Year,” Richards said in his column in The Daily Mail.
“He reminds me of David Silva in so many ways, with his quiet authority and leadership.
“You wouldn’t know David was in a room sometimes, but on the pitch, he made you follow him through his brilliance, and that is what Odegaard is doing — 15 goals from midfield (and not one penalty) is just exceptional.
“Arsenal’s business in getting Odegaard on loan, restoring his confidence, and then buying him outright was a masterstroke. He’s going to get even better”
Other than Micah, the Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, at half-time on PL productions (as quoted by TBR) during the Newcastle vs. Arsenal game, couldn’t hide how “magnificent” Odegaard was in scoring the opening goal against his team, saying, “He has run the show. He has controlled the game at his pace, and he has been absolutely magnificent. You can’t give someone of that ability that much time to pick his spot because he will punish you. That’s exactly what he did.
“They’ve got to do something to stop that guy, because he’s run the show. He has been the best player by a mile.”
With his brilliant stats, Odegaard isn’t considered as highly as he ought to be. At the moment, he is arguably the most productive playmaker in the English Premier League this season and hopefully one day he will get the recognition he deserves…
Mikel Arteta buzzing after Newcastle United 0-2 Arsenal – This game was all about pride..
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I agree with Richards, because Odegaard is the most productive central midfielder in EPL and all his goals are non-penalty
I think he could even be more productive if he had someone to win and hold the ball upfront. Maybe Arsenal can try to sign Alexander Sorloth for that
“…you won’t see him backing orders or complaining, but he leads by letting his performance do the talking”
Utter nonsense. While I agree a captain should perform well consistently, I do not agree that performance is the most important quality of a captain. Imagine Saka being named captain now because of his performances this season. Hate or love him. fact is that Granit Xhaka is the most capable captain material we have at the club. Just sad be can’t get the armband again, probably
It is often difficult to get all qualities in a single package… We can only choose our weights (i.e. most important quality) optimally, which is all we can do…
Therefore, choosing between a captain that barks orders and gets a red card in the next minute and whose performance you cannot guarantee or one who focuses on performance more than barking orders is only a matter of choice…
However, I think performance goes over backing orders…
Henry wasn’t known to bark orders, same with Fabregas… Consequently, at the moment, Odegaard’s performance is more of a heavier weight than barking orders…
I very much understand your point, especially given that Maguire’s captaincy was being questioned by CR7 due to his atrocious performances. However, I would choose a captain who can marshall others to do their jobs properly over a quiet one who will only focus on doing his own job properly. There’s a strong reason why Tony Adams is constantly remembered for his captaincy tenure
Guys – I’ve always thought the captaincy question was a bit overrated. Every single player should take responsibility for themselves and also help their teammates when things are not going well. Everyone should have enough spirit pride and intelligence to do that. I understand that some people are more quiet than others, but surely a well paid, adult human being shouldn’t need a father figure (who incidentally may be younger than them). They should all be “captains”. Personally I think Arteta chose Martin because he seems to be a genuinely decent young man with impeccable behaviour, and that he would be a good example to the younger players. You can’t tell me that someone like Xhaka looks up to him as a leader or captain. Just saying.
In an ideal world, everyone should be “captains” in the right sense of the word. However, in the real world, such is not the case… And as a consequence, the need to optimize…
The question therefore is, what attribute, feature, or quality would you prefer over the other in the choice of your captain?
If one possesses all the requisite qualities, such a package is blessed, but that isn’t always the case…
Therefore, choosing performance over backing orders and controlling others becomes the topic of discuss as it pertains to Odegaard and Xhaka…
I take performance anyday anytime… However, if I have a package with all the qualities… Then, one can only be blessed!
indeed, Indeed. In other words I agee with you.
Exactly! Again, I agree with your choice as it is your choice.
If one gets all qualities in a single package e.g. Tony Adams, then one is simply blessed because such a package inevitably becomes a legend!
However, when you do not have all qualities and inevitably cannot learn to acquire your deficits, then one option is to strongly maximize the strongest quality you have, such that it covers for the weak ones, such was the case in Henry.
Therefore, if Odegaard continues to deliver such great performances over his entire career (a future we do not know yet), then only greatness awaits him, and he will be remembered as either a cult hero or a legend…
He has just begun, and a great start it is, and we can only bid him well into the future!
In the same way that the captain doesn’t have to bark orders.it doesn’t stop others experienced players without it to do so.there is a reason teams now have a leadership group,different players/characters..bringing different qualities.
Understand where your coming from but Arteta was the poster boy for non-captain material under Wenger. Tbf if you didn’t know that was wrong within a year of listening to people talk about Arteta around the club then you don’t listen (or read.) Point is Arteta was clearly always captain material just took some x years for most to figure it out. Wenger was right, so everyone else should air on the side of caution that way. If the largest group think nonsense claim to bad captains was our current manager then check yourselves. Per faired little better, what role is he in currently?
Good as Odegaard is, he’s not yet at the level of Kevin de Bruyne, who’s having another great (urguably better than Martin) season.
De Bruyne at 31 years old seems to be pacier and more ambidextrous than all young attacking midfielder in EPL
KDB was poor before the WC, and for a while, afterwards as well. Hence Pep dropping him, and the questions from the media.
Obviously he’s peeking at the business end of the season, which has caught everyone’s eye, but Odegaard has not only been more consistent, but his numbers are outstanding! Not only that, his work ethic off the ball as well, which KDB doesn’t do.
Overally KDB is clearly the better player, but Odegaard has had the better season.
Very good point that you brought up.the numbers of games MØ played compared to KDB.as you correctly pointed out KDB had a quiet patch but luckily for him City could afford to rest/manage him.something we couldn’t really do with MØ.
Captain Odegaard has been doing extremely well this season and I can understand why some fans and pundits is giving him the head over KDB.
Pound for pound KDB is surrounded by more world class player like himself so he will receive more quality passes and able to do likewise with a higher expectations rate of resulting in goal.
So for our captain Odegaard to be ahead of him on the production line is some feat.
He is a good captain for Arsenal too but players like Xhaka are just born natural captain that unofficially runs things.
I usually disagree with mamy of your comments. But I think this one makes complete sense to me. I still believe KDB is a better player all round than our captain but I also agree he’s been aided a bit by the quality around him (or should I say he’s the one aiding those around him😁)
And just to think that Odegaard is nowhere near his prime, whereas KdB will probaly (hopefully) plateau any time soon before going into inevitable decline 😏
probably! My spelling is sometimes criminal.
Jax, a grand total of one typo, not a spelling mistake, in two posts . That is FAR less than I usually make and,in two posts, is not in the least bit “criminal ” but overall ,rather good actually and at very worst, simply being a human.
And being human is always, by definition, GOOD!
He has had a lot of praise but I could not care less about recognition.
He gets the goals, he gets the assists, he organizes the press and Arsenal fans love him.
And that is why our man can be said to have a better season than KDB. Assuming the league title is in our pocket it would have been difficult to convince people that Odegaard is not the best.
I agre with many of the posts above, most of which are balanced and sensible.
I also ADORE the charismatic and immensely likeable Micah Richards, a complete natural on air, if ever I saw one.
The fact that Martin is a captain has nothing to do with the facts that he is a fantastic midfielder… the stats are there for verification and it keeps getting better.
So if he would win the award or not depends I think solely upon us winning the league now… A miracle perhaps? We have three while games for him to perform more magic.
I don’t understand what you mean by Odegaard has more goals contributions than KDB?
Do you by that means he has goals than KDB or goals contributions.
KDB has goal contributions than Odegaard and with less appearance.
and people saying he’s not on form before the world cup.
If that should be the case Martinelli should be our unsung heroes.
I saw many people tipping Saka as competitor to Haaland but that has died already bcuz of the recent form.
Martinelli was on form than both Saka and Odegaard before the worldcup and after the Aston villa’s game. He has been on form than Odegaard and never score a single penalty just like Odegaard too.
Odegaard was lucky cos he scores goals after our breakdown and Saka and Martinelli are yet to.
1 time is if not for Haaland, Saka would have win it, now is if not for Haaland. Odegaard would have win it.
The subject of the matter is that. no 1 is special than others in our team, no Man City players has good form than any of our 1st eleven except Haaland.
When Odegaard is doing nothing against Man U, Liverpool and some big teams, Saka and Martinelli were pulling there bodies, same goes with Odegaard when others are not performing.
Not like Odegaard has more goal contributions than Saka (only player who has double digit Goals and assist)
And about KDB been surrounded by good players.
KDB has always been their go-to players against every big team, no KDB no party, they look wolrdclass with him but look like a good team without him. Sanchez did that singlehandedly in Arsenal too.
So Odegaard has a long way to go before he get to KDB’s level.
Midfielders are not measured by goals, Lampard has more goals than KDB but no 1 can rate him above KDB.
and while saying all that…
Credit where is due.
Odegaard has been a revelation and i’m so happy we bought him even when i doubted him during is loan.
A very brilliant player and what i love most about him is his passing skills. Gosh! The boy knows how to pass and i think we need a deadly striker for him to break every midfielders record.