Arsenal vs Crystal Palace 23.04.2025 - KO 20:00 GMT

There is a certain precedent but it requires both parties to be on board. And it was over 20 years ago. When Hyypia was our captain, he felt the responsibility weighed him down and his performances suffered so we gave the captaincy to Gerrard. He actively wanted, and thrived, off the responsibility. And it worked out quite nicely.

Tbh I'm never a fan of an attacking player having the captaincy, it should always be a centre back or centre midfielder. Even in a team of experienced internationals. It's just the order of things.

Edit: from the outside looking in I'm actually shocked Odegaard is your captain. I assumed it was Saliba or Rice.

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Originally Posted by Shaqiri Is Boss

Tbh I'm never a fan of an attacking player having the captaincy, it should always be a centre back or centre midfielder. Even in a team of experienced internationals. It's just the order of things.

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I'm old school like this too and couldn't agree more with this paragraph. The best captains have always led from the back in this sport IMO and I'd always go for a defensive player over a creative player if given the choice.

But regarding his current poor form, I don't think the responsibility he shoulders as captain is the direct cause of it. Conversely I also don't think we are doing him any favours by burdening him with all this responsibility while also dealing with his drop in form and trying to pull himself out of his rut singlehandedly, as a leader would be expected to.

Odegaard is an extremely creative player. I've described him as reminding me of some sort of tortured artist and we all know creative people need their space to re-discover themselves once in a while.

He's not going to get this as a captain, especially in an Arteta team. He'll play every game playable and be expected to keep leading the team from the front, even when their are other players who could give the team another dimension, which is clearly needed with our struggles to breakdown low blocks

In short, for a young team that is struggling with it's identity and with the immense pressure every player is under to bring back the glory days to the club, Odegaard was quite a poor choice as captain. I admit it improved his game initially but as expectations have grown (and have stayed largely unmet), he was always going to struggle as most creative players would with this unnecessary burden.

If Arteta had been a more experienced coach, he would have never made this mistake from the onset as I also agree that taking it away from him now, especially when he hasn't come out of his rut, would be quite damaging to his psyche, unless he fully agrees with it like your Hypia example.

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Originally Posted by Shaqiri Is Boss

There is a certain precedent but it requires both parties to be on board. And it was over 20 years ago. When Hyypia was our captain, he felt the responsibility weighed him down and his performances suffered so we gave the captaincy to Gerrard. He actively wanted, and thrived, off the responsibility. And it worked out quite nicely.

Tbh I'm never a fan of an attacking player having the captaincy, it should always be a centre back or centre midfielder. Even in a team of experienced internationals. It's just the order of things.

Edit: from the outside looking in I'm actually shocked Odegaard is your captain. I assumed it was Saliba or Rice.

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I feel like Rice is definitely cut from the same cloth as Gerrard in that sense. The way he speaks and carries himself, is that of a textbook captain. Odegaard is the Norway captain too so he must have some desirable traits and by all accounts he is a model pro, but yeah he isn’t my captain if it were my choice.

Rice is a shoe-in for captain if Odegaard were to leave though and I also think he will succeed Kane if he decides to pack it in after the World Cup.

I think Odegaard has been a pretty good captain.
Rice would be better, but I don’t think Odegaard should be stripped of it.

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Originally Posted by Mac76

You've no idea have you?

Odegaard ALWAYS takes the ball then gives it to Saka when the pel is ready to be taken - why? because that way he takes any heat from opposition players wanting to put off the taker, while Saka can quietly think about the pel - a very captain-like act don't you think?

Odegaard also makes sure newer/younger players are looked after and quietly goes about his business but does have words with other players when he needs to - just because he doesn't go around with his chest puffed out and bellowing at people, a la Rice, doesn't mean he isn't a good captain - in fact it's the oppostie it shows he keeps his head, which surely is what a captain should do...?

He's off form atm and does annoy me with some of the things he does/doesn't do with the ball, but this stuff about the captaincy is just BS from moronic cavemen

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No, I'm saying he SHOULD have taken the pen! He's the captain! Step up. I don't care if it's some sort of silly thing they do - they shouldn't do it. If we have babies in the team then replace them. Anyway, if what you say is true - which I doubt - it obviously fucked us up. Saka is a shite pen taker - he should never be taking pens. I knew he'd miss it, mostly because it was never a pen in the first place and I think those things kind of work out regardless of interference from the officials.

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Originally Posted by Letters

I think Odegaard has been a pretty good captain.
Rice would be better, but I don’t think Odegaard should be stripped of it.

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He's been shit. Just stating the facts. Great player who often has long spells where he loses his focus and becomes a shit player. Not good AT ALL for a captain. Can't lead by example.

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

I find Odegaard lacks confidence and because of that rarely takes responsibility in attempting to get the team playing and moving up the pitch with any vigour. He’s still a good presser but I think he is capable of doing a lot more in the final third than he actually does. He’s in a funk so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt because he has shown what he can do in previous seasons, but his tendency to overplay is frustrating and definitely doesn’t help our already weak front line. Captain or not you want your most talented players to be able to play off the cuff when needs be but I don’t think Odegaard does that.

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Absolutely. If he could just screw his head on and play with more directness he'd be a weapon. And he's done that in spells in the past. Right now though it's 50 touch Odegard and it breaks up our game horribly.

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

As much as I’d prefer Rice as captain, I tend to agree in that I think if you just strip someone of the captaincy like that,it is going to create resentment that won’t go.

As for signing someone else, I think we probably need cover in that area if nothing else as we clearly were lacking when he was injured

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You don't strip him of the captaincy - you appoint a new captain. That's different. It's not a punishment, it's selecting the best man for the job. These aren't girlies in a popularity contest, this is professional sport.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

You don't strip him of the captaincy - you appoint a new captain. That's different. It's not a punishment, it's selecting the best man for the job. These aren't girlies in a popularity contest, this is professional sport.

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If you’re arguing that it’s worth creating Ill will with Odegaard to make Rice captain, that’s one thing but you would have to be basically saying you’re prepared to sell him…because if you say to him “you haven’t done anything wrong I just think this guy would make a better captain than you” and expecting that he will be philosophical about it…well you really don’t know much about people.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

No, I'm saying he SHOULD have taken the pen! He's the captain! Step up. I don't care if it's some sort of silly thing they do - they shouldn't do it. If we have babies in the team then replace them. Anyway, if what you say is true - which I doubt - it obviously fucked us up. Saka is a shite pen taker - he should never be taking pens. I knew he'd miss it, mostly because it was never a pen in the first place and I think those things kind of work out regardless of interference from the officials.

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I don't know why you doubt it, because they do it all the time, it's quite obviously deliberate

And yes I knew as I wrote it there was a comeback that Saka's pel was poor but that's not to say the tactic is wrong, normally his pels are very good

And as for it being Ode's responsibility to take it as captain, sorry but you must know that's rubbish, the vast majority of takers aren't the captain, they pick the guy best for the job

Personally I did think it was a pel also