I can't believe I bothered to read this trash.Originally Posted by Mac76
I got back to my senses and had to stop once he started making excuses for Odegaard....imagine saying he's suffering for being the only creative outlet in the team this season, like this is any different from the past 2 seasons where I must have missed Zidane and Pirlo offering him support!
Well it’s kind of true in a roundabout way in the sense that clearly he hasn’t been able to rediscover his form since coming back from injury, he is playing things too safe (which is a sign of lacking confidence) but because we’ve had to play Nwaneri on the right in Saka’s absence that he’s had to play in games when it might have been better to drop him for a few games and let him come back fresh
I really don't know what his problem is and I'm tired of guessing.
At first I thought if Saka got back into the team he'd play better. Only for Saka to get back and our captain starts acting like a baby looking for his mummy by seeking Saka out constantly even when he's clearly marked out.
Then the Madrid game happens. I mean he's playing against the team that apparently "prematurely" gave up on his potential. I expected at least a few sparks from him, especially in the first leg.....only for me to watch him hiding under Saka's skirt for most of the game till Rice stepped up obviously.
So after that I went further and thought, maybe White is the missing piece of the puzzle. Again, only for all three of them to start against Ipswich (I think it was) and still no improvement or decisiveness in his play.
I'm not interested in making excuses for him any longer. On his day he's unplayable and clearly one of the most talented players I've ever seen. But in general he is easily one of the wimpiest and that particular attribute seems to be sticking out more and more.
The title of the article is "it doesn't fucking matter". So focusing on that part...I pretty much agree. Unless we do somehow contrive to finish outside the Top 5, it honestly doesn't matter that much. Discounting that possibility, as it seems vanishingly unlikely to me. What are we going to remember about this season?
I see two possibilities.
First, we win the CL - I mean, if that happens who will give an utter fuck that we dropped points against Palace?
Frustrations will linger about the poor league season, but a CL win would surely trump that and buy Arteta a lot of good will.
Being of a certain vintage, I remember 92/93 quite well. It was boring boring Arsenal at its boring boring Arsenalest. And we were so poor in the league that we flirted with relegation. We only finished 7 points above the drop-zone. But what are my main memories from that season? The revenge against Spurs in the semi-final, the finals, Adams dropping Morrow after the league cup win, Linighan winning the FA Cup - our first since '79, remember, which I was too young to remember.
Second, and let's face it, the more likely scenario - we don't win the CL. Obviously then we will be left with the disappointment of a poor league season. But even then a couple of dropped points against Palace doesn't add much to that. The bigger sting will be losing to PSG or losing the final ().
TL;DR - the late brainfart last night was frustrating. But it goes in to a large folder of frustrations this season. 18 points dropped from winning positions is dire. Going out of the title race before February was over is dire. Only a CL win can save this season and I have no issue with the players having one eye on that game when they're thinking about whether to go in to tackles. In that 92/93 season we lost both league games before the cup finals, we drew the one before the semi-final. It had no bearing on those cup games and neither did the draws in the league this season ahead of both Real games.
Odegard's been a disaster for months now but nobody will come out and say it. He's the worst captain we ever had. Everything a captain shouldn't be. The way he gave that ball to Saka for the pen - fucking disgraceful. Rice is the captain, on the pitch - maybe not off it. Arteta has a hard decision coming up but he better make it. And if Odegard doesn't want to pick up his game then he's surplus. Don't know why we are signing Zubi either - why do we need him? We need an extra 8, not a 6. Extend Partey's contract - he's won that privilege. And let the poor bastard play in EVERY game. Arteta needs to sort his shit out. He's being applauded as a genius right now. A genius that lost a title by double figures but MIGHT get lucky in a big comp that could trump that disaster. Not saying he hasn't had his good moments, but the Odegard captaincy isn't something he should be clinging to. Or Gabriel - he'd be a good captain. Or Miles - Adams did it. Anyone with the desire which Odegard has lost.
Für eure Sicherheit
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
Last edited by Mac76; 25-04-2025 at 09:52 AM.
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.
Last edited by Marc Overmars; 25-04-2025 at 11:52 AM.
100% agree with this
Sure, as I said I agree he's off form and he's really annoyed me at times by trying to be too clever - vis a vis stupid short corners, backwards FKs etc
I doubt we'll see an improvement this season but maybe he can chill over the summer and get back to the basics - he ought to be coached to do that too
But as you say that's entirely unrelated to the captaincy, unless he really does lose serious form over a protracted period of time - even then I think to take it away from him we'd need to realise it risked losing him altogether as it wouldn't go down well...
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
Last edited by HCZ_Reborn; 25-04-2025 at 02:17 PM.
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