Arsenal FC | 2025/26 Season

[Mamoon]

Neither is happening under Arteta.

If it doesn’t happen it doesn’t happen. Life moves on, but at least he won’t finish 15th

 

[The_KING]

If it doesn’t happen it doesn’t happen. Life moves on, but at least he won’t finish 15th

Congrats on the 2nd place trophy

 

[KingKhanWC]

Taking nothing away from Spurs, but it was evident Spurs where clearly more advanced in their Pre season preparations. PSG have only just returned to pre season training. Makes a big difference.

Yes that’s true but the energy of the spurs players in such conditions was superb . Kudos was excellent too .

Arsenal may soon be the 3rd best club in London after Chelsea and Spurs . Lol

 

[Mamoon]

Congrats on the 2nd place trophy

Congrats on not getting relegated

 

[topspin]

Taking nothing away from Spurs, but it was evident Spurs where clearly more advanced in their Pre season preparations. PSG have only just returned to pre season training. Makes a big difference.

Exactly. PSG looked knackered but still won. This reflects poorly on Frank and Spurs.

 

[Mamoon]

Yes that’s true but the energy of the spurs players in such conditions was superb . Kudos was excellent too .

Arsenal may soon be the 3rd best club in London after Chelsea and Spurs . Lol

Yes, a team that finished 17th last season is a threat to Arsenal.

 

[The_KING]

Congrats on not getting relegated

Man United were never in any danger of getting relegated.

 

[Mamoon]

Man United were never in any danger of getting relegated.

Yes, because finishing 15th is an achievement.

 

[The_KING]

Yes, because finishing 15th is an achievement.

Who said it is? But neither is finishing 2nd three times in a row.

 

[MK7Z]

Spurs were brilliant until Frank made his subs .

I can see Spurs doing well this season.

Define well. I am interested

 

[KingKhanWC]

Define well. I am interested

For Spurs doing well imo would be top 5 or win a domestic cup, no chance of wining one of the big two. For 60 mins yesterday they dominated PSG, who looked a little tired but even so the work from Spurs players was something I've not seen for since the Poch era.

The derby will be a good match .

 

[MK7Z]

Yes that’s true but the energy of the spurs players in such conditions was superb . Kudos was excellent too .

Arsenal may soon be the 3rd best club in London after Chelsea and Spurs . Lol

Please elaborate... Why do you think this? Which Spurs player gets in to Arsenals starting 11?

Please don't say Maddison - our hospital beds are occupied by Jesus and Califiori. Tomiyasu had to leave as we had no beds left.

Kudus you could argue yes - but lets see how he gets on.

 

[MK7Z]

For Spurs doing well imo would be top 5 or win a domestic cup, no chance of wining one of the big two. For 60 mins yesterday they dominated PSG, who looked a little tired but even so the work from Spurs players was something I've not seen for since the Poch era.

The derby will be a good match .

I don't get this Spurs love in for 60 mins business that everyone is going on about.

They did what Spurs have always done - mess it up. Its the History of the Tottenham. A EL doesn't change a whole history.

The bottom line is - they lost to the worst version of PSG you have seen in the last 12 months. So 60 mins is not some big sign of them " doing well " this season. I think they will be defensively better under Frank so they wont lose as many games but there are several mid table teams that are just better. Villa, Brighton, Newcastle,

 

[KingKhanWC]

I don't get this Spurs love in for 60 mins business that everyone is going on about.

They did what Spurs have always done - mess it up. Its the History of the Tottenham. A EL doesn't change a whole history.

The bottom line is - they lost to the worst version of PSG you have seen in the last 12 months. So 60 mins is not some big sign of them " doing well " this season. I think they will be defensively better under Frank so they wont lose as many games but there are several mid table teams that are just better. Villa, Brighton, Newcastle,

I cant stand Spurs as a club lol. I only replied to a post because I watched the whole match last night and gave my view. Frank is a different manager, his teams show good discipline and always work hard.

Im not here to say they are better than Arsenal, clearly not yet and maybe only a couple of players would make Arsenals first XI but Arsenal have regressed last season while Spurs are fast improving.

Spurs have won a major trophy, Arteta has not for years now, he must deliver this season. No excuses.

 

[The_KING]

They did what Spurs have always done - mess it up. Its the History of the Tottenham. A EL doesn't change a whole history.

I am no Spurs fan, but by winning the Europa League last season, Spurs achieved more in Europe than Arsenal have in their entire history.

 

[MK7Z]

I am no Spurs fan, but by winning the Europa League last season, Spurs achieved more in Europe than Arsenal have in their entire history.

Yes our European records is pathetic - couldn't agree more.

To win a trophy cant be looked down on but to win a trophy you have to have had a poor season to be in the first place is not something i'd be jumping for joy about. If Arsenal were in the Europa league it would be a disaster - and that's the levels.

 

[The_KING]

Yes our European records is pathetic - couldn't agree more.

To win a trophy cant be looked down on but to win a trophy you have to have had a poor season to be in the first place is not something i'd be jumping for joy about. If Arsenal were in the Europa league it would be a disaster - and that's the levels.

Levels lol. Arsenal haven't won the premier league in over 20 years and have never won the champions league. You are talking as if Arsenal are on the level of Real Madrid.

 

[MK7Z]

I cant stand Spurs as a club lol. I only replied to a post because I watched the whole match last night and gave my view. Frank is a different manager, his teams show good discipline and always work hard.

Im not here to say they are better than Arsenal, clearly not yet and maybe only a couple of players would make Arsenals first XI but Arsenal have regressed last season while Spurs are fast improving.

Spurs have won a major trophy, Arteta has not for years now, he must deliver this season. No excuses.

Wait hold on - Arsenal regressed last season ok I tend to agree but to make that point when trying to say Spurs are improving? based on what 60 mins against a PSG team still on the beach.

My brother they finished 17th last season. What is fast improving? We haven't played a game yet. The competitive game you are basing it on they ultimately lost. So how can you say they are fast improving. No logic applied.

I mean of course they will improve on 17th - otherwise they'll be relegated.

So far I believe they have added Kudus only? and a new manager. You think that alone will suddenly make them a top 5 team?

Yes Arsenal regressed last season but we signed 2 quality players that improve us. So time will tell. We still have not done enough to be where we need to be but that's on Mikel and as I keep saying Tick Tock.

Arteta and Arsenal is a different matter but I just dont get the Spurs logic being applied.

 

[MK7Z]

Levels lol. Arsenal haven't won the premier league in over 20 years and have never won the champions league. You are talking as if Arsenal are on the level of Real Madrid.

You clearly didn't understand....

If Arsenal were in the Europa league it would mean a disaster of a season prior. Spurs win the Europa league and its their greatest achievement.

If you don't understand that then keep trolling and i'll keep scrolling.

 

[Amjid Javed]

So one of Arsenal's best ever captains Tony Adams someone who knew about winning and lifting trophies, but also turning up in big games. Is calling for Martin Odegaard to strip of captaincy.

just like Henry when he was called Arteta out for average job he's done.

It's about time this club got some real leadership at the club.

 

[Mamoon]

So one of Arsenal's best ever captains Tony Adams someone who knew about winning and lifting trophies, but also turning up in big games. Is calling for Martin Odegaard to strip of captaincy.

just like Henry when he was called Arteta out for average job he's done.

It's about time this club got some real leadership at the club.

Adams was a great player and captain, but that doesn’t make you a successful manager. He was a complete failure as manager who will struggle to get top 4 with this Arsenal team and so will Henry.

The opinions of failed managers on Arteta need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

My opinion on this is very clear — I am not an advocate of sacking a captain while he retains a place in the team/squad. It is terrible for the team morale and culture.

It happen a couple of times under Wenger and later under Emery too, but it didn’t produce positive results.

Once you make someone captain, that player should remain captain until he leaves the club or something extreme happened like a scandal or some disciplinary issue.

Otherwise, such demotions are not good for the culture of the club.

This is a make or break season for Odegaard. He is in the prime of his career and he is now paired with the most lethal number 9 in the world — he should be getting a lot of assists and position himself as an elite playmaker.

If he is unable to do it this season, he should be sold next summer and then Rice will be a prime candidate for the armband.

 

[topspin]

So one of Arsenal's best ever captains Tony Adams someone who knew about winning and lifting trophies, but also turning up in big games. Is calling for Martin Odegaard to strip of captaincy.

just like Henry when he was called Arteta out for average job he's done.

It's about time this club got some real leadership at the club.

This is somethign I've been saying since 2023.

 

[topspin]

 

[topspin]

Adams was a great player and captain, but that doesn’t make you a successful manager. He was a complete failure as manager who will struggle to get top 4 with this Arsenal team and so will Henry.

The opinions of failed managers on Arteta need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

What is the need to bring Tony Adams' managerial record into this? There was no need for this cheap shot at him.

He was a great captain and was more than capable of rising to the occasion as a leader on the pitch, so there is no reason why we should not trust his judgement on Odegaard's captaincy.

It is no coincidence for us to find that under Odegaard's leadership, we've seen:

• Arsenal fall just short of top 4 in 21/22
• Arsenal fall short of the title in 22/23 and 23/24
• Him perform well below par last season
• Up until now, Norway have failed to qualify for both the Euros and the World Cup

Odegaard went missing when Arsenal were on the back foot during the back end of 21/22 and 22/23 seasons. He was pretty much anonymous during the first half of the 23/24 season and throughout last season.

For Norway, he did not record a single goal nor did he produce a single assist during the 2022 World Cup qualifying stage after playing 10 games. During the Euro 2024 qualifiers, he produced just 1 goal and 1 assist after 7 matches.

He actually did better in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, which was well before he hit his peak. I find that rather telling because it just goes to shows how he struggles when expectations mount on him. He simply cannot deliver when him and team are under pressure.

I will give him some credit. For Norway, he's finally stepped up in the 25/26 qualifiers so far with 5 assists in 4 games. I hope I don't jinx it, but his side look like they have a great chance of qualifying for next year's World Cup, which makes a nice change for once.

A vast majority of Arsenal fans I interact with want Rice to take over as captain.

I wanted Odegaard stripped of the captaincy two years ago. I'm not sure why it has taken most of the fan base this long to clock on to this.

Arsenal are falling short because they clearly have a leadership problem. Odegaard clearly hasn't got the mental fortitude and this issue becomes magnified when he's under pressure.

Odegaard is perhaps the best player in this squad when it comes to raw ability. Just like Babar Azam is for Pakistan. But sadly they are the biggest mental midgets on the field. @Rana was right when he first referred to the Norwegian as Arsenal's Babar Azam.

My opinion on this is very clear — I am not an advocate of sacking a captain while he retains a place in the team/squad. It is terrible for the team morale and culture.

It happen a couple of times under Wenger and later under Emery too, but it didn’t produce positive results.

Once you make someone captain, that player should remain captain until he leaves the club or something extreme happened like a scandal or some disciplinary issue.

Otherwise, such demotions are not good for the culture of the club.

Sometimes you have to make an exception in these circumstances because Odegaard's mental weakness cannot be fixed. I agree with Tony Adams, I think him playing without the spotlight (as captain) could do him a some good.

This is a make or break season for Odegaard. He is in the prime of his career and he is now paired with the most lethal number 9 in the world — he should be getting a lot of assists and position himself as an elite playmaker.

If he is unable to do it this season, he should be sold next summer and then Rice will be a prime candidate for the armband.

It's interesting you say this because it suggests to me even you're not convinced by Odegaard's captaincy credentials.

Arteta needed more than just change in personnel to take Arsenal forward this season. I fear his inability to deal with big personalities, which was evident during his clash with Aubameyang, will be his downfall. A fine coach but not such a great man manager.

I cannot see Arsenal winning any of the big two (PL and CL) with Martinelli + Odegaard as a starter and captain of the side.

As things stand, I would not blame Saliba for leaving us next summer. He deserves better than this.

 

[Amjid Javed]

sacking Odegaard or Arteta would be bad for the culture of the club. Yeah let's just carry on with loser mentality as all the snowflakes in dressing room might have their feelings hurt.

Typical backwards retard mentality from usual excuse makes, who supposedly is super positive

 

[Mamoon]

@topspin

Odegaard had a stinker of a season and if he has another stinker of a season, this time whilst playing with the deadliest striker in the world, then he should be sold.

You can’t have two terrible seasons in the prime of your career and not face the music. Having a lot of talent is one thing but you have to go out there and do it. He needs to rediscover his 2022-2023 level this season.

I don’t agree with replacing him as captain and keeping him in the team. He either stays as captain and lifts his game or he is replaced.

Captaincy is a bit of an overrated factor in football. Yes there has been some great captains but there aren’t many great teams that failed to win something because of the captain. Captaincy in football and captaincy in cricket aren’t the same.

However, I would urge Arsenal fans to not pass verdicts on Odegaard before the season has even commenced. Such negativity is not required at this stage. He is capable of forging a very prolific partnership with Gyokeres.

 

[KingKhanWC]

sacking Odegaard or Arteta would be bad for the culture of the club. Yeah let's just carry on with loser mentality as all the snowflakes in dressing room might have their feelings hurt.

Typical backwards retard mentality from usual excuse makes, who supposedly is super positive

Adams is spot on, enjoyed his interview. Captains are leaders, they perform others follow, they inspire the team around them. Odegaard only inspires Arsenal players to visit the hairdressers.

 

[Amjid Javed]

But but such negativity isn't needed

But but we need to support the losers like havertz, arteta and Odegaard

But but we need to be fake positive and delusional

 

[MK7Z]

As mentioned here its a big season for Odegaard where he must be benched if he is not performing the first few games captain or not.

On the captaincy discussion - my issue is that he does not fight our corner with the ref. It was always Rice, Gabriel or Jorginho. When the ref speaks to him he just nods his head and listens. Part of being the captain is being allowed to speak to the ref, dare i say slightly bully/intimidate/influence ( however you want to put it) Basically stick it on the ref, pressure him at every opportunity - he is to mentally weak to do that.

The reason I make this point is because I have seen the new rules that they are going to be very strict on this season - one being that if anyone apart from the captain approaches the ref then they can get booked. That nullifies Rice and Gabriel and leaves it to capitano. hmmmmm i am not sure he will be fighting our corner as well as others.

 

[Mamoon]

But but such negativity isn't needed

But but we need to support the losers like havertz, arteta and Odegaard

But but we need to be fake positive and delusional

But but but Arsenal should sign Musiala because he has every reason to leave Bayern for Arsenal

But but but the Madueke signing will push Nwaneri out of the door

But but but Arsenal should hire tactical mastermind Inzaghi so that they can put in the most cowardly performance in UCL history and lose 5-0

But but but Ancelotti will school Arteta in the UCL

 

[Amjid Javed]

Imagine mocking inzaghi and Anchelloti and then begging for support for losers like Odegaard, Havertz and Arteta just so you can promote Homo-agenda

 

[Amjid Javed]

As mentioned here its a big season for Odegaard where he must be benched if he is not performing the first few games captain or not.

On the captaincy discussion - my issue is that he does not fight our corner with the ref. It was always Rice, Gabriel or Jorginho. When the ref speaks to him he just nods his head and listens. Part of being the captain is being allowed to speak to the ref, dare i say slightly bully/intimidate/influence ( however you want to put it) Basically stick it on the ref, pressure him at every opportunity - he is to mentally weak to do that.

The reason I make this point is because I have seen the new rules that they are going to be very strict on this season - one being that if anyone apart from the captain approaches the ref then they can get booked. That nullifies Rice and Gabriel and leaves it to capitano. hmmmmm i am not sure he will be fighting our corner as well as others.

Sorry but have to disagree with above. With Odegaard now only allowed to speak the the referee now he can

- give referee tips on hair styles
- give referee tips on arm waving
- ask the referee for opinion on best dog food for win the dog

 

[The_KING]

But but but Arsenal should sign Musiala because he has every reason to leave Bayern for Arsenal

But but but the Madueke signing will push Nwaneri out of the door

But but but Arsenal should hire tactical mastermind Inzaghi so that they can put in the most cowardly performance in UCL history and lose 5-0

But but but Ancelotti will school Arteta in the UCL

Inzaghi reached 2 UCL finals with Inter. Wake me up when Arteta manages to do the same with Arsenal.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Odegaard is being made a scapegoat for Arsenals failure to land Trophies. End of the day, not one Arsenal player has performed to the level required consistently to lead Arsenal to major Trophies .

Liverfools had Salah Gravenberch Macc etc performing consistently at Elite level to win.

Before that, City. Rodri , Debryune, Haaland, Bernardo, Gundo

 

[shamaan]

Odegaard is being made a scapegoat for Arsenals failure to land Trophies. End of the day, not one Arsenal player has performed to the level required consistently to lead Arsenal to major Trophies .

Liverfools had Salah Gravenberch Macc etc performing consistently at Elite level to win.

Before that, City. Rodri , Debryune, Haaland, Bernardo, Gundo

Saka will get into literally any team.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Saka will get into literally any team.

Yes. But injured last season. And to be honest he's never performed at the level Salah Debryune or Even Haaland have.

 

[shamaan]

Yes. But injured last season. And to be honest he's never performed at the level Salah Debryune or Even Haaland have.

Am sure he pretty well played 75%of the matches.Saka is just slightly below salah but still a world class player.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Saka will get into literally any team.

Not in the LFC first XI. If Salah has 50% less of the season he did last season, he will still have better numbers.

Saka should move on to Real Madrid or PSG

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Am sure he pretty well played 75%of the matches.Saka is just slightly below salah but still a world class player.

Salah is a ATG of the Premier League. Not sure any current winger forward in the Epl comes close. Even though Sakah is a quality performer

 

[The_KING]

Odegaard is being made a scapegoat for Arsenals failure to land Trophies. End of the day, not one Arsenal player has performed to the level required consistently to lead Arsenal to major Trophies .

Liverfools had Salah Gravenberch Macc etc performing consistently at Elite level to win.

Before that, City. Rodri , Debryune, Haaland, Bernardo, Gundo

Odegaard is a good player, ability wise. But he goes missing, especially when Arsenal need him. As a captain, he needs to do more.

I am not always Bruno Fernandes' biggest fan, but you can never accuse him of going missing in games. He may be having a poor game, where he is giving the ball away, but at least he tries to make things happen. Odegaard does his best disappearing act in many games, and that is not what you expect from a captain of a big club like Arsenal.

 

[Obaidd]

Is zubimendi an upgrade on partey? I know different profiles and zubi has other dimensions like the very quick passing and visionary delivery.

But Partey was so so good and the matches he missed, Arsenal were not the same without him e.g., the SF at home vs PSG.

 

[Obaidd]

Odegaard is a good player, ability wise. But he goes missing, especially when Arsenal need him. As a captain, he needs to do more.

I am not always Bruno Fernandes' biggest fan, but you can never accuse him of going missing in games. He may be having a poor game, where he is giving the ball away, but at least he tries to make things happen. Odegaard does his best disappearing act in many games, and that is not what you expect from a captain of a big club like Arsenal.

Odegaard may go missing but he won’t have the cry baby’s day out that Bruno has had wearing utd armband

 

[Amjid Javed]

Inzaghi reached 2 UCL finals with Inter. Wake me up when Arteta manages to do the same with Arsenal.

Don't use logic like that with him

He's happy Arteta having a good run in CL

Then mocks a manager whose got to 2 finals

That's sort of retard logic you get from him

 

[Amjid Javed]

Odegaard is being made a scapegoat for Arsenals failure to land Trophies. End of the day, not one Arsenal player has performed to the level required consistently to lead Arsenal to major Trophies .

Liverfools had Salah Gravenberch Macc etc performing consistently at Elite level to win.

Before that, City. Rodri , Debryune, Haaland, Bernardo, Gundo

Bro what's with this weird defending of bakwas players like Odegaard and havertz.

As the club captain he needs to lead from the front. The fact he dissapears in big games, he's rightly scape goated.

Whether others aren't performing can be discussed separately

 

[Amjid Javed]

Is zubimendi an upgrade on partey? I know different profiles and zubi has other dimensions like the very quick passing and visionary delivery.

But Partey was so so good and the matches he missed, Arsenal were not the same without him e.g., the SF at home vs PSG.

Partey was instrumental in Arsenal being in two title races. Most of the ungrateful fans will forget thar. At same time will be begging for support for rubbish like Odegaard and havertz.

If zubemendi is a level above Partey, then he should be taking Arsenal up a level to winning trophies

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Odegaard is a good player, ability wise. But he goes missing, especially when Arsenal need him. As a captain, he needs to do more.

I am not always Bruno Fernandes' biggest fan, but you can never accuse him of going missing in games. He may be having a poor game, where he is giving the ball away, but at least he tries to make things happen. Odegaard does his best disappearing act in many games, and that is not what you expect from a captain of a big club like Arsenal.

If Arsenal want to go on and win the title then they need their elite players to perform at levels of debryune Haaland Salah VVD.

 

[The_KING]

Odegaard may go missing but he won’t have the cry baby’s day out that Bruno has had wearing utd armband

It's okay. Bruno, as a captain, has lifted trophies. Odegaard hasn't.

 

[topspin]

Odegaard is being made a scapegoat for Arsenals failure to land Trophies. End of the day, not one Arsenal player has performed to the level required consistently to lead Arsenal to major Trophies .

Liverfools had Salah Gravenberch Macc etc performing consistently at Elite level to win.

Before that, City. Rodri , Debryune, Haaland, Bernardo, Gundo

Saka, Rice, Saliba and Gabriel have.

The others have either been inconsistent, injury prone or straight up mediocre.

 

[topspin]

It's okay. Bruno, as a captain, has lifted trophies. Odegaard hasn't.

Bruno should be playing for Arsenal and Odegaard should be playing for Man U.

The clubs they play are a mismatch when you look at their calibre.

 

[topspin]

Zubimendi is a significant upgrade on Partey. Class player.

 

[topspin]

Odegaard is a good player, ability wise. But he goes missing, especially when Arsenal need him. As a captain, he needs to do more.

I am not always Bruno Fernandes' biggest fan, but you can never accuse him of going missing in games. He may be having a poor game, where he is giving the ball away, but at least he tries to make things happen. Odegaard does his best disappearing act in many games, and that is not what you expect from a captain of a big club like Arsenal.

Spot on

 

[shamaan]

Not in the LFC first XI. If Salah has 50% less of the season he did last season, he will still have better numbers.

Saka should move on to Real Madrid or PSG

Salah can play up top with saka on the left.If he can't get in Liverpool xi then how can he get in real Madrid xi.

 

[Obaidd]

Adams was a great player and captain, but that doesn’t make you a successful manager. He was a complete failure as manager who will struggle to get top 4 with this Arsenal team and so will Henry.

The opinions of failed managers on Arteta need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

My opinion on this is very clear — I am not an advocate of sacking a captain while he retains a place in the team/squad. It is terrible for the team morale and culture.

It happen a couple of times under Wenger and later under Emery too, but it didn’t produce positive results.

Once you make someone captain, that player should remain captain until he leaves the club or something extreme happened like a scandal or some disciplinary issue.

Otherwise, such demotions are not good for the culture of the club.

This is a make or break season for Odegaard. He is in the prime of his career and he is now paired with the most lethal number 9 in the world — he should be getting a lot of assists and position himself as an elite playmaker.

If he is unable to do it this season, he should be sold next summer and then Rice will be a prime candidate for the armband.

Well laid out.

There is a lot of merit to these Odegaard remove as captain calls because it’s obvious he feels the pressure. He seems to think he has to do something special every time he gets the ball.

However, as you said it can be bad for player morale and team morale. Even more importantly, this is the make or break season for Odegaard. If he doesn’t show his mettle, then he won’t be a starter anymore and obviously ‘captaincy can then be safely removed’.

 

[Obaidd]

As mentioned here its a big season for Odegaard where he must be benched if he is not performing the first few games captain or not.

On the captaincy discussion - my issue is that he does not fight our corner with the ref. It was always Rice, Gabriel or Jorginho. When the ref speaks to him he just nods his head and listens. Part of being the captain is being allowed to speak to the ref, dare i say slightly bully/intimidate/influence ( however you want to put it) Basically stick it on the ref, pressure him at every opportunity - he is to mentally weak to do that.

The reason I make this point is because I have seen the new rules that they are going to be very strict on this season - one being that if anyone apart from the captain approaches the ref then they can get booked. That nullifies Rice and Gabriel and leaves it to capitano. hmmmmm i am not sure he will be fighting our corner as well as others.

I like the direction of your point but if he’s so ‘mentally weak’ how come Arteta hasn’t spotted that yet?

 

[Amjid Javed]

I like the direction of your point but if he’s so ‘mentally weak’ how come Arteta hasn’t spotted that yet?

Because Arteta wants a hand puppet captain so he can control everything in the dressing room like it's a boarding school

 

[Amjid Javed]

Anyone open and honest can see that Odegaard has free reign to drop dog turd performance regularly without being called out as he's "the captain"

Just like "the captain" won't ever speak up if he ever disagrees with the manager.

If Odegaard wasn't captain, you know full well he would get called out for his **** performances by other players.

The timid, army style controlled dressing room is why this club keeps falling short.

Look at most clubs thar win regularly they have big personalities and captains and leaders in dressing room.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Odegaard is a good player, ability wise. But he goes missing, especially when Arsenal need him. As a captain, he needs to do more.

I am not always Bruno Fernandes' biggest fan, but you can never accuse him of going missing in games. He may be having a poor game, where he is giving the ball away, but at least he tries to make things happen. Odegaard does his best disappearing act in many games, and that is not what you expect from a captain of a big club like Arsenal.

Ability wise Odegaard is vastly overated, yes he had 1 good season where he got 15 Goals. But he's not just reverted to type. If you look at the Emirates era he wouldn't even get in the 10 Top ten midfielders at the club in that time.

Odegaard should be producing the sort of quality you saw in carzola, rosicky, cesc, Ramsey, Wiltshire, hleb, Nasri etc.. but he's not at that level

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Anyone open and honest can see that Odegaard has free reign to drop dog turd performance regularly without being called out as he's "the captain"

Just like "the captain" won't ever speak up if he ever disagrees with the manager.

If Odegaard wasn't captain, you know full well he would get called out for his **** performances by other players.

The timid, army style controlled dressing room is why this club keeps falling short.

Look at most clubs thar win regularly they have big personalities and captains and leaders in dressing room.

Bro. Seasons not started yet. Theres a chance he could surprise you and lead from the front. Let's not forget, he had a injury hit season last year in which he really never recovered from.

But I do agree. Odegaard and others have to step up if Arsenal want to get the Monkey off their back this season and bring the Title back.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Bro. Seasons not started yet. Theres a chance he could surprise you and lead from the front. Let's not forget, he had a injury hit season last year in which he really never recovered from.

But I do agree. Odegaard and others have to step up if Arsenal want to get the Monkey off their back this season and bring the Title back.

Zero Chance of him changing and leading from the front. The fact he's got no accountability on performance, with him being captain he knows his place in team.

He's the footballing equivalent of a parachi, the footballing imam ul haq

 

[Obaidd]

Ability wise Odegaard is vastly overated, yes he had 1 good season where he got 15 Goals. But he's not just reverted to type. If you look at the Emirates era he wouldn't even get in the 10 Top ten midfielders at the club in that time.

Odegaard should be producing the sort of quality you saw in carzola, rosicky, cesc, Ramsey, Wiltshire, hleb, Nasri etc.. but he's not at that level

Cazorla, nasri, hleb never had to press like Odegaard who leads Arsenal’s press.

Maybe he gets unlocked by freeing him of captaincy. He had a frustrating season last year but to say Arsenal finished 2nd in epl and played ucl SFs without giving credit to his captaincy would be unfair.

He works hard, never gets into controversies, is respectful and is mad intelligent. Amazing qualities to have as a player and a leader.

He had an unsatisfying last season but he serves Arsenal well. Plus who’s his direct replacement in the squad?

 

[KingKhanWC]

Have a great weekend, 2nd isn’t too bad guys

 

[topspin]

I like the direction of your point but if he’s so ‘mentally weak’ how come Arteta hasn’t spotted that yet?

To be fair to @MK7Z has stood by Odegaard longer than most of us on here, so the fact that he's calling him out for being mentally weak sums up how obvious it is.

Did you see what Tony Adams had to say about the Norwegian?

As for Arteta retaining him as captain, read my post #1144 where I've addressed this.

 

[topspin]

Zero Chance of him changing and leading from the front. The fact he's got no accountability on performance, with him being captain he knows his place in team.

He's the footballing equivalent of a parachi, the footballing imam ul haq

I did mention to @aboveandbeyond there are some things a coach can't fix. The 2 most notables example of this are Odegaard's weak mentality and the other is Martinelli's non-existent footballing IQ.

I say this respectfully, but I don't know how can anyone believe Odegaard is going to be a changed man overnight.

 

[topspin]

Ability wise Odegaard is vastly overated, yes he had 1 good season where he got 15 Goals. But he's not just reverted to type. If you look at the Emirates era he wouldn't even get in the 10 Top ten midfielders at the club in that time.

Odegaard should be producing the sort of quality you saw in carzola, rosicky, cesc, Ramsey, Wiltshire, hleb, Nasri etc.. but he's not at that level

No he isn't. Ability wise he's one of the best two players in the side (along with Saka). I don't like Odegaard as captain but let's not his weak mentality and leadership cloud our judgement of him as a baller.

 

[topspin]

He's the footballing equivalent of a parachi, the footballing imam ul haq

Babar Azam bro. Both weak leaders who crumble under pressure.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Cazorla, nasri, hleb never had to press like Odegaard who leads Arsenal’s press.

Maybe he gets unlocked by freeing him of captaincy. He had a frustrating season last year but to say Arsenal finished 2nd in epl and played ucl SFs without giving credit to his captaincy would be unfair.

He works hard, never gets into controversies, is respectful and is mad intelligent. Amazing qualities to have as a player and a leader.

He had an unsatisfying last season but he serves Arsenal well. Plus who’s his direct replacement in the squad?

Who cares about leading the press? Its what you do on ball thar matters most.

Also Odegaard slows down possession and plays safely 1st when he has it. Arteta is obsessed with team copying Pep interms of recycling the ball and keeping possession. To do that you Need technically gifted players who are good at one and two touch passing and progress the ball quickly. Instead we have players like Odegaard, havertz, Merino whose passing is not to standard to play in such a way.

Also just because your quite, respectful and no trouble doesn't make you a good captain. He's a timid player and people keep using excuse of injuries, better players will make him better etc.. but reality is hes got complacent as he knows he's going go play no matter what. He spends half the time waving arms at others, whilst playing rubbish himself. He gets away with it as he's captain. Arsenal need a better captain and a better number 10 to go up a level

 

[topspin]

I've been very impressed by Semenyo. I wouldn't mind seeing Arsenal testing Bournemouth's resolve and see if they can sign him. I heard he's just signed a new deal so this might be tricky but I think he's up there as one of the best LWs in the PL.

 

[Amjid Javed]

I've been very impressed by Semenyo. I wouldn't mind seeing Arsenal testing Bournemouth's resolve and see if they can sign him. I heard he's just signed a new deal so this might be tricky but I think he's up there as one of the best LWs in the PL.

I mentioned him a lot last season. I thought a lot of bigger clubs would look at him. Both him and kerkerz were Bournemouth best 2 players last season.

But with Liverpool and City looking at wide player he could still go to a bigger club. I think Bournemouth would demand a good fee.

I think kerez found tonight though going from Bournemouth to a big club is a step up which will test you as a player

 

[topspin]

I mentioned him a lot last season. I thought a lot of bigger clubs would look at him. Both him and kerkerz were Bournemouth best 2 players last season.

But with Liverpool and City looking at wide player he could still go to a bigger club. I think Bournemouth would demand a good fee.

I think kerez found tonight though going from Bournemouth to a big club is a step up which will test you as a player

Bournemouth have done so well to convince him to extend his contract, which will expire in 2030. Signing him will be a big ask!

I would expect £70m+ for the fee.

 

[Amjid Javed]

No he isn't. Ability wise he's one of the best two players in the side (along with Saka). I don't like Odegaard as captain but let's not his weak mentality and leadership cloud our judgement of him as a baller.

He might be one of the better players in this side. But technically he's nowhere near other midfielders I've named from Emirates era. That's not being disrespectful its being honest.

Look at the one and two touch passing, playing in triangles and in tight spaces under wenger. No slowing down of play, incisive and effective. Odegaard doesn't have that ability, nor does he ever take risks with passes. It's robotic and predictable

If you had rosicky, helb, carzola, cesc in number 10 instead of Odegaard in this team ud see a different level to progressive football.

Pep has killed football with this slow possession stuff, Arteta has followed suit. Maybe some stuff Odegaard does is based on what he's told to do, but even for Norway he plays in same fashion.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Bournemouth have done so well to convince him to extend his contract, which will expire in 2030. Signing him will be a big ask!

I would expect £70m+ for the fee.

Good en. Strong as a Ox. Two footed. And Technically very good.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Good en. Strong as a Ox. Two footed. And Technically very good.

Also knows the best way to react to racist fans is to do the talking on the pitch

 

[aboveandbeyond]

I mentioned him a lot last season. I thought a lot of bigger clubs would look at him. Both him and kerkerz were Bournemouth best 2 players last season.

But with Liverpool and City looking at wide player he could still go to a bigger club. I think Bournemouth would demand a good fee.

I think kerez found tonight though going from Bournemouth to a big club is a step up which will test you as a player

Yep Spot on. Kerkerz was like a rabbit in headlights, looked very shaky.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Yep Spot on. Kerkerz was like a rabbit in headlights, looked very shaky.

He looks good going forward like he did last season. But position play needs massive improvement

 

[shamaan]

Kerkerz was way to reckless.

 

[topspin]

Also knows the best way to react to racist fans is to do the talking on the pitch

Yeah apparently it was some fan on a wheelchair. There are pictures of him getting kicked out of the ground.

 

[Obaidd]

What is the need to bring Tony Adams' managerial record into this? There was no need for this cheap shot at him.

He was a great captain and was more than capable of rising to the occasion as a leader on the pitch, so there is no reason why we should not trust his judgement on Odegaard's captaincy.

It is no coincidence for us to find that under Odegaard's leadership, we've seen:

• Arsenal fall just short of top 4 in 21/22
• Arsenal fall short of the title in 22/23 and 23/24
• Him perform well below par last season
• Up until now, Norway have failed to qualify for both the Euros and the World Cup

Odegaard went missing when Arsenal were on the back foot during the back end of 21/22 and 22/23 seasons. He was pretty much anonymous during the first half of the 23/24 season and throughout last season.

For Norway, he did not record a single goal nor did he produce a single assist during the 2022 World Cup qualifying stage after playing 10 games. During the Euro 2024 qualifiers, he produced just 1 goal and 1 assist after 7 matches.

He actually did better in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, which was well before he hit his peak. I find that rather telling because it just goes to shows how he struggles when expectations mount on him. He simply cannot deliver when him and team are under pressure.

I will give him some credit. For Norway, he's finally stepped up in the 25/26 qualifiers so far with 5 assists in 4 games. I hope I don't jinx it, but his side look like they have a great chance of qualifying for next year's World Cup, which makes a nice change for once.

A vast majority of Arsenal fans I interact with want Rice to take over as captain.

I wanted Odegaard stripped of the captaincy two years ago. I'm not sure why it has taken most of the fan base this long to clock on to this.

Arsenal are falling short because they clearly have a leadership problem. Odegaard clearly hasn't got the mental fortitude and this issue becomes magnified when he's under pressure.

Odegaard is perhaps the best player in this squad when it comes to raw ability. Just like Babar Azam is for Pakistan. But sadly they are the biggest mental midgets on the field. @Rana was right when he first referred to the Norwegian as Arsenal's Babar Azam.



Sometimes you have to make an exception in these circumstances because Odegaard's mental weakness cannot be fixed. I agree with Tony Adams, I think him playing without the spotlight (as captain) could do him a some good.



It's interesting you say this because it suggests to me even you're not convinced by Odegaard's captaincy credentials.

Arteta needed more than just change in personnel to take Arsenal forward this season. I fear his inability to deal with big personalities, which was evident during his clash with Aubameyang, will be his downfall. A fine coach but not such a great man manager.

I cannot see Arsenal winning any of the big two (PL and CL) with Martinelli + Odegaard as a starter and captain of the side.

As things stand, I would not blame Saliba for leaving us next summer. He deserves better than this.

Really good analysis, I just have one counter point. Odegaard, Martinelli and Arteta, the three weak links you identified have all contributed to bringing Arsenal ouf of the rut they were in. Maybe they are not the ones to take Arsenal to winning the titles but they have been instrumental in making Arsenal very very good. Arsenal have made tremendous progress under Arteta and the examples like falling short (second place) of winning epl is not a loss but a massive achievement.

Maybe I lack ambition but I am really happy with how Arsenal have done under Arteta-Kroenke-Edu(now Bertha)-Odegaard setup.

 

[Obaidd]

Also Odegaard slows down possession and plays safely 1st when he has it. Arteta is obsessed with team copying Pep interms of recycling the ball and keeping possession. To do that you Need technically gifted players who are good at one and two touch passing and progress the ball quickly. Instead we have players like Odegaard, havertz, Merino whose passing is not to standard to play in such a way.

Did you not see his his ball to martinelli for saka’s goal in emirates cup final? That was one touch football. I think boys are going to click this year.

Plus there’s no direct Odegaard replacement in the squad. Time to get behind our captain.

 

[Obaidd]

I was excited to see how united’s new look cunha sesko mbuembo fared, until I remembered they play Arsenal first up. I trust Amorim to make a mess of it but boy has he been given the kitty to spend.

 

[Mamoon]

@Obaidd You need to post more, please.

Great to see another proper Arsenal fan who isn’t whining and complaining all the time.