Ode confirmed: Page 67 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Ode confirmed

flobaba

Yep, and then folks expect us to go out there and play with the "handbrake off". It's just never going to happen. Now am I saying we should turn into Tottenham/Real Madrid with no real structure or discipline, of course not. But there's a happy medium somewhere, and we just don't have that balance right a lot of the time.

Additionally, if you think about it in relation to our transfer targets/strategy, a Gyokeres is someone who (from what little I've seen) thrives on those runs down the channel and actively seeks opportunities to get in behind the defence regularly. If we don't take advantage of this, it's to our own detriment. One or two probers a half where the striker or winger is clean through makes opposition defenders less likely or willing to push up in a high line against our forwards, leaving more room for our midfielders to operate. I'd rather "control" a game in that fashion than how we go about it currently.

Coombs

flobaba But there's a happy medium somewhere, and we just don't have that balance right a lot of the time.

We have to do it through personnel. In some ways, the personality that it would take for an Arteta forward to break from instruction for the right reasons (i.e., to score a goal) would make the team better than if it was all sunshine and rainbows, express yourself attacking football. Without the actual players to actually do it, though, its never going to happen.

Claudius

When Ode was healthy last season (2023-24), these are the numbers he led Europe (not Arsenal or England, Europe) in
Most open play chances created: 88
Most passes into the box: 162
Most passes in the opposition box: 102
Most through balls: 18
Most open-play sequences leading to shots: 78

Odegaard is a passing beast like few others in the world. We have had a season where our team has been fractured by injuries to Ben White, Havertz and Saka, and Odegaard himself. This week, Arteta admitted that Ben White was not fit to play, but still put in a shift versus Pool. All our players are playing in a context of injury and extended recovery. Even Saa doesn't have explosiveness, Merino isn't taking up the same positions in the box as Havertz, etc.

Yes, I am going to double down on injuries being a major issue for us. We cannot at all compare our ability to win things this season with Liverpool simply due to player availability - I want to separate this from the errors of the summer when we could've bought another forward. Just comparing highest matches players of forwards and AMs available to both teams:

Salah(36), Gravenberch (35), Luis Diaz (34), Szoboszolai (34) Gakpo (33), Nunez (28)
Trossard (36), Rice (33), Martinelli (31), Odegaard (28), Merino (27) Saka (23) Havertz (21),

It's a vast difference and probably explains most of the gap between the two teams this season.

Burnwinter

Coombs As far as I can make out, Arteta doesn't select players who don't stick to tactical instruction at all. That was Aubameyang, wasn't it? This signing would have to be Pelé to get in the side—of course, that sounds fine to me.

flobaba

Auba and Pepe both. For work rate and breaking the mold. Similar to the Henry story at Barcelona when he scored a goal and Pep immediately subbed him out.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

flobaba Similar to the Henry story at Barcelona when he scored a goal and Pep immediately subbed him out.

Is there a clip of this?!

Claudius

I don't know if it is about 'sticking to the mould'. Arteta, Guardiola etc., run very structured offenses with specific patterns - depending on game state. There are expectations of where players will be and how they will engage to both create the offense and also defend. I remember scouting Pepe before he arrived, and his biggest strengths was that he was a great one-on-one player and incredible in open spaces. That's where he excelled in La Liga. But he never excelled in a system built around possession, territory, rotations, and pressing for fast recovery.

If you look at MLS, he gets a lot of freedom to operate as a LB, CM, or L8 depending on game state, but he's able to operate well in the system above across all these roles. That's the difference which I think folks miss when they paint Arteta as being obstinate and against certain profiles of players.

MistaT

Good 'ol Ray Parlour having a chat with Odegaard

first 2:30 mins are his back story through Madrid
2:45 starts up on Arteta wanting to sign him, and "always having a good feeling for Arsenal" / "feels at home"
4:00 -- captaincy and togetherness
4:30 -- his game, scanning, and finding pockets....aware of his limitations | Saka connection
6:00 -- what he wants to improve ("everything")
6:30 -- thoughts on his positioning (analyzing a heatmap)
8:00 -- weight of passing/outside of his foot
8:50 -- gets into his role in pressing....
12:00 -- heads back to a panel who chat about he resembles Bergkamp

Kel Varnsen

People are way too down on him. He has looked very sharp at the start of the season. He'll have a monster year.

Pepe LeFrits

I tend to agree. I think Eze will liberate Odegaard's game.

Qwiss

Pepe LeFrits it Arteta who needs to liberate him. Seemed from the first 2 games he will but probably not in big matches given Merinos selection vs Liverpool.

Very interested to see how he gets on with Eze, we know he thrives playing with Saka and Eze is a lot more similar to Saka than Martinelli is.

Panda

Burnwinter

Will the real Martin Odegaard please stand up?

Burnwinter

Panda He's so dreamy. Watched his Norway match comp earlier, it's only Finland but there were a few flashes of the real player and I don't think he reinjured himself.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Panda yep, that was his one standout game of last season. Hopefully he can get back to that pronto.

est

Panda I really miss this version of him. Really hope he finds his way back to this level this season.

banduan

Panda kinell the finishing in this vid.

Qwiss

Burnwinter think we seen a bit of it against United too. Its a pity his injury has derailed his season so quickly, felt like he was on the way back to his old self. Hopefully after the international break he'll be firing on all cylinders again.

Panda

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert That game was the season before last! Probably when he was at the peak of his powers.

If he can get there again we will be right up there this season.

RocktheCasbah

est hopefully having Saka back and Eze available to us will ease the burden on him, both in terms of another creative player in the team, and also enabling Odegaard to rest without it affecting the team too much.

est

RocktheCasbah The hope is that adding Zubimendi, Eze and Gyökeres to Saka gives Odegaard much more to work with.

For me the most exciting moment in the Liverpool game was when Eze cut in from the left and played a great horizontal pass into Odegaard who had found space between the CB and RB. None of this dropping deep and attacking a set defence that has already overloaded the side of the ball. Get it in the seams and wreck their shape. Forwards need to get used to Odegaard/Eze receiving the ball in those spaces and be ready to attack the space in behind.

Odegaard still needs to play faster like he did in the above clip. No useless touches and turns. Deliberate first touch into space and attack.

Mirth

est None of this dropping deep and attacking a set defence that has already overloaded the side of the ball. Get it in the seams and wreck their shape.

Preach it.

Between 2022 and 2024, Odegaard played like a hybrid 8/10. Last season he played like a hybrid 8/6. I'm pretty sure it's down to instruction.

daredevil

Mirth

Yep, it's in response to the mid blocks.

Doc

New trim looks good. More rugged, think this is a turning point for him.

Mirth

Doc needs to shave off the fluff hanging on to his chin.

Dom

Doc

Great haircut but needs a beard transplant if he wants to pull off a Van Dyke beard.

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