Amy Lawrence was talking on Handbrake Off this week about our jobs as supporters. Are we supposed to get behind the team when they need us, or not? Obviously, we're supposed to - the lack of support being given to Odegaard right now as an online fan base is something I find genuinely staggering.

All the factors which have clearly affected his form brushed away as excuses rather than the reasons they actually are. Obviously, that injury he had had a huge impact on him - does anyone remember that he came back and put in a huge shift at Stamford Bridge his first game back? He gives everything to this team and what he needs is, as Tam says - help, better players around him. And a decent rest now and again. Someone else who can do what he does when he's not around to do it himself.

He's as much a victim of this summer's clusterfuck as we all are.

If we put Odegaard on the market tomorrow every top team in Europe would be on the phone to us immediately. Talking him down because of a bit of mixed form is just petulant.

Qwiss for me, it's a microcosm of our season. There's a real impatience among our fanbase this season - we've largely not challenged for 20 years and now we have a team that makes us believe, it's raised expectations and we've become less forgiving.

I get it but the notion that we're going to be 100% on it all season, every season isn't realistic. It's just made more frustrating by the fact City also seem to have hit a trough this season. But that's doesn't mean we're failures, no-hopers.

Exactly. We have seen Ode at his best, and we have seen him struggle like he has this season. I don't think his health is there still, and as others have said, look at the team we are putting out. We don't have the players out there that are on his wavelength. His form will turn (we have seen it before) and all of a sudden he will be the toast of the town again. He's a top notch player, and moving him on is the last thing we should be doing. We need 4 other positions before worrying about him, and it should only be for looking at alternatives/backup for him.

No way we should be getting rid of Odegaard.

Would rather stay clear of Kimmich even if on a free. My Bayern friends tell that while talented, he is really ill disciplined in his positional play and imagine he would be an extremely frustrating player for us when added to our current midfielders.

Qwiss Odegaard talk is an IQ test.

Again, looking at this team and concluding Odegaard is the problem is just... I've no words.

He’s not the problem but he is a problem.

When he starts doing it when it really matters he won’t be a problem

Odegaard is not the problem nor should he be sold but he’s not world class which is what I said from day 1.

He needs a kick up the backside every now and again and remember he is the captain of Arsenal football club. Ideally reduce the hand waving gestures to get the fans going as that is very annoying. Best way to get the fans going is by showing up game in game out and not hiding.

He so often plays like he's shitting himself.

USArsenal when you do it all the time its loses the impact especially in games you haven’t shown up in. Cringe. A true leader leads on the pitch.

I respectfully disagree with your assessment. I don't think he has "not shown up in games" in quite a while. I think many equate "things not coming off as well" to "not showing up". Cringe all you want, he is literally not the problem this fucking team has.

USArsenal he’s a nearly man and plays like one at times.

Sicario2 - Tier 1 you are wrong

Coombs what has he won?

Sicario2 - Tier 1 record numbers of football matches for Arsenal

Odegaard has not been consistent enough to be regarded as some sort of omphalos of this team like Saka or Gabriel.

He was outstanding between August - February in the 22/23 season, but the level of his performances nosedived from March onwards. His form was largely patchy and underwhelming from August - January in the 23/24 season, but he had a very strong end to the season like the rest of the team.

This season, he's been hopeless. There's no other word. He hasn't shown that he can consistently peform at a high level for 30+ games and his output is decreasing each season.

I don't think it'd be wise to look for a replacement though. Striker, CM and winger are all far higher priorities.

Probably.

I don’t think spending what it would take to get him is the best use of our funds