Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard discussed the management structure of the team due to injuries
Martin Odegaard discussed Arsenaland the management of the team
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard appears to have rejected Gary Neville’s previous suggestions of taking charge of the team. This is because the skipper himself was out due to injury in the last few games and others had to take his place.
The Norway international’s armband was handed at the start of last season as the Gunners looked to move on amid past problems with the role and questions about who could be trusted with it. Odegaard captained his national team from a young age and set the standard when he joined from Real Madrid.
The arrival of him and others like Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus last summer led to an unlikely promotion. But with Neville, it was seen quite differently, as he said on Overlap in August 2022: “The experience is not there yet off the pitch or on the pitch. I watched Oleksandr Zinchenko, but he is not a leader. I love him to pieces … but he is not a leader.andquot;
In the months that followed, title hopes and dreams came close to becoming a reality, but a late run robbed them of that chance. Neville again questioned management, as he said in Ott: And I look at Martin Odegaard, a wonderful professional. Oleksandr Zinchenko, a great professional. But when you really get to the highest pressure moments in the biggest games of the season, are they leaders?
“The older Arsenal players, Partey, Zinchenko, Odegaard, in the most difficult season – when the younger players like Saka and Martinelli needed that guidance, Jesus had to tell you to stop running and just stand in front and be really disciplined in your game. I don’t think they affected the rest of their teammates on the pitch, in fact they contributed to the difficulties they had in games.”
It’s been a long time and some signings could be added to that core leadership, but Odegaard has plenty of leaders to help contribute to the title. He told Arsenal’s official website ahead of the match with Burnley: “Bukayo [Saka] took the armband for this game – I think it was his first time as Arsenal captain – and we can all see him adding leadership to his long list of players Features.
andquot;I’ve seen that before to be honest, I’m not surprised he’s making such progress. I am very happy for him because he deserves it. I think he’s a little bit like me in that he’s not the loudest screamer and he’s not the loudest in the locker room. But he is so intelligent, he is always available, he gives his all for the team and takes more and more responsibility both on and off the field. He really deserves to be there as one of the captains, I am proud of him and happy to have him as a teammate because he is a great player and also a great person.
andquot;The good thing about this group is the number of leaders. Jorginho has also been the captain for the last few games and has so much experience and respect in the team. There is nothing new for him and it is so good that the manager has the leaders he can call on in the team.andquot;
This indicates that the basic foundation of leadership, built on either internal or external factors, is now in place. Internally, a player like Bukayo Saka has grown into a player who is now a leader in the team, modeled after Gabriel Martinelli.
On the outside, the signing of Jorginho helped as he showed that he struggled to keep 11 players on the pitch against Newcastle, pushing his teammates out of the fray and calming them down to keep the game going. Declan Rice is another who was seen as a mentor to his colleagues and to give clear thoughts and guidance. Contrast that with Liverpool and Manchester City in the Championship, as the pair have lost a number of key players and key figures in recent transfer windows. A core that was now in the running and narrowly missed, may finally have the experience and leadership skills to get the job done.