Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has come under a lot of criticism recently.
The Norwegian has had three different injuries this season, and that has affected his rhythm. His recent form hasn’t been great either, and Mikel Arteta has replaced him before the 60th minute in each of the Gunners’ last two Premier League games.
Those poor performances have resulted in some Arsenal fans calling for Odegaard to be stripped of his captaincy.
When asked about the former Real Madrid man, one TalkingPoints user said: “No, I think Declan Rice can be a good captain for the Gunners.”
Another told us: “Not firing on all cylinders and trying too hard. Perhaps take the pressure of being captain off him for a while to ease his pressure. Then he can concentrate on his personal game progress and get back to where he was. Gabriel could captain the team.”
Mikel Arteta responds when asked if Martin Odegaard will be removed as Arsenal captain
There has been a lot of talk about Martin Odegaard’s captaincy over the last few months.
The Norwegian is not an old-school skipper who shouts and screams on the pitch to command respect. He works in his own way, and it’s clear to see that his teammates look up to him.
Despite that, Tony Adams demanded that Odegaard be removed as captain, and he has said so on more than one occasion.
Even Patrick Vieira said on Sky Sports that Arsenal need a leader after watching them lose to Manchester United on Sunday.
Even Patrick Vieira said on Sky Sports that Arsenal need a leader after watching them lose to Manchester United on Sunday.
When two of Arsenal’s greatest-ever captains point the finger at the leadership, it is natural for questions to be asked.
That’s why a journalist quizzed Arteta if there was a world in which Odegaard could no longer be the club captain because of his limited game time recently.
The Arsenal manager firmly responded by saying, as relayed on HaytersTV: “No! There’s nothing!
“The minutes as well are related because obviously he had two shoulder injuries, and he was out for six weeks with a knee injury as well.
“We had the possibility to change [in] games, and the games may have required something different. Every player is important to be able to achieve that.”
Martin Odegaard is still the man to lead Arsenal
The talk about Odegaard’s captaincy has always felt forced.
When Arsenal are winning games, nobody gives him the credit for leading the side well. It’s only when results go against them that the finger is pointed at him.
Yes, Odegaard is not like Adams, Vieira or Roy Keane. His leadership is more by example, and the fact that every Arsenal player voted for him to be the captain shows that he has the full support of the squad.
The Arsenal skipper’s primary focus now should be on his form. Once he starts performing at his usual level, people will stop talking about his captaincy.
Odegaard has done it before, and we’re sure he will do it again. That is why he is the right man to lead Arsenal to glory this season.
