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THREAD: Why Martin Ødegaard could be the piece of the puzzle that pushes #ProjectArteta into the next phase of progression.
At first, I was skeptical of this transfer for two main reasons:
1) A 5 month loan doesn’t make sense for a young player who will need to adapt.
2) We have our own young star in Emile Smith-Rowe who plays the same position, and hindering his development would be devastating.
1) A 5 month loan doesn’t make sense for a young player who will need to adapt.
2) We have our own young star in Emile Smith-Rowe who plays the same position, and hindering his development would be devastating.
Starting with addressing issue #1 above, Arsenal and Real Madrid have planned to meet in the Summer to discuss Ødegaards long term future. This means we have a 5 month trial to see if a potentially world class playmaker fits at our club, and for him to see if England suits him.
#2 is really where this transfer becomes juicy. I feared Ødegaard would hinder ESR, when in fact it will be the complete opposite. I will begin to breakdown this concern by explaining Artetas long term tactical philosophy using his own words and how Ødegaard fits into this plan.
“We want to move to a 4-3-3. But for that, you need a lot of specificity in every position. But now in five or six positions, we don’t have it”
This is why Ozil did not fit long term. Ozil is a masterful player but a hard #10. He cannot do the dirty duties of an #8 in a 4-3-3
This is why Ozil did not fit long term. Ozil is a masterful player but a hard #10. He cannot do the dirty duties of an #8 in a 4-3-3
Both Ødegaard and ESR have more qualities defensively than Ozil, allowing them to play in these roles. As well, Ødegaard is a fantastic creative talent who drifts to the left to create as he is left footed, while ESR is primarily right footed.
Using the centurion Manchester City model, this was their preferred lineup below: A great defensive midfielder that can play a pass behind two much more attacking minded central midfielders. Pretty much two #10’s. This allows complete domination and creativity in possession.
As you can see, it is more of a 4-1-2-3 really, rather than a “4-3-3”. The key is your two “ #10s” must be able to work hard and track back; this is where I believe Ødegaard comes in brilliantly to not bench Emile, but to partner with him and allow him to play much more freely.
With the addition of Partey in the summer, we have our Fernandinho. This will allow our two 10s so much freedom to dominate and play creative balls in the opponents third. This is how we would lineup using this philosophy.
I don’t want to say Arteta was the mastermind of the Centurions, of course Pep was, but Pep himself said many times Arteta was a genius, so it’s safe to say Arteta will play similar. Comparing Pep/Artetas Centurions side to Arsenals now, notice the striking similarities.
I want to be clear I’m not comparing ESR and Ø to KDB and Silva, of course they aren’t as good. But the potential is absolutely there for them to flourish in this system, and I believe it is because of this goal that Arteta signing Ødegaard can be an absolutely brilliant signing.
Alternatively, when we need to be more defensive, we can revert to the current 4-2-3-1 which will provide us with a more solid defensive base by using a Xhaka-Partey pivot. That will look like this:
For all these reasons, I believe that Ødegaard will be a fantastic signing for Arsenal and will progress us forward as a team. I cannot wait to see him play. How excited are you?
I hope you enjoyed this thread. Would massively appreciate any retweets and thoughts. 
