A former Arsenal star has questioned Martin Odegaard’s captaincy at Arsenal in the wake of their Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners, under the leadership of the midfielder, have failed to win a trophy once again this season, with those hopes coming to an end after their loss in Paris on Wednesday evening.
Elsewhere, they were knockout of the Carabao Cup in the semi-finals, while they suffered an earlier defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the FA Cup. In the Premier League, Liverpool have already been crowned champions.
A number of fans and pundits have had theories over why the Gunners have fallen short for another season, with injuries and a lack of a natural No 9 seemingly contributing to their struggles.
Few, though, have questioned Odegaard. The Norwegian remain his side’s chief creator, but has struggled for form since returning from injury earlier on this season.
Ex-Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna, though, has claimed Odegaard hasn’t been deserving of his place as captain recently – even though he wouldn’t want to take the armband away from him.
A former Arsenal star has called Martin Odegaard’s captaincy into question after the Gunners’ defeat by Paris Saint-Germain
Arsenal have failed to win a trophy under Odegaard’s leadership in a season that had promised so much
Former defender Bacary Sagna said that Odegaard ‘isn’t as efficient as before’ as a player
‘It’s a tricky one because Martin Odegaard hasn’t been playing well this season,’ Sagna, who played for the Gunners between 2007 and 2014, said, via the Mirror. ‘Although sometimes there’s more behind it. I don’t care too much about personal situations but his influence in the club will decrease.
‘I don’t think the issue is due to the captaincy. Captaincy is given to a player who has good qualities and a strong personality. However, the way the games have been going – I don’t think he has been [a strong enough leader]. He isn’t as efficient as before.
‘If you play without a number nine, it’s much more difficult because the captain must organise the game and a lot of the time, he is standing by himself. There is nobody to assist in front of him. I would not remove captaincy from him because he remains a top player.’
The Gunners will likely look to invest in the summer, adding to their squad as they look to either win their first Premier League title since 2004 or first-ever Champions League title.
It was a hurt squad after the PSG loss, Odegaard said after the game, as he admitted side side weren’t worthy of as spot in the final over their two semi-final legs.
‘We gave it a proper go,’ he said. ‘We started the game really well. We were on the front foot, had the momentum, a few big chances but in the end it wasn’t enough.
‘Between the boxes we did well, inside the two over the two games we weren’t good enough. Credit to their goalkeeper who made amazing saves. It wasn’t enough and that’s painful.’
