Odergaard and Smith Rowe CAN play together

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Emile Smith Rowe was in fine form prior to the signing of Martin Odergaard.

Many fans and Martin Keown criticised Mikel Artera for shunting the Smite Rowe out of the side to make space for the loanee.

Keown’s justification for criticism was that Arteta should not be “using key games to blood a youngster, a project. He should play his senior players”. This of course ignored the fact that Odergaard is older and more experienced then Smith Rowe. It really highlights how poor a pundit Keown has become.

Odergaard has had a solid start to his time at Arsenal. But it is important that we do not go over the top in praise and we remember that he is only on loan from Real Madrid. There is a long way to go before we can talk about him being a long term Mesut Ozil replacement.

So say Odergaard does join permanently. What does that mean for the future and for Smith Rowe specifically?

The Sorcerer and His Apprentice

Are Arsenal fans the only supporters in the world that are concerned about having 2 good players in the same position? The only fans who are concerned about signing a player that improves us because he might stunt the growth of a younger player?

We can easily accommodate Odergaard and Smith Rowe in the squad, giving us 2 options at 10.

You have Odergaard as first choice, and then Smith Rowe as his back up.

With Arsenal consistently playing around 50 games a season, it allows us to rest and rotate where required.

Smith Rowe has a niggly injury record, so it would be dangerous to have him as the only option at 10.

Signing Odergard alongside Smith Rowe gives us squad depth and encourages internal competition which would hopefully drive both players to become even better.

Play Both

In recent weeks, we have seen Odergaard play in the middle and Smith Rowe play on the wing – something which Keown has also criticised Arteta for. But playing this way makes a lot of sense.

The Willian signing last summer got a lot of people asking “why” and “what is the point” but it also gave a clue with what Arteta wanted to do (but just did not have the players).

Kieran Tierney is such an attacking threat on the left hand side that you want a left winger who is comfortable dropping inside, dragging the opponents full back in, and giving Tierney the space to get round the outside.

When Bukayo Saka is on the left, Arsenal are easier to defend against as Saka and Tierney go looking for the same space.

Playing a right footed “10” on the left of midfield gives Tierney the space he wants.

What it then also does is create an overload in the middle of the park

Your left winger drops inside to give the full back space, and suddenly Arsenal have two 10s causing havoc centrally.

It is similar to how we played when we had Mesut Ozil, Arron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez.

Ozil would often play right wing, with Ramsey in the middle.

Mesut would then drop inside giving Hector Bellerin the space to run into and overload the opponents centrally. That would in turn free up space on the other side of the pitch for Alexis Sanchez to operate in.

The invincibles also did similar with Robert Pires.

Pires would often drop inside alongside Dennis Bergkamp. This move created space for Ashley Cole to exploit.

So we could easily play Odergaard in the middle Smith Rowe outside him, dropping inside.

With Saka doing similar on the right hand side, suddenly we have 3 creative outlets centrally, with the width provided by the full backs.

And it looks a little something like this:

Signings

If Arsenal do sign Odergaard, and with the emergence of Smith Rowe, Edu and Artera will still look to sign someone on the left hand side.

With Saka, Pepe, Smith Rowe, Odergaard and Willian, Arsenal have 5 options for the 3 positions behind the striker. We could do with a 6th.

We need to find a similar Odergaard level signing on that left hand side so that we can return to the “sorcerer and apprentice” situation described above.

You then have Saka, Odergaard and a new left winger (who drops inside), with Emith Rowe then being cover and competition at both 10 and outside. With Willian being 6th choice.

Plenty to think about during the international break…

Keenos

Ooh Ah Odergaard

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Martin Odegaard took Sunday’s game by the scruff of the neck and dragged Arsenal back into it.

It was a terrific performance from the Norwegian loanee and one which has got Arsenal fans salivating. But I think we need to get a few things out there

Stop the Mesut Ozil comparisons

Mesut Ozil is no longer an Arsenal player, yet his “fan boys” and “haters” are still expending energy bringing him up at every opportunity.

On one hand you have people saying “Odegaard is putting in the performances we wished Ozil did” and “Odegaard taking the game by the scruff of the neck unlike a certain German”.

 And then you have the responses of “Ozil at 22 was signing for Real Madrid. Odegaard at 22 is not wanted by Real Madrid” and “at the same age, Ozil was a superior player”.

How about we just stop it? On both sides.

Ozil was a world class player. I watched in awe as he ripped apart England in the Euro U21 final back in 2009. But he has not played consistently to a world class level for many years.

Likewise Odegaard is not yet a world class player. After his global break through as a school boy, his career has stalled. But he has the ability to become of the best midfielders in the world.

So lets allow Odegaard to develop without continually comparing him to a former world class player.

Odegaard is Odegaard. Ozil is Ozil.

Let’s not go OTT

Odegaard has had a couple of good games in an Arsenal shirt, and there is definitely a good player in there. But he still needs the time and space to develop.

Once he has put in a dozen or so performances together in a short space of time at a similar level as Sunday, we can then talk. Until then he is just a young player with talent. He is not yet the solution to Arsenal’s 10 problem.

Should Arsenal make him permanent

The overreaction world we live in has left some saying Arsenal should “break the bank” to make his deal permanent.

That is an example of people going OTT.

Whether Arsenal make his deal permanent depends on many factors:

1) Does he continue his current form, proving that he is worthwhile huge investment

2) Do Real Madrid want to sell? Or do they see this as the final stage of his development? If he continues to develop and put in match winning performances, won’t they want him back

3) And if they do sell, how much will they command? And will Arsenal pay it? Does it make sense for Arsenal to spend £40million+ on a player with a handful of good games? Remember, Dani Ceballos was in a similar position last year

4) And would there be other interested parties? If Odergaard continues to do well, Arsenal might find competition from Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham

There is a long way to go between where we are now and Odergaard becoming a world class permanent performer for Arsenal.

And what for Emile Smith Rowe?

Before Arsenal signed Odergaard, Smite Rowe was getting a solid run in the team and making a case to be a long term option in the middle of the park.

Recently Smith Rowe has found himself shunted out left or on the bench as Arteta accommodates Odergaard. So what would his future be?

That is probably a discussion for another blog.

Keenos

Book Review: Gunners and Gooners by Eddie Symes

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My brother George first took me to the “Arsenal Stadium” at Highbury on a regular basis in during the 1957-58 season. I was 8 years old.

In 2020, with the UK in lockdown due to a global pandemic, I decided it would be a good time to share my life following “The Arsenal” for over 60 years.

Gunners and Gooners is my memoir. A collection of some of my stories, photo’s, memories and experiences following my club over land and sea across 8 decades.

Over that time football, and The Arsenal, have changed beyond recognition.

From the “hooligan era” of the 60s and 70s, through to George Graham’s revival, Anfield 89 and European success in the 90s. Post-Euro 96 and the Wenger era and the move from Highbury to Ashburton Grove.

I go into some great times shared with great mates, terrace characters and legendary players that have been encountered along the way.

Following The Arsenal has had its ups and lows. Its triumphs and tragedies. The book has been written with humour, honesty and insight from someone who can see they were there, living in the moment.

As an old mate of mine once said, “You can change your wife but not your football team”.

Eddie Symes, Author

I first met Eddie on the North Bank in 1965 when Joe Baker and George Eastham were our heroes.

I’m even in the photo with his North Bank banner at Bristol in 1967, when I missed a reserve game after claiming to have the flu.

I was fortunate to live the dream, playing for and winning trophies with “The Arsenal”, our beloved football club, in front of many of my mates.

Undoubtedly, if I hadn’t become a professional footballer I imagine my life would probably have been similar to Eddie’s.

Hopefully this book will either bring back some happy, funny memories or give an insight into the life of an Arsenal fan of our generation.

Charlie George, King of Highbury

Author Eddie Symes was born in Westminster hospital in July 1949 and now lives in Buckinghamshire. He’s been a Licensed London Taxi Driver since 1977 and is married with one daughter, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

His book Gunners and Gooners is available on Amazon to buy now.