Zara

The DNA of Arsenal's attack has been identified with Martin Odegaard's second phase football. Don't blame anyone but those who enthrone Odegaardism when we can't capitalize in the transition in our toughest games. Centurion City attack was built in the image of Kevin De Bryune, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan (or David Silva). Klopp's Liverpool attack was built around Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino. Look at those names. Some of the most decisive passers and runners and finishers in the league. This is why I want to kill Odegaardism. This idea that Arsenal cannot/should not play without Martin Odegaard, that we should be identified around his second phase attributes in the final 3rd when we have two of the most decisive passers and carriers in the league ready to take his place. It is disgusting to me. And you know what is the bigger problem? Odegaardism demands a nonsensical requirement from the LCM. Odegaard does lower phases job higher up the pitch, which means you must recruit a lower phase midfielder to complement on the left. But Odegaard is not decisive enough in his base qualities (still not convinced by a singular year of finishing overperformance) as a passer, carrier, so you basically need a lower phases midfielder who is also somehow an output monster to complement him on the left. Not even Peak Gundogan is enough. You are talking about historical Xavi Hernandez here. And this is all behind a front 3 that excel more in cute, short distances than larger, decisive ranges. Essentially, Odegaardism is holding back Arsenal's peak potential going forward. We need what Odegaard does, yes, but we don't need it higher up the pitch so much next to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard. We need it in the deeper phases. Odegaardism is representative of a sort of late Arsenal Wengerism. All cute and beautiful but just not the brutal trophy winning efficiency of winners. It's not like Odegaard somehow is even so good to stop us from not losing the ball in games where we really need it, too. Of course, when your ball retention and directing is only done in the final third and in one particular section of the field, you can't even help stabilize the ship during the storms. Nowhere to be seen when we lose our heads. Too limited at the highest in even what he's supposed to be great at. He struggles to impose himself because he struggles to go in any direction and carry it for long. Unlike an Iniesta or even a Bernardo Silva, both of whom played the role he plays for Arsenal. As I described him once, “He is like if you shot Bernardo Silva in one leg.” Odegaardism is us submitting the project to the foot of a limited top player. In that sense, we will exactly be like Odegaard: beautiful to watch on most days, a very difficult opponent, maybe even surprising once or twice where least expected but ultimately not comparable to the very best at the exact same level. Odegaard is a beautiful player. A player who should play many games for the club. A player who should be respected and adored and appreciated. But not a player who the club should submit the most important part of the project to.

Caicedo is not worth £110 million. Lets be serious please. He is not a Zidane. Divide that money by 3.