Premier League legend William Gallas has told Genting Casino that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard reminds him of club icon Dennis Bergkamp. The Norwegian has been sensational for Arsenal since joining the club and former Gunners captain said of the player: “I think you can compare Odegaard to Dennis Bergkamp. He isn’t on Bergkamp’s level yet – Bergkamp was an unbelievable player for Arsenal – but Odegaard reminds me of him. Odegaard can make the difference with his quality. Odegaard is so good on the ball. He has wonderful vision – he rarely loses the ball. Every team would love to have a player like him and if Arsenal can extend his contract, then that is good news for everyone at the club.”
As part of a wide-ranging interview, Gallas also praised the impact of Declan Rice, played down the defensive impact of Mikel Arteta dropping Aaron Ramsdale but questioned the decision and also explained why the Gunners won’t go one further this season and finish as champions.
Arsenal
After Arsenal picked up a win on a road at Goodison Park, what have you made of Arsenal’s performances so far this season?
Arsenal are playing with a new system this season. They are playing with three at the back, with Zinchenko going into midfield. They played like this last year, but this is a slightly different tactic. This gives Arsenal more control and possession in the midfield, but it looks like they are finding it difficult to break teams down and, I haven’t seen the same Arsenal (as last season) yet.
The last few games, to be honest, Arsenal haven’t looked as good as last season. It looks like Arsenal are not strong enough to win the title.
I agree with you. When you look at Arsenal’s performances so far this season and compare them to last year, something is missing.
I think Arsenal are still trying to play fluid football, but the big difference (between now and last season) is that Arsenal’s opponents know exactly what they have to do against them to disrupt their play and that is a problem that they’re going to have to overcome this season.
The opposition are more compact; they are stronger. They know that for 90 minutes Arsenal are going to dominate the ball, so most weeks Arsenal will be playing against teams set up to play on the counter-attack. Arsenal must create more chances. I think Arsenal will be looking to score as many early goals as possible so that teams are then forced to come and attack them.
Sometimes Arsenal can have concentration issues and lose their focus, like they did against Fulham. They also need to kill off teams when they have the chance.
One of the big calls from Arteta against Everton was playing David Raya. Do you think that Raya will keep his place moving forward?
This season Arteta has dropped some of his big players. Gabriel was on the bench for the first few games of the season, so Arteta must have had a conversation with him to explain his reasons for that. At the time, I said I wasn’t worried about Gabriel’s future because Arteta, like Pep Guardiola, likes to rotate his players.
The goalkeeper position is one where managers have traditionally not rotated. Sometimes managers play different goalkeepers in different competitions like the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, but generally, managers always play their best goalkeepers in the biggest games. The goalkeeper position is a specialist role. Goalkeepers are crazy! They want to play every single game – they train on their own – they live in their own world. I’m not sure if it is a good idea for managers to rotate their goalkeepers week-to-week, we’ve never seen it before. Time will tell.
From a defenders point of view, how would changing a goalkeeper affect a teams performance?
The relationship between a team’s centre backs and a goalkeeper is really important. You need to have good communication between the goalkeeper and the defenders. As a defender, you need to understand your goalkeeper; you need to learn their habits: what they are good at, what they are not so good at. How they like the ball to be passed to them. For example, Hugo Lloris always demanded the ball on his left foot, but Petr Cech was more comfortable with either foot.
Does it make things more difficult for defenders when a manager swaps a goalkeeper?
I don’t think it makes a defenders job more difficult when a manager rotates his goalkeepers. These players will know each other really well after spending so many hours on the training ground – they will know everything about each other. Of course, when you put them together in a match for the first time, that is an environment that you can’t replicate on the training pitch, but there was no problem between Raya and Saliba, Gabriel, and Ben White on Sunday. They should all have a telepathic understanding with each other.
Generally speaking, how have you assessed Arsenal’s defensive performances so far?
It looks like Arsenal haven’t improved defensively this season. I was very disappointed with the goal that Arsenal conceded at home to Fulham – that was a mistake we’ve seen Arsenal make year-after-year. When you’re trying to win the league, you can’t drop points at home to Fulham. You have to win that game. The result against Fulham gave me a sense of deja vu. Unfortunately, I don’t think that this Arsenal team has the look of Champions. I don’t think that this is a title-winning side because they haven’t improved on the basics.
How would you assess Declan Rice’s start to his Arsenal career?
When you look at Declan Rice’s performances, it looks like he’s been playing at Arsenal for many years. He didn’t need any time to adapt to a new system or new teammates – he’s doing what he was doing with West Ham. I wasn’t surprised that he has come into Arsenal and hit the ground running. He is a player that has been playing at the top level for the last two seasons and, I couldn’t understand why no other big clubs tried to sign him before he joined Arsenal.
It looks like Arsenal are the perfect club for Declan Rice. At Arsenal he will be able to develop and improve, he’s already won the Community Shield with the club and has experienced lifting another trophy. He offers Arsenal more energy in the middle of the park. He has the quality to make an impact in attack and at the back – he has phenomenal power. I think that Declan Rice, alongside Jude Bellingham, will be the best English midfielder for the next five to six years. These are two world-class players.
There have been a number of reports that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is on the verge of signing a new long-term contract at the club. How highly do you rate Odegaard and how important is he to this Arsenal team?
It’s good news that Arsenal are signing Odegaard to a new contract. He is a playmaker, and he is the player in this Arsenal team that is expected to unlock tight matches with his quality. The pass that he produced for Saka to then set-up Trossard in the Everton game was magnificent.
He is such an important player for Arsenal. If you take him out of the team, Arsenal are not the same. I think you can compare Odegaard to Dennis Bergkamp. He isn’t on Bergkamp’s level yet – Bergkamp was an unbelievable player for Arsenal – but Odegaard reminds me of him. Odegaard can make the difference with his quality. Odegaard is so good on the ball. He has wonderful vision – he rarely loses the ball. Every team would love to have a player like him and if Arsenal can extend his contract, then that is good news for everyone at the club.
** Just to add to the above, Arsenal have now confirmed Martin Odegaard has signed a new long term contract which is fantastic news. Our captain said:
Signing a new contract was a really easy decision for me for lots of reasons. Mainly what we are doing right now as a club is special, and I want to be a part of that. I’m really excited for what’s to come here. I’ve found a place where I can be really settled and call my home.
My story is a bit different maybe, as I moved around different clubs since I was 16. At Arsenal, since the first day, I’ve felt great and this is definitely my home now. I just want to say thanks to everyone working at the club and of course, our fantastic supporters. I will continue to give everything to bring success to this club in the years to come.
Catch up in the comments.
Good day Rico, the usual load of old rubbish from a former player with an axe to grind, no doubt that’s how he earns a living these days so it’s up to his audience to take what they want from it.
What brilliant news about our Captain’s new contract following the rumours of interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Ben White will, hopefully, accept his new contract too.
Morning Rico and all.
Great news about Odegaard, he has definitely stepped up since becoming our captain.
Hi Cicero, yep but it helped me on a day I can’t see well. 😆
Thrill about Odegaard, his comments about Arsenal are refreshing..
I don’t know if many remember, but at the time Odegaard signed with Madrid, his choice was between Madrid and Arsenal, and he went with Madrid. He said that the most intimidating/ uncomfortable lunch he has ever had was with his father/ agent and Arsene. According to him, he ordered steak and fries before Arsene got there. When Arsene got there, he couldn’t eat the fires because he thought Arsene would think he had bad eating habits. His father was of no help because he kept asking if he was going to eat the fries. Imagine that at 16 y.o. lol.
Hi Geoff, I think he’s matured into a great player and his decision to leave Real was possibly the best he’s made in his footballing career.
Not heard that before Obi. I’d have just ate the chips, especially if was out of season.
I have not been a big fan of Arteta’s man management, but this time, he’s spot on about the goalkeeping situation. If he’s allowed to rotate and sub all players available to him depending on how they train and game situations, what makes goal keepers different? Just because it hasn’t been done on a regular basis doesn’t make it right. It’s total management/ coaching with no exceptions. Whether it works or not in the long run is not the issue. He’s 100% right.
Rico, even in season I would’ve… lol. He was on some interview, I think CBS or BBC.
Can’t say I’m fussed over the keeper rotation either. We can’t ask for competition all over the squad and then moan when we get it. I’d like to see a bit more though with outfield players and earlier in games but to do that, the result needs to be secure it seems. The down side of having been 2-0 up only to draw probably.
Ha ha Obi, me too probably.
Rico, I understand fully and hope things improve quickly. ..🤞
Thanks Cicero
I watched the PSV game again. I noticed something interesting about Raya. Many are saying that he hasn’t had a difficult game or saved yet, but perhaps that is due to his in-game management. One example is when it was 1-0, PSV brought lots of pressure trying to equalize. However, whenever Raya got the ball, he communicated with the defense, then he took 3-5 seconds before he released the ball. I have never seen Ramsdale doing that. He usually just kick away.
I don’t think Ramsdale just kicks clear, in fact sometimes, he’s held on to the ball too long I think. His kicking is usually as a last resort when ever I’ve watched.
A good result for England Women against Scotland 2 – 1 with two more wiped off for offside both very close, no VAR (why not?) I reckon the first was off but the second was incorrectly ruled out.
A good game to watch but definitely a game of two halves.
And a clear penalty not awarded to Scotland.
Not having VAR was ridiculous..
Nketiah, Vieira, Jesus, Marquinhos,Gabriel, Trossard, Saka, Martinelli, Nelson and Saliba all signed up until 2027
Kiwior, Ramsdale, Havertz, Timber, Rice, Odegaard all signed up until 2028.
Smith Rowe, White, Zinchenko, Tierney, Lokonga all signed up until 2026 so some work to be done on Ben, Zinch and Emile and it’s all pretty much done.
Tomiyasu, Partey, Hein are up until 2025, Elneny and Jorginho 2024 so decisions to be made on some of them?
Just cast your mind back a few years to when Arsene controlled everything, nobody argued with him and contracts weren’t sorted out, something that Raul, tbf, commented on when he arrived. At least we have execs who get things done now and not before time!
A double-digit page centre-fold in today’s Telegraph, an interview with Martin Odegaard ( now nicely tucked up with a new five year contract) and piece from Jamie Carragher on the Ramsdale/Raya dichotomy in which he comes down firmly in favour of the latter. He points out some of the differences between the pair, notably Raya’s greater ability to deal with high crosses into the area, general calmness. with the ball at his feet and superior distribution. I seldom agree with Carragher but in this case I do fully.
Double page centre-fold, bloody spell checkers!
Balogun missed 2 penalties yesterday for Monaco against Nice, who won 1-0.
New post up