Martin Odegaard has revealed how Mikel Arteta outlined his plan for Arsenal on a Zoom call and that he was immediately convinced to sign for the club on loan from Real Madrid.
The Norway international completed a move to Emirates Stadium in January 2021 and, after impressing, joined on a permanent basis for the 2021/22 season. He’s since become an integral part of the Gunners’ midfield and captains the club.
In an interview with The Players’ Tribune, Odegaard heaped praise on his manager and joked about how persuasive he can be.
He said: “I spoke to Mikel Arteta on a Zoom call and he told me all about the project. At the time, Arsenal were not doing well. They were way down like 15th in the table, but that meeting … Honestly, I challenge anyone to come away from a meeting with Arteta and not believe everything he tells you.
“He is next level. It’s hard to explain. He’s passionate, he’s intense and sometimes, yeah, he’s a bit crazy … but when he speaks, you understand that whatever he says will happen, will happen.
“He told me his plan, everything he was building towards. He knew exactly what needed to change at the club. He told me all about these amazing young players in the squad — Saka, Martinelli, Smith Rowe, etc., etc. He told me how he wanted me to fit in and how I was going to improve.
“I got this strong feeling that he was onto something really special.”
Arsenal’s form has been on an upwards trajectory since Odegaard joined and there’s a real chance that the club, currently top of the table, could end a 19-year wait for a Premier League title.
While Odegaard admits there’s plenty of work left to do, he has so much belief in the team’s quality that he thinks anything is possible.
“We’re in the title race now, but there’s a long way to go and, trust me, no one is thinking about May yet. It’s a cliché but we are taking it game by game, training session by training session. One piece at a time.
“I will say this, though, if there’s anyone left who still doesn’t fully believe in this team, take it from me: there are no limits on what we can achieve. No one can tell me otherwise.”
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It’s well worth reading Odegaard’s full interview – he’s been on some journey for someone who isn’t yet 25 – or you can watch a slightly different version below.
Just the most loveable player and a great human. Martin isn’t too bad either 🙂
Great interview via the link. Top quality guy, hope he can lead us to an era of success.
It’s actually an article written by Odegaard not an interview. But yes to everything else you said
Says interview twice above…
Excellent attitude!!
However Arteta did it, it was a job well done and for the first time in a while we have a “true” captain leading the club.
It still amazes me, every time I hear about Arteta’s Jedi communication powers, that he originally missed out on the job to a stuttering Spaniard who was utterly incomprehensible.
But everything happens for a reason. Were it not for Unai taking that particular bullet, we might never have seen the levels of greatness Arteta is going to bring about at our club.
Proven time and time again at many clubs, the chap taking on the reigns after a successful manager leaves will likely struggle and not last long. Balls to take on the Arsenal after Wenger, given the state the club was in at that time. Unai is actually a decent manager, doing a good job wherever he goes. Just wasnt the right time at Arsenal. If the team had put in a decent effort vs Chelsea in that 2019 europa league final, he would be remembered a lot more fondly.
Yup. He’s a class manager, no doubt. And with rose tinted hindsight, I think he probably did as good a job as one could do, given everything he was up against.
And although he ultimately failed, he didn’t completely tank the club like Moyes or Potter.
Just imagine if Arteta had come to Arsenal during Don Raul’s corrupt and chaotic reign.
He would have left.
Unai was a good guy and is a class manager. He didnt stoop and start bitching when he got the boot. He remained very respectful to Arsenal.
I for one am still a big fan of his.
He failed because the people above and around him didnt give him the support that Arteta is getting. Simple as.
At his best, I don’t think there is a better player in his role anywhere. What is that role? Maybe a new designation: a false 10, because he’s a box-to-box midfielder (watch how often he makes a defensive action deep in our half and, increasingly, how often he bursts into the opponent’s area like Aaron Ramsey) who passes like Mesut Ozil.
Santi/Cesc-esque?
Isn’t what you’re describing kind of like De Bruyne? Not sure if he quite has Martin’s little deft touches of magic in tight spaces but in terms of role and creativity it’s pretty similar
Maybe so. If you want to argue that Odegaard is effectively doing the same thing as De Bruyne although with stylistic differences, and is probably second-best compared to a player who many believe deserves the Ballon d’Or–well, I’m okay with that.
I will say this, though, if there’s anyone left who still doesn’t fully believe in this team, take it from me: there are no limits on what we can achieve. No one can tell me otherwise.”
I shed a tear. I belive.
To paraphrase something he said earlier along similar lines;
If anyone on the team is not pulling in the same direction, they will be informed 🙂
Yep – simple, honest, powerful stuff.
Bravo! Great interview. 👏
Almost teared up at the end, seeing the journey Martin had to take to get to where he is with us today. My captain <3
One things that is consistently coming up about Arteta from people within and outside the club is how convincing he is in his vision and how strongly he communicates that.
When we were looking for Wenger replacement back in the day, I was shocked and surprised to hear about links to Arteta, considering how inexperienced he is. But as Odegaard said, maybe it is indeed difficult to not believe what he tells you. He didn’t get the job then but thank god we gave it to him eventually.
It feels like Arteta has that Mourinho quality of creating soldiers that are willing to die for him. But unlinke Mourinho he is not a massive c*nt. It also feels like Arteta has some of Guardiola’s tactical brilliance. And he definitely has some of Wenger’s class.
Sounds pretty good. I think winning the title this season will be about the depth in the squad and a bit of luck. We have everything else.
Yes, he shares some traits with Mourinho and (fortunately) not others. That said, if Arteta gets anywhere near the trophy haul that old Jose has accumulated along the way, he’ll certainly go down as one of the Arsenal greats.
Especially as he won’t have the cash that Mourinho had at Chelsea or be in the v biggest clubs in other leagues.
Up to a point. With Chelsea he obviously did have the money – although no say in transfers though, no manager did/does there. To give Mourinho some credit, he certainly didn’t have that at Porto or at Inter either (I’m pretty sure that the latter didn’t spend as much as we’ve done in the last couple of years, and they were way behind Juventus in the pecking order). It’s swings and roundabouts at the end of the day.
hard to compare money values in different periods. Even over 5 year period, the $$ being spent just keeps going up and up and up. For all his Cun73ry Mourinho knew how to organise a team and get the best out of them. Except the spuds, noone is that good.
He created soldiers willing to die for him as our man P pointed out. Other than that, he’s a cunt and not worth discussing further
I think Mourinho’s biggest failing was a lack of class, and then with his success he started to enjoy the smell of his own farts a bit too much…
By all accounts he seems a pretty decent bloke away from the dugout 🤷♂️
Love this. In my top 5 arseblog comments of all time haha
Interesting conversation on Handbrake Off today asking the question ‘if Guardiola walked out on Man City tomorrow would you take him over Arteta?’ All 3 (Ian Stone, Art de Roche and Amy Lawrence) said, no. High praise indeed for a novice.
Pep ain’t – and can never be a gooner… Mik always will be.
End of.
Ian Stone wanted Mourinho as arsenal manager. I can’t hear anything he says without that little klaxon going off in my head
Ode G(u)aard !!!
Old Guard
“Martin, come and join us. Yes, we have some crap that needs disposing of, but trust me, once this squad goes BANG!, we’ll win the league within 3 years and the Champions League within 4”.
In case you lot may have forgotten…
Next great Arsenal captain… future Arsenal legend.
Everything Arteta seems like a well crafted plan. The trajectory has been unidirectional from day one. I have no doubt the greatness of Arsenal is returning. We will be in Champion’s league contenders conversations in the nearest future.
What a great role model to represent the club.
Gifted, humble, determination.
So proud to have Martin Ødegaard as captain of the Arsenal.
Football fans want either a team that can win stuff, or a team they can love. I think that we Gooners are getting the best of both.
What a great read by a great player and obviously a great bloke. Looking forward to our continued success with him at the helm.
We went into that summer window with the world and his dog knowing who our top target was.
Then we didn’t get ripped off, didn’t get outbid by some bunch of cunts and got our man.
I still find it difficult to believe.
Arteta is building something different than everyone else, which is part of the reason many clubs didn’t pursue Jesus. The other part he knew what Jesus and Zinny were capable of in his system. Long may Arteta reign.