talkSPORT host Jason Cundy believes Arsenal could have a management drawback on their fingers.
Martin Odegaard is the Gunners’ captain, however the former Chelsea defender questioned whether or not he’s the appropriate man to put on the armband.
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As a substitute, Cundy feels Declan Rice is a extra appropriate candidate to guide the Gunners.
However former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara vehemently disagreed as a heated debate erupted on talkSPORT’s The Sports activities Bar after the Gunners had been dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain.
Cundy requested: “Who would you fairly look as much as, Rice or Odegaard?”
O’Hara replied: “Who cares who’s obtained the armband on? It would not make an enormous distinction. A load of garbage.”
However Cundy disagreed and cited Odegaard’s notable dip in efficiency ranges this season as a key motive why his captaincy might be known as into query, though he acknowledged the Norwegian has had his damage struggles.
O’Hara responded: “You possibly can’t take the armband off him, he is the captain.”
Cundy hit again and declared Rice ‘is the chief’ for the Gunners.
O’Hara acknowledged that could be the case, ‘however he is not the captain.’
“Odegaard’s the captain,” O’Hara mentioned.
“Except you are eliminating the participant, you do not take the armband off him.”
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The duo disagreed on the notion Odegaard might have the captaincy taken away as Cundy defined it might be the distinction that elevates Arsenal from contender to champion standing.
“That is the choice you have to make if Arsenal need to be winners,” Cundy mentioned.
O’Hara replied: “However then you definately’re killing his management qualities.”
Cundy reminded his co-host he questioned whether or not Odegaard even deserved to start out, just for O’Hara to reply: “I mentioned it is up for debate. If he is not enjoying effectively, you’re taking him off. Nevertheless it does not imply he is not the captain.”
In the end, Cundy conceded he ‘could not care much less’ about who will put on the armband going ahead for Arsenal.
“But when I used to be Mikel Arteta, I might think about giving Rice the armband,” Cundy concluded.
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Odegaard was put in as Arsenal’s captain in July 2022, having been on the Emirates Stadium for only a season-and-a-half previous to the honour.
He first joined the membership on a six-month mortgage in January 2021 from Actual Madrid earlier than the Gunners made the swap everlasting within the very subsequent window.
The Norwegian flourished in his first season with the skipper’s armband as he registered a powerful 15 objectives and 7 assists within the 2022/23 Premier League season.
He adopted that up with eight objectives and 11 assists within the 2023/24 marketing campaign as Arsenal recorded back-to-back runners’-up finishes within the prime flight.
Nevertheless, Odegaard has solely 9 objective contributions within the league this time period as his season was derailed by an ankle sprain suffered whereas on worldwide responsibility in September.
It means the 26-year-old is on track for his lowest Premier League objective tally since he joined Arsenal on a everlasting foundation.
