Mikel’s cautious approach stems from 3 successive 2nd place finishes, and that’s understandable to some extent. But he’s not fully at fault here. Ode just doesn’t seem the same sharp player he once was. Maybe that’s the injuries which have taken something from him physically and also impacted his confidence. He used to do some outrageous stuff on the pitch a few years back. Today, when he should be in his prime, he has evolved into a pressing machine, which is just not enough.
Like @SRCJJ said, still the most creative player we have cause Eze can’t be arsed most of the times/we don’t play to his strengths, but this has to be Ode’s last year at the club as a starter (if he is still that).
Definitely getting worried about it myself.
His fitness was the thing that had me scared the most when we signed him. He did have soke fitness issues before coming to Arsenal and he was diagnosed with tendinopathy too which is what Ronaldo suffered from in 2014.
My understanding it’s not a condition that will stop you from playing but apparently it requires load management and stricter recovery in-between games.
Given how on and off he’s been recently, I do wonder if this is now coming into play.
I’m hoping they’re just being ultra-cautious with him but I think we’re right to be concerned. Though if it turns out his best days are behind him at least he wasn’t a huge investment.
As average as he has been, we are sort of missing him right now tbh. Feels hard to get a foothold in possession with Eze who offers very little in terms of recycling the ball to build higher up the pitch.
