Exclusive: Shut Him Down Arsenal Don’t Look Great – Ex-National Team Boss On Gunners Star | OneFootball

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Former national team boss Stephen Constantine feels that Arsenal are relying too much on Martin Odegaard and other Premier League teams know if he is stopped from playing then it damages the Gunners.

Arsenal have been trying to hang on to Liverpool’s coattails in the Premier League title race this season, but injuries in the final third have hampered their efforts and they now face an almost impossible task to reel in the Reds.

Questions are increasingly being asked about Arsenal’s transfer policy, with the club’s failure to sign a prolific striker either last summer or in the winter transfer window the subject of fierce scrutiny.

There has been a heavy burden on Odegaard to shine and drag Arsenal through difficult periods, with some criticism heading his way when he does not.

Former Rwanda and Sudan boss Constantine is not willing to take aim at Odegaard as he feels that Arsenal’s attackers are not doing enough to get themselves into the positions the Norwegian needs them to be in.

He thinks Arsenal are relying too much on Odegaard and believes that other Premier League teams know that if they can stop him playing then it damages what the Gunners can do during games.

“Martin has been, for me, very good”, Constantine told us at Inside Futbol via phone.

“But again, he seems to be the only creative central midfield player.

“And who does he have in front of him to make the little runs behind the defenders?

“Or is anyone coming off the defender to offer themselves?

“Let’s not forget, he had a couple of injuries and we seem to over rely on him.

“Every team in the Premier League know that.

“So shut him down and Arsenal don’t look so great.”

Arsenal finished as runners-up in the last two seasons in the Premier League and many thought if Manchester City came off the boil then they would be there to capitalise.

That looks like it will not be the case and the Gunners will go into a hugely important summer transfer window as Mikel Arteta seeks to shape a title winning team.