Martin Odegaard didn’t make it to Euro 2024 with Norway but Paul Merson has suggested one Arsenal player is struggling without him.
It’s no secret that Martin Odegaard has established himself as the creative hub of Arsenal’s side.
The Norwegian racked up 11 assists for Mikel Arteta’s side last season and when he plays well, Arsenal tend to follow suit.
His understanding with Bukayo Saka in particular has flourished over the past couple of years, with the duo linking up excellently on the right-hand side.
Odegaard has no choice but to watch on this summer after Norway missed out on Euro 2024 while Saka has started both of England’s games.
But with Gareth Southgate’s side hardly setting the world alight in their opening games, Paul Merson has admitted he’s beginning to question how good England’s players really are.
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Merson suggests Bukayo Saka is struggling without Odegaard
Speaking on the Football’s Greatest with Jeff Stelling, Merson suggested Saka has struggled to find space for England without a player like Odegaard alongside him.
The Arsenal legend also admitted he would question England’s players should they fail to win the tournament in Germany.
“We should be wiping the floor with these teams and we should because that means we have better players all around the pitch,” Merson said.
“We should stamp our authority. It was the other way around against Denmark – I have never seen anything like it. Bar them not losing the game, it was as bad as the Iceland game, especially when we start to talk about how great these players are.
“I am starting to think now. Are these players great or are they playing with great players at their clubs? I will let you know if we win this tournament or not, because if we don’t win it, I start looking at these players and thinking ‘Saka, is it because you are playing with Odegaard?’ Is it because of patterns of play?
“Odegaard makes runs and you get time on the ball – at the moment, he [Saka] is getting the ball and the defender isn’t as far away from him. Some of the time I think there is no pattern and I don’t know what they are doing in training.”
Southgate isn’t getting the best out of England’s stars
Saka has certainly been one of England’s standout players over the past couple of years and he played a key role in their win over Serbia.
It was his cross that was met by Jude Bellingham which handed England a 1-0 win.
Saka had less of an impact in his 70 minutes against Denmark last week but the Three Lions were way below par.
Southgate is evidently struggling to get the best out of this current England squad and after just two games played, the pressure is already ramping up.