Martin Odegaard has been questioned by some at Arsenal in the aftermath of the 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
Arsenal fans felt Odegaard was hindering Viktor Gyokeres by failing to deliver incisive passes to the Swede against Manchester United.
Before the Premier League opener, Tony Adams even said the Norway international should not be captain of Arsenal, claiming the Gunners will never win the title unless Declan Rice is handed the armband instead.
Darren Bent has now defended Martin Odegaard after that statement – but shared what he personally finds annoying about the Norwegian.
Darren Bent urges Martin Odegaard to pass the ball properly
The 41-year-old has now told talkSPORT that he thinks the Arsenal No.8 often tries to be too fancy with his passing, when he already possesses the technical skills to play a normal, effective ball instead.
Bent said: “We know he had the big ankle injury last season and never really recovered from it. He never looked like the same player.
“In pre-season, I don’t think he looked as sharp as we’ve seen him before. Against Manchester United, although he was better, he still wasn’t at the level we know Odegaard could reach. He’s also faced a lot of criticism about the armband from Tony Adams, which I don’t think is fair. Coming from someone as iconic as Adams, though, it does carry weight.
“For me, it’s about the final third. There’s too much flicking in his passes, too many of these little dabs over the top. If they come off, they’re world-class, but at the moment, it’s inconsistent. You go through phases where you just want him to pull the trigger, because you know he has the technique to execute a pass properly.”
Odegaard completed 31 passes in 96 minutes of action at Old Trafford, but only one of those went down as a key pass which created a chance.
The man born in Drammen also lost possession 18 times, an obvious sign that his attempts at carving the opposition open are failing more than they succeed.
Viktor Gyokeres is yet to get his wish from Martin Odegaard
If the 26-year-old continues to mess up his final pass, he will be letting his new teammate down.
Gyokeres asked Odegaard for “assists” immediately after sealing his £64m move from Sporting CP to Arsenal.
The Arsenal captain told the Sweden international: “If there’s anything you need or any way I can help, just give me a shout.”
Gyokeres hilariously replied: “Some assists, please, would be nice!”
Of course, the pair have only played 60 minutes of Premier League football together, but there is clearly work to do for the both of them in training before a connection materialises on the pitch.