Declan Rice

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Eckers99

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James Garner in talent terms is much better than Rice just as he is better than Longstaff and only 2/3 years younger so if we buy either of them we will lose the superior player Garner.

Hopefully if we're after Rice West Ham quote us £80 million and we rightly tell them to feck off.
Garner hasn't played a single game at Rice's level, so the comparison is totally redundant. And talent is only a fraction of what makes a top footballer, as we've seen so many times with our own academy players.
 

Reincarnated

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Wow I don't understand how every club say they don't want to sell their best players when we go to buy, but they end up selling them to City, Chelsea, Real, Barca, Munich and Juve so easily.
 

Draco1986

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Although Declan Rice is a quality player, I feel him coming in will stifle a player like Garner who has a massive future here at United. I think we should not go for Rice at this moment.
 

redDNA

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He is a good player, but his skill sets are no longer required by top sides, that's why most of his biggest performances where against top sides where his main duty was to break up play and harrass the opposition midfielders .He fits a team that set up as underdogs and/or play on the counter. We already have players with such attributes e. g McT, even when Jones played as a DM.
The profile of a DM we need is one that can pass between the lines, has ball carrying and retention abilities,and press resistance.
One of the reasons that we no longer look like a top side is because we don't have midfielders that can dictate and control matches which made us to surrender possession (even against bottom sides) and play on the counter.
 

flappyjay

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He wont give the ball to pogba in right positions under high pressure. We struggle to create from deep under high press and modern football takes advantage of that.

He is a type of holding midfielder likes on Tottenham have in their midfield right now and they struggle to create under high press and go long or sideways. That's not a kind of football we should be playing as a team wanting to attack and play dominant football.

Yes midfield solidity is important but not at the cost of being not that good in attack. We need both in our team.
Reason why wanyama is not a regular for spurs has to do with limitations on the ball. Winning it for him is not a problem, distribution is
 
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DWelbz19

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He's a center back. I think he will be a very good one
He won't ever play there for a consistent basis. Looks set to be a defensive midfielder for country and probably club for the foreseeable.
 

0le

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Wow I don't understand how every club say they don't want to sell their best players when we go to buy, but they end up selling them to City, Chelsea, Real, Barca, Munich and Juve so easily.
Coutinho, and VVD all went for very high fees at the time - it isn't just United having to pay a lot.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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Reason why wanyama is not a regular for spurs has to do with limitations on the ball. Winning it for him is not a problem, distribution is
Wanyama was our first choice DM in 16/17 and was fantastic.

He doesn't start for us because injuries have led to him not being the same player, but despite his limitations he was still very useful back then. Had a key role in what I would say was the best Spurs team I've seen.
 

Robbie Boy

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Wanyama was our first choice DM in 16/17 and was fantastic.

He doesn't start for us because injuries have led to him not being the same player, but despite his limitations he was still very useful back then. Had a key role in what I would say was the best Spurs team I've seen.
Wanyama was a far better player in his prime than Rice is now. Not even close.
 

StrettyEnder07

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Personally would give Wolves whatever they want for Neves, superb footballer and would add so much to us, distribution and use of the ball is brilliant and shooting from anywhere outside the box he is lethal, intelligent as well, him and McT could be a very good partnership with Pogba either being played further forward or obviously replaced if he goes to Madrid.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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Wanyama was a far better player in his prime than Rice is now. Not even close.
16/17 Wanyama compared to 18/19 Rice

Tackles made: 90. Rice made 98.
Interceptions: 40. Rice made 52.
Recoveries: 242. Rice made 287.

That's just a taster .. overall their defensive stats are very similar with Rice edging some, Wanyama others like duels won. They really aren't all that far apart on either the defensive or offensive side of things, certainly not enough for you to say it 'isn't even close'. Obviously you'd expect Rice to make more tackles, interceptions etc because he plays in a weaker side which has less of the ball, but overall the story is that both provide a real defensive bite but not much going forward. I'd take Wanyama 16/17 over Rice 18/19 but the gap isn't that big, you just don't seem to like Rice.

Rice is also 20 and already starting regularly for a decent PL side for a reason. And he's doing a good job, the stats support that, and there's a reason he is getting in the England side. The staff at England and West Ham aren't just playing him for the kicks. Anyway, my original point is that there's still a place in the game for a limited defensive midfielder/anchor who can play behind more technical players.

Rice will only get better and better in that DM role as he matures. Right now people are talking about him being too hasty to close down/win the ball, but the maturity/understanding of when to go to win it and when to back off will come with age.
 

Eckers99

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16/17 Wanyama compared to 18/19 Rice

Tackles made: 90. Rice made 98.
Interceptions: 40. Rice made 52.
Recoveries: 242. Rice made 287.

That's just a taster .. overall their defensive stats are very similar with Rice edging some, Wanyama others like duels won. They really aren't all that far apart on either the defensive or offensive side of things, certainly not enough for you to say it 'isn't even close'. Obviously you'd expect Rice to make more tackles, interceptions etc because he plays in a weaker side which has less of the ball, but overall the story is that both provide a real defensive bite but not much going forward. I'd take Wanyama 16/17 over Rice 18/19 but the gap isn't that big, you just don't seem to like Rice.

Rice is also 20 and already starting regularly for a decent PL side for a reason. And he's doing a good job, the stats support that, and there's a reason he is getting in the England side. The staff at England and West Ham aren't just playing him for the kicks. Anyway, my original point is that there's still a place in the game for a limited defensive midfielder/anchor who can play behind more technical players.

Rice will only get better and better in that DM role as he matures. Right now people are talking about him being too hasty to close down/win the ball, but the maturity/understanding of when to go to win it and when to back off will come with age.
Finally someone doing something other than making lazy comparisons to players like Eric Dier. And someone who gets the seemingly baffling concept that a 20 year old is rarely the finished article, especially in a position as specialist as DM.
 

Robbie Boy

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16/17 Wanyama compared to 18/19 Rice

Tackles made: 90. Rice made 98.
Interceptions: 40. Rice made 52.
Recoveries: 242. Rice made 287.

That's just a taster .. overall their defensive stats are very similar with Rice edging some, Wanyama others like duels won. They really aren't all that far apart on either the defensive or offensive side of things, certainly not enough for you to say it 'isn't even close'. Obviously you'd expect Rice to make more tackles, interceptions etc because he plays in a weaker side which has less of the ball, but overall the story is that both provide a real defensive bite but not much going forward. I'd take Wanyama 16/17 over Rice 18/19 but the gap isn't that big, you just don't seem to like Rice.

Rice is also 20 and already starting regularly for a decent PL side for a reason. And he's doing a good job, the stats support that, and there's a reason he is getting in the England side. The staff at England and West Ham aren't just playing him for the kicks. Anyway, my original point is that there's still a place in the game for a limited defensive midfielder/anchor who can play behind more technical players.

Rice will only get better and better in that DM role as he matures. Right now people are talking about him being too hasty to close down/win the ball, but the maturity/understanding of when to go to win it and when to back off will come with age.
Stats aside I much preferred and appreciated Wanyama as he looked far more natural. Rice really isn’t that good he’s massively overrated and I hope to god we don’t go near him.
 

StrettyEnder07

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Stats aside I much preferred and appreciated Wanyama as he looked far more natural. Rice really isn’t that good he’s massively overrated and I hope to god we don’t go near him.
I do remember him showing up Pogba and Co at our gaff last season, he looked head and shoulders above anyone in our side that day, ran it and made Pogba look like a Sunday league player.

Since watching him that day live have changed my opinion on him and thought he was a very good midfielder.

Still prefer Neves but he owned our midfield that day.
 

lysglimt

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Who is Noel Whelan?
In 1993 a talented Leeds-side beat United in the FA Youth Cup (with Scholes, Beckham, Neville) - and they were convinced they had several first-teamers ready. But they werent a better side than United, they simply were bigger and stronger. Noel Whelan was the star of the team and the only one who had a good career, mostly at Coventry in the late 90s.
 

Robbie Boy

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I do remember him showing up Pogba and Co at our gaff last season, he looked head and shoulders above anyone in our side that day, ran it and made Pogba look like a Sunday league player.

Since watching him that day live have changed my opinion on him and thought he was a very good midfielder.

Still prefer Neves but he owned our midfield that day.
Tbf Pogba has been made look like utter shit by far too many sub-par midfields.
 

Mainoldo

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I know. Same people that think/thought that Fred would be a good transfer. Or that having two fullbacks that offers little going forward is not an issue, or having two centrebacks that are slow as F in the modern fast paced game will not stop us from pressing high...
Best but is when we do get them. They’ll still say our squad is mid table and how many would get into the Wolves side.
 

Catt

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In 1993 a talented Leeds-side beat United in the FA Youth Cup (with Scholes, Beckham, Neville) - and they were convinced they had several first-teamers ready. But they werent a better side than United, they simply were bigger and stronger. Noel Whelan was the star of the team and the only one who had a good career, mostly at Coventry in the late 90s.
Is he reliable?
 

Stick

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As much as I hate to say it I think Rice is a talent. At 20 years of age he can run a midfield and play a holding role usually left for experienced midfielders. He has a good engine and is confident on the ball. Seeing him play beside Henderson for england made me see a big gulf between the two in terms of skills and ability. Bearing in mind he has about 7 years until his peak then I would buy him now for 90m.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Personally would give Wolves whatever they want for Neves, superb footballer and would add so much to us, distribution and use of the ball is brilliant and shooting from anywhere outside the box he is lethal, intelligent as well, him and McT could be a very good partnership with Pogba either being played further forward or obviously replaced if he goes to Madrid.
Neves is really overrated.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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Stats aside I much preferred and appreciated Wanyama as he looked far more natural. Rice really isn’t that good he’s massively overrated and I hope to god we don’t go near him.
I don't think Rice would be worth anywhere near what West Ham would want for him, and I don't even think a move to a side like United would be good for him at the moment.

But I disagree he's overrated. He's got fantastic potential as a defensive midfielder and will only grow with time, I mean for god sake he's starting for West Ham and an England regular at the age of 20. You don't just fluke that, consistently top coaches/managers are seeing something in him and playing him as a result.

He's not flashy or particularly technical so it's understandable that people are a bit 'meh' on him, but the boy has obvious ability in the role he's playing and again, statistically he is doing a really good job, better than many of his much older, more experienced peers.
 
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