Declan Rice

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cyberman

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I’d argue CDM all have these kind of stats when the team puts in backs to the wall performers like today. Passes to someone within 2 yards of you because it’s such a low block is the easy pass to make.
Someone like Fred won’t be far off with his give and go under absolutely no pressure against that midfield.
West Ham did absolutely nothing through midfield today yet this reads as if Rice controlled the game.
I think I’m going mad and watched a different game today. West Ham would have been a lot better off if they held onto the ball in midfield.
 

yamo123x

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Outstanding player, natural leader, arguably best player on pitch with Dalot today.... only 23. Impresses me each time I see him.

We have to sign this guy.... Will be expensive but he would improve us massively in the area we most need improvement in
 

Rolaholic

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Him saying this after a gutting loss shows just how strongly he feels that way
 

Oranges038

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I’d argue CDM all have these kind of stats when the team puts in backs to the wall performers like today. Passes to someone within 2 yards of you because it’s such a low block is the easy pass to make.
Someone like Fred won’t be far off with his give and go under absolutely no pressure against that midfield.
West Ham did absolutely nothing through midfield today yet this reads as if Rice controlled the game.
I think I’m going mad and watched a different game today. West Ham would have been a lot better off if they held onto the ball in midfield.
Yet he was the main reason Utd got nothing through midfield.

Now just imagine if Utd had a midfielder who defended in midfield like that, controlled the players around him and kept it simple the way he does.

I don't think he's worth 100m or the 200m West Ham were reportedly looking for. But he would be am instant upgrade on the players currently at the club in that midfielf area.

He's only 23 and he's only going to get better. He has that self drive and personality that Utd desperately need in the middle of the park.
 

Judas

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The way he moves around the pitch, passes and just knows where to be, compared to our current options, is obviously miles better. Obviously the bar is low with our midfield, but still. it's night and day.
 

cyberman

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Yet he was the main reason Utd got nothing through midfield.

Now just imagine if Utd had a midfielder who defended in midfield like that, controlled the players around him and kept it simple the way he does.

I don't think he's worth 100m or the 200m West Ham were reportedly looking for. But he would be am instant upgrade on the players currently at the club in that midfielf area.

He's only 23 and he's only going to get better. He has that self drive and personality that Utd desperately need in the middle of the park.
But we ran midfield. We got nothing at the edge of their box. That’s a big difference. Rice didn’t control a thing. If anything the game ran through Fred
 

izec

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I like him and he'd be very good for us but..he's not worth 100 million.
Could have saved the 70m from Sancho, sold Van de Beek in the summer and lodged in a bid. Instead we wasted van De Beek and Sancho doesnt seem arsed after signing his big fat contract.
 

Deery

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But we ran midfield. We got nothing at the edge of their box. That’s a big difference. Rice didn’t control a thing. If anything the game ran through Fred
All Rice has to do is take a kick off and people are falling over themselves.
 

andersj

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He was great today and we need a player like him. I have been a fan of him for a while. But one should note that his performance today was not what we needed today, if that makes sense. It was what West Ham needed.

Would he offer what we need in a game like this against a team like West Ham where we dominate possession? Probably not. And that is why we cant pay a silly fee for him. Because even if we get Rice, we probably need someone more creative next to him.
 

Telsim

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Not signing him would be a mistake. 100M is worth it to be honest, primarily because he is already delivering in the Premier League. Much more logical than for someone like Sancho from BuLi. And he brings not just techical quality, but leadership skill as well.
 

FrankDrebin

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I really need to watch him when West Ham are on the front foot though. From a defensive aspect you can see his talent.
 

cyberman

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All Rice has to do is take a kick off and people are falling over themselves.
It’s not even that, it’s West Ham as a whole. They’ve been very under whelming this season yet I keep reading how great of a season they’re having.
I’ll just use Rice as an example. He’s having a great season while developing his game and all this but the games that aren’t v top 4, games they have to impose themselves in and they’re getting cut apart time and time again. Rice isn’t putting up stats like this v Leeds, Brighton etc. Palace had 22 shots against them and scored twice, stomped by Arsenal etc. Where was this fantastic shield Declan then? But there’s a bad habit of judging teams from lower sides only by their good games. You won’t hear another peep in this thread if he has another run of ordinary games but that 1 comes along and it’s 70m this and 70m that.
If you want a CDM that sits back like it’s 2006 then Rice is the answer. Any sort of pressing game with Rice laying back will fall apart imo
 

bucky

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The thing with Rice is that players like Zakaria and Tchouameni simply don't play like him.

They play more like Kante or Fred who just chase after the ball.

Rice is just in the right position at the right time, always in the most deadly positions before the attack gets there.

Forget the fee- I just don't see how people can't rate what he does.
That's simply not true and you'd know this, if you had seen Tchouaméni's last two games for instance. He had quite literally the same role as Rice for West Ham and was Monaco's best player. I don't understand why you feel the need to constantly belittle Tchouaméni, when you are talking about Rice. They can both be talented and good players to have, you know.
 

Oranges038

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But we ran midfield. We got nothing at the edge of their box. That’s a big difference. Rice didn’t control a thing. If anything the game ran through Fred
Yes, controlled possession but did fook all with it. Largely because he controlled the West Ham midfield, the shape and positioning of the players around him. Yes, they defended deep, just look how many times he won the ball and recovered possesion. It's his reading of the game, his intelligence, awareness and his positioning off the ball, that enables him to do that. You'd have to be blind not to see it.

Most teams that play against Utd can play 1 pass and are straight at the back 4 bypassing Fred and McT who are usually just running after the ball snapping at heels like border collies.

Rice would be an instant upgrade in those two in every department. The problem people have is the price West Ham would want and they are scared he'd just be another Maguire.
 

Rolaholic

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That's simply not true and you'd know this, if you had seen Tchouaméni's last two games for instance. He had quite literally the same role as Rice for West Ham and was Monaco's best player. I don't understand why you feel the need to constantly belittle Tchouaméni, when you are talking about Rice. They can both be talented and good players to have, you know.
Yea his on ball qualities are vastly underrated on this board, he's quite often the one starting Monaco's attacks.

He's a super, all-action type talent that would suit us perfectly the same way Rice would.
 

Andrew7582

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Defensively he's very good, just not sure about him on the ball, not for the money they would want anyway.
 

Saddy

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The stand out player in the match today - strong and never gave the ball away. Could play as a 6 or 8.

A clear upgrade on McFrec and would compliment Bruno
 

cyberman

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Yes, controlled possession but did fook all with it. Largely because he controlled the West Ham midfield, the shape and positioning of the players around him. Yes, they defended deep, just look how many times he won the ball and recovered possesion. It's his reading of the game, his intelligence, awareness and his positioning off the ball, that enables him to do that. You'd have to be blind not to see it.

Most teams that play against Utd can play 1 pass and are straight at the back 4 bypassing Fred and McT who are usually just running after the ball snapping at heels like border collies.

Rice would be an instant upgrade in those two in every department. The problem people have is the price West Ham would want and they are scared he'd just be another Maguire.
You are giving Rice far too much credit here. They sat back in a low block and played long to Antonio. They tried pressing up early in the match but Fred and Scott started passing round their press and forced them back.
Fred and Scott did progress the ball up midfield and fed the attackers, not being able to get in behind the West Ham block isn’t on them. They dominated midfield and gave us the best foot forward to win the game.
We have literally seen Rices performes over the last two seasons with McFred, especially in big games that Ole had a good record in. No mention of Scott dictating the shape of our team back then but more would have been made of Scott if he were as embarasssed as West Ham’s midfield were v Leeds last week.
It’s like we forget what modern midfielder are supposed to do when discussing Rice. All talk of needing to press high and progress the ball under pressure just disappears when Declan wedges himself in between the CBS for 90 minutes
 

Adnan

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The thing with Rice is that players like Zakaria and Tchouameni simply don't play like him.

They play more like Kante or Fred who just chase after the ball.

Rice is just in the right position at the right time, always in the most deadly positions before the attack gets there.

Forget the fee- I just don't see how people can't rate what he does.
If Rice was playing under Marco Rose, Adi Hutter or Niko Kovac, he'd also have to help enforce the press.
 

bucky

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Yea his on ball qualities are vastly underrated on this board, he's quite often the one starting Monaco's attacks.

He's a super, all-action type talent that would suit us perfectly the same way Rice would.
I feel like both players have improved in that aspect.

For what it's worth paying a ridiculous fee for Rice makes more sense than what we paid for Maguire.
 

Adisa

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Not signing him would be a mistake. 100M is worth it to be honest, primarily because he is already delivering in the Premier League. Much more logical than for someone like Sancho from BuLi. And he brings not just techical quality, but leadership skill as well.
£100m...are you insane?
 

PoTMS

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£100m on him is better value than £75m on Sancho. Still maybe too expensive but the alternatives are either worse players or not coming to us. Get him in.
 

Roboc7

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Spending £80-100m on him then pairing him with Mctominay won’t fix our midfield which is why there’s a good chance we’ll do it and then wonder why it hasn’t made a lot of difference.
 

SAF is the GOAT

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In that sum of money we could buy 2 good midfielders to our squad, no thanks.

You could bring Haidara and Kessie for example and even that won't cost us 100m
 

Ogaranya

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West ham defensive philosophy makes him appear good, can't you see that their gameplan today was to sit deep and tight.

He is decent but not worth £100m, we can't afford another huge price player who may be best fitted for a midtable club.

By the way, why is it that both Pep and Klopp were never for once interested in him?
Use the £100m and get 3 talented CMs, Leipzig Konrad Laimer will cost around £30m and is far better than Rice.
 
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