Declan Rice

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-Supreme-

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We need a CDM that can deliver penetrative passes from deep, I'm not convinced he's the right profile of midfielder we need particularly for the quoted prices.
 

Bobski

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Erratic touch, limited passing range, no Carrick. I don't see it with him, has to be a player out there at the same level you could get for a third of the price.
 

Abraxas

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Well, I said I was looking forward to watching him in detail tonight, I think my optimism was rather misplaced. If that's him playing at full tilt we have a big problem.

It's only one game of football but that didn't look like a player to kick our passing on a gear. I can only assume his sole function would be to lock up the midfield because every time he gets the ball he takes an age to assess an unambitious option. He didn't do anything terrible tonight but he didn't do anything that would tell you he's worth buying either.
 

Giggsyking

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I am still waiting for a 100m performance. Wonder what they smoke at West Ham
 
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sullydnl

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Nicky Butt would bench him.

He’s shite.

Put him next to Scholes instead of Carrick and we don’t win a trophy in that time, such is the difference in quality.
That's a ridiculous exaggeration. He's a very good DM and rightly being linked to a move to bigger sides (even if the prices currently being quoted are ludicrous).

But he is a DM, the most defensive of England's DMs and absolutely not someone who should be playing alongside another DM or technically limited players like McFred. Not sure what Southgate was expecting from this midfield against weaker sides.
 

Scholsey2004

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Not surprised the Rice thread is at the top of the list, he was crap, again. He's another Eric Dier, very limited with the ball. Not the kind of player who'd improve us at all.
 

Roboc7

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Him and Mctominay together would be terrible combination, I really don’t understand obsession with such limited players because they put a shift in.
 

userman

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Judging by tonights match playing Rice and Phillips, the grass is not always greener on the other side..
 

Scholsey2004

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And somebody else will be lumbered with the tedious job of pointing out that they don't play the same fecking role. How many times?!
What he said was 'hes no better than McTominay' , nothing about his positional play. And yes, he' s no better than McTominay.
 

FrankDrebin

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I am still for a 100m performance. Wonder what they smoke at West Ham
And here going by the last 3 days.

Personally, I don't want such a limited footballer at the club. I want us to sign a CM capable of playing on the front foot.
 

Mickson

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He's nowhere near worth that much, he is a good player, obviously, but I can't see him dictate in a big club at the highest level. Not good enough or quick enough with the ball.
 

Trophy Room

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He’s a decent overhyped premier league player. He’s not top level and this is not only based on his international performances.
 

Hulme91

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Stay well clear
Should have played for Ireland tbh, that's his level
 

Marwood

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I don't think he made a pass that a semi pro couldn't tonight. Way too negative. Not sure if that's him or Southgate.
 

Isotope

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Hard to judge. I mean, Rashford played like Ricky Lambert, and Grealish like Pereira.
 

Abraxas

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It looks as if he is potentially more solid than Scott, less likely to leave holes as he bursts forward because he takes no chances. But actually a better footballer? That's a hard sell. There cannot be much between them with the ball at their feet.
 

cyberman

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It looks as if he is potentially more solid than Scott, less likely to leave holes as he bursts forward because he takes no chances. But actually a better footballer? That's a hard sell. There cannot be much between them with the ball at their feet.
Scott carries the ball forward really well. He may get caught out but he would have made the ground from defence to attack quicker, and better, than Rice tonight if he were English
 

Dan_F

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He’s nowhere near good enough on the ball to be paying the prices West Ham want. I don’t see any difference in passing ability to McTominay, who is often slated for passing sideways.

The whole point of having a Rice is being able to use more forward thinking midfielders with him, definitely not Phillips.
 

FrankDrebin

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There was more than one occasion where he could've take the initiative in midfield and passed through Scotland's midfield, especially with Kane, Sterling and Mount coming deep but no. Backwards and sideways, yawn.
 

Abraxas

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Scott’s miles better on the ball in fairness.

Rice is certainly defensively much more sound.
I dunno about miles better because McT can take some sloppy touches and is generally safe too. But yes, it could be argued.

Signing Rice seems to be the equivalent of saying "he will get the best out of Pogba" because it's hard to see what he'll do for us offensively. Only problem with that idea is it requires a stretch of the imagination to see that happening and Pogba has to stay, and even if that's the logic Ndidi would probably be a more dynamic choice of purely defensive player to chuck money at.

Very strange stuff. I've watched a bit of West Ham and thought the same but my Hammers supporting mate thinks he's fabulous. I don't know if it is blind optimism, a case of low expectation or simply that he can be much better and I'm always missing those occasions.
 

Adam-Utd

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I rest my case.

Where's the guys saying he'll be a 1 man midfield :lol:

He'd literally be no better than Mctominay. £70m daylight robbery
 

hobbers

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Rice is a minor upgrade on one of Fred/McTominay but nowhere near good enough to be the sole holding midfielder with i.e. Pogba and Bruno either side of him.

So given that he isn't good enough to free up one of the positions to a more attack-minded player, what's the point of spending £80m on him to rotate with McFred for 2 positions when there are dozens of better midfielders around Europe who would cost half that fee?
 

Sea-Cow

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Other than being positionally very disciplined, he's not offering anything different or better than what we have. Unless he comes cheap, which is not happening, move on and spend that elsewhere or on other options.
Exactly this. The amount required for West Ham to accept would be a negligent waste of funds. There have to be better options out there.
 

sullydnl

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I don't think he made a pass that a semi pro couldn't tonight. Way too negative. Not sure if that's him or Southgate.
I'd mostly blame Southgate.

Even in the last game when the midfield sort of worked, Rice was still being used in a more negative, limited way than he is at West Ham. So it's no surprise that when the same midfield set-up isn't working, he also looks more negative and limited.

Which isn't to say he'd be playing like Pirlo otherwise, he's still a defence-first DM and will look too passive on his bad days.

But Southgate (according to himself) thinks playing Rice and Phillips together "lets" England play with four attackers, as if that's a luxury only afforded by playing two defensive midfielders. It's a terribly negative mindset to apply against a team like Scotland.
 

Eckers99

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What he said was 'hes no better than McTominay' , nothing about his positional play. And yes, he' s no better than McTominay.
They don't play in the same position. Why would anyone compare two players who play in different positions?
 
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