Declan Rice

Status
Not open for further replies.

Revan

Assumptionman
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
49,419
Location
London
Hargreaves was an incredible player, he was key to all of our success in 07/08. I don't think Carrick was as good as him that season.
Agree, and I do not think it was even that close. Carrick was just okay, while Hargreaves was really great at the end of the season and UCL (albeit, it was in some weird position like RB or right midfielder).
 

Berbasbullet

Too Boring For A Funny Tagline
Joined
Nov 3, 2011
Messages
20,031
Hargreaves was an incredible player, he was key to all of our success in 07/08. I don't think Carrick was as good as him that season.
He was good, but I believe he only started about 23 games in the league. But he was very good I completely agree.
 

FrankDrebin

Don't call me Shirley
Joined
Aug 25, 2019
Messages
19,877
Location
Police Squad
Supports
USA Manchester Red Socks
Agree, and I do not think it was even that close. Carrick was just okay, while Hargreaves was really great at the end of the season and UCL (albeit, it was in some weird position like RB or right midfielder).
Yep. Hargreaves would appear central but then he'll spread wide while offering support to Brown ,who's at RB, while Ronaldo would go central.

We had so much flexibility in that team yet we remained balanced and cohesive.
 

Revan

Assumptionman
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
49,419
Location
London
Yep. Hargreaves would appear central but then he'll spread wide while offering support to Brown ,who's at RB, while Ronaldo would go central.

We had so much flexibility in that team yet we remained balanced and cohesive.
I think he was more going left actually, during UCL. With Hargreaves being a bit of a false right-winger (I know that term doesn't exist). Somehow providing support for Brown (who was our weakest line in the defense), but also for the two midfielders.
 

FrankDrebin

Don't call me Shirley
Joined
Aug 25, 2019
Messages
19,877
Location
Police Squad
Supports
USA Manchester Red Socks
I think he was more going left actually, during UCL. With Hargreaves being a bit of a false right-winger (I know that term doesn't exist). Somehow providing support for Brown (who was our weakest line in the defense), but also for the two midfielders.
Yes, you may be right. Still, the flexibility in the side was great. Various players swapping roles during the game yet we never looked weak.

SAF doesn't get enough credit with how we set up tactically and how he utilized his players.
 

MadDogg

Full Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
15,810
Location
Manchester Utd never lose, just run out of time
Hargreaves was an incredible player, he was key to all of our success in 07/08. I don't think Carrick was as good as him that season.
Really? He was average most of the season when he was playing in the middle. It wasn't until later in the season when we moved him out to the right wing or fullback positions that he took off and did have a very good finish to the season.
 

Revan

Assumptionman
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
49,419
Location
London
Yes, you may be right. Still, the flexibility in the side was great. Various players swapping roles during the game yet we never looked weak.

SAF doesn't get enough credit with how we set up tactically and how he utilized his players.
Because for most part we got routinely trounced in Europe when coming against big clubs / top managers. It kinda changed in 2007-2008, with SAF becoming more pragmatic, and winning the title, coming against a better team (and to be fair a bit unlucky, the game was very two-sided) in the 2009 final, extremely unlucky against Bayern in 2010, going old Fergie and getting trounced in 2011, meh in 2012, referee in 2013. But before 2007-2008, he got outfoxed for the most part in UCL. It is crazy though how much he improved in that aspect at that age (we see the likes of Mourinho or Pep essentially not improving at all, or even regressing).
 

Dinghy

Full Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2010
Messages
2,482
Really? He was average most of the season when he was playing in the middle. It wasn't until later in the season when we moved him out to the right wing or fullback positions that he took off and did have a very good finish to the season.
This. He was mostly average for us in midfield, poor on the ball.
 

JB7

Full Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2008
Messages
8,826
Really? He was average most of the season when he was playing in the middle. It wasn't until later in the season when we moved him out to the right wing or fullback positions that he took off and did have a very good finish to the season.
Don’t come to the Caf expecting logic or for people to remember what actually happened. People remember a free kick in one game so he was obviously amazing all year.
 

Bwuk

Full Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
17,282
Hargreaves was an incredible player, he was key to all of our success in 07/08. I don't think Carrick was as good as him that season.
Hargreaves was a squad player who was better out wide or at full back. Carrick basically started every game when fit next to Scholes.
 

iamjacks

Full Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
70
I heard Moyes being interviewed on Talksport saying that "football is skint". Of course it's easy to take away from this that he's seeing his own club is feel the financial pinch of the pandemic, West Ham's window thus far would suggest this (and you might suggest last summers too, the business was very good but not excessive).

Surely, and even more so if Pogba were to leave, you'd expect United to be testing the water at around £60m, and the obvious one of Lingard included in there somewhere if West Ham haven't managed to sign an AM.

Rice doesn't appear to be signing that new contract either.

Unless the reports are true about our interest being lukewarm.
 

charlenefan

Far less insightful than the other Charley
Joined
Aug 17, 2005
Messages
33,052
Really? He was average most of the season when he was playing in the middle. It wasn't until later in the season when we moved him out to the right wing or fullback positions that he took off and did have a very good finish to the season.
Eh? You're clearly forgetting the formidable Hargreaves/Anderson midfield two of that season :drool::drool::drool:
 

sun_tzu

The Art of Bore
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
19,536
Location
Still waiting for the Youthquake
I heard Moyes being interviewed on Talksport saying that "football is skint". Of course it's easy to take away from this that he's seeing his own club is feel the financial pinch of the pandemic, West Ham's window thus far would suggest this (and you might suggest last summers too, the business was very good but not excessive).

Surely, and even more so if Pogba were to leave, you'd expect United to be testing the water at around £60m, and the obvious one of Lingard included in there somewhere if West Ham haven't managed to sign an AM.

Rice doesn't appear to be signing that new contract either.

Unless the reports are true about our interest being lukewarm.
he is under contract till 2024 though with west ham having a 1 year option on top of that so I dont think they feel any desperate need that he signs the new deal.
 

cotumely

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jul 26, 2021
Messages
146
Supports
Chelsea
I don’t want him at Chelsea. The Kante/Jorginho partnership is far better than dropping one of those two to accommodate Rice.

If he went to Old Trafford, who would he play alongside: McTominay or Fred?
 

Berbasbullet

Too Boring For A Funny Tagline
Joined
Nov 3, 2011
Messages
20,031
I don’t want him at Chelsea. The Kante/Jorginho partnership is far better than dropping one of those two to accommodate Rice.

If he went to Old Trafford, who would he play alongside: McTominay or Fred?
Pogba I imagine.
 

Berbasbullet

Too Boring For A Funny Tagline
Joined
Nov 3, 2011
Messages
20,031
Will Pogba still be at OT this forthcoming season?
Dunno, perhaps? If he isn’t then I’d actually guess VDB might be tried next to him, failing that probably Fred.

We won’t sign Rice anyway so it’s academic.
 

MadDogg

Full Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
15,810
Location
Manchester Utd never lose, just run out of time
I don’t want him at Chelsea. The Kante/Jorginho partnership is far better than dropping one of those two to accommodate Rice.

If he went to Old Trafford, who would he play alongside: McTominay or Fred?
Most people who want him think that he'll be the one to 'free' Pogba in there. Personally I don't think that would work (even if Pogba does stay), and then Rice is a terrible partner for either Fred or McTominay.
 

lex talionis

Full Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2017
Messages
13,615
The sooner the links to Rice quiet down, the better. No one will question whether he's a decent player, but he's definitely not in the "massive upgrade" category over McTominay. A slight upgrade perhaps, but definitely not the kind of transformative CDM we're all looking for.

Chelsea fans are right are right to say no thanks.
 

Robbie Boy

Full Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
27,694
Location
Dublin
The sooner the links to Rice quiet down, the better. No one will question whether he's a decent player, but he's definitely not in the "massive upgrade" category over McTominay. A slight upgrade perhaps, but definitely not the kind of transformative CDM we're all looking for.

Chelsea fans are right are right to say no thanks.
This. Hopefully Chelsea get him so his cult-like following on here can start to get over him.
 

Robbie Boy

Full Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
27,694
Location
Dublin
This thread is full of people saying he’s not worth the money and hardly anyone saying he is.
I haven't been following this thread in recent times, but he used to have a weird cult following on here. If the consensus has shifted, then fantastic.
 

RopersReturn

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Dec 17, 2020
Messages
2,120
Location
Hastings
Hargreaves was an unsung hero in many respects. He undoubtedly gave us depth and cover, really adding something with his vision and intelligence to an otherwise fairly underwhelming squad, progressing through the Champions League during our penultimately successful 07/08 campaign. It would be great if he decided or was offered a coaching role with us.
 

Hester_manc

Full Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2019
Messages
3,038
Location
Denmark
:lol:

Christ he must be one of the most overrated footballers in modern times. He's not bad, but he's not the solution either.
Agree 100%. Rice is a skilled and hard-working player. But I would prefer McTominay over him. He is stronger, better at heading, has better overview and more scores more goals. And yet McTominay and Rice are too reminiscent of each other, so I can not see at all what we were going to do with Rice in our team.
 

RopersReturn

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Dec 17, 2020
Messages
2,120
Location
Hastings
Ideally we should have recruited Rice last season, before his value shot through the roof. Our priority now, must be to find a suitable replacement for McFred.
 

theklr

Full Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2019
Messages
2,659
Agree 100%. Rice is a skilled and hard-working player. But I would prefer McTominay over him. He is stronger, better at heading, has better overview and more scores more goals. And yet McTominay and Rice are too reminiscent of each other, so I can not see at all what we were going to do with Rice in our team.
What? McT is a box to box that tries to play DM , while Rice is an actual DM...

Rice and Pogba could actually work defensivly
 

Flytan

New Member
Joined
May 20, 2013
Messages
3,754
Location
United States
Can someone smarter than me tell me why a midfield (if Pogba actually stays this season) of Rice/Fred/Pogba wouldn't be good?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.