Declan Rice | Arsenal £105m player

InfiniteBoredom said:
Isn’t it cute that they had to include a meaningless stat to make him more all-action? 13 final third entries, so he advanced 60 meters up the pitch when United were in the box or faffing about at the back? Whoop-dee-do.

Everybody, even those who don’t rate him, acknowledge his defensive qualities, it’s the part about doing things with a football that is called into questions, and those stats certainly don’t tell us something we didn’t already know.
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To be honest, I think he had a good game, not a great game. Although that's just game number 4, in a setup that changed for the team over the other 3 games with Zinchenko coming in and becoming the 2nd midfielder from the left instead of Partey from the right.

Don't think the midfield is at its optimum yet, it's fair to say most don't think Havertz will be the answer long term so the balance doesn't feel right yet.

As long as he keeps his defensive qualities I think he'll get better on the ball. I seen some good signs against Palace that he can pass between the lines well.
 
He was the main reason why they sat off and didn’t press anywhere close to high.
 
Overrated and not worth close to his price tag.
 
He is a very good ball winner in the middle third, but will never be close to being worth the money they have paid for him.

The media have already decided he is a success, so he won't have to deal with the pressure from them that most with huge transfer fees suffer through.
 
The only two times I noticed he was on the pitch was when he scored and then awarded the MOTM award. The hype is amazing.
 
Had an okay start of the season, still nowhere near the transformative signing his price tag indicates he should be.

I still have doubts about the way he’s used by Arteta
 
He is alright, but will always be judged by his huge price tag. More of a £60m player in todays market.

Jesus though… you can see his quality when he stepped onto the pitch. Lad is a baller just needs to be clinical - which he was yesterday.
 
tinfish said:
He is alright, but will always be judged by his huge price tag. More of a £60m player in todays market.

Jesus though… you can see his quality when he stepped onto the pitch. Lad is a baller just needs to be clinical - which he was yesterday.
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Yeah, Jesus would be amazing if he could play against teams chasing a last minute equaliser with Maguire and Evans at centre back every week.

Everything went Arsenal's way yesterday. Really papers over the cracks and I'm expecting them to get a few hammerings away from home this season. Wolves at OT were better than Arsenal against us and that was before we had almost all of our defenders out injured.
 
They'd look a better side playing Jorginho as the deepest and dropping Havertz and pushing Rice forward.

Rice is fine but Havertz a total passenger.
 
Thought Rice and Havertz and Saka were invisible yesterday.

Martinelli imo was v good. Compared to what we see from our wingers he was miles ahead.
 
I just don't see it with Rice. He's decent I guess but in terms of ball-winning I have yet to see him dominate midfields like a prime Kante did. Too often I feel like Rice just gets bypassed easily.
 
Care_de_Bobo said:
Yeah, Jesus would be amazing if he could play against teams chasing a last minute equaliser with Maguire and Evans at centre back every week.

Everything went Arsenal's way yesterday. Really papers over the cracks and I'm expecting them to get a few hammerings away from home this season. Wolves at OT were better than Arsenal against us and that was before we had almost all of our defenders out injured.
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We are 4 games into a season, everyone is trying to sort their shit out, get their teams settled, new players integrated and into some sort of rhythm.

We had Zinchenko and Gabriel making their first starts of the season, Jesus still to start as well. Likewise, you guys have Amrabat, Hojlund and Reguilon still to come in and start.

It's too early to judge, the run of fixtures after the international break is where I expect to see how sides will look better going forward.
 
tinfish said:
He is alright, but will always be judged by his huge price tag. More of a £60m player in todays market.

Jesus though… you can see his quality when he stepped onto the pitch. Lad is a baller just needs to be clinical - which he was yesterday.
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I agree. I love watching him play, apart from the silly diving he loves to indulge in sometimes but he's my kind of striker. It's what I hope Jackson develops into, minus the lack of finishing, which is Jesus' biggest flaw, and it's a pretty big flaw for a striker, but he makes up for it in so many other ways. He's one of those players that makes players around him better.
 
chocolate cloud said:
Thought Rice and Havertz and Saka were invisible yesterday.

Martinelli imo was v good. Compared to what we see from our wingers he was miles ahead.
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How I saw it too. Martinelli was a constant menace, but Rice and Havertz were particularly anonymous. Saka had some moments but doesn't quite look at the level of last year.
 
Just so good today when we needed him to be. What a signing he's turning out to be. Exactly what I assume Arteta had in mind when signing him, to be effective against the big clubs as well as the others.
 
Donaldo said:
Just so good today when we needed him to be. What a signing he's turning out to be. Exactly what I assume Arteta had in mind when signing him, to be effective against the big clubs as well as the others.
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I thought he wasn’t impressive at all. Partey off the bench improved Arsenal massively. Never had any control until then.
 
If he keeps producing performances like this he is more than capable of emulating the greats like McTominay.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
I thought he wasn’t impressive at all. Partey off the bench improved Arsenal massively. Never had any control until then.
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Yep.

He got some good blocks/interceptions off in the 2nd half, in that regard you can say he did his job well, but the guy was doing his usual act of masquerading as a 3rd CB in the 1st half and made it hard for his team to venture past the half way line by being so deep all the time. And this was against a midfield of Kovacic, Rico Lewis and Julian Alvarez.
 
Donaldo said:
Were at least five big tackles in there and his positioning in the box was spot on.
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Add to that he headed away a certain goal off the line.

I was really impressed with him today, he did brilliantly for you.
 
Donaldo said:
Were at least five big tackles in there and his positioning in the box was spot on.
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Big performance from Rice.

Partey was good as a cameo too but at one specific thing getting the ball and passing it around (18 passes, the most of any player after he came on the pitch till the end). He didnt do anything else while even the likes of Odegaard made 2 tackles while he was on the pitch and Partey didnt make any.

Whoscored had him as motm due to his stats with Martinelli 2nd, then Foden 3rd
 
There is a forceful pushing down onto everyone's throat of how amazing he has been. He has been decent but 105m , comeon.
 
WeePat said:
I thought he was fantastic today.
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I agree.

Wanted him at Utd but wasn't to be.

His £105m fee will always be talked about, however with inflated prices as they are, his relatively young age of 24, he was already Premier League proven and a full International; and not only all of that, his best years are still ahead of him.

That sizeable transfer fee may just turn out to be a great bit of business by Arsenal.
 
The Oracle said:
I agree.

Wanted him at Utd but wasn't to be.

His £105m fee will always be talked about, however with inflated prices as they are, his relatively young age of 24, he was already Premier League proven and a full International; and not only all of that, his best years are still ahead of him.

That sizeable transfer fee may just turn out to be a great bit of business by Arsenal.
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We paid £25m more for Maguire and Fred
 
The Oracle said:
I agree.

Wanted him at Utd but wasn't to be.

His £105m fee will always be talked about, however with inflated prices as they are, his relatively young age of 24, he was already Premier League proven and a full International; and not only all of that, his best years are still ahead of him.

That sizeable transfer fee may just turn out to be a great bit of business by Arsenal.
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I really hope so. He should only get better and we'll have him at his peak years. I know City were missing Rodri but not too long ago I would have sh*t myself at the prospect of playing them without Partey. Many Arsenal fans have been crying for Partey cover (and long-term replacement) due to his injury issues for a while now.
 
Nothing against Mount as i know he is a good player and will come good here eventually, but thought Rice was actually the player we needed more. He was immense yesterday albeit against a weakeaned City midfield. He could be the perfect Casemiro replacement when we eventually phase the latter out.
 
ZainCRse7en said:
Nothing against Mount as i know he is a good player and will come good here eventually, but thought Rice was actually the player we needed more. He was immense yesterday albeit against a weakeaned City midfield. He could be the perfect Casemiro replacement when we eventually phase the latter out.
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My United friend has said for a while that £105m for Rice is better business than £60mil for Case. Case looks like his legs have abandoned him and you may well get only one good season out of him. Of course if/when Amrabat plays alongside him he'll probably look better, though that will go against what ETH seemed to have in mind for his midfield.

Our midfield was also weakened - no Partey (until he came on) and we had to play the immobile Jorginho. Thought Rice and the defenders did superbly to make sure he wasn't too isolated.
 
Started the game yesterday with a pass out of play and looked shaky to begin with, but grew into the game and was quietly efficient in the middle.

Has slotted into Arsenals system seamlessly however his use of the ball at times is a little suspect.
 
Champ said:
Has slotted into Arsenals system seamlessly however his use of the ball at times is a little suspect.
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We haven't yet been able to play him alongside Partey. In the first 3 games, Partey played as an inverted RB as Zinchenko was out injured. Now that Zinchenko is available, I imagine Arteta will play Rice-Partey-Odegaard. It'll be interesting to see if Rice can progress the ball better when he plays a bit further forward.
 
GoonerGirly said:
We haven't yet been able to play him alongside Partey. In the first 3 games, Partey played as an inverted RB as Zinchenko was out injured. Now that Zinchenko is available, I imagine Arteta will play Rice-Partey-Odegaard. It'll be interesting to see if Rice can progress the ball better when he plays a bit further forward.
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That's true,
I have always seen Rice as a better carrier of the ball rather than a progressive passer, so I guess we'll find out soon enough!
 
GoonerGirly said:
We haven't yet been able to play him alongside Partey. In the first 3 games, Partey played as an inverted RB as Zinchenko was out injured. Now that Zinchenko is available, I imagine Arteta will play Rice-Partey-Odegaard. It'll be interesting to see if Rice can progress the ball better when he plays a bit further forward.
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I highly doubt this will happen.
this is the midfield all arsenal fans want to see.

The problem with this is, how much longer does Partey have, whether age or leaving the team,plus his injury record.
Arteta's also too stubborn and wedded to the havertz midfield experiment. If anything, I'd wish to see more of ESR coming. was a little disappointed he didn't come on instead of havertz. But hey, havertz made the assist, gave the team a target for the long ball forward (where Tomi the left back was also in the box).
 
What a player, what a signing.

A real thoroughbred of a midfielder that can do it all.
 
Donaldo said:
Just so good today when we needed him to be. What a signing he's turning out to be. Exactly what I assume Arteta had in mind when signing him, to be effective against the big clubs as well as the others.
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He was brilliant today.

All the salt in this thread is going to end up giving me a stroke.
 
ZainCRse7en said:
Nothing against Mount as i know he is a good player and will come good here eventually, but thought Rice was actually the player we needed more. He was immense yesterday albeit against a weakeaned City midfield. He could be the perfect Casemiro replacement when we eventually phase the latter out.
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Casemiro looks unfit to me. He's got a chubby face anyway, so that probably just colours my perception.

But IMO players legs don't just go at 31, that's too early. He's got time left.
 
Lincm said:
I highly doubt this will happen.
this is the midfield all arsenal fans want to see.

The problem with this is, how much longer does Partey have, whether age or leaving the team,plus his injury record.
Arteta's also too stubborn and wedded to the havertz midfield experiment. If anything, I'd wish to see more of ESR coming. was a little disappointed he didn't come on instead of havertz. But hey, havertz made the assist, gave the team a target for the long ball forward (where Tomi the left back was also in the box).
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Yes I agree Partey is on his last legs and I imagine this will probably be his last season with us.

I don't know about Arteta being too stubborn - he hasn't started Havertz all the time and moves him between the 8 role and false 9. I do agree that in the long-term, he still wants to make Havertz work in the 8 position, but he obviously also sees him as a versatile squad player.
 
A midfield of Odegaard, Partey and Rice would be our strongest unit. Though maybe that would make Zinchenko's psuedo-midfield role a little redundant, unless we pushed one of Rice or Partey up the field.
 
cesc's_mullet said:
Casemiro looks unfit to me. He's got a chubby face anyway, so that probably just colours my perception.

But IMO players legs don't just go at 31, that's too early. He's got time left.
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If ETH keeps playing Bruno and Mount (or Eriksen) with Case, it gives Case too much work to do. I don't think he has the legs to cover that much ground anymore. Think if Amrabat plays next to Case it'll make them more solid, but perhaps ETH feels they'll lose too much creativity.
 
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