Not really.
Not true that he only passes it sideways or backwards. He has fairly good percentages in terms of progressive passing and carries and it's also clear when you watch him play.
Declan Rice | Arsenal £105m player
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Not really.
Not true that he only passes it sideways or backwards. He has fairly good percentages in terms of progressive passing and carries and it's also clear when you watch him play.
I don't think anybody is blaming him for the result.
It's just in games likes this the sort of ceiling his game has shows.
How has he improved Arsenal?
Compare their goals against column from this year vs last year.
At this point last season they had 11 GA, they currently have 18
Ah. Ok. My bad. I’m sure I read somewhere that they were one of the most defensively solid teams in the league. Just struggling to create.
He wouldn't necessarily have to have improved Arsenal to one of the best players this season but I think he provides them with an excellent base and foundation for them to function from. He's mobile and gives them cover as a 6 or 8 and he's capable of putting in top tier performances in both areas. I think what's really hampered Arsenal this year is a lower performing attacking trio and this nonsense Havertz experiment.
Also two of his goals were the difference between 2 points and 6 points. Stoppage time winners.
Think it's a bit of an over reaction in here tbh. He had a bad game but overall he's still been signing of the season.
People in here are comparing this Arsenal to last seasons Arsenal. Partey has been injured pretty much all season. I don't think last seasons Arsenal are anywhere near as good if Partey was injured for a similar amount of time as he has this season.
I think Arsenals main problem has been their attacking output. Jesus and Martinelli have 5 goals between them in the league. That isn't anywhere near good enough for a team that control possession and attack as much as Arsenal do. Declan Rice has the same amount of goals as Jesus and 1 more than Martinelli.
People in here are comparing this Arsenal to last seasons Arsenal. Partey has been injured pretty much all season. I don't think last seasons Arsenal are anywhere near as good if Partey was injured for a similar amount of time as he has this season.
I think Arsenals main problem has been their attacking output. Jesus and Martinelli have 5 goals between them in the league. That isn't anywhere near good enough for a team that control possession and attack as much as Arsenal do. Declan Rice has the same amount of goals as Jesus and 1 more than Martinelli.
Ah I still think he’s class. Partey was also class last season for Arsenal though so he was an expensive purchase for a player that required replacing due to other reasons. We could have used him a lot more.
Arsenal spent weird in the summer. They needed more goals in their team and did nothing to really address that.
Arsenal spent weird in the summer. They needed more goals in their team and did nothing to really address that.
105mill to buy a player who concedes more and creates less. Wonderful 
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Anyone who thinks he’s not been fantastic for what Arsenal want from him as patronising as this will come across simply doesn’t understand what he is doing.
It’s as black and white as that.
It’s as black and white as that.
I don't think you know exactly what Arsenal want from him but in a game like tonight I'm sure all the fans want more than sideways passes from a midfielder.
To be a top midfielder mentally he needs to expand his game.
Imagine Keane in that position tonight. No way he plays the game as Rice did. He'd be central to it not passive.
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I haven’t seen any of tonight’s game and so am not able to discuss it.
However even if it was a poor performance every other I’ve seen of him he’s been progressive, positionally excellent and press resistant.
He’s played a huge role in their first and second phase build up and is a lynch pin in their ability to play up the pitch.
He was positionally excellent and press resistant tonight. It's just that tonight more was needed.
But there's no doubt, his game is limited. I say this as somebody who wanted him at United but the fee was massively exaggerated.
We can say how important he is but at the same time signing him for that money stops Arsenal going big on a centre forward.
Osimhen or Rice? Who gets them closer to a title? No brainer to ne.
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So he kept the ball well and took up good positions defensively tonight? But I gather wasn’t carrying/ passing the ball forward?
Was the ball being circulated sideways and back by him and was that followed up by a progressive pass within 2 passes of Rice’s?
I see Arsenal had 74% possession I’m guessing he played a large part of that despite the lack of progression?
If a club is looking to Rice to win the game with a Roy of the rovers game it’s misusing his key skills. Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Jesus et al should be those players. Rice should be the one that cleans up any mess, keeps a solid structure in front of the back 4 and enables the sustained pressure to occur in the front line.
Doesn't have to be Roy of Rovers stuff. It just needs to be more than an impression of a CB playing in midfield.
West Ham had zero interest in the ball. They didn't have a CF on the pitch.
Do you need to spend £100 million on a player to in this circumstance sit in front of the CB's knocking the ball sideways. I don't think so.
As I asked who takes Arsenal closer to a tile, Rice or a goalscoring centre forward?
Arsenal midfield has been their weak point this season, they are able to dominate the ball but the midfield is very slow and direction less with it. This starts with rice.
That is not good enough for a top team though, Rodri does that and dictates the teams play which is the norm for a top team.
He is all right. Never wanted him at United to be honest, and the 105 mil price tag was always insane, even with 30% English Player tax
I am much happier with Mainoo, even though Kobbie is younger and less experienced I think he has higher ceiling
I am much happier with Mainoo, even though Kobbie is younger and less experienced I think he has higher ceiling
Strange enough comments in here
Tonight's Arsenal result was more about their lack of killer instinct in attack rather than Rice's shortcomings
Watching Arsenal tonight I felt like they could play to midnight without scoring
Odegaard, Martinelli and Saka not as effective as they were last year
he would have been a much better fit for us than Mount
Tonight's Arsenal result was more about their lack of killer instinct in attack rather than Rice's shortcomings
Watching Arsenal tonight I felt like they could play to midnight without scoring
Odegaard, Martinelli and Saka not as effective as they were last year
he would have been a much better fit for us than Mount
Thought Odegaard was good tbh. Martinelli, Saka and Jesus are more to blame for me.
Exactly. Everyone attacking Rice here must be living in an alternative universe to me.
For me, the biggest problem/mistake Arsenal have made (for themselves) is Havertz. He's absolutely useless in midfield and nowhere near what Xhaka gave them last season. Odegaard is also massively overrated and carries that traditional bottlejob Arsenal gene where he looks good but is no difference maker, let alone a bloody captain (he's very much a more elegant version of Bruno in that sense).
Their front 3 is actually the main issue this season and if they'd spent the Havertz money on someone like Muani, they'd be much better (he could even play alongside Jesus). I'd have even kept Balogun ahead of signing that donkey.
Hoping @bosnian_red can clear up here which “dominance” statistic Rice has made them much better than Partey
This is the second time I'm seeing this name being mentioned as a like for like replacement for Rice and I'm begging ye to stop spreading falsehoods
When a team has 30 shots without scoring, Defensive Midfield is a strange starting place for apportioning blame.
Did you draw 0-0?
Did you actually watch the game?
Yes
Mainoo seems a lot more talented.
And you’ve come to the conclusion that we conceded two goals because of Rice?
He gave away a penalty, to be fair. But even that was saved.
Where did I say this? I shared a tweet suggesting you have regressed as a team.
Edson Alvarez is a superb #6 and West Ham haven’t really missed Rice because of him.
I actually think Rice would be better suited playing next to an actual parter. Not this Zinchenko invert rubbish.
I actually think Rice would be better suited playing next to an actual parter. Not this Zinchenko invert rubbish.
Zinchenko could have done a lot better with their first goal and he was caught severely lacking at Anfield.
His 1v1 defending notably improved at the start of the season. Unfortunately, it looks like it may have been a purple patch. I’mnot sure his defensive lapses are worth what he gives us going forward at the moment. Especially as he’s been guilty of losing the ball in and around our box on a few occasions recently.
Tierney was your best Lb. Shame he’s never fit.
He’s on loan at Real Sociedad.
Arsenal with Declan Rice this season after 19 league games played 40 points. Arsenal last season without him 19 games played 50 points.