And it has paid off. One FA Cup, continual improvement in the PL and we're now back in the CL after 7 years. We had to spend as our squad was full of deadwood when he arrived. Once upon a time, he may have been able to do it without spending so much. But with the state run clubs now with unlimited budgets, it's very difficult to compete without spending.
Declan Rice | signs for arsenal
- Thread starter Zoo
- Start date
- Status
He's not disliked, he's just not good enough to warrant the valuation nor the regard he's held in by some who've watched him sporadically carry the ball out of defence and pass it before he reaches the halfway line, (this is him 'dominating' games apparently).Why is Rice so disliked on here? Those who dislike him are so very much against himit's quite weird.
He's a decent player, limited but can do a very specific job. There are better options for the money being touted but he's English so you have to slap on an extra £40m then an extra £30m for 'potential' for a player that isn't going to get 'better' than what he's already good at.
I'd take him at United but he's essentially a better version of McTomminay and not really going to change much.
Can’t believe this banter club is pulling further away from us and actually making some decent signings. feck your glazers.
Why is Rice so disliked on here? Those who dislike him are so very much against him
You think Rice means Arsenal are pulling away?Don’t know why any justification is needed. When you see fees for Mount with 1 year left, or fees paid for Antony, Sancho, Enzo, rumoured fee for Caceido, etc., what we paid for 6 year older Casimiro, then Rice who is a very good and PL proven English player (yes and a leader regardless of who will wear the armband) is absolutely worth it.
If Arsenal are overpaying a bit to get a player they really want, so what? We would have got 2 Freds for that ages ago, or 2 AWB. Nope, give me Rice for 100 mil instead, so many salty posts in this thread.
I always took it due to this being a forum with a large portion of Irish posters, and him playing for Ireland before deciding to switch to England when they came calling. Sort of like the opposite of Bazunu, who was seen as the second coming of goalkeeping until he actually played PL football.Why is Rice so disliked on here? Those who dislike him are so very much against him
So you'd sign Maguire all over again? Some players just aren't worth it, salt that all you want.
They just can’t cope that “BrexitFC, overrated English players, blah blah” are so much in demand.Why is Rice so disliked on here? Those who dislike him are so very much against him
That's a lot for Boiled Rice
Seems as though the Arsenal owner has picked a good time to put money in. We saw their fans complaining a lot over the years but they put a plan in place and watched it build to where they can keep increasing the cash now. Will be very interesting to see how they do next year with Rice and Havertz.
Seems as though the Arsenal owner has picked a good time to put money in. We saw their fans complaining a lot over the years but they put a plan in place and watched it build to where they can keep increasing the cash now. Will be very interesting to see how they do next year with Rice and Havertz.
Good player but £105m is obscene. He is loved in the media though so so one will question it. Rice, Havertz for £165m is a bad use of funds but fair play to their owners for backing the manager.
Why is Rice so disliked on here? Those who dislike him are so very much against him
Because most believe he is the posterboy for a good but extremely overrated player, who is being hyped by the media because he is English.
PS. sorry but you are about to be spammed with responses
I reckon he reckons its the title challenge last season and the fact that most of Arteta's signings have been positive. Probably coupled with the fact that the board seem to be genuinely backing the manager by paying off players on huge wages and spending big on priority positions and targets of the manager.
Conversely, we seem to not know if we're coming or going regarding a takeover, have an unclear situation on our finances, rumours of around £100m to spend, can't seem to sell anyone and struggling to buy anyone.
Putting all that together, I can see why it feels like Arsenal are pulling away.
I get that, we're not in a good spot right now due to the sale process that seems to be dragging on but Arsenal ended the season as best placed loser and 0 trophies, and I do believe that if it wasn't for injuries and namely pushing a paper thin squad deep into the EL, we'd have leap frogged Arsenal to finish 2nd.
People always get hysterical at this point in the off season. Other clubs are signing players, we're doing nothing = panic. There's no point in doing this to yourself until the window shuts, then you can be outraged, until then do something else if you think someone else is 'winning' the transfer market.
105 million
This I totally agree with. Time for meltdowns is when it's all over, it's not even July yet, we've got a ridiculous amount of things going on at the club, yet people want signings signings signings and they want them now.
Got it mate, and I replied to that poster. There's loads of time, we generally do our business at the end of the window and think of it like this, what if Kane or Osimen come available at the end of the window and we blew our load in June on Rice? I think we'd all have a justified meltdown.
No but I wouldn’t sign 90% of the players we signed since Fergie retired again, so what? But I would sign Bruno again even for a higher fee than what we paid.
People calling Rice a “decent” player. If he is only a decent player I would like to know what all the other players in the league apart from Haaland, KdB, Kane and some very few others are.
Do you not think Erik wants the signings done now?
That’s the problem though, we always seem to leave it to the end of the window when were are forced to pay even more money, it gives the new signings no time to adjust to the club. It just becomes a bit of a mess and yet we seem to make the same mistake every summer. When was the last time we even signed a player in June?
You can't just say you'd pay more for the ones that have worked out and not signed the ones that haven't. Hindsight is 20/20.
There are better players out there but you have to have a system these days to get the best out of the players available because the truth is most are good at one or two things. Look at Rodri at City, he's a great player in that machine but realistically he's not going to reach KDB or Bruno levels. You don't have to spend £100m+ on someone that isn't as good as Rodri.
You're right. But sometimes it can't be helped. This paper thin squad is even thinner now. Sabitzer, Weghorst and De Gea officially gone in a few days. And I think people realise the importance of good business early.
We may end up spending well, I think we will. But last season showed us how important having people in place before the season starts actually is. Buying late is never a good look really. How many games did Casemiro not play because he wasn't ready? What difference would an extra 5 or so games have given him?
It's not so much what it happening, its what it's indicative of. And it's indicative of a club that has made poor decision after poor decision for the last decade around this time of the year.
This is probably more relevant for the Arsenal thread on the Football Forum, and it does not including what's about to happen this window.
Signed pre-Arteta:
Signed post-Arteta:
We've spend €391.40 million on the following that are EPL quality, with the TBA's in brackets (additional €63.50):
CF - Jesus
RW - N/A (+ Marquinhos)
AM - Odegaard, Trossard (+ Vieira)
LW - Martinelli
CM/DM - Partey
RB - Tomiyasu
CB - White, Gabriel, Saliba (+Kiwior)
LB - Zinchenko, KT
GK - Ramsdale
And if the reported fees are to be believed we'd be looking at an extra €226.70 conservatively.
Havertz - €70.00
Rice (?) - €121.70
Timber (?) - €35.00 to €58.00
Signed pre-Arteta:
Pepe - RW - €80.00
Saliba - CB - €30.00
Tierney - LB - €27.00
Luiz - CB - €8.70
Martinelli - LW - €7.10
Partey - €50.00
Gabriel - €26.00
Mari - CB - €6.00 + €8.00 (loan fee)
Runnarsson - GK - €2.00
Total - €244.80
Flops - Pepe, Mari, Runnarsson - €96.00
Meh - Luiz - €8.70
Quality - Partey, Saliba, KT, Gabriel, Martinelli - €140.10
Saliba - CB - €30.00
Tierney - LB - €27.00
Luiz - CB - €8.70
Martinelli - LW - €7.10
Partey - €50.00
Gabriel - €26.00
Mari - CB - €6.00 + €8.00 (loan fee)
Runnarsson - GK - €2.00
Total - €244.80
Flops - Pepe, Mari, Runnarsson - €96.00
Meh - Luiz - €8.70
Quality - Partey, Saliba, KT, Gabriel, Martinelli - €140.10
Signed post-Arteta:
White - CB - €58.50
Odegaard - €35.00
Ramsdale - GK - €28.00
Tomiyasu - RB - €18.60
Lokonga - CM - €17.50
Tavares - LB - €8.00
Trusty - CB €1.80
Jesus - CF - €52.20
Zinchenko - LB - €35.00
Vieira - AM - €35.00
Kiwior - CB - €25.00
Trossard - AM - €24.00
Jorginho - DM - €11.30
Turner - GK - €6.36
Marquinhos - RW - €3.50
Total - €359.76
Flops - Lokonga, Tavares - €25.50
Meh - Jorginho, Turner, Trusty - €19.46
Quality - White, Jesus, Odegaard, Zinchenko, Ramsdale, Trossard, Tomiyasu - €251.30
TBA - Vieira, Kiwior, Marquinhos - €63.50
Odegaard - €35.00
Ramsdale - GK - €28.00
Tomiyasu - RB - €18.60
Lokonga - CM - €17.50
Tavares - LB - €8.00
Trusty - CB €1.80
Jesus - CF - €52.20
Zinchenko - LB - €35.00
Vieira - AM - €35.00
Kiwior - CB - €25.00
Trossard - AM - €24.00
Jorginho - DM - €11.30
Turner - GK - €6.36
Marquinhos - RW - €3.50
Total - €359.76
Flops - Lokonga, Tavares - €25.50
Meh - Jorginho, Turner, Trusty - €19.46
Quality - White, Jesus, Odegaard, Zinchenko, Ramsdale, Trossard, Tomiyasu - €251.30
TBA - Vieira, Kiwior, Marquinhos - €63.50
We've spend €391.40 million on the following that are EPL quality, with the TBA's in brackets (additional €63.50):
CF - Jesus
RW - N/A (+ Marquinhos)
AM - Odegaard, Trossard (+ Vieira)
LW - Martinelli
CM/DM - Partey
RB - Tomiyasu
CB - White, Gabriel, Saliba (+Kiwior)
LB - Zinchenko, KT
GK - Ramsdale
And if the reported fees are to be believed we'd be looking at an extra €226.70 conservatively.
Havertz - €70.00
Rice (?) - €121.70
Timber (?) - €35.00 to €58.00
I hear you, but the reality is we're not in a place where we're stable enough to have a clear plan on the type of player we need to improve the squad, we need multiple players to improve all aspects of the squad so we're in the market for the best available players this window, and that might mean waiting until the end of the window to get the best available players like Casemiro. I can say for certain that Rice won't be the best available midfielder this window.
Yeah so over half a billion spent since Arteta came to the club (and over 200 million spent the season before of course). Astonishing spending and must be the highest, or one of the highest spends in Europe.
and nothing but “progression” to show for it.
Rice is a great signing for Arsenal but if its true they're selling Partey and Xhaka and going with Rice, Havertz and Odegaard midfield it's a downgrade
And I agree, if we can do business early then do it, and it's not like we haven't tried for Kane and Mount, we've asked about Osimen, we've spoken to that defender at Napoli but selling clubs are in a strong position and don't want to sell right away either, and it's actually nice to not have something like the De Jong saga drag on for the entire window while we go back and forth.
Casemiro only came available at the end of the window also, we'd have missed out if we'd have spent our budget before then. Yes the first few games were shit but they were caused by already established players not doing the basics and having a nightmare under a new system, not simply missing Casemiro.
We've been poor for years so I get the negativity every summer but the manger has a good handle on things so I trust his judgement to get it right this year.
City seemed to have earmarked Rice for a role further afield, so I'm not sure I believe he's not thought of as a midfielder that is only affective in his own half.
They also have the best DM in the league in Rodri, so I don't see why they'd need Rice anyway unless they were maybe looking to tweak their set-up.
IF we sign him then I wonder what role he'd play, especially if Havertz is going to take Xhaka's spot. I think he'll need to anchor the midfield. Though Arteta has liked Partey's ability to beat a man deep in our half, and to progress the ball, so maybe he sees Rice as someone who can do that too.
City are also very rarely ripped off. For any United target you can be certain the first second and third choices will have a £20 million+ United tax added. Look at what City paid for the likes of Kovacic, Haaland, Ake, Alkanji. They very rarely get ripped off and always secure their targets for a sensible fee, Grealish aside.
Partey would be stupid to turn down that kind of generational wealth. I hope we don't sell him, having him and Rice would be amazing. If we do sell him then we absolutely need to sign another midfielder (Lavia?).
Surely they're not going to play him further up? He's not that good under pressure and his stats/heatmap all suggest he's a lot more comfortable on the ball deep in his own half.
I'm intrigued to see how Arteta is going to make this work to be honest, I think these signings this summer are make or break for him. When you spend this much and get backed this hard, if it goes wrong it's your head on the chopping block.
Why would you disagree? Their midfield was already performing way ahead of ours and Rice is possibly better than anything either team has. He's a good signing for arsenal.
Would have to be near the top. United had us covered over the last few years, though we'll overtake them with these transfers.
Yes and I'm here for it. After years of penny pinching it has gotten us out of CL for 7 years. We are now back at the highest level and we are making our intentions known. I haven't felt this positive about us in at least 5-6 years.
Shite player, delighted the arse are wasting money on him
Then why didn't they win anything last season? Odegaard carries them.
Yeah football has always worked like this. Rice fits Arsenal’s system at least that’s what they believe otherwise they wouldn’t be spending that much on him. Rice is even a player who would fit any system. He is a dm so obviously won’t have KdB’s or Bruno’s attacking stats but over decades record sums have been spent on goal keepers, defenders and defensive midfielders. Rodri also moved for a huge fee 4 years ago. Rice is English and PL proven so costs more. He is one of the best dms around who is also young and homegrown, so it was always going to be for an insane fee. Yes like any signing it is a risk but if Arsenal won’t take the risk now after a good season with the potential to close the gap to City, then when else?
I’m not sure this is true?
Which Ecuadorian midfielder has Caceido overcome? Which Brighton player has gotten hype & dissapointed when moving clubs?
- Status