Declan Rice

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Rice seems to have his head screwed on ... probably realises he wouldnt get games ahead of kante and jorghinio... pep would never pick him head of rodri and he would be fabhinos understudy at liverpool so yeah if i wanted a wage inrease to stay in the uk, get regular games and have a crack at the Cl / title id probably fancy united... though equally likely somebody has just made up a story based on the same logic
Or maybe he just likes Utd and knows we are the biggest team in England. Doesn’t take that much thinking.
 
Or he knows United in particular have a knack for paying over the odds for overrated English players who aren't much good with the ball.
 
Come to think of it, wasn't Carrick the last English midfielder we signed? He came from West Ham and worked out great. Just saying.
 
Rice plays alongside Bruno and VDB could work. A DM to breaking up, creator to play creative passes, and a runner to go into space to receive pass and to score. Pretty much ball winner, playmaker, and box to box and three of them have high work rate too.
 
Rice plays alongside Bruno and VDB could work. A DM to breaking up, creator to play creative passes, and a runner to go into space to receive pass and to score. Pretty much ball winner, playmaker, and box to box and three of them have high work rate too.
Rice and VDB? We'd probably broke the universal back passing record mate.
 
Reckon we firmly go after him if Pogba leaves. We could justify an outlay of £70-80m(MAX) if we got a fee of around £50m from PSG whilst Lingard(worth £25-30m) as a bargaining tool which would take an overall fee slightly above £70m
 
Reckon we firmly go after him if Pogba leaves. We could justify an outlay of £70-80m(MAX) if we got a fee of around £50m from PSG whilst Lingard(worth £25-30m) as a bargaining tool which would take an overall fee slightly above £70m
No thanks. He isn’t worth it, there are plenty of cheaper and better options out there.
 
Just because he’s immobile and English he’s worth 70m??
 
Reckon we firmly go after him if Pogba leaves. We could justify an outlay of £70-80m(MAX) if we got a fee of around £50m from PSG whilst Lingard(worth £25-30m) as a bargaining tool which would take an overall fee slightly above £70m

I disagree.

I'm quite a fan of Rice but he was more a player we needed if Pogba was part of our plans.

I'm not surprised that this " rice is not part of our plans (but the dof and fletcher remain interested) type quotes are coming out as soon as the Pogba to PSG transfer is looking like it's starting to become a thing.
 
Reckon we firmly go after him if Pogba leaves. We could justify an outlay of £70-80m(MAX) if we got a fee of around £50m from PSG whilst Lingard(worth £25-30m) as a bargaining tool which would take an overall fee slightly above £70m

Given how much impact Jesse Lingard had for them last season I'm surprised that we haven't offered him + cash in exchange for Rice.
 
I disagree.

I'm quite a fan of Rice but he was more a player we needed if Pogba was part of our plans.

I'm not surprised that this " rice is not part of our plans (but the dof and fletcher remain interested) type quotes are coming out as soon as the Pogba to PSG transfer is looking like it's starting to become a thing.
That Luckhurst quote on us wanting Rice less than him wanting us now makes sense as it's hard to justify a CM outlay without a big sale. Pogba leaving changes things.
And Pogba can't be replaced with a like for like the board won't allow 2 CM signings and I'm sure he'll be told to play VDB more so it makes sense that he pushes for a DM signing and Rice is probably Ole's safest bet
 
That Luckhurst quote on us wanting Rice less than him wanting us now makes sense as it's hard to justify a CM outlay without a big sale. Pogba leaving changes things.
And Pogba can't be replaced with a like for like the board won't allow 2 CM signings and I'm sure he'll be told to play VDB more so it makes sense that he pushes for a DM signing and Rice is probably Ole's safest bet
This is an impressive use of mental gymnastics. Kudos to you sir.
 
That Luckhurst quote on us wanting Rice less than him wanting us now makes sense as it's hard to justify a CM outlay without a big sale. Pogba leaving changes things.
And Pogba can't be replaced with a like for like the board won't allow 2 CM signings and I'm sure he'll be told to play VDB more so it makes sense that he pushes for a DM signing and Rice is probably Ole's safest bet

For example, whilst Pogba was staying at the club our best possible balanced team that utelised him was probably this in my opinion

Rice
Bruno - Pogba
Its balanced with a version of Fernandinho that maybe a little less technically capable but at the same time we are playing 2 attacking CAM that are more capable playing CM role than the City attacking midfielders ever were either.


Now look at the transfer rumours that has come up since the Pogba to PSG transfer news -

1. We are looking at Ruben Neves as a deep lying playmaker. If Pogba leaves our only creative player from deep has gone. Ruben Neves allows Ole to stick to the 4231 (not a fan of this but oh well). We get a new CDM in Ruben Neves with some creativity from deep. I personally don't think he can play 433 by being the sole CDM so will need another CDM partner playing next to him.

2. Saul as a potential CM player. Pogba is a player that played in the double pivot as one of the CDM and as one of our CM. We will be losing both and we need an extra CM if Pogba goes so I'm not replaced we are looking at Saul.


Rice doesn't make sense with players like Ruben Neves and Saul in my opinion and I'm not surprised to see the interest dying down whilst Pogba looks like he maybe leaving.


I'm kind of not a fan of Pogba and his ego - but at the same time I do feel that Rice, Pogba and Bruno was personally to me the most closest to a title winning midfield team we could get this season. Some may say that Neves and Saul and Bruno can win a premier league title - I'm not so sure that it's that capable or balanced. I guess we will have to wait and see.
 
For example, whilst Pogba was staying at the club our best possible balanced team that utelised him was probably this in my opinion

Rice
Bruno - Pogba
Its balanced with a version of Fernandinho that maybe a little less technically capable but at the same time we are playing 2 attacking CAM that are more capable playing CM role than the City attacking midfielders ever were either.


Now look at the transfer rumours that has come up since the Pogba to PSG transfer news -

1. We are looking at Ruben Neves as a deep lying playmaker. If Pogba leaves our only creative player from deep has gone. Ruben Neves allows Ole to stick to the 4231 (not a fan of this but oh well). We get a new CDM in Ruben Neves with some creativity from deep. I personally don't think he can play 433 by being the sole CDM so will need another CDM partner playing next to him.

2. Saul as a potential CM player. Pogba is a player that played in the double pivot as one of the CDM and as one of our CM. We will be losing both and we need an extra CM if Pogba goes so I'm not replaced we are looking at Saul.


Rice doesn't make sense with players like Ruben Neves and Saul in my opinion and I'm not surprised to see the interest dying down whilst Pogba looks like he maybe leaving.


I'm kind of not a fan of Pogba and his ego - but at the same time I do feel that Rice, Pogba and Bruno was personally to me the most closest to a title winning midfield team we could get this season. Some may say that Neves and Saul and Bruno can win a premier league title - I'm not so sure that it's that capable or balanced. I guess we will have to wait and see.

City were able to play Silva and KDB with Fernandinho because they used their full backs as inverted full backs that go inside as cover for their two midfielders (KDB & Silva). In other word, their full backs didn't provide much of width. Are we going to sacrifice Shaw's creative talent to provide the width?

See the picture below, that's what their structure look like. Rashford is not winger like Sane while we need to sacrifice Shaw to play in the similar role as Zincehnko/Delph.

Screen_Shot_2021_07_12_at_3.43.46_PM.png
 
City were able to play Silva and KDB with Fernandinho because they used their full backs as inverted full backs that go inside as cover for their two midfielders (KDB & Silva). In other word, their full backs didn't provide much of width. Are we going to sacrifice Shaw's creative talent to provide the width?

See the picture below, that's what their structure look like. Rashford is not winger like Sane while we need to sacrifice Shaw to play in the similar role as Zincehnko/Delph.

Screen_Shot_2021_07_12_at_3.43.46_PM.png

Is that City’s formation or Leipzig. City have never played that way when on the attack.

Infact have you just made this up?

Asking for a friend.
 
Is that City’s formation or Leipzig. City have never played that way when on the attack.

Infact have you just made this up?

Asking for a friend.

You need to watch more football. I don't post something made up and this is how inverted full backs become well known in 17/18 and 18/19.
 
You need to watch more football. I don't post something made up and this is how inverted full backs become well known in 17/18 and 18/19.

When you get a chance. You’ll notice there is plenty of room for Luke Shaw to attack.

 
Tbf he's better than Eric Dier imo, at least he's faster but both surely are not great footballer.

Agreed on the hype with Dier, I never got that tbh. Make me remember the days Jose was drooling all over him. Thank Lord we didn't buy him.

Rice is in the same bracket. I remain bamboozled why anyone rates him as an England player.
 
Rice is in the same bracket. I remain bamboozled why anyone rates him as an England player.
No. He’s in the pre-Utd Hargreaves bracket, a clear step above Dier.

I remain mildly surprised that anyone fails to see Rice’s qualities. (Not very surprised though; it’s the Caf, after all.)
 
No. He’s in the pre-Utd Hargreaves bracket, a clear step above Dier.

I remain mildly surprised that anyone fails to see Rice’s qualities. (Not very surprised though; it’s the Caf, after all.)

Massive disrespect to Hargreaves if you're comparing Rice with him. I don't think you realise how technically good Hargreaves was. Rice is nowhere near that level
 
No. He’s in the pre-Utd Hargreaves bracket, a clear step above Dier.

I remain mildly surprised that anyone fails to see Rice’s qualities. (Not very surprised though; it’s the Caf, after all.)
Everyone’s eyes are different, I think Rice would really strengthen our MF.
 
I remember the excitement when we signed him. He was incredible the two seasons before he came to us.

He really was a brilliant midfielder who I feel never got the recognition in the UK because he played in Germany and only really had the one season with us
 
Massive disrespect to Hargreaves if you're comparing Rice with him. I don't think you realise how technically good Hargreaves was. Rice is nowhere near that level
Hargreaves was different gravy to Rice. Rice really is the most overrated English player of the moment. Nearly on a par with John Stones, back when he didn't know how to defend and was making errors for fun. Now that is not to say Rice might not develop into something... but with these eyes, he is not great central defender who has been pushed forward, and a perfect example of a product of modern day coaching. Knows where to stand on the pitch, understand his job... but offers you little else. A combative defensive midfielder with very little creativity and skills.
 
Massive disrespect to Hargreaves if you're comparing Rice with him. I don't think you realise how technically good Hargreaves was. Rice is nowhere near that level
I do realise, yes. But Rice is in that bracket overall if not technically as good. Certainly he is clearly a class above Dier.
 
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