Declan Rice, is he all that?

I like him and he has a lot of potential given his age, but have said all along that his valuation is madness. I still feel the same about Grealish as well. Both would be good 40m acquisitions.

I didn't rate him but thought last season he looked like he was developing and would have took him.

But this is the top level and he's not worth the money they want.

His role is unglamorous, so he’s never going to catch the eye, but I’m not sure if he’s even that great at it. Scotland found a lot of space between England’s midfield and defence. And they managed to do that despite all their players being Scottish too,

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

His role is unglamorous, so he’s never going to catch the eye, but I’m not sure if he’s even that great at it. Scotland found a lot of space between England’s midfield and defence. And they managed to do that despite all their players being Scottish too,

He's not, he looks like a centre back playing in midfield.

Watch him for an entire season at WH, showing real promise and solid development. Multiple games where he pulled the strings in midfield and marshalled the defence - “yeah he looks ok”

See him play 2 games in an England team where no one (including our own players who we love to rave about) has played well - “he’s definitely shit and we should avoid”

And some people say you lot are reactionary.

Doesn't seem to have much of a passing range but then maybe people weren't making runs.

Originally Posted by redhegemony

Doesn't seem to have much of a passing range but then maybe people weren't making runs.

Both.

He’s decent and would be a good squad option for around 20m but he’s not what we need. We need someone with that can play out from the back and control a game, not another run of the mill DM.

Originally Posted by Sandman

He's not, he looks like a centre back playing in midfield.

Eric Dier MK2.

Originally Posted by AK14

Both.

He’s decent and would be a good squad option for around 20m but he’s not what we need. We need someone with that can play out from the back and control a game, not another run of the mill DM.



Eric Dier MK2.

yeah don't see he's that much better than Scotty.

Originally Posted by Sandman

He's not, he looks like a centre back playing in midfield.

Yeah. I think he’d be an improvement on McFred, but not by much and not for the money they’d want. There’s surely better options out there.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

Yeah. I think he’d be an improvement on McFred, but not by much and not for the money they’d want. There’s surely better options out there.

Not sure he would.

The Scottish Player and Fred are both good players, but neither should be employed in the role they have been, really. Stick a proper mobile DM/deep lying playmaker in there alongside either one of them and we'll improve 10 fold imo. Rice isn't that.

Would still be upgrading Fred at the earliest opportunity.

Originally Posted by dunk

Not sure he would.

The Scottish Player and Fred are both good players, but neither should be employed in the role they have been, really. Stick a proper mobile DM/deep lying playmaker in there alongside either one of them and we'll improve 10 fold imo. Rice isn't that.

Would still be upgrading Fred at the earliest opportunity.

His main asset above them is that he’d take up once place instead of two, but I can’t help but feel there’s better players at that role at a much cheaper price

I don’t mind The Scottish Player, but a proper DCM would negate the need to start him so much and would make Fred utterly redundant.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

His main asset above them is that he’d take up once place instead of two, but I can’t help but feel there’s better players at that role at a much cheaper price

I don’t mind The Scottish Player, but a proper DCM would negate the need to start him so much and would make Fred utterly redundant.

Was reading something on his the other day, the author reckoned we're using him completely wrong, he should be playing further forward with defensive cover behind him and being asked to carry the ball through the lines and arrive late in and around the box, and should be used for pressing/closing down defensively, not as the man expected to read the game in front of the back 4 and be disciplined. Tbf to the lad, his best games have generally been when asked to be tenacious and disrupt the opposition. So there's definitely a place for him that all being true..

If we're going to spend the money, then we need a dm who's good on the ball as well. Most games we're against opposition that sit back and frustrate us, we need as much creativity in the middle as possible.

Rice isn't it. Was never convinced by him, and getting less convinced every game he plays.

Originally Posted by dunk

Was reading something on his the other day, the author reckoned we're using him completely wrong, he should be playing further forward with defensive cover behind him and being asked to carry the ball through the lines and arrive late in and around the box, and should be used for pressing/closing down defensively, not as the man expected to read the game in front of the back 4 and be disciplined. Tbf to the lad, his best games have generally been when asked to be tenacious and disrupt the opposition. So there's definitely a place for him that all being true..

I don’t want hon anywhere near the opponents box tbh.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

I don’t want hon anywhere near the opponents box tbh.

Tbf, there’s always the chance he snatches at stuff around goal because he’s there so rarely..

I’d still be shut of him and replace him with a proper midfielder in a heartbeat, but this is United, he’ll be here until he’s 34

Originally Posted by dunk

Tbf, there’s always the chance he snatches at stuff around goal because he’s there so rarely..

I’d still be shut of him and replace him with a proper midfielder in a heartbeat, but this is United, he’ll be here until he’s 34

I think that’s being generous. I’d play it safe and say it’s because he’s a bit shit

He’s ok. I don’t mind him or The Scottish Player. They’re hard workers and good pros and they have some good attributes, especially The Scottish Player. As squad players, they’re fine, but how important they’ve become in such a key area is a problem. Signing a player who is comfortable under pressure on the ball would be an absolute game changer for us imo. Akin to Bruno being the upgrade on Mata and Lingard, and the impact that had on us.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

His main asset above them is that he’d take up once place instead of two, but I can’t help but feel there’s better players at that role at a much cheaper price

I don’t mind The Scottish Player, but a proper DCM would negate the need to start him so much and would make Fred utterly redundant.

Problem is, Rice isn't good enough at any price to confidently replace the two of them. At £100m asking price, you're right, it's not even a debate. He's certainly not in Kante's league, which is the sort of calibre of player we should be looking for.

Rice and Phillips were outclassed by The Scottish Player, Gilmour and McGinn in various guises. I rate Rice but a midfield of Rice and Philips is not going to win a major international tournament, i can tell you that right now.

Originally Posted by dunk

Was reading something on his the other day, the author reckoned we're using him completely wrong, he should be playing further forward with defensive cover behind him and being asked to carry the ball through the lines and arrive late in and around the box, and should be used for pressing/closing down defensively, not as the man expected to read the game in front of the back 4 and be disciplined. Tbf to the lad, his best games have generally been when asked to be tenacious and disrupt the opposition. So there's definitely a place for him that all being true..

I just can't see that - he doesn't have much guile - can't shoot. He's tenacious and a good tackler.

Originally Posted by Part 36 Offer

Rice and Phillips were outclassed by The Scottish Player, Gilmour and McGinn in various guises. I rate Rice but a midfield of Rice and Philips is not going to win a major international tournament, i can tell you that right now.

Does anyone apart from boorish English fantasists actually believe they will win it though?

Don’t they play the winners/runners up of the ‘group of death’. Anyone of them is knocking England out tbf.