Declan Rice

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Jack Hackett said:
I‘m not confident at all about the coming season. It depends upon a good transfer window and young players maintaining their form. Even then, it’s difficult to see us matching City for squad strength in depth, essential if you’re to challenge for the title. However, my main point in this thread is that Arsenal despite the dismissiveness expressed by many posters on this thread, is not without its own attractions for Rice as I’ve already stated. The attractions of joining City are all too obvious but it doesn’t mean there aren’t any questions he’d want assurances on.

Such as:

1. Will my first season with City be as an understudy?
2. Some City players are ageing/going…can City maintain the excellence of the season just gone? Having been so successful, will the hunger still be there?
3. Will Pep step down in 2 years?
4. Will the PL make their FFP charges stick and if so, what are the repercussions likely to be?
5. Would I prefer to stay in London?

I‘ve no idea what the answers to those questions will be but at age 24, Rice is on the verge of committing himself to a contract likely to define his career.

As for the coming season, my only hope is we maintain our challenge for the title and secure top 4 again. Winning the title is an aspiration but realistically is unlikely.

Lastly, I’m too old and cynical to be crushed by disappointment…being a football fan means hoping for the best whilst expecting the worst. As much as I want Arsenal to succeed, there are more important things in life and in that regard I’m grateful to be fortunate.
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Look at this brain.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
City are still alive here :)
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As much as I want us to sign Rice, If he wants Arsenal first then aren’t we the sloppy second? Not being arrogant but we are the best team in Europe, soon to be the world, have Pep fucking guardiola as our manager and Rice still seems to not have the bollocks to challenge himself ?
 
jrb said:
I just Googled Arsenal fans wanting Arteta out and clicked on videos. There were a few that came up. TBH it was a bit lazy by my normal standards of trawling the internet to prove a point. :-)

On a serious note. If Arsenal get Rice and their other targets they will challenge City again for the PL title next season. Arsenal will have a very good young team that could dominate English football in the future.
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That‘d be nice but not even I am that optimistic
 
BringBackSwales said:
Sorry pal could you post this sort of stuff in the Off Topic forum, you have clearly wandered into an arsenal forum by mistake
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Hahahaha reminds me of last year when this place turned into the Brighton forum. Full of Brighton fans telling us that Cucurella was the next Roberto Carlos and that we should pay £60M for him even though we valued him at £30M
 
Jack Hackett said:
A great deal of speculation I see. I’ve no idea where he’ll end up but obviously I hope he chooses us over you. If he does choose us, then it’s because given the potential of our young players he can see an exciting opportunity to develop and be successful for some years to come. He will be guaranteed s starting place and be seen as one of our senior players. Arteta is here for the long haul so no danger of transition and Rice gets to stay in London.

Of course, joining City has it’s obvious attractions but Pep will likely leave in 2025, some of your key players are coming to the end of their shelf life and all winning teams ultimately come to the end of their reign.

I suspect this season just ended will mark the high water point of this City team’s success.
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Why will Pep leave in 2025? Made up Daily Star story that written out of desperation?
 
Jack Hackett said:
There is much truth in that but to suggest our plan falls apart should we fail to secure Rice is an exaggeration because I think we would then secure someone else.
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You are pinning EVERYTHING on Rice, look at your fans reactions at the sniff City may be slightly interested.
 
Jack Hackett said:
That‘d be nice but not even I am that optimistic
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Apart from City with Pep here for 2 more years, and maybe Liverpool with Klopp there for 2 more years, which other Manager and team is going to challenge Arteta and Arsenal? I’m not saying Arsenal are going to dominate straightaway, but by the time this young Arsenal team matures, if they stay together, it could be a very dominant team, especially if Arteta stays as manager.
 
richards30 said:
As much as I want us to sign Rice, If he wants Arsenal first then aren’t we the sloppy second? Not being arrogant but we are the best team in Europe, soon to be the world, have Pep fucking guardiola as our manager and Rice still seems to not have the bollocks to challenge himself ?
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When did he sign for Arsenal ?
 
GunnerGer said:
I actually think you are right to be honest, however, I see both him, and probably Jesus, not as the final answer but players that have been good enough to transition to the type of football Arteta wants us to play (whether you think he's copying Pep is another discussion).

So I think in a year or 2 like you say we'll need to move on from 1 if not both if we want to improve further.
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I actually rate Jesus as a wide attacker definitely not a striker. Love his energy and aggression and his ability to take on the fullback and get in the box and get a cross in.10 to 15 goals a season at tops. Biggest problem is because he plays on the shoulder he get pulled up for offside much too often.
 
richards30 said:
As much as I want us to sign Rice, If he wants Arsenal first then aren’t we the sloppy second? Not being arrogant but we are the best team in Europe, soon to be the world, have Pep fucking guardiola as our manager and Rice still seems to not have the bollocks to challenge himself ?
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In this case though, we're fighting a hard battle to convince a player who's been wooed and been talked to for months by arsenal. Understandably, he's probably been set on going to Arsenal until we came in. Now, we're trying to undo that groundwork that arsenal put in a matter of a week or two. I'd say us being still in the mix despite Arsenal and Arteta putting months and months of work into this transfer is a pretty good indictment of our pull and attractiveness as a club and project.
 
jrb said:
Apart from City with Pep here for 2 more years, and maybe Liverpool with Klopp there for 2 more years, which other Manager and team is going to challenge Arteta and Arsenal? I’m not saying Arsenal are going to dominate straightaway, but by the time this young Arsenal team matures, if they stay together, it could be a very dominant team, especially if Arteta stays as manager.
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100% agree. City should be going for Ødegaard, 2 years left on his deal, Arsenals captain and a city player if I’ve seen one. 125m test the waters if nothing comes out of it Arsenal will have to blow their wage structure by paying him silly money.
 
jrb said:
Apart from City with Pep here for 2 more years, and maybe Liverpool with Klopp there for 2 more years, which other Manager and team is going to challenge Arteta and Arsenal? I’m not saying Arsenal are going to dominate straightaway, but by the time this young Arsenal team matures, if they stay together, it could be a very dominant team, especially if Arteta stays as manager.
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Not sure why you acting like Arteta is an elite manager. He has presided over a late season collapse the last two seasons. Pep also completely exposed his tactics in the game last season at the Etihad.
The man has a lot to prove as a coach. Arsenal isn’t guaranteed to dominate anything
 
Jack Hackett said:
Not everything - as much as we want Rice, there’s no guarantee he’ll come so there are back up options in place
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Utter rubbish, if you had a plan B you’d of called West Ham’s bluff by now and made it public you’re looking at said second option. You haven’t, ergo you are pinning EVERYTHING on signing Rice. If… and I mean “IF” he joins another club, your entire plan goes out the w8 Dow and you’ll panic buy. You know it, West Ham know it, the club knows it and every other team can clearly see it. Stop kidding yourself it’s not an all the cards on the table signing for you.
 
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