Declan Rice

[city2]

Have we not learned our lesson after buying Philip, we don’t need another average player.

 

[Chi-town blues]

Over priced

Over cooked.

 

[simon23]

Good player, PL proven, English so not as likely to want away to a different league(Rodri might some day want back to Spain), not injury prone, high work rate, ticks a lot of the right boxes for a Pep team. However, he could need a lengthy adjustment period and he's massively overpriced for a player who isn't yet world class. He may never quite reach those heights, hopefully he will for the national team if not City some day.

Think how long it took Rodri to convince everyone he was a good enough fit for a Pep team(I feel like it was a season and a half off the top of my head), that's why I think people are being way too fast to write Phillips off(who's not even been available for something like 3 quarters of his time here).

because no decent top team in europe would take him

 

[Alexia_Ko]

because no decent top team in europe would take him

Exactly, then comes the issue of his price

 

[ScottSinclair]

Problem with Rice is that he is a ball carrier rather than a passer. He fits playing in a 2 with a destroyer or a deep lying playmaker beside him. A sole 6 for us should be a good metronome passer first and foremost, opening up space for our offensive midfielders rather than carrying the ball into that space forcing them to worry about covering for him.

Not that he is the same caliber of talent, but he would have been a good Yaya replacement back in the day, if we still played like we did under Mancini

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Problem with Rice is that he is a ball carrier rather than a passer. He fits playing in a 2 with a destroyer or a deep lying playmaker beside him. A sole 6 for us should be a good metronome passer first and foremost, opening up space for our offensive midfielders rather than carrying the ball into that space forcing them to worry about covering for him.

Not that he is the same caliber of talent, but he would have been a good Yaya replacement back in the day, if we still played like we did under Mancini

if Pep is think 4231 then Rice will be ideal, not sure in a 433 personally

 

[ScottSinclair]

if Pep is think 4231 then Rice will be ideal, not sure in a 433 personally

I could see Pep turning him into a CB

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

I could see Pep turning him into a CB

Yeah, if Stones continues to break down Rice would be great in that role. I've said in other chats in a full clear out i'd lose Phillips & cash in on Akanji's 5th CB role (within another season) for Rice in a brutal move, keeping Peps squad size small and allowing for investment other positions.

 

[Kamaro011]

I could see Pep turning him into a CB

He can, but could he be very good one for us?

 

[RayCTID]

Again not the solution.