Declan Rice

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The Stockport Iniesta said:
Stones was popping up on the edge of the opposition box and deep in the right hand channel in multiple games. As for me running last seasons race, you think Pep will switch to a back 3, I don't, so I guess we will have to wait for the season to start to see who's right.
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In the CL Final was when Pep released him to take up that forward position INSTEAD OF playing second DM alongside Rodri.

This was because of Inter’s movement by shuttling their players forward to cover us man to man on the press. This meant Stones moving deeper into their formation creating a City overload further upfield.

You might have seen Stones get forward ON OCCASION earlier in the season, but not specifically to counter the opposition’s formation against us…IMHO.
 
so if not Rice who`s next on the list? Caicedo would be dearer sop if we wont pay for Rice then we wont do Caicedo? Mac Allister is at the dippers already (for a ridiculous fee as well!) But i think we are looking for a powerful physical midfielder? Bellingham was the first choice with Rice as the back up and both are the same type of player? Personally i think we should do the deal if Pep wants him as the top 3 targets were Bellingham, Gvardiol and Kovacic? If we got Rice (the back up target to Bellingham), Gvardiol and Kovacic then i think Pep would be ecstatic and sets the platform again to go for history next season? Everything else is fluid then, if Mahrez leaves get a winger etc
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
I disagree. There are different kinds of ambition and signing for City is really just the easier option on the scale of ambition. Ambition isn’t just taking the easy option of just signing for a team that already wins titles.

If Rice wants to and does sign for Arsenal, his ambition is there in the form of him thinking that he’s the player who can make Arsenal a title winning team. There’ll be a drive there for him to make the difference.

Same with City’s signing of the likes of Gareth Barry; he could have taken the easy option signed for United or Chelsea, he was good enough to play for anyone, but all those early takeover signings chose City to be the players that pushed us on to win titles we’d been missing for so long.

I can’t stand Arsenal, but I won’t begrudge or belittle Rice’s choice if he wants to sign for them.
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You sound like an opposition fan. In fact, I’m quite embarrassed for you for that first paragraph. Reminds me of what Villa fans were saying about Grealish and why he should have stayed with them - which is clearly total bollocks.

Non of the titles we win are easy or guaranteed. They come about through an incredible amount of hard work, dedication and professionalism. Just ask Grealish now how ‘easy’ these trophies were to win. He’d probably look at you like a deer in the headlights because of how tough and challenging it all was.

To be a success at City, you need to bring your absolute A game and it might even take a year or two of battling and learning before you even fit in. The easier option in that case is to go to Arsenal, where you walk into the team, don’t need to move and have an easy life knowing there’s no real pressure to win.

You might want to re-assess how you look at Manchester City if I’m being honest.
 
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richards30 said:
so if not Rice who`s next on the list? Caicedo would be dearer sop if we wont pay for Rice then we wont do Caicedo? Mac Allister is at the dippers already (for a ridiculous fee as well!) But i think we are looking for a powerful physical midfielder? Bellingham was the first choice with Rice as the back up and both are the same type of player? Personally i think we should do the deal if Pep wants him as the top 3 targets were Bellingham, Gvardiol and Kovacic? If we got Rice (the back up target to Bellingham), Gvardiol and Kovacic then i think Pep would be ecstatic and sets the platform again to go for history next season? Everything else is fluid then, if Mahrez leaves get a winger etc
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Caceido will be 120 m
 
HelloCity said:
You sound like an opposition fan. In fact, I’m quite embarrassed for you for that first paragraph. Reminds me of what Villa fans were saying about Grealish and why he should have stayed with them - which is clearly total bollocks.

Non of the titles we win are easy or guaranteed. They come about through an incredible amount of hard work, dedication and professionalism. Just ask Grealish now how ‘easy’ these trophies were to win. He’d probably look at you like a deer in the headlights because of how tough and challenging it all was.

To be a success at City, you need to bring your absolute A game and it might even take a year or two of battling and learning before you even fit in. The easier option in that case is to go to Arsenal, where you walk into the team, don’t need to move and have an easy life knowing there’s no real pressure to win.

You might want to re-assess how you look at Manchester City if I’m being honest.
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You’ve explained it better in that post because in your initial one I replied to, you sounded like an arrogant Rag from a few decades ago taking about Alan Shearer or someone.

I don’t need to reassess owt, I just wouldn’t belittle it a player’s ambition just because he might not sign for us. And my post bears no relation in any way to Villa fans.

Did Lampard lack ambition when he signed for Chelsea when they weren’t as good as the top teams? Did Barry when he signed for City instead of the top teams? Did Isak when he signed for Newcastle instead of the top teams?

Saying that players lack ambition because they don’t sign for the top teams is a bobbins point to make to be honest. Maybe you need to reassess sounding like a 2001 Rag?
 
HelloCity said:
You sound like an opposition fan. In fact, I’m quite embarrassed for you for that first paragraph. Reminds me of what Villa fans were saying about Grealish and why he should have stayed with them - which is clearly total bollocks.

Non of the titles we win are easy or guaranteed. They come about through an incredible amount of hard work, dedication and professionalism. Just ask Grealish now how ‘easy’ these trophies were to win. He’d probably look at you like a deer in the headlights because of how tough and challenging it all was.

To be a success at City, you need to bring your absolute A game and it might even take a year or two of battling and learning before you even fit in. The easier option in that case is to go to Arsenal, where you walk into the team, don’t need to move and have an easy life knowing there’s no real pressure to win.

You might want to re-assess how you look at Manchester City if I’m being honest.
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IMO the pressure to win is just as great if not greater if he signs for Arse

He will be there most expensive signing and expected to be the main man who bring them success

We have had success and will continue to have success with or without Rice
 
richards30 said:
so if not Rice who`s next on the list? Caicedo would be dearer sop if we wont pay for Rice then we wont do Caicedo? Mac Allister is at the dippers already (for a ridiculous fee as well!) But i think we are looking for a powerful physical midfielder? Bellingham was the first choice with Rice as the back up and both are the same type of player? Personally i think we should do the deal if Pep wants him as the top 3 targets were Bellingham, Gvardiol and Kovacic? If we got Rice (the back up target to Bellingham), Gvardiol and Kovacic then i think Pep would be ecstatic and sets the platform again to go for history next season? Everything else is fluid then, if Mahrez leaves get a winger etc
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Was thinking the same

If not Rice then who as we surely want another in there or is Rice the only one we would want
 
not my fault! said:
Are you really comparing Arsenal to City currently then City to one of the greatest Barça teams from 12 years ago? Lol.Quality players doesn’t mean winning trophies either, it takes more than that and until you lot realise that you’ll continue to fail.
What you should be asking is who from Arsenal currently gets in to City’s team right now and the answer is none.
As for writing Arsenal off for next season it’s because you have history of bottling it, you’ll not only be up against City but also Newcastle, Chelsea, Utd and Liverpool. If you don’t think they’ll be challenging then you’re being deluded. I genuinely don’t think you’ll finish top two, regardless of who you sign, it’s not just about the players it’s about your manager, the set up, your fans etc etc and you lot just don’t have that togetherness or belief.
City are almost guaranteed trophies, don’t underestimate the pulling power of just winning a treble! Of his England team mates at City, of Pep the greatest manager of a generation, the entire set up at City and playing with the likes of Haaland, Foden, KDB, Rodri, and any new signings we WILL make.
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Listen, everyone knows the draw of City, (well at least everyone should anyway). It's there plain for everyone to see, you'd need to be daft to not see it.

But @Psychedelic Casual kind of stole my thunder a bit, but believe it or not, Arteta's Arsenal are becoming an attractive option as well again, after years of being not so much.

Like yourselves we now seem steady off the park. Arteta is now only behind Pep and Klopp in terms of longest serving managers in the league, and players like that stability if they are looking to sign for a club.

He's seen as a very promising young manager, who himself now is getting a good record of improving players, even at City the likes of Sterling and Sabe credited the role he played on helping to improve them.

The owners now are getting the winning feeling in their others sporting franchises, winning the Superbowl, Stanley Cup, NBA Finals etc in the last 18 months, and look like they are backing Arteta as well as they can to make Arsenal better.

I don't mean to get all Humbled on you, and I appreciate City are by far the obvious option. But I still hold hope a tiny sliver of hope in that Arteta has been talking to Rice and his people for several months now, Arteta selling the club and his role to him, each side likely given the other side assurances etc.

Now, he might still choose to join City, I mean who can blame him, but my fear is Arsenal won't even get to the stage of getting a bid accepted to give him that choice to make
 
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tolmie's hairdoo said:
If I'm an Arsenal fan, I'd be embarrassed the supposed pull is because he can continue to live in London.

David James really did say it best today.

Rice has told West Ham fans he wants to leave to play with the elite and compete for the biggest trophies.

Arsenal will do well to finish top team in London next season.

Rice can win a European Super Cup and World Club Cup within five months of signing for us.

Rice destroys his entire legacy with West Ham if he makes a backward move to Arsenal.
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Absolutely spot on, however we could say the same about Bellingham. Right now you don’t join Madrid over City, for footballing reasons. You join for money or you join for status. I think they maybe offered more? But I also think, we were well aware of his desires for status. But as was explained to me a long time ago, people who aren’t humble, can mess with the goal, harmony and the team work. Certain people had a real dislike for Bellingham and that’s a bad sign. It makes me think we might’ve tested him in some way and he didn’t like it. You’ve got a young guy who keeps talking about himself in the third person for some reason, and alarms bells start ringing. People felt his arrogance and self righteousness, was a better match for Real all along. The fame at such a young age, might’ve made him a bit loopy. He’s still immature, he’s not an adult, he’s like a child star. So If Rice chooses Arsenal over City, as disappointing as it would be, we would also have the question answered, Is he a serious footballer? Because like I say, no serious footballer rejects City right now, for anyone in the world. You only go elsewhere for non footballing related reasons. But as fans I think we’re a bit blinded in thinking that guys want, what we want. The fame and fortune and rockstar lifestyle Is enough for certain people. Those people don’t deserve to be anywhere near our club. Pep will sack them in a heartbeat.
 
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Psychedelic Casual said:
You’ve explained it better in that post because in your initial one I replied to, you sounded like an arrogant Rag from a few decades ago taking about Alan Shearer or someone.

I don’t need to reassess owt, I just wouldn’t belittle it a player’s ambition just because he might not sign for us. And my post bears no relation in any way to Villa fans.

Did Lampard lack ambition when he signed for Chelsea when they weren’t as good as the top teams? Did Barry when he signed for City instead of the top teams? Did Isak when he signed for Newcastle instead of the top teams?

Saying that players lack ambition because they don’t sign for the top teams is a bobbins point to make to be honest. Maybe you need to reassess sounding like a 2001 Rag?
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Your own post was highly embarrassing to the point where if a professional at City read it, they’d think you had no idea at all about how success is achieved. It kinda felt like you had no real connection to the team or club and what it’s really about.

My point was that a player like Bellingham wouldn’t choose to go to say Sevilla over Real Madrid. Let’s be honest, if that happened, most people would think that would be extremely odd. Bellingham going to Real Madrid over a Sevilla wouldn’t be an ‘easy’ option either. It would be showing that he’s extremely confident in his own ability, that he’s ready for the challenge of competing with the best players and that he feels he can cope with the pressure and expectation of playing for the elite.

That’s my point in my first post, which you’ve completely missed, even if it meant playing down your own club. My point wasn’t to belittle Arsenal, it was to show that going to Arsenal over City would be like choosing Sevilla over Real Madrid. I think most people would agree that would be a strange decision and that maybe they’d avoided the pressure cooker and competition of competing at the very top.

If Rice decided to choose Arsenal over City then I would feel the same as in that scenario. It’s not quite as serious as you make it sound - it’s really not that deep. I’d instantly move on with my life, still consider Rice a good player and a good lad, and carry on supporting City without ever really thinking about that transfer again.
 
If not Rice who else realistically.

Barella is not leaving Italy
Kimmich is not happening he's staying at Bayern
De Jong is locked in at Barca
Tonali has gone Newcastle
Caicedo is going to cost 120 mil.

Rice is the only midfielder that we can realistically get.

We've briefly been linked with Brozovic as well.
 
richards30 said:
i`m not sure why we wouldnt do the £100m for Rice though mate? Tolmie confirmed the two options were Bellingham and then Rice and we had the cash to go to £130m if required for Jude?
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I agree

But if he decides to stay in London do we have alternative or is it a case of there’s a chance for Rice and it’s him and no one else

As we know we don’t do panic buys but we do pull someone out of the hat, Akanji as example
 
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