Declan Rice

[bluenova]

I don’t get this though, we either want a player or we don’t. Irrespective of Gundo signing a new deal, he’ll need replacing in 2yrs anyway so better buying someone like Rice (if that’s the clubs highlighted signing) now so he can learn our way and be in the groove as Gundo starts to play less and less. Or is the plan to panic buy the day after Gundo does decide to leave and have two seasons of “bedding in”?

A big part of our success is based on having a tight squad.

As well as less "bad faces" around, it also means there's more money to go around for the players that are here. Since Pep got the squad sorted, Liverpool and United have regularly had 4-5 more senior pros sitting around on big salaries.

 

[FantasyIreland]

I like Fantasy's team more

Cheers Dax,so does he.....

 

[domalino]

...........Eddie........
Stones....Dias....Gvardiol
.........Rodri...Rice........
-----Bernie---------Kev------
Foden----Haaland...Grealish

I don’t think Pep would do this because he likes to defend in a back 4.

I suppose you could drop Rodri or rice into CB and push stones to RB, but I think it’s a lot easier to just have a back 4 where one of them steps into midfield than worry about everyone shifting around.

If we get Rice, I think Pep will play 4231 and Rodri will be given a lot more freedom to go forwards - IIRC Pep said when Rodri first arrived he could play as an 8, and when he was at Atletico with Partey, he often roamed a lot further forward than he does for us - in fact one of the biggest problems he had when he first got here was getting caught too high up.

I think we’ve seen over the last few months he’s pretty tidy around the box.

 

[Any1aBlue]

I don’t think Pep would do this because he likes to defend in a back 4.

I suppose you could drop Rodri or rice into CB and push stones to RB, but I think it’s a lot easier to just have a back 4 where one of them steps into midfield than worry about everyone shifting around.

If we get Rice, I think Pep will play 4231 and Rodri will be given a lot more freedom to go forwards - IIRC Pep said when Rodri first arrived he could play as an 8, and when he was at Atletico with Partey, he often roamed a lot further forward than he does for us - in fact one of the biggest problems he had when he first got here was getting caught too high up.

I think we’ve seen over the last few months he’s pretty tidy around the box.

And yet I think buying Rice forces 3-2-4-1 - which is what Pep is preferring atm.

 

[domalino]

And yet I think buying Rice forces 3-2-4-1 - which is what Pep is preferring atm.

people need to stop confusing Stones going into midfield when we have possession and Stones playing in midfield.

Peps played 433 all season. Yes, our shape in possession is 3241 - that’s been the case for 7 years.

The only thing that changed is that instead of the LB (Delph, Zinchenko, Cancelo) going into midfield, the RB (Stones, Rico) did, and then one of the CBs (Stones). But the system has barely changed Peps entire time here.

Starting only 3 defenders and defending as a back 3 is very different, the only time he did that this year is when Bernardo had to defend at LB for a game, and that showed how hard it is for a non defender to drop into a back 4.


Peps comments about defending with “real defenders” would IMO make going to 3 defenders and having a midfielder drop back very unlikely, and defending just as a traditional 3 would mean the wingers coming back way too deep to defend wide channels.

Honestly most of these predicted formations in new shapes seem to be people not accepting Bernardo’s probably leaving and trying to fit him in.

But I sure as hell don’t know everything and maybe we’ll find out in September, to be honest I’m not sure we’re even in for Rice.

 

[Bigga]

Rice makes sense if Pep continues with the double pivot, Stones is amazing but it's incredibly unlikely that he will be able to play a full season without injury.

Rice is rarely injured. Can play DM, Box to Box and CB so he's incredibly helpful in what he can bring to our team.

I noted Stones could play in that position years ago. You could just see it.

Anyway, Stones' 'emergence' simply means Rodri gets more of a rest if Rice comes in and Phillips defo stays.

It, finally, means that we have the midfield rotation we've never had.

 

[jrb]

He was OK tonight. But he definitely didn’t look a £100mill player.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

He was OK tonight. But he definitely didn’t look a £100mill player.

What does that look like?

 

[Bigga]

He was OK tonight. But he definitely didn’t look a £100mill player.

Just a note to say, no player looks their value in the England set up.

Nuts as that sounds!

 

[BlueCraigo]

I would love us to get Rice. We have such a good team, I don't think many players would add anything. This lad would. He is a class act.