Haidara

Rice is a truly excellent player. Was always good but has come on leaps and bounds this season.

I get the reservations as for the prices being talked about you expect a Xavi or a Modric. But even so, some people like to make out Rice is simply some destroyer who runs around a lot which is a lazy assumption. He is very, very good on the ball and under pressure. Head and shoulders above any of our current midfielders bar Pogba. And tactically more disciplined and intelligent than all of them.

As I said, i get the hesitancy around the price but I would be happy to see us pay big for him. He is an outstanding player who will be the mainstay in the midfield of whatever club he joins for years.

Of course we have no chance if we don't make the top 4 unfortunately.

Based on a 10 minute YouTube clip, he looks combative, energetic, he can shoot from range.

Another Fred/ McTominay, which we need to upgrade, but we desperately need somebody who can protect the defence and distribute the ball well.

"Rice is a truly excellent player. Was always good but has come on leaps and bounds this season."

So have Antonio, Bowen, Zouma and Fournels.

All decent players, but I'm always wary of spending big money on players on these types of seasons. Schneiderlin is a good example.

Rice has been progressing for a few seasons though. This form hasn't come out of nowhere.

comment by (K̇ash) I'm the Mané - Free Palestine 🇵🇸 (U1108)
posted 12 hours, 24 minutes ago
He was bit of a headless chicken last season when we played them in the CL.
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I was trying to put a positive spin on this really he looks like Fred

We need to get our wage bill under control. With Barca losing Messi and their restructuring, we now have the highest wage bill in Europe with very little to show for it.

Mata, Lingard, Martial, Jones, Cavani and one or two others will all hopefully be off the wage bill before next season. Ronaldo might be too if we don't qualify for the CL. Donny could obviously leave either this month or in the summer.

comment by -bloodred- (U1222)
posted 4 minutes ago
Rice has been progressing for a few seasons though. This form hasn't come out of nowhere.
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I do really rate Rice, I just don't think we need to spend £100m on him. There are surely two good midfielders available for £100?

comment by RB United (SE85) (U21241)
posted 53 seconds ago
We need to get our wage bill under control. With Barca losing Messi and their restructuring, we now have the highest wage bill in Europe with very little to show for it.

Mata, Lingard, Martial, Jones, Cavani and one or two others will all hopefully be off the wage bill before next season. Ronaldo might be too if we don't qualify for the CL. Donny could obviously leave either this month or in the summer.
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Probably £3m a month right there, excluding Ronnie.

comment by Busby (U19985)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by RB United (SE85) (U21241)
posted 53 seconds ago
We need to get our wage bill under control. With Barca losing Messi and their restructuring, we now have the highest wage bill in Europe with very little to show for it.

Mata, Lingard, Martial, Jones, Cavani and one or two others will all hopefully be off the wage bill before next season. Ronaldo might be too if we don't qualify for the CL. Donny could obviously leave either this month or in the summer.
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Probably £3m a month right there, excluding Ronnie.
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Staggering really just how totally useless our board is.

News breaking today that Bruno's contract talks have stalled too. We've supposedly offered Pogba 400k to stay but to no avail thus far but only want to give Bruno 250k.

This is why I keep saying what I say about managers. Doesn't matter who our manager is if we have morons at the club making these decisions.

I'm hoping for a huge cull this summer. Get rid of nearly half the playing squad, invest in youth and start again. Will take a few years before we bare fruit but it will be worth it.

He is very, very good on the ball and under pressure.

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Compared to some of the best passing midfielders in the world and maybe even then the group or two of players below those that are at an elite level I don't think Rice is that good on the ball. His biggest strength in possession is his carrying which he is undoubtedly excellent at.

We saw the issues England had with Rice and Phillips in midfield during the summer. They struggled to retain and consistently progress the ball and they weren't very good when it came to creating space for themselves to receive and offer a passing option.

I think Rice is a very good player but I'd be worried about investing so much into somebody with these weaknesses on the ball, especially when he'd be coming into a more possession based team in which more will be required from him not only when he has the ball but off the ball when we're in possession too.

He's never going to be the type of player who can control tempo, be a hub in possession and consistently progress the ball short and long and we badly need a player who can do all of those things.