Declan "Deccers" Rice: Page 67 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Declan "Deccers" Rice

Dom

It's why he's one of the GOATs. He could play any style of football. It's easy to forget he was one of the best passers in the world during his peak years. Vieira could dominate in games that descended into brawls and he could play the intricate proto-Wengerball.

Burnwinter

It's cute we're having this chat when for quite a while a vocal minority were suggesting Rice hadn't even upgraded Xhaka. Nothing against Rice, he's a wonderful player in terms of his quality but he isn't really comparable to Vieira.

Big Gabi is the spiritual successor to Vieira in this squad. He'd knock your lights out in the tunnel, beat you black and blue at both ends of the pitch, tear you limb from limb then sit down politely for the press conference. If he keeps on the way he's going he'll be remembered as one of the greats.

Sicario2

Burnwinter to be a great or legend he needs trophies. We owe it to him and Saka more than anyone as they’ve been with us throughout the trenches.

Gunner89

Burnwinter

Gabi is so relatable for the fans, he lives and breathes the arsenal

He makes me really excited for set-pieces, I don't think I'd ever say that

Mirth

Burnwinter Big Gabi is the spiritual successor to Vieira in this squad

100%

Klaus

Rice is gonna go down in history as a massive, massive player for both Arsenal and England, but he is to Patrick Vieira what van Persie was to Thierry Henry. It's not enough to be world class when you're being measured against generational footballers.

Sicario2

Klaus disagree. When/if Rice wins the league OR CL with us (something Vieira never did) he will be right in contention with our former number 4.

Also, Rice is not flirting with Real Madrid every summer.

Rice has produced arguably our best ever result in Emirates history v Real Madrid. A few more of those plus silverware and he is right in the conversation with Vieria.

Let’s not let memories from a bygone era make us biased.

Rice has the potential to be my favourite Arsenal player ever.

JazzG

His passing has really gone up a level with us. He is one of the cleanest strikers of the ball around and is putting it to use in open play and especially on set pieces.

Dom

Sicario2 Let’s not let memories from a bygone era make us biased.

The age old battle between nostalgia and recency bias

Klaus

Sicario2 Never mind nostalgia - Rice isn't even the best midfielder in the current Arsenal team.

Not that it's saying much in itself since I reckon Zubimendi is top 2 in the world at the moment, but there are still levels to this.

RocktheCasbah

Sicario2 Rice has the potential to be my favourite Arsenal player ever

And nobody is saying he shouldn't be. He's a great footballer, but Patrick Vieira is - in my opinion at least - in the top 3 players in the history of this football club, and did it over a decade.

Dom

RIce has been exceptional recently. He's definitely gone up a level in general play this season.

Him and Zubimendi are the best two midfielders in the league. Saliba and Gabriel are the best centre-backs in the league. Raya's the best keeper in the league. Timber and Calafiori are the best full-backs in the league. Need to make this superiority count by winning the league.

Burnwinter

Zubimendi, Rice, Ødegaard will be a stratospherically good midfield when all three are fit and firing. Right up there with Casemiro, Kroos, Modrić for its versatility and balance.

TambourineMan

Burnwinter Absolutely - it’s been frustrating that we’ve barely seen this trio play together at all this season. Hopefully Ode comes back healthy and remains so for the rest of the season.

Qwiss

Tactics that's fair but I think Rice has a lot more technical ability than Keane did.

Burnwinter I find it very hard to rank Ode, Rice and Zubi when they are all fit. Incredible midfield.

flobaba

MistaT and you’re glossing over the fact that his assists are predominantly coming from set pieces, yeah? Anyway different type of players, but Vieira was the ultimate central midfielder. Rice is very good. Vieira is their daddy.

MistaT

flobaba not really. I think Rice’s delivery is phenomenal and worthy of the assists.

I wouldn’t discredit his assists anymore than I would discredit Vieira’s assists for playing with far better forwards.

flobaba

Yes, his delivery is phenomenal. However, set pieces aren’t the weapon they are for us now solely because of Declan Rice’s quality, but more because of the work Arteta and his coaching crew put into it. And the aggressiveness of one Big Gabi.

Here’s what Thierry thinks of PV4.

JazzG

flobaba I don't think that is fair on Rice, the reason our set pieces work is a combination of three things. Firstly we work hard on them in training and have different strategies, secondly we have players like Gabriel who attack them like his life depends on it with other players making sure that he has a route to get on the end of them and then we have world class set piece delivery. All three are connected, if we don't have good delivery from Rice and Saka then you can work on them all you like but isn't going to make a difference.

Burnwinter

flobaba The first pressing tackle and assist in that video are beyond reason. Mein Gott. Takes me back ...

Burnwinter

If you watch another club try to "do set pieces the Arsenal way" as many now are, the missing aspect is above all how good our deliveries are—from Rice and also from Saka.

Accuracy, pace and trajectory are extremely reliable, it's impressive and speaks to forensic technical work by both the players and whoever's analysing them. Rice was not as good at this before he joined us, he's spoken about how it's a power our coaching has unlocked for him.

Gazza M

RocktheCasbah PV4 is still untouchable, and I say that as an unashamed rice propagandist.

Segway

I think Rice is so good that if stays on his trajectory and wins big trophies for us that he can eventually be compared to Vieira.

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