Rice is an amazing player. Brilliant in so many ways. His attacking influence is primarily in his dead ball ability, which is nothing to sniff at. The thing is, unless he's playing as a 6, the rest of his game is very well suited to being a lockdown player in a double-pivot. Closing games out, big away games, CL semi-finals, etc. If we want to get him in as a starter, it should certainly not be as as an 8/10, and when he plays deeper next to Zubi, he feels like the odd man out when we're completely dominant on the ball.
Actually, with his recovery ability, it would make a lot of sense to play him as a CB in those games. If we want to fit him into midfield, play a back 3 and ditch one of the fullbacks.
I've never liked him as an 8, especially when it really is an 8/10, and I prefer Zubi as a 6. I've had an anti-Rice-at-8 agenda from the beginning so I'm biased, but the longer we go the more I feel my reservations were legitimate.
Again, he's great. I'm not knocking Rice, but I really can't stand it when he ends up with his back to goal in that inside-left channel our striker should be in. Makes no sense.
