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dealcanvey 12:24 Fri Apr 21
pRICEless

Rice has come under some scrutiny this season. As a Captain, maybe some has been granted but in terms of commitment, I thought it was unfair.

He still looks as devoted to the club as ever and leaves everything on the pitch. His stats this season show he is still one of the best CMs if the Prem. Whilst those around him have struggled, he still leaves the pitch as our best player most weeks.

As a defensive midfielder, he eats the ground up and the amount of tackles/interceptions he produces every game is impressive.

Not seen as much of him going forward this season as being asked to play a deeper role. Carrying Soucek all year has not been easy. In the rare occasions he does go forward, he shows he has the ability.

He is the best player to come out of our academy for a generation and who knows when the next one will come along.

The likes of Keane and Neville in the Sky brigade keep playing Rice down as a player with Neville even saying Manchester United should only pay 50m for Rice! It is quite simple really, don't have him.

Unfortunately it looks like it is already set in stone that he is leaving with strong links of Arsenal coming in for him in the summer for around 80m.

Personally, I would not sell. With no proper scouting network I don't trust the club to spend the money properly on the right players. Scattergun approach paying over the odds for untested players.

Rice is irreplaceable and we should keep him for the next two years even if he leaves for nothing. Get a decent manager in with new ideas and let's see what can be achieved in the next couple of seasons with Rice at the heart of the team.

IRONS.

Nagel 6:20 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

I don't know what you've been watching mate but thinking that we play keep the ball is really a bit odd.

Heath Hammer 6:06 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

i am not defending moyes and i'm not blaming rice... but if your best player (by a country mile) is a holding midfielder, who is one of the best ball keepers in the game.... you play keep the ball.

Nagel 5:45 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

Are you seriously trying to blame Rice for our abysmal tactics? You don't think Moyes would have us play exactly the same way if Rice wasn't there? The only way we get a change in tactics is through a change of manager, regardless of whether Rice leaves or not.

Heath Hammer 5:39 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

Unless we are going to spend £300m to improve what is around him, i think we are better off without .

My problem is that he is just too good. In that holding role in front of the defense he will allows any team to play total possession football. You can tell that Moyes has told him to just not lose the ball -

that works when you have midfielders who can pick a killer pass when you do decide to move forward. That works when you have people finding space, but 50% of the time Rice is forced to go backwards. that works when you have strikers who can take a decent % of chances created. .... We have none of those so no surprise to me that we look like we are set up for 0-0 every game and only actually attack when we go a goal down.....

No rice means a change in tactics - which i don't think will be a bad thing. If he stays i think it will be the same football next season with no plan B.

England were totally abysmal to watch for alot of the world cup.... for me that was because Southgate knew that Rice is outstanding at possession and set his team up that way... to the detriment of a decent spectator game.

will be gutted if he goes. but if him staying is a repeat of this season.....hmmm

Westside 4:31 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

Ideally we win the ECL finish mid table or even top ten.

Get real.

Fulham, in 10th are on 42 points already. We won't even beat that.

13 Brentford Rd 4:26 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

He's young and already one of the best DM in world football, if not the best.

I would say he's easily worth at least 100m and we should hold out for that if he wants to leave.

Ideally we win the ECL finish mid table or even top ten if our form keeps improving and we have a strong finish, and he stays.

Takashi Miike 4:05 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

what was priceless was his face after scoring, I don't think he stopped smiling for the rest of the night 😁

Vexed 4:04 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

Perhaps a win of this cup, safety from relegation and a decent managerial appointment early in the summer will make him at least think about staying. Knowing him he'd then run his contract down and fuck us on a transfer fee. Russ appears to have missed most of this season's football, bless I'm.

GBHammer63 4:01 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

I don’t recall him ever saying he wanted to leave, just didn’t sign an upgraded contract. Moyes was the one who put a price on him. However if he wants to leave there’s no keeping him so just make as much out of the deal as possible.

LJC 3:08 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

Maybe he hasn’t downed tools because he knows he is going in the summer. Maybe that all changes if we say he can’t go and are going to run down his contact and then we are stuck with a player who doesn’t want to play for us, playing shit, bad mouthing us and to top it off, we get nothing for and he then goes to a bigger club and starts performing again.

I would rather sell, get the most money we can, new manager, new board, add the money to a decent transfer budget and hopefully never be in this position again where our best players want to leave to go on to better things because we are the better thing.

Morpheus 3:05 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

Most impressive thing for me is that he hardly ever misses a game and doesn't often seem tired, given the number of WH games in the last two years plus England games it is pretty remarkable how he keep going.

El Scorchio 2:30 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

HE CAN'T PLAY MIDFIELD. CAN'T GET FORWARD, CAN'T CREATE, CAN'T SCORE. SHOULD BE A CENTRE BACK. -G. Souness

In all seriousness, what a player, and he's definitely not mentally checked out. He really wants to win every game for us and really feels it.

I've got hope that a new manager/owner and fresh ideas or money might convince him to stay, not to mention winning the ECL and qualifying for the EL next time, but honestly if he's got his heart set on leaving this summer, then we should just accept it and take the highest bid. I just hope there's legit competition for his signature.

We can't run down his contract and allow a 100 million plus player to leave for very little or fuck all. His legacy at least needs to be that he's paid for 2-3 new class players to help us kick on without him and fill the void.

Fo the Communist 2:17 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

I too would be happy to see him leave on a free if it meant we got two more years out of him. It ain't my money.

Him and Paqueta have the makings of a sublime midfield partnership around which, with the right manager and ownership, we could really push on.

Moncurs Putting Iron 2:10 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

Everytime I see a lovely bit of play from him my joy is tempered by thinking of the day we become RICEless.

It is bittersweet in the extreme.

zico 2:07 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

If he does go I would prefer he went to City. As said below I think this is a one off season for Arsenal. I think Arteta is too emotional as a Manager and some of those players have been playing above themselves. Arsenal as they are I don't think are good enough for Declan. Rather than try and tie him down for the next five years I wonder if the Club should offer him a top contract but only for say a couple of years and see how things go, with possibly another manager. He is only what 24? Even if he stayed at West Ham for another two - three years he will still only be 26/27. Hopeful I know, but when it's going well it looks like he enjoys being here.

bell 1:44 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

He said last night that it was an honour being captain of West Ham and long may it continue.
Therefore it's settled, he's definitely staying.

Russ of the BML 1:43 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

Best DM in the world right now. And if he continues to score goals like he did last night he'll become the best box to box midfielder in the world.

Has got everything. You put him in an elite team and he elevates them instantly. He is that good. It's not hype and its not West Ham bias.

As good as a player than England has ever produced. Has the potential to be spoken about at end of career in the same conversations as Hoddle, Gazza, Robson, Scholes and Gerrard.

Westside 1:27 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

What happens if no-one bids the asking price, then what?

We'd lower the asking price,

Manuel 1:25 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

What happens if no-one bids the asking price, then what?

Westside 1:14 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

I'd rather have the money and the opportunity to spend, rather than let Rice leave for nothing.

dealcanvey 1:09 Fri Apr 21
Re: pRICEless

Westside

Exactly. This is West Ham.

The same club that spent 180m last summer and sit just above relegation.

We have no guarantees/assurances Rice money will be well spent. We average a good transfer window in every 5/6.

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