West Ham Online

"For me, Rice is part of the problem this season. He comes across as far too immature to lead a struggling team on the pitch and doesn't have natural leadership qualities. His body language is way off, it comes across as he doesn't want to be at the club any longer (which is no doubt true) and his form is seriously in decline. He was very lucky not to give away a penalty yesterday with his casual dawdling on the ball in his team's own penalty area. Basic schoolboy level mistakes that a professional international footballer should not be making. I think Roy Keane was correct in his assessment of Rice the other week when he says he doesn't do enough to justify the hype. The more the season goes on, the more it looks like it was a mistake by the club to let Rice run down his contract and contribute to a toxic environment this season. In hindsight, we should have sold him last summer when he still had a premium value."

collyrob 8:03 Mon Mar 13 Re: The Rice situation Extremely tempting to expand on that. But I won't for now. Let's just say he's a better team captain than he is club captain

That's true swindon and those players would have been crucified on WHO!!

"A different era of football in 1978. If we had social media & Sky TV back then, John Lyall would have been sacked for taking us down and Trevor Brooking, Alvin Martin, Alan Devonshire etc would have all left."

"From a relative at the club. He’s seen as a great moral booster, welcoming new players and trying to keep the group together. But doesn’t have the stones to stand up to some of the bigger characters."

"""We did get relegated in the 77/78 with Alvin Martin, Frank Lampard Snr, Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, Pop Robson and Pyscho Cross all playing, that must have taken some doing!"" Took three seasons to get back, too, our longest time out of the top division."

"I'm not comfortable criticising any player this season (although I do), because - in some cases at least - you know they would be playing better under another manager. Rice is as good a player as we all thought he was and is going to get better. But he's not playing well now, not by his standards (he's still frequently our best player, even though that's not saying a lot). I don't think he's not putting the effort in and I believe he still has a great affection for the club. In other words, I don't like to criticise him too much because playing under Moyes must be a confidence-sapping experience. But he was wrong to make those comments at the WC. Someone's going to get a bargain next season, because his value may decrease but in a good team under a good manager he's still going to be some player."

Oh pease!

Blokes a cսnt and needs to fuck off sharpish

"We did get relegated in the 77/78 with Alvin Martin, Frank Lampard Snr, Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, Pop Robson and Pyscho Cross all playing, that must have taken some doing!"

"I think so , but don’t we have more best players?"

Weren't Forest relegated with Keane their best player?

Pardon?

Can't believe we have people queuing up tahdig Rice out here!

Can't believe we have people queuing up tahdig Rice out here!

The fact Rice is going is one of the main reasons I can’t believe the cunts upstairs haven’t acted. I mean as a PL club we’re gonna ask for what 75-100 depending on the demand for him. Is it wrong to say his value halves if we down? Do well to get 50 at best I’d have thought.

Rice is a pilau of the club

"Are you going against the GRAIN, Ron?"

He’s been our best player in nearly all of our games. This is all a bit desperate blaming him. Dread to think how bad it would be without him.

Come On You Irons 12:26 Mon Mar 13 The Rice situation I think Roy Keane was correct in his assessment of Rice the other week when he says he doesn't do enough to justify the hype. I remember him coming out with this and nodding quietly in agreement with him

he didn't look happy on sunday - i thought he might throw a PADDY (

Rice needs to grow a pair

Current Rice situation: 1kg bag of basmati currently unopened. It has remained this way for approx 3 months. 2 x microwave golden vegetable packs likely to be consumed this week

The Rice situation is reaching BOILING point

What do you mean it isn't good to put the armband on one so young? I remember we did it with Nigel Reo Cunter some years ago and that all turned out just fine for us. *Falls off chair laughing*

"I would say the burden of being club captain being stuck on a kid of 24 is too much. Making the best player captain and burdening them beyond getting on and doing their thing is rarely a good thing, and 24 year old guys are rarely equipped for handling it. When Noble did everything behind the scenes and Rice just had to wear the armband on match day, at a time when the going was good, fine. No big deal. But leading the whole troupe, being the go to for players with grievances and issues, family issues etc at a time when not only is it expected he'll leave but also the club is struggling is way to much to dump on a 24 year old. It's on Moyes really we didn't have other leaders in the side ready to step up and take on the role....but then I get the impression Moyes doesn't really know how to deal with people. Would explain his desire for 'the right behaviour' over talent...i.e. players that don't give him any hassle to manage. So long story short, I think there is a Rice situation. I don't blame Rice himself....he's carrying too much responsibility at a time when the most important thing for us is him playing at the best of his ability. As for who I'd have made captain without Rice being the go to....there are very few options in the current squad, which is ridiculous in the oldest squad in the league. Ogbonna was the obvious one...clearly has affection for the club and is the highest performing elder statesman. Zouma is a clown off the pitch by all reports. Cresswell doesn't deserve his place in the side. Fabianski raises the 'keepers as captains' classic debate. Antonio....just no. Soucek shouldn't really even be in the side. It's yet another Moyes squad failing...no viable leaders and relying on a 24 year old youngster to shoulder the squad's burdens."