The Rice situation

[Come On You Irons]

"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."

[Manuel]

COYI - You are beyond fucking stupid. You say that he comes across as far too immature to lead a struggling team on the pitch and doesn't have natural leadership qualities - yet we won our first trophy in 43 years with him ''leading'' us?

[Lee Trundle]

"You're wanted on the Paqueta thread, COYI. Ron Eff 11:36 Fri Oct 6 Re: Lucas Paqueta SIGNED ""Who was it that continually referred to him as Ponyqueta?"""

[,]

"COYI, have you resurrected this thread in order to discredit yourself because that is what you have just achieved."

[BRANDED]

Except we won our first trophy for 40 years with him as captain and then got £100 million for him with him going to Arsenal who are performing very well with him in the team.

[Come On You Irons]

"This thread aged well, particularly my opening comment."

[SullyHammer]

"WHUDeano 11:48 Wed Mar 15 I remember that season well! we got spanked at home to Swansea and fucking lost to Stoke on the last game. Win both of those and we would have made Champions League! We then have a similar situation in the 20/21 season where we knew Antonio was not going to last the season and relying on him solely would be disastrous, cue injury and shortage of players (and no investment in the Jan window) and we miss out again by 3 points. It's like they get so close but just pull back and remind us that we need to stay in our lane. ."

[terry-h]

"I don't blame Declan at all for what's been going on this season. He's usually our best player every week ffs. His father is also his agent and a Chelsea season ticket holder I believe, who no doubt wants the best for his son. Some silly git decided he wasn't good enough to make it there when he was 14 and we have had the pleasure of watching him develop into a terrific player these last few years. I wish him nothing but the best in his future career wherever he goes."

[Willtell]

That's a very good and accurate summary of WHU under Sullivan's direction ATHammer. I hope Sullivan gets to read it.

[WHUDeano]

"ATHammer 5:21 Wed Mar 1 Probably the best and most concise appraisal of the club possible. Heard an interview with Rio where he said he went to the club and pleaded with them to invest as we could go somewhere. They didn't. Once the season started, he knew he had to leave. The last season as Upton Park, Sakho got injured, we were challenging top 4, but didn't have a striker to run the channels. Board didn't invest, Carrol couldn't do the job. We fell away. Most ironically of all Bilic was trying to play Antonio was being played at right back at the time and he's now our all time top Prem scorer after 3 years up top. Sums this club up under Sullivan really."

[LJC]

As sad as it is I would have fat Sam back tomorrow

[kylay]

"El Scorchio 6:32 Wed Mar 15 The thing that stuck out to me most when Allardyce came in was the radio silence in the papers. During Avram's time, the board were airing all and sundry in the newspapers every week, not least of which was Brady's column in the Sun."

[El Scorchio]

"transfer strategy is clearly a huge problem for us and a big factor in our muddled identity and looking like 11 individuals rather than a team. I guess that's always going to happen when the manager and the owner have their own stuck in their ways ideas of what they want, and they don't match up. Especially when the owner undoubtedly fucking meddles in it constantly. Sadly that's going to be a problem sooner or later with any manager at the club and has likely been the downfall of every single one of them under Sullivan. I don't for a moment believe Bilic, Pellegrini or Moyes were able to actually get who they wanted through the door or stop players they didn't want getting foisted on them. Allardyce for all his faults is probably the only one that would have had the bollocks to tell Sullivan to fuck off and keep out of it- at least for the first couple of seasons."

[Russ of the BML]

stewie griffin 10:37 Mon Mar 13 Brilliant stuff.

[Russ of the BML]

ATHammer 5:21 Wed Mar 15 Good post.

[ATHammer]

"Rice is only part of the problem in so far as he works for the West Ham Business. The real problem starts with GSB and finishes with SBK for now. The club has no strategy; flip flopping between attack minded and defense minded managers. The Club has no vision; spending money on a coat of paint for the Chadwell Heath academy but not on producing quality young players to challenge for first team places. Rush Green for first team facilities must be the envy of every other premier league club. The club has no soul, referring to supporters as ""clients"" and ""customers"". Insulting at best. The club has no governance, Moyes has been on the slide for well over 18 months. Has there been an appraisal of that data? have corrective measures been put in place and acted upon? league position and supporter sentiment would tell us otherwise. The club has no sense of immediacy. Investment in the first team last Christmas in key positions would have positively influenced the Europa league and arrested the league season fizzling out. The management treats it's assets like morons, refusing to play to the players strengths and making other good players look like shit by playing them out of position. Rice had the temerity to suggest that he wanted to play Champions league football and win things. The club had the opportunity to match that ambition with a strategy, vision, some governance and just basic nous. Instead they miss the immediate need then spend £200m misfits. Paquetta, who they thought was a number 10 but is actually a good defensive midfield player, Scammacca and Ings; both good goal scorers with service but neither any good as a lone striker; Kherer, god alone knows where he is best suited; etc. Rice is a great player and a reasonable captain, few were criticizing him last season. He is also an employee of a rudderless business so if he gets frustrated while in their employ and can clearly see no intent or ability to make that business successful why would he stay or be happy in the current malaise? He isn't a problem, his leaving and apparent demeanor is a symptom of a much deeper ill that is the cancer owning and running the club."

[southbankbornnbred]

"All the more reason to sack the miserable life-sucker and use Noble as part of the temporary team to get us out of the mire. He’s not a qualified coach, which has up to recently discouraged me from thinking he was the managerial solution. But it sounds like Noble’s presence on the training ground and in the dressing room is much-needed. The other players definitely listen to him. He could be a figurehead “manager” with a coaching team such as Warburton etc doing the day-to-day sessions. Until we can regroup in the summer and dirt this shit out longer-term. Bumped into Hayden Mullins recently, briefly. Good young coach, still speaks highly of his days at West Ham. He’d jump at the chance of joining somebody like Noble on the coaching side."

[dealcanvey]

Eerie Descent 9:32 Wed Mar 15 Exactly. Imagine producing Rice's stats when that is your midfield partner. Would explain the amount of times he needs to intercept and tackle mind.

[southbankbornnbred]

"stewie griffin 10:37 Mon Mar 13 Re: The Rice situation Excellent read, that, Griff. And I’m not remotely surprised to hear that about the void left by Noble when he left the dressing room. I wouldn’t expect Rice to be able to fill that void, off the the pitch, at 24. I’m sure many of us have worked at places where the entire culture and mood is ruined from the top down by an emotional and joy vacuum in charge. That’s when you need experienced older heads to create a better culture around the place. Sounds like it’s fucking bad, though. I fear for the rest of the season, tbh. And, I’ll be blunt, I’m guessing the “ten-game wonder” is Antonio. I may be wrong, but sounds that way."

[Side of Ham]

"All the shit input or lack of by Soucek sunk in over 6 months ago and that’s being generous…..it’s Moyes that it hasn’t sunk into, never will…."

[Full Claret Jacket]

"He is struggling with the situation. When managers fall out with players then its difficult being in the middle and his inexperience of dealing with unhappiness in the team and poor form on the pitch has made this Captaincy a huge burden. His own form is patchy. Performances not what we have seen in the past. I would imagine it will be a blessing to escape this at the end of the season and will probably taint his time here especially with morons giving him stick. His career could go in one of two directions like so many other talents of his age, either he matures into one of the best centre midfielders in the world at a ambitious club or he sits on the bench a lot gradually falling out of love with football with performances a shadow of his promise. The one thing I do wish he would spend less time on is social media and dicking around. The very best players have always been super professional and not engaged in this stuff. I know its modern culture but its also showing an immaturity from someone who is supposed to be leading a club."

[Eerie Descent]

Soucek completed 9 (NINE) passes in 90 minutes against Aston Villa at home. Just let that sink in.

[Eerie Descent]

Soucek completed 9 (NINE) passes in 90 minutes against Aston Villa at home. Just let that sink in.

[dealcanvey]

When comparing him to any other player in the premier league. Only 1 player has covered more ground than him. He has more interceptions than any other player. He is somehow in the top 10 for passes and touches in a team that never has possession. Top 10 for tackles. I get we are shocking and people are trying to find reason for that but those pointing the finger at Rice are barking up the wrong tree.

[J.Riddle]

"I thought when Rice was made Captain it was to elevate his experience and price, a bad decision being just a kid as no one would take him seriously. Young inexperienced people managing older more experienced rarely works. Having him around so long with him openly saying he wants to play CL effectively meaning leaving has been detrimental and they should have cashed in earlier. Whether Sullivan and or Moyes decision they're both complicit."

[GreenStreetPlayer]

"We won’t win the Europa Conf League, not with players performing at 70% of what they should be. Going through the motions, the Moyes effect.Killed the players enjoyment, confidence, he has lost them."