Welcome Declan Rice

[DB10GOONER]

I was given a bit of friendly stick by a few on here because of my 'love-in' for Biggus Deccus before we signed him.......I just thought he was the obvious choice and would be perfect for us, which he is!

The next one is Vlahovic..... His career has gone to shit in Italy and he needs a bit of Arsenal to make him a world star..... Come to us Mr V

Sounds like you like a bit of dick... er, I mean stick.

[herbert]

He is a quality player and the main reason we are top of the league
We haven't been playing with the same gusto has last season mainly down to teams now doubling if not trippling up on Saka & Martinelli but this fella is holding it all together

Much better player than I thought he was and definitely AFC club captain material

[Redarmy]

He is a quality player and the main reason we are top of the league
We haven't been playing with the same gusto has last season mainly down to teams now doubling if not trippling up on Saka & Martinelli but this fella is holding it all together

Much better player than I thought he was and definitely AFC club captain material

Agreed

[OneBardGooner]

I concur.

[Stuart L (2)]

He is a quality player and the main reason we are top of the league
We haven't been playing with the same gusto has last season mainly down to teams now doubling if not trippling up on Saka & Martinelli but this fella is holding it all together

Much better player than I thought he was and definitely AFC club captain material

Rice could / should be Arsenal and England captain for the next 6/7 seasons.

The thing we have to do is take advantage of the overload we would have elsewhere on the pitch.
If you look back at our goal v Brentford there were 5, possibly. 6 Brentford players ensuring Saka and Odegaard had no space on the right, but it meant we had a 3 v 2 at the far post, which Saka was thankfully, capable of exploiting.

We could use this to our advantage more often, if we shifted the ball quicker, but it looks like they are instructed to control it, make sure the next pass completes instead of attempting an incisive pass.

I guess we can’t argue with results, being the be all and end all.

[OneBardGooner]

I would happily take Arsenal playing like this if we Win the title... Not that there is any chance of that.

[Retro Gunner]

He is a quality player and the main reason we are top of the league
We haven't been playing with the same gusto has last season mainly down to teams now doubling if not trippling up on Saka & Martinelli but this fella is holding it all together

Much better player than I thought he was and definitely AFC club captain material

Rice could / should be Arsenal and England captain for the next 6/7 seasons.

The thing we have to do is take advantage of the overload we would have elsewhere on the pitch.
If you look back at our goal v Brentford there were 5, possibly. 6 Brentford players ensuring Saka and Odegaard had no space on the right, but it meant we had a 3 v 2 at the far post, which Saka was thankfully, capable of exploiting.

We could use this to our advantage more often, if we shifted the ball quicker, but it looks like they are instructed to control it, make sure the next pass completes instead of attempting an incisive pass.

I guess we can’t argue with results, being the be all and end all.

Agreed Stuart. Other sides have worked out that if you double up on our wingers...sometimes there's 3 blokes around them, then we've fuck all to hurt them with. It's what comes of having a bloke like Odegaard, who blows hot and cold and a non scoring striker. If we improved the threat centrally, then our wingers would get more space.

As for our laboured build up, it's like the last 12 years of Wenger. We were moving the ball much more quickly during the first half of last season.

[DB10GOONER]

I agree fully with the idea that our wingers getting mobbed kills us because as good as Odegaard can be, he does not deliver enough in the big games. The slight problem is that we are using Rice as a DM of sorts because he is a tad limited at creating chances. I'd love to see Rice beside a top mid field creator.

[SteveO 35]

What a fucking player and what a bargain

Lad plays like our real captain every single game

Massive massive leader - best since PV4

Wouldn't swap him for anyone

[Stuart L (2)]

What a fucking player and what a bargain

Lad plays like our real captain every single game

Massive massive leader - best since PV4

Wouldn't swap him for anyone

Best centre midfield player in the premier league that’s for sure

£105m we paid for Rice, a d now he’s worth that twice, waka, waka, eh eh

[nut flush gooner]

Last time I got a players name on the back of my Arsenal shirt was when we signed DB10.

I am taking the third strip down to the Armoury next week to get Rice 41 sorted. He didn't even have his best game in an Arsenal shirt last night, but he is the best signing we have made for decades, to impact a game like he did in that way after that performance, mind blowing.

If he carries on like this he will definitely be mentioned in the company of the Arsenal greats.

[DB10GOONER]

Last time I got a players name on the back of my Arsenal shirt was when we signed DB10.

I am taking the third strip down to the Armoury next week to get Rice 41 sorted. He didn't even have his best game in an Arsenal shirt last night, but he is the best signing we have made for decades, to impact a game like he did in that way after that performance, mind blowing.

If he carries on like this he will definitely be mentioned in the company of the Arsenal greats.

Same here! Bergkamp 10.

Oirish Deckers is still a long way off getting in amongst the Arsenal greats but he certainly has the potential to become one, absolutely. He has stepped up a level since joining us and we all hoped that would be the case. He is certainly a very good singing for us. Worth over a hundred million? Not for me. Not yet anyway. He leads us to a title? Then yep every penny!

I still would not classify him as world class either tbh. He doesn't control the pace of the game like the best midfielders we've had did, the likes of Vieira and Fabregas for example, but then he has had to play a lot deeper for us than they did. Again though, he has the potential.

He also is not a great creator of chances, but that is most likely down to that deeper role. He actually reminds me of a non-psychotic Roy Keane in a way. Does not do anything spectacular but makes very few mistakes and nearly always picks out the right pass and is an intelligent skillful footballer.

Personally I'd give him the captain's armband right now. He is far more of a natural onfield leader than Odegaard.

It would be a huge shame if like with Ozil and Fabregas we don't build a title winning team around Rice.

[Redarmy]

Absolutely love the guy, no wonder West ham fans were so sick about letting him go

[DB10GOONER]

Absolutely love the guy, no wonder West ham fans were so sick about letting him go

Would be similar to us letting Tony Adams go at his peak.

[Stuart L (2)]

Voted no, not because of the valuation but because he’s shite.

Someone’s gonna get their pants pulled down this summer, just pray it’s not us.


Oh and DB is going to shit his fucking undies when he sees this thread

Cough cough, well what do you know ?

Uncle Rodney, with his pants round his ankles