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Admiral Lard 12:26 Tue Mar 26
Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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C&P from this morning's Times Sport -
Had everyone in the TV studios glowing last night and, in the press this morning - How long before we receive an offer we cannot refuse?
C&P below
The 20-year-old West Ham United midfielder took a solid first step towards nailing down his international place, says Matt Dickinson
We used to talk, not very long ago, of meaningless internationals but one of many strengths of this England side under Gareth Southgate is that they keep finding new ways to improve and develop, as well as to entertain.
No match is a wasted opportunity when there is progress to be made and more bright young players to be tested in international football; Callum Hudson-Odoi and Declan Rice joining this highly likeable group with their first international starts last night and adding to the sense that this is a ride everyone wants to join.
Hudson-Odoi was one of the headline acts in another emphatic victory with an admirably bold performance at 18, Rice a rather more steady performer but perhaps no less significant given that England are searching for options in defensive midfield.
“I’d love to build a team around him. He could be a future captain, he’s that type of player. One hundred caps would be a nice profile to have.” But enough of Mick McCarthy’s thwarted hopes for Rice with Ireland.
He is English all the way now and while no one will be getting carried away, least of all a young man with a very even temperament, there is an opportunity for him to push hard for a starting place.
A debut off the bench against the Czech Republic, a first start in Podgorica only three days later; this was a fast rise and plenty of responsibility for Rice. Perhaps a little more than he, or his manager, initially bargained for in a bumpy first half against Montenegro.
England settled, as they usually do under Southgate’s calming leadership, and Rice will certainly have felt more composed by the end. As he walked off with qualification for Euro 2020 already becoming a formality after two matches, it was not hard to see why he has swapped Ireland, even after winning three senior caps, for the greater aspirations of England.
As England stuck in another five goals, this was not necessarily an occasion to judge the long-term chances of a defensive midfield player but his presence alone has created more healthy competition among the squad.
Midfield is the most tricky area to predict for the Uefa Nations League finals in Portugal this summer and beyond. Barkley-Rice-Alli? Winks-Dier-Lingard? Plus Jordan Henderson, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, James Maddison and Phil Foden with their own attributes and ambitions.
Ross Barkley has done as much as anyone to impress over the past two matches, and not only with the goals. We wondered where his career was heading in the early months at Chelsea but he has found a role that suits, more focus to go with it, and is beginning to properly fulfil his potential as a modern attacking midfield player.
For now, he certainly looks more comfortable as one of England’s two No 8s than Dele Alli in Southgate’s seemingly settled 4-3-3.
Rice was given the stabilising role at the base of midfield and there were a few notable interventions; a tactical foul in the first half, a clumsy loss of possession quickly recovered.
Mostly Rice looked to be trying to play safe. It reminded you of the story Southgate tells about Harry Maguire walking off after his international debut and telling his manager that he was delighted not to have made any mistakes. Southgate understood the sentiment but made it very plain that he expected more at this level. “Next time we go out and try to be the best we can be,” he said.
Perhaps Rice will hear the same before long, especially if we are to see more of the quality that Harry Kane claimed to have seen in his new international team-mate. “The thing I like most about him is that as a defensive midfielder, he looks to play forward as quickly as possible,” the captain had said.
There was little of that here, though Rice would say that Montenegro’s dogged midfield were closing down the gaps. And we can be sure that he will get many more opportunities, for West Ham United and England, as he seeks to usurp Eric Dier as the first-choice sentry.
Henderson can do it, and Harry Winks potentially brings a different profile with his talent for short give-and-go passes but Rice has a chance, especially with Dier enduring a season disrupted by injury and ordinary form.
Rice stepped up, handed his England shirt by Joe Cole in the dressing room. To think that he could have been picking up the young player of the year award for Ireland a couple of weeks ago had it not been deemed, well, a little awkward given his change of allegiance.
It must have been quite an occasion as he walked out in the England shirt and stood listening to the national anthem. There has been no shortage of Irishmen in recent days reminding him of what he said in March 2018 of another anthem before making his Ireland debut: “It brought a little bit of a tear to my eye singing it and thinking of my nana and grandad. It was a special moment.”
But that was then. Now he contributes to an England team which is showing impressive composure, especially given its youth and the provocation from the terraces in Podgorica with racial abuse.
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
claretandbluedagger
8:43 Fri Mar 29
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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McLean really needs to wind his neck in, makes Tony Blair look principled.
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fraser
8:24 Fri Mar 29
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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McLean is a typical paddy works in England lives in England has a massive chip on both shoulders, hates the English.
Probably be at the pub pissed everyday if not a footballer singing anti English songs.
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Sven Roeder
8:03 Fri Mar 29
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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Sang?
Really
James McClean played u21’s for Northern Ireland and then decided to ‘sod off’ and play for ROI
The pot calling the kettle black (& tan)
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istabraq
11:24 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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You must be some dickhead.mc cleans means what he says unlike declan rice.so when declan said he was proud to be irish and sang up the ra he was a nonce.
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swindon hammer
11:15 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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If someone like Man City or Man Utd come in for any of our players they will leave regardless of who they are.
Even Arsenal couldn't stop their players from leaving so we have no chance. The only thing we can do is drag it out and get as much money as possible.
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Vexed
10:31 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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He's already shown he's happy to stab anyone in the back if it suits him, so I expect it's only a better of time before he knifes the club anyway. 60m would be exceptional business. The talk of any more than that is absolutely ridiculous. He's an iffy character, mark my words.
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Sven Roeder
10:13 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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Not keen on MP’s acceptance that DR would leave just because someone else wanted him.
Probably true at some point but not doing himself any favours effectively inviting offers and preparing to bend over if the price is right.
Small team mentality ... which he always preaches against.
Pull your head in MP and don’t entertain these sort of questions or you will get them every week.
Just say ‘he isn’t for sale and we aren’t looking to sell’.
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WHUDeano
9:54 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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If they sell Rice at any point without him acting up and putting in transfer requests then we should all be questioning what the point is in following the team anymore.
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Alfs
9:10 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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My Missus got chatting to some woman in a cafe and she turned out to be Declan's auntie. She spoke glowingly of him about how kind and level headed he is, gratefully taking it all in his stride.
I'll be gutted if and when he's sold.
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boleyn8420
5:06 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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Usual lazy made up Sun journalism. The Spivs turned down £35m for Arnie so what planet do they think that Rice would go for £40m. Absolute bollocks. Start at£100m and work up if they do want to sell, which judging by what Gold said today would be extremely unlikely.
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Crassus
4:59 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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As I said when he signed his new contract, bet he has a sell on clause in there
£40m is way to low, even as a start point. Look at the apparent bids for Chillwell, Sancho, Hudson doodah, out of relativity, specifically when he is now one of those rare commodities, an English CDM
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Sven Roeder
4:39 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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Sounds like the sort of thing the manager of Huddersfield or Cardiff might say.
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Crassus
4:36 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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RB
Yep, just on TS that MP has admitted that we may have to sell him on account of his generating a lot of interest
No shock there then
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RBshorty
4:10 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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Now Solskjaer been given the ManU job. They want to fill the first team with younger players. Apparently at £40 million bid for Declan will be coming the SPIVS way.
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Sven Roeder
3:48 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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If James McClean thinks you are in the wrong then you know you are very much on the right track.
The bloke who was N Irish and now he is ROI
Laughable cunt of a man
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eusebiovic
3:39 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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Regardless of the country, I do think it's difficult for a person of a singular culture/nationality to fully comprehend those who grow up in that culture with one or even two parents of a different nation.
I was born here but my parents are from Spain and Portugal. It's a bit of a headfuck to be honest - you enjoy bits of all your influences and sometimes you identify more closely with one than the other but ultimately once you get past the age of 30 you begin to realise what you are.
I was born here so therefore this is what I am - and I'm fine with that. I have always followed and watched the England team for example but at the same time have never missed the chance to check out a Spain or Portugal game when they are in town.
If I had been good enough to play football then logically I would have chosen to play for England. However if either of the other 2 had come calling when I was 14 or 15 then I have to say I'm not sure what I would have done. At that naive age who really knows what they are about?
Life is messy
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JonWHUFC
2:55 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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Who is DC? I meant DR.
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JonWHUFC
2:55 Thu Mar 28
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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I knew DC would get some grief for his decision but he would have done no matter what he decided to do. He did it the right way, took his time, weighed up all the options and made his choice. I did not expect such choice words from a so called fellow pro. Especially one who played U21 level for Northern Ireland and then switched to the Republic at full international level. I can put up with anything except hypocrites so agree with twoleftfeet.
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twoleftfeet
7:46 Wed Mar 27
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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McClean is a cunt.
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Side of Ham
7:40 Wed Mar 27
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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.....vexed states proudly......
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Vexed
7:14 Wed Mar 27
Re: Composed Declan Rice adds depth to this exciting England side
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Being proud of being Irish is like being proud to be a fucking nonce.
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