Within the 2021-22 season at West Ham, Declan Rice performed in a midfield double pivot with Tomas Soucek. Throughout that season, Rice was the deeper of the 2 gamers. He scored one objective and managed 4 assists within the Premier League throughout that season. Clearly, his foremost function in David Moyes’ West Ham staff was in West Ham’s half. In that very same season, Soucek helped himself to 5 objectives and an help because the extra superior member of that partnership.
Within the 2022-23 season, Moyes swapped the gamers round. He gave Rice larger freedom to play from field to field, whereas Soucek was requested to take a seat deeper. In 2022-23, Rice’s objective contribution stats switched, he scored 4 objectives and bought one help. Soucek bought two objectives and three assists however questions started to abound over Soucek’s kind throughout that season. Throughout an away defeat at Crystal Palace, Soucek’s substitution was greeted with ironic cheers by travelling Irons followers.
The purpose right here is that Rice was equally snug within the extra superior function and the extra defensive function however Soucek was solely actually snug in a kind of roles. As soon as Rice left for Arsenal, Soucek’s attacking contact returned with seven objectives and two assists as soon as he returned to his extra superior place.
Had Rice stayed at West Ham- fortunately he opted to affix Arsenal- I think about West Ham would have come to the conclusion that they need to ‘sit’ Rice and permit Soucek to play within the box-to-box function. What’s fascinating is that Rice began his Arsenal profession because the deeper midfielder, Kai Havertz had been purchased to play within the ‘left eight’ function vacated by Granit Xhaka.
Gabriel Jesus’ ongoing damage points and the return to health of Thomas Partey noticed a reshuffle in early 2024. Rice moved into the left eight function, Havertz to the centre-forward place with Partey on the base of the midfield construction. Rice produced seven Premier League objectives and eight assists final season, which represented a really wholesome return for a box-to-box midfielder.
It led me to put in writing a presumably untimely column through the summer time hailing Rice because the inheritor obvious to Granit Xhaka. It may not have been the preliminary plan but it surely appeared to me that Arteta was rolling with the punches and felt Havertz at centre-forward and Rice because the left eight was the best way to go. Arteta has proven a penchant for getting adaptable gamers who can play in a mess of roles- a part of the attraction of shopping for Rice and Havertz within the first place.
Ditto Ben White, in fact. It in all probability wasn’t the plan that he would turn into Arsenal’s first selection right-back however his potential to play the place would clearly have been factored into his signing. The fantastic thing about versatile gamers is just not solely that it could get you out of a decent spot when accidents chunk it could truly allow the coach to vary the plan altogether if that’s the approach the wind blows.
Nonetheless, since penning that summer time missive about Rice being a box-to-box midfielder, my pondering has modified somewhat. At that time, I felt buying a long-term alternative for Partey and Jorginho was possible on the playing cards. As an alternative, Arsenal purchased Mikel Merino whose attributes I’d pitch squarely between Granit Xhaka and Kai Havertz. Ethan Nwaneri can also be arising in a short time and in a yr or two, he might be able the place it’s not possible to not play him commonly.
In the meantime, Partey and Jorginho’s present contracts expire in the summertime of 2025. It appears unlikely that Jorginho’s phrases can be prolonged given his restricted taking part in time. Very stern questions ought to be requested if Partey’s deal is prolonged. Medium time period, Arsenal want a six greater than they want an eight and the exercise of the latest switch window strongly means that Rice’s future is on the base of the Arsenal midfield.
Arteta appears to have little urge for food to play with out Thomas Partey for the time being who’s having what is thought within the NFL as ‘the contract yr.’ It might be that we don’t really want to fret an excessive amount of whether or not Rice is a six or an eight and we are able to simply permit him to flit between the roles as obligatory. Nonetheless, the long run planning of the squad appears to pitch him into a kind of potentialities excess of the opposite.
I believe what is obvious too is that Rice requires some improvement for both function. Final season, his seven objectives represented a really respectable return for a box-to-box participant. Nonetheless, this season, riddled by a damaged toe and an exhausting 2023-24, he has but to attain a Premier League or Champions League objective and doesn’t have an open play help in both competitors.
Arsenal would definitely need a greater return from a quantity 8 than that. My feeling on Rice is that he’s a ‘behind the ball’ participant, he sees hazard, he runs to snuff it out, he retains it easy, perhaps he takes the ball for a little bit of a jog away from hazard. On Tuesday night time in Lisbon, he fluffed a couple of attacking alternatives within the penalty space as a result of I don’t suppose his attacking instincts are fairly as eager.
I believe he’s higher when he’s behind the ball and alert to counters and free balls. Many supporters suppose that his progressive passing is just not on the identical degree as Partey and Jorginho, which makes taking part in him on the base of midfield problematic. For England through the summer time, we actually noticed his affect endure as a result of England’s lack of ball taking part in midfielders to associate him with.
Kalvin Phillips, a distinctly common participant in reality, was ample ballast for Rice within the England midfield for a couple of years, as was Jordan Henderson earlier than him. Rice doesn’t must play subsequent to prime Xabi Alonso or Pirlo, only a respectable passer will suffice. That England have relied on Jordan Henderson, then Kalvin Phillips and at present don’t have anybody to tackle that comparatively modest mantle tells a narrative.
Scott Willis wrote a very good piece final month debunking some myths round Rice’s passing. I nonetheless suppose it’s actually a improvement space, to obtain the ball extra easily on the half flip and to distribute with somewhat extra silk and disguise. Both approach, Arsenal invested over £100m on Rice and he has finished a high-quality job throughout two positions.
Nonetheless, a choice was made on Havertz that he be the staff’s striker. A choice was made that Ben White was the staff’s right-back. Bukayo Saka hasn’t performed on the left wing for Arsenal for over 4 years. Ultimately, your ‘franchise’ gamers cease being movable jigsaw items and turn into agency pillars. Arteta’s switch technique reveals you that, in some unspecified time in the future, he’s in all probability going to entrust the six place to Declan Rice. How he manages that transition can be very fascinating to witness.
