Declan Rice: Balon D’ec

[Aevi]

Annoys me when all these "by the book" people pop up after something like this. Yes, it was a justifiable sending off by the book, but why is that relevant when this doesn't result in a card 95/100 times, much less a second yellow card?

It's like sending someone off for exaggerating contact which happens literally 20+ times per match. The book says it's a yellow, yet it's never given unless there's daylight between the players.

What about every slight shirt pull on corners, are we going to give out 5+ penalties per game now? The book says so.

By all means enforce the rules, the problem is when referees pick and choose when to do so. Brighton literally did the same thing earlier in the game with zero punishment. I mean players do it every single week with absolutely no penalty.

Should he have done it? No. Is it borderline outrageous he got sent off for it? Yes.

I also just don't accept that this even was card-worthy by the letter of the law.

a) The ball was moving and away from the original spot of the foul, you can't argue that a freekick was properly being taken.

b) Rice literally tapped the ball as it was kicked towards him, he didn't initiate the contact himself to begin with and has plausible deniability of knowing whether the ball was in play.

c) When he hits it, he literally ****ing taps it. Not kicking it away, literally nudges it aside. It might be the least egregious attempt at 'wasting time' I've ever seen.

d) The only reason this action even drew much attention is not because time was wasted, but because Rice got his leg kicked the **** out of (likely deliberately) and went down.

I don't even know that he did anything wrong, Veltman made the first 'incorrect' action by moving the ball away from the foul position and attempting to kick it while it was moving. The play should have been considered stopped there.

 

[Macho]

Some teams work on set pieces. Some teams work on getting one of the opposition’s best players sent off.

Thats all that happened here and Rice shouldn’t have done it knowing he was on a yellow. It seems the lads still have a ways to go when it comes to street smarts and expecting the worst from refs.

Im glad Rice fessed up so the conspiracies and whinging could stop.

 

[fute]

Not only has Rice's decision affected the team and rotation, but also his man-crushers.

Now Rice is a beta and virtue signaler?

 

[Macho]

lol it’s clear most of A-M would cry and go into a convulsive fit if they ever received and unfair stop and search.

 

[Buhry]

I think it's the latter and I think it's pathetic. It's the wrong call, the ball was moving, was 10 meters from where the original "foul" was (not actually a foul) and there was no delay as it couldn't have been taken.

Straight red for the Brighton player is what should have happened.

Tbh that is what I thought happened first. That he got a straight red cause he literally kicked the crap out of rice when he saw the ball was gone, he could have easily stopped the motion.

Still think it was 2 stupid moments from Rice to get the cards though, even if the 2nd one was really harsh and not justified considering the pedro moment earlier but he still shouldn't do it when on a yellow and now we pay the price.

 

[Macho]

I have way more sympathy for Rice first yellow, caused by casual Partey shenanigans forcing a last ditch tackle.

Both were unnecessary but it’s not the end of the world. Straight red and 3 match ban could have killed us potentially.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Tbh that is what I thought happened first. That he got a straight red cause he literally kicked the crap out of rice when he saw the ball was gone, he could have easily stopped the motion.

Still think it was 2 stupid moments from Rice to get the cards though, even if the 2nd one was really harsh and not justified considering the pedro moment earlier but he still shouldn't do it when on a yellow and now we pay the price.

Honestly don’t think he did anything wrong. Ball is moving, its not where the fk should have been taken, and was kicked at him. That call will not be seen again all season I would bet.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

I do wonder if he had kept his eyes on the ref and not looked down, then he might have stayed on. Kai looked at his man before a challenge and got whistled. All our players need to be smarter. As McCoist said, Veltman was very clever.

I felt like the ref was desperate to book Arsenal players. I think both yellows were harsh really, the first one looked worse than it was.

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

I felt like the ref was desperate to book Arsenal players. I think both yellows were harsh really, the first one looked worse than it was.

The first yellow was down to him going to ground and the force of the contact. Studs weren't showing and he made an effort not to injure. He's not helped by his size either. Vieira and Xhaka were similarly targeted. Lesson learnt hopefully.

 

[Dokaka]

IIRC that was his first red card in his professional career as well, what a **** one to break the streak with

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

You have to have the ball in idle status to kick a dead ball.
If the ball was rolling, then the start of the kick was illegal.
This comes first before the letter of law you were talking about.

If the ball was in action already, where was the delay of game coming from??

The letter of law wasn't even applicable to this situation at all.

Yea, that’s true, the ball was moving.

 

[PrinzPoldi]

Yea, that’s true, the ball was moving.

So the letter of law to say Rice delay of game was just bullshit

 

[SA Gunner]

 

[OnlyOne]

View attachment 27553

One of the best ITW, I love Rice.

 

[WesleyNHohfeld]

Are we appealing Rice's suspension? If not, why not?

 

[Dokaka]

First farm animal to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or ye?

 

[dbig]

Are we appealing Rice's suspension? If not, why not?

You can't appeal suspensions resulting from two yellow cards.

 

[Dokaka]

View attachment 27553

Don't think he's regressed, but I definitely think the uncertainty in the starting lineup in midfield has held him back a bit. He's had to play DLP/6, B2B and now borderline second striker because that LCM spot has been completely up in the air and he's been the person to try and fix it.

Think we saw the best version of him when the Jorg/Rice/Øde trio settled last season, which coincided with even his harshest critics on here taking a step back. He looked like his best West Ham version in that role.

Clearly needs help from a proper DLP like Jorginho so I think failing to get such a player for this season could be a real problem.

 

[Buhry]

Balon'd Brexit

 

[Riou]

@Tir Na Nog

Boo him that bit extra for me tonight, brother