Declan Rice: Luxury Price, Missing Spice

[Goonger]

There's been a fair bit creaming of PSG's performance Vs Liverpool, and quite rightly so, it's been impressive.

I spoke about this on the transfer thread, but their midfield was made up of Vitinha - Neves - Ruiz. Genuine question, is that midfield much more creative than say a Rice - Ødegaard - Zubimendi midfield in big games?

 

[Rasmi]

There's been a fair bit creaming of PSG's performance Vs Liverpool, and quite rightly so, it's been impressive.

I spoke about this on the transfer thread, but their midfield was made up of Vitinha - Neves - Ruiz. Genuine question, is that midfield much more creative than say a Rice - Ødegaard - Zubimendi midfield in big games?

One is much better at keeping the ball and technically way more secure. City couldn’t get the ball of this psg midfield and had 36% possession. City dominate us on the ball all the time


Think Zubimendi is excessive when you have Rice already.

 

[bastun]

There's been a fair bit creaming of PSG's performance Vs Liverpool, and quite rightly so, it's been impressive.

I spoke about this on the transfer thread, but their midfield was made up of Vitinha - Neves - Ruiz. Genuine question, is that midfield much more creative than say a Rice - Ødegaard - Zubimendi midfield in big games?

This midfield will get eaten alive in the prem. We bullied PSG earlier this season and won the battle exactly in midfield. Liverpool's midfield is their weak point, so no wonder they got dominated.

 

[Goonger]

One is much better at keeping the ball and technically way more secure. City couldn’t get the ball of this psg midfield and had 36% possession. City dominate us on the ball all the time


Think Zubimendi is excessive when you have Rice already.

I'm not an expert but is that not what Zubimendis main asset is, being a ball distributor / recycler like Jorginho?

 

[The Ducking Duck]

I'm not an expert but is that not what Zubimendis main asset is, being a ball distributor / recycler like Jorginho?

Zubimendi is not creative if that's what you are asking.

 

[Goonger]

Zubimendi is not creative if that's what you are asking.

I'm not saying he is. My question is more about the midfield in general. We assume we need to play Rice at the 6 with 2 more forward thinking number 10's to get more creativity in the team. However, is the midfield 3 we are seeing from PSG currently particularly creative, or does the creativity more come from wide players that are more complete than what we can offer? (bar Saka).

Of course, they do have pacey athletic full backs, but i wouldn't say they were getting in behind the Liverpool defence a lot last night.

 

[Rasmi]

I'm not an expert but is that not what Zubimendis main asset is, being a ball distributor / recycler like Jorginho?

Nah neves and vitinha are more than just recyclers. Have a lot more to their game

 

[Goonger]

Nah neves and vitinha are more than just recyclers. Have a lot more to their game

Don't get me wrong, I don't think there was many so keen as I was on Neves last season, so I rate the guy. I'm just trying to pose the question if we think we can get the rumoured midfield we are looking at for next season functioning well enough with additions to the attack.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

If there's a weakness for Liverpool it is in that CM region. At times they can overrun. PSG exploited it last night to their credit.

Didn't work that way earlier in the season against us though. They're the exact profile of players Rice steamrollers, as he showed as the Emirates.

 

[Trilly]

Yeah I'm not having a go at him for it, it's a pretty normal thing as you say it shows he's human. Just funny how obvious he is with it.

Yeah I didn’t think you was!

 

[The Ducking Duck]

Love that

We just dropped 2 points against an awful team when we need to catch the league leaders but this guy act like he just lost his virginity to Carmen Electra. A complete loser.

 

[coleio]

One is much better at keeping the ball and technically way more secure. City couldn’t get the ball of this psg midfield and had 36% possession. City dominate us on the ball all the time


Think Zubimendi is excessive when you have Rice already.

Not watched us the past two seasons have you?

 

[Batman]

We just dropped 2 points against an awful team when we need to catch the league leaders but this guy act like he just lost his virginity to Carmen Electra. A complete loser.

Maybe when you lose yours you won't be so angry all the time.

 

[Riou]

When I see the starting 11 tonight, feel Rice has finally found where he should be playing

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

There's been a fair bit creaming of PSG's performance Vs Liverpool, and quite rightly so, it's been impressive.

I spoke about this on the transfer thread, but their midfield was made up of Vitinha - Neves - Ruiz. Genuine question, is that midfield much more creative than say a Rice - Ødegaard - Zubimendi midfield in big games?

I don't know about more creative but certainly more incisive and cohesive. Ode is the most creative and he could be deployed to better effect. Neves and Rice are both good but Neves is that bit more decisive. Ruiz vs Zubi- I've no idea. It's about more than the midfield in truth. With no pace in the midfield, no LW along with no interchange in the front three, it's all a moot point.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Last season he got 17G/A. This season he involved in 13G/A and could add more before season end and for a midfielder that good numbers

 

[Goonger]

I don't know about more creative but certainly more incisive and cohesive. Ode is the most creative and he could be deployed to better effect. Neves and Rice are both good but Neves is that bit more decisive. Ruiz vs Zubi- I've no idea. It's about more than the midfield in truth. With no pace in the midfield, no LW along with no interchange in the front three, it's all a moot point.

But that was also the point I was trying to make. We basically have Saka that's at the level of the PSG forwards, the others I'd say are a step down.

So would getting better forwards solve a lot of our creativity issues, or do we need what many are asking for and that's a more attacking signing for that central midfield position instead of Zubimendi?

 

[Fabregasm]

Last season he got 17G/A. This season he involved in 13G/A and could add more before season end and for a midfielder that good numbers

He can reach 20 G/A but the haters will still tell you his celebration is not up to standard

 

[Mitch]

One is much better at keeping the ball and technically way more secure. City couldn’t get the ball of this psg midfield and had 36% possession. City dominate us on the ball all the time


Think Zubimendi is excessive when you have Rice already.

Also Rice dominated and bullied PSG's midfield.

 

[Rasmi]

Also Rice dominated and bullied PSG's midfield.

We had 35% possession at home against PSG and they didn’t have Dembele or kvaratskhelia. Also it doesn’t matter what you did in the group stage as we saw with Liverpool