I like your optimism. Genuinely I do.
I’m feeling pretty gloomy about our chances of actually buying anyone in January. Or, I’m feeling pretty gloomy because it’s January. Maybe both.
Musiala or Wirz with a clinical striker in front of them would be amazing! And yeah, I’m longing for another Ozil level transfer.
For me Ozil, Auba, and Rice have been massive for us…Auba probably got me the most excited as I always wanted him here at Arsenal.
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You really think Rice has been that big a signing? I don’t think he looks like what I expect the most expensive English player of all time to look like.
He’s very uninspiring in a lot of what he does and doesn’t seem to have really transformed our midfield like you’d expect a £105m signing to have done.
He’s had some nice moments but I’m not all that convinced he’s really special.
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Rice has been an exceptional midfielder for us. I think he had a great first season. He has shown that same level at times this season and feel he is getting back to his best now.
I said, and I still maintain that he will become the most dominant midfielder in the PL. He walks into any of our rivals teams. That’s the sign of a top quality player.
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What’s so special about him though? I haven’t seen an exceptional midfielder I’ve seen a good midfielder who’s had some good games for us but he isn’t a great passer, doesn’t seem confident enough to carry the ball that often.
His strengths are his recovery of the ball and shielding the defence but I can’t see anything exceptional outside of that.
I genuinely didn’t know what to do with myself when Ozil signed - was super excited. Auba was a brilliant signing but it was dampened by Alexis leaving. Rice was a huge statement.
I was debating this with someone the other day, who do you think is the better player currently?
- Matheus Cunha
- Joao Pedro
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voters
Who do you think has a higher ceiling?
- Matheus Cunha
- Joao Pedro
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voters
I’m surprised that I have to set that out for you. As an Arsenal fan it has been so frustrating that we didn’t have a top quality defensive midfielder. For years we’ve been crying out for a player like Rice. Now we have one, some fans like you are questioning his effectiveness! 
Under Arteta we went out and bought the best midfielder available. He is excellent at No.6 and also done incredibly well as a No.8. Transformational player IMO and I’m sticking by that!
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This was my first year as a season ticket holder. Remember coming back home after beating Spurs in the NLD and then when the news broke about Ozil, it was simply amazing. He had such an impact on that team. Signing Alexis the year after just added to that. We just needed to add to that the following summer!
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I’ll ask again - what’s so exceptional about him?
A top quality defensive midfielder, one of the best players currently in that position, and the type of player we have been crying out for since we lost Vieira and Gilberto…of course there is nothing exceptional about him lol!
You’re giving me politician answers lol
I like Rice I just question what’s so exceptional about him? If we’ve paid £105m for someone who’s good at tackling and recovering the ball then it just doesn’t feel like we’ve got a good deal.
Each to their own. I think Rice is one of the best defensive midfielders out there and think he has demonstrated that in his short time at Arsenal. No going to debate it if you simply have a different opinion.
I do think it is interesting though that you don’t rate Rice in the same way you don’t rate Zubimendi. IMO the two of them will become the dominant midfielder partnership in the PL.
This will be the third time I’ve asked you now - what’s so exceptional about Rice?
What does he do that’s so exceptional that you hold him in such high regard?
Is it his passing? His ball carrying? Tell me mate
Sorry but this is turning into one of those debates that I used to have with @BigWeng_4LYFE. Has he taken over your account?
You can disagree with me, but I think I’ve answered your question. Rice been an exceptional DM for us (and everything that this involves in terms of interceptions, breaking up the opposition play, and progressing the play for us). He also played very well during our run at the end of last season at No.8. He is every bit as good asI thought he would be and I think he has more to come.
FIFY
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Ball carrying and interceptions. Not 105m worth but not really any player is.
I’m judging him against other PL midfielders rather than his fee and I think he stacks up in the second tier (Rodri almost in a tier on his own at the top), despite a drop off this season compared to last. I agree with some of your comments about him as we’ve discussed before, but he’s been very good.
I do think there’s an argument that Rice wasn’t exceptional at anything at the time we bought him.
It’s the whole package that made him an 100m player.
I guess a quality of his we probably didn’t know he had and he may actually end up becoming exceptional at are his deliveries from set pieces. They’re becoming ridiculous to defend against.
He actually pulled off a similar delivery in open play against Villa to Martinelli which almost resulted in a goal. I think it’s something he’s working on.
Rice has been good but I think he’d have been better if we’d had the luxury of playing him in one position with a settled team with a settled formation.
Arsenal fans didn’t see the best of Xhaka until he made that left-hand role his own under Arteta.
Rice seems to spend most matches playing defensively organising those around him and running around trying to mop-up. And thank fuck he does. He’s lined up with Partey, Jorginho, Merino, Havertz, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Trossard, ESR and Vieira in the middle in just over a year and a half.
As a result, I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him and his forward play seems to have regressed since he joined. Hopefully once we’ve finished the rebuild of the midfield this summer he’ll improve.
Rice does not have much flaws in his game.
Very solid in every department, very.
Not yet exceptional but definitely has the potential to be exceptional.
Potential future skipper of England and one of the best two way England midfielders in the market.
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