Almost two years have passed since former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane delivered a withering assessment of Declan Rice.
Fast forward to last night, and Keane’s comments rang true as Newcastle United dumped Arsenal out of the League Cup.
Rice spent much of the night chasing shadows and was fortunate not to be dismissed late in the game for a petulant challenge on Bruno Guimaraes.
Arsenal should cut their losses on Rice
Arsenal’s mind-boggling £105 million outlay on Rice is increasingly difficult to justify.
He was all at sea at St James’ Park as the Gunners crashed out of the League Cup. This is not how it is meant to be for ‘big players’.
Rice was signed to dominate games and lead Arsenal to silverware. He had the chance to prove his worth last night and failed miserably.
He was culpable for Newcastle’s second goal. While goalkeeper David Raya’s pass was risky, £105m players should be able to cope under pressure.
Rice’s antics late in the game demonstrated his weak mentality. Endless arguing with referees after committing blatant fouls is not a good look.
Constantly gesticulating at teammates rather than rectifying his own shortcomings also cast further doubt on his mindset.
Ex-Man United defender Gary Neville described Rice as ‘England’s best midfielder’ during the game. He’s not and never will be.
If Arsenal are serious about becoming regular contenders for major silverware, they should cut their losses on Rice this summer.
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