More Rice

[palerider]

It's silly season in the sporting press, waiting to find out if an un-named PL player with a lisp really is the alleged wobber and wapist, and so, rumours of Declan to the plastics have begun to surface again.

It's generally the view that Fat Frank would have to fork out near to the asking price of 80 million and to fund it he'd have to unload some unwanted players, but it's also the view that Rice would not dismiss such a move out of hand.

So, if we hypothetically have a healthy-ish number of points on the old scoreboard by the end of January, do you think Statler and Waldorf would do the unthinkable and consider it ?

Obviously they'd need a replacement first.


That Danny Drinkwater would look good in claret and blue. Look at the impact he made at Burnley.

[Whiskyman]

It's inevitable that when an above average footballer plays for a below or average football club 99 times out of 100 he will eventually leave for a club befitting his status and ability as a player.

The days when players like our own Trevor Brooking and Southampton's Matt LeTissier stayed with their home club are long gone and, in any case, those guys were the exception , not the rule, back then.

I thought DR would be off in the summer. I'm obviously glad he wasn't but, unless we can build on our very encouraging form so far this season and push on upwards where we can realistically challenge for a Europa league spot and, more importantly provide some evidence we can do so consistently, I'm sure he will be gone someday soon.

Tbh at the moment Chelsea are doing OK without him ,and long may it continue. I'm saying that partly because of my bet on them but also because their current performances may lead them to believe they don't need to add to their squad. Declan is a very good player. The best we have imo. But he is, at least imo, no better than Kante, Kovacic or Jorginho, all of whom are also very good players. So hopefully the man himself may feel he's better off at the moment where he is. He must know he is a key member of the side and a certain starter. At Chelsea he would be a valued squad member, a semi regular for them but also competing for a starting jersey in the really key games.

So to summarise I think the ball is in West Ham's hands. Demonstrate we can make progress and he may decide it's worth resisting the overtures of the nigger boys and stay. But if we lapse into what has become our customary one step forward, two steps back mode could anyone blame him if he decided enough was enough . ?

Don't see him going in the January window. Summer ? Depends on our progress as a club I'd guess.

[BlackDiamond]

It's inevitable that when an above average footballer plays for a below or average football club 99 times out of 100 he will eventually leave for a club befitting his status and ability as a player.

The days when players like our own Trevor Brooking and Southampton's Matt LeTissier stayed with their home club are long gone and, in any case, those guys were the exception , not the rule, back then.

I thought DR would be off in the summer. I'm obviously glad he wasn't but, unless we can build on our very encouraging form so far this season and push on upwards where we can realistically challenge for a Europa league spot and, more importantly provide some evidence we can do so consistently, I'm sure he will be gone someday soon.

Tbh at the moment Chelsea are doing OK without him ,and long may it continue. I'm saying that partly because of my bet on them but also because their current performances may lead them to believe they don't need to add to their squad. Declan is a very good player. The best we have imo. But he is, at least imo, no better than Kante, Kovacic or Jorginho, all of whom are also very good players. So hopefully the man himself may feel he's better off at the moment where he is. He must know he is a key member of the side and a certain starter. At Chelsea he would be a valued squad member, a semi regular for them but also competing for a starting jersey in the really key games.

So to summarise I think the ball is in West Ham's hands. Demonstrate we can make progress and he may decide it's worth resisting the overtures of the nigger boys and stay. But if we lapse into what has become our customary one step forward, two steps back mode could anyone blame him if he decided enough was enough . ?

Don't see him going in the January window. Summer ? Depends on our progress as a club I'd guess.

If his form picks up - which it needs to - then Liverpool might be the more obvious destination than Chelsea. Because of Declan's versatility he would be a natural to fill the James Milner role at the club. And Liverpool are not shy of spending big.

That depends on Klopp's assessment of young Rice. The current club financials would suggest, that West Ham would much prefer to receive a big fee than retain the player.

If the club were better run, I would sack the manager and build for glory...but they aren't and they won't...

[only1salty]

It's silly season in the sporting press, waiting to find out if an un-named PL player with a lisp really is the alleged wobber and wapist, and so, rumours of Declan to the plastics have begun to surface again.

It's generally the view that Fat Frank would have to fork out near to the asking price of 80 million and to fund it he'd have to unload some unwanted players, but it's also the view that Rice would not dismiss such a move out of hand.

So, if we hypothetically have a healthy-ish number of points on the old scoreboard by the end of January, do you think Statler and Waldorf would do the unthinkable and consider it ?

Obviously they'd need a replacement first.


That Danny Drinkwater would look good in claret and blue. Look at the impact he made at Burnley.

Most definitely and to be quite honest - I would sell him aswell if £80m was the offer

Not because he isn't going to be a great player but because there is no point in losing money on an unhappy player. We lost a fortune on both Payet and Arnie because we didn't cash in at the right time or have a succession plan.

What we should have is TWO quality centre midfielders lined up and ready to come in now - the moment they cash in activate the signing and off we go. The Leicester and Southampton model.There are cash strapped clubs all over Europe and £40m will get some top notch players

What will actually happen is we will get TWO Will Salthouse clients on loan from the championship, claim the money has been spent on Benrahama and pocket at least 50% of the money. Deja vu of the summer.

[mkhammer]

Why Man City aren't sniffing around ,I don't know....they'd be a whole lot harder to beat with Dec...
Red Scouse are in all sorts of probs at moment...they lose Henderson as well,could well be the title gone this
year..so they might be having a look in Jan,is exactly the type of player Klomp likes,versatile.
(Trouble is Scouse fade away this year...could well let the Spuds in, or poss the Cheats, god forbid.....sorry Whisky.... )

If Cheats or Spuds were struggling..they'd be having a word, a quite one,with his agent,but they're not so doubt either
of them......Arse should be up and running with players they have,can't see where Dec fits in there...(CH maybe),but Parteys one
of the best around that MF role anyway.

Does Declan wanna go to the Frozen North,comes into it as well...,also he's Englands one of a few guaranteed
starters,so being with us isn't affecting that.....being paid what his worth now as well.....by PL footie standards anyway.

Think it's dependent on how we do....don't think he'll go Jan, really can't see it...if we struggle this year again,maybe
next season he'll be off...but we have a good one ..a Euro quali...might just keep him one more season again...
But think that'll be it...He should be off having some fun,earning as much as he can...I would be.

[palerider]

Why Man City aren't sniffing around ,I don't know....they'd be a whole lot harder to beat with Dec...
Red Scouse are in all sorts of probs at moment...they lose Henderson as well,could well be the title gone this
year..so they might be having a look in Jan,is exactly the type of player Klomp likes,versatile.
(Trouble is Scouse fade away this year...could well let the Spuds in, or poss the Cheats, god forbid.....sorry Whisky.... )

If Cheats or Spuds were struggling..they'd be having a word, a quite one,with his agent,but they're not so doubt either
of them......Arse should be up and running with players they have,can't see where Dec fits in there...(CH maybe),but Parteys one
of the best around that MF role anyway.

Does Declan wanna go to the Frozen North,comes into it as well...,also he's Englands one of a few guaranteed
starters,so being with us isn't affecting that.....being paid what his worth now as well.....by PL footie standards anyway.

Think it's dependent on how we do....don't think he'll go Jan, really can't see it...if we struggle this year again,maybe
next season he'll be off...but we have a good one ..a Euro quali...might just keep him one more season again...
But think that'll be it...He should be off having some fun,earning as much as he can...I would be.

His heart's set on Chelsea. So unless it's ridiculous personal terms of 300k a week or something, I can't see him going anywhere else. I mean....how do you spend all that money ?

Myself, I wouldn't get out of bed for less than 250k but that's just me.

The asking price remains at 80m. If they come up with it, he'll go. Not saying they will but it's a fact.

[mkhammer]

It's silly season in the sporting press, waiting to find out if an un-named PL player with a lisp really is the alleged wobber and wapist, and so, rumours of Declan to the plastics have begun to surface again.

It's generally the view that Fat Frank would have to fork out near to the asking price of 80 million and to fund it he'd have to unload some unwanted players, but it's also the view that Rice would not dismiss such a move out of hand.

So, if we hypothetically have a healthy-ish number of points on the old scoreboard by the end of January, do you think Statler and Waldorf would do the unthinkable and consider it ?

Obviously they'd need a replacement first.


That Danny Drinkwater would look good in claret and blue. Look at the impact he made at Burnley.

Most definitely and to be quite honest - I would sell him aswell if £80m was the offer

Not because he isn't going to be a great player but because there is no point in losing money on an unhappy player. We lost a fortune on both Payet and Arnie because we didn't cash in at the right time or have a succession plan.

What we should have is TWO quality centre midfielders lined up and ready to come in now - the moment they cash in activate the signing and off we go. The Leicester and Southampton model.There are cash strapped clubs all over Europe and £40m will get some top notch players

What will actually happen is we will get TWO Will Salthouse clients on loan from the championship, claim the money has been spent on Benrahama and pocket at least 50% of the money. Deja vu of the summer.

Always think the Payet transfer stuff is a bit misleading...we made just short of a Million a month in the time he was here with us...
don't know where that's been done before...we enjoyed him for 18 months...the guy didn't like us ...we got rid..
Wish he could have stayed, was a joy to watch...but don't see to much of a problem with that really....

[Whiskyman]

Why Man City aren't sniffing around ,I don't know....they'd be a whole lot harder to beat with Dec...
Red Scouse are in all sorts of probs at moment...they lose Henderson as well,could well be the title gone this
year..so they might be having a look in Jan,is exactly the type of player Klomp likes,versatile.
(Trouble is Scouse fade away this year...could well let the Spuds in, or poss the Cheats, god forbid.....sorry Whisky.... )

If Cheats or Spuds were struggling..they'd be having a word, a quite one,with his agent,but they're not so doubt either
of them......Arse should be up and running with players they have,can't see where Dec fits in there...(CH maybe),but Parteys one
of the best around that MF role anyway.

Does Declan wanna go to the Frozen North,comes into it as well...,also he's Englands one of a few guaranteed
starters,so being with us isn't affecting that.....being paid what his worth now as well.....by PL footie standards anyway.

Think it's dependent on how we do....don't think he'll go Jan, really can't see it...if we struggle this year again,maybe
next season he'll be off...but we have a good one ..a Euro quali...might just keep him one more season again...
But think that'll be it...He should be off having some fun,earning as much as he can...I would be.

His heart's set on Chelsea. So unless it's ridiculous personal terms of 300k a week or something, I can't see him going anywhere else. I mean....how do you spend all that money ?

Myself, I wouldn't get out of bed for less than 250k but that's just me.

The asking price remains at 80m. If they come up with it, he'll go. Not saying they will but it's a fact.

In dwarfese the translation is something along these lines:-

He's not for sale = Make us an offer
He's not for sale at any price = Make us an offer but make it a big one
We won't listen to any offers under £80 million = Offer us £70 million plus and he's yours

[palerider]

His heart's set on Chelsea. So unless it's ridiculous personal terms of 300k a week or something, I can't see him going anywhere else. I mean....how do you spend all that money ?

Myself, I wouldn't get out of bed for less than 250k but that's just me.

The asking price remains at 80m. If they come up with it, he'll go. Not saying they will but it's a fact.

In dwarfese the translation is something along these lines:-

He's not for sale = Make us an offer
He's not for sale at any price = Make us an offer but make it a big one
We won't listen to any offers under £80 million = Offer us £70 million plus and he's yours

Chapter 2.

We couldn't justifiably stand in the player's way = That's the loans we made to the club repaid.
It's clear that the player wanted the move and it was best for all concerned = That's the loans that we made to the club repaid.
The manager doesn't want an unsettled player in the dressing rom = That's the loans that we made to the club repaid.
We've made a huge profit on a player that cost us nothing and we move on = That's the loans we made to the club repaid.

Dwarfese is a complex language, like Mandarin, which has 5 ways to say banana.

[mkhammer]

Why Man City aren't sniffing around ,I don't know....they'd be a whole lot harder to beat with Dec...
Red Scouse are in all sorts of probs at moment...they lose Henderson as well,could well be the title gone this
year..so they might be having a look in Jan,is exactly the type of player Klomp likes,versatile.
(Trouble is Scouse fade away this year...could well let the Spuds in, or poss the Cheats, god forbid.....sorry Whisky.... )

If Cheats or Spuds were struggling..they'd be having a word, a quite one,with his agent,but they're not so doubt either
of them......Arse should be up and running with players they have,can't see where Dec fits in there...(CH maybe),but Parteys one
of the best around that MF role anyway.

Does Declan wanna go to the Frozen North,comes into it as well...,also he's Englands one of a few guaranteed
starters,so being with us isn't affecting that.....being paid what his worth now as well.....by PL footie standards anyway.

Think it's dependent on how we do....don't think he'll go Jan, really can't see it...if we struggle this year again,maybe
next season he'll be off...but we have a good one ..a Euro quali...might just keep him one more season again...
But think that'll be it...He should be off having some fun,earning as much as he can...I would be.

His heart's set on Chelsea. So unless it's ridiculous personal terms of 300k a week or something, I can't see him going anywhere else. I mean....how do you spend all that money ?

Myself, I wouldn't get out of bed for less than 250k but that's just me.

The asking price remains at 80m. If they come up with it, he'll go. Not saying they will but it's a fact.

Might be wrong mate...but like to think he's an Iron now..he prefers us...most guys,nearly all,supported a different team,
when they were a kid...Kane was a gooner...Terry one of us....Our Bill...was a south of the water Charlton man..
so not a new thing..
But your right if he's gonna go anywhere..he'd want there...all makes sense..
Thing is IF he goes..(like say dont think so)...and we have 80 mill under the mattress (prob where they keep it.. )
Every club knows we have it ,so a 30 Mill player becomes a 45 mill player to us...negotiating aint our strong point.....

Thats the trouble when you're a hand to mouth ,monthly Budget Club...with no long term ideas or plans...