Vieira praises ‘perfect’ midfielder
Odegaard’s injury has put added pressure on Rice, but the midfielder appears to be rising to the challenge. Among those impressed by Rice’s consistent talent was club legend Patrick Vieira, who described the England player as a “complete midfielder”.
The French icon told The Sun newspaper: “I’m a big fan of Rice. He’s a complete midfielder. When you watch him, you can see he has this kind of mobility. He can go forward. He can win the ball. He’s really powerful and one of the best players.”
Vieira praised Rice for leading by example. He added: “When I was at Arsenal, there was Tony Adams who was central to Arsenal. He was really vocal and really impressive.
“I was different. I was more reserved. So Hart has a different type and profile of leadership. His style is different from Declan’s. But at the same time, he’s very technical, very elegant. He shows the same leadership, but in his own way.”
Bold praise for Arteta
Despite failing to win a trophy since taking over, Arteta is highly regarded as a manager who can lead the club to Premier League glory. The Gunners have finished second in the league for the past three seasons, but this season they look more poised than ever to win the title thanks to the depth of their squad.
This glowing endorsement comes from former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, who is shocked by the way Arteta has turned Arsenal into serious contenders for major trophies.
The Match of the Day and talkSPORT pundit told BetRight: “Mikel Arteta is a talented manager who should win the Premier League. The progress he has made at Arsenal has been extraordinary and they are now very close to the title, even if it has taken a little longer than some fans would have liked.”
“There was some frustration in the last few years because they were so close and there was nothing to show for it. But the change is clear. You can see what Arteta is trying to do. They have a great structure and are very organised.”
Arteta’s only main qualification remains the FA Cup from 2020, but Murphy believes criticism of his tenure is unfair. He said: “Arteta was unlucky. Two seasons ago, if it weren’t for Manchester City, Arteta would have won the league in most years. I think the recent criticism of Arteta is unfair. I admire his frankness and single-minded ambition.”
“The problem a manager faces is that at big clubs you are judged by the trophies you win. If you look beyond trophies, Arsenal are improving every season. The level they are playing is the highest we have seen in a long time. The difference this year is they have the depth in the squad to achieve that.”
