Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist tell West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice to get on with it
Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist have responded to Declan Rice concerns over fixture congestion and told the West Ham man to “get on with it”.
The England international has hit out at the fixture schedule in the 2022/23 season and brandished the number of games as “obscene” with the World Cup fast approaching [quoted by Daily Mail, 6 October]
However, talkSPORT pair McCoist and Brazil have told the West Ham man not to worry, insisting that he will get a day off after the World Cup in Qatar.
Talking on talkSPORT Breakfast [06:39, 6 October], Brazil said Rice’s comments are “ridiculous”.
McCoist then said: “Come on Declan, you’re the same as me, just get on with it Declan, you’ve got a World Cup to look forward to, playing some brilliant games.”
Brazil added: “He’ll get a break after the World Cup, I am sure they’ll say Declan, just chill.”
A lot of games
To be fair to Rice, he has played a ridiculous amount of games over the past couple of years and is right to be concerned over his welfare. Considering he is such an integral part of David Moyes’ team he will more than likely be thrown back into the action straight after the World Cup.
Resting the 23-year-old during the Hammers’ Europa Conference League fixtures may be the smarter move from Moyes to ensure that he is fully fit for West Ham’s crucial league and cup matches.
This season was always going to be like no other with the World Cup wedged into the middle of the campaign. The earlier start also meant that players didn’t have as long to recover after the culmination of the 2021/22 season.
It’s understandable to see why Rice is frustrated. The decision for a winter World Cup to take place was always a bizarre one and it’s going to have a drastic impact on how Europe’s domestic leagues play out towards the end of the campaign.