Chris Sutton: West Ham star Declan Rice only 4.5/10 after England 0-0 v USA
Chris Sutton has rated England players for The Daily Mail after their 0-0 v the USA, and West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has managed only 4.5 out of ten.
While writing his column for the newspaper (26 November, page 123), Sutton suggested that Rice had a “tough” night, and described him as a “nightwatchman”.
The Three Lions have picked up four points from their opening two games, and a win against Wales in their final game should take them into the next round.
“England’s nightwatchman. Bellingham and Mount are given licence to get further forward but Rice stays back as a safety net. But the defensive midfielder who impressed the most was Tyler Adams of Leeds. He was here, there and everywhere. Rice had a tough night,” wrote Sutton.
System
Sutton is probably harsh on Rice as he doesn’t deserve such a low rating.
It’s true that it wasn’t a spectacular performance from the Hammers midfielder, but he did put in a decent effort in midfield.
To be fair, there was a lack of creativity and imagination from the England side, and Sutton wasn’t particularly impressed with anyone, with Harry Maguire getting the highest rating at 6/10.
Bukayo Saka got the lowest at 4/10, while Jude Bellingham, Rice’s midfield partner, also got a 4.5 rating.
It’s a conundrum for Gareth Southgate to strike the midfield balance, and he needs to find a way to get the best out of Rice.
The Hammers star is a top-quality holding midfielder who can be a “safety net” for the defence. But Rice can bring a lot more to the game if he is given the freedom.
Southgate wants to give more licence to the likes of Mason Mount and Bellingham, and it’s the system that restricts Rice to expand his game.
With a crucial game against Wales coming up next, let’s hope, Rice can show his class once again.