Bold Mikel Arteta claim made as Declan Rice verdict speaks volumes | Football | Sport
Vieira praises ‘complete’ midfielder
Odegaard’s injury has placed additional pressure on Rice, but the midfielder seems to be rising to the challenge. Among those impressed by Rice’s consistent brilliance is club legend Patrick Vieira, who has described the England player as a “complete midfielder.”
The French icon told The Sun: “I’m a big fan of Rice. He’s a complete midfielder. When I watch him, I see he’s got this kind of mobility. He can go forward. He can win the ball, he’s really powerful and one of the best around.”
Vieira commended the way Rice leads by example. He added: “When I was at Arsenal, you had Tony Adams, who was the heart of Arsenal. He was really vocal, really impressive.
“I was different. I was more reserved. So there is a different type and profile of leadership of heart. That style is different from Declan. But at the same time, he’s so technical, so elegant. He shows the same leadership but in his own way.”
Bold praise for Arteta
Despite a lack of trophies since taking over as boss, Arteta has been hailed as a manager capable of leading the club to Premier League glory. The Gunners have finished second in the league for the past three seasons, but this term they seem better equipped than ever to clinch the title, thanks to their impressive squad depth.
This glowing endorsement comes from ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, who has been struck by how Arteta has transformed Arsenal into serious contenders for major trophies.
Speaking to BetWright, the Match of the Day and talkSPORT pundit said: “Mikel Arteta is a Premier League-winning-calibre manager. The progression at Arsenal has been exceptional, and they’re getting really close to a title now, even though it’s taken a bit longer than what some fans would’ve wanted.
“There’s been some frustration in the last few years as they’ve been so close, but have had nothing to show for it. The transformation is clear though; you can see what Arteta is trying to do, they’ve got great structure and are very organised.”
Arteta’s sole major silverware remains the FA Cup from 2020, yet Murphy considers the criticism of his tenure to be unjust. He said: “Arteta has been unlucky in that, two seasons ago, they would’ve won the league in most years had it not been for Manchester City. I thought the recent criticism on Arteta was unfair. I admire his forthright, single-minded ambition.
“The issue that managers face is, at big clubs, you’re judged by trophies won. If you look past the trophies, Arsenal have improved every season. The levels they’re playing at are at the highest we’ve seen for a long time. The difference this year is that they now have the squad depth to do it.”
