KANSAS CITY — Declan Rice is seen as a bit of a joker. When you spend any time with him, he is open, jovial and can’t finish any sentence, no matter the subject, without a broad smile on his face.
There is a reason why many who know him refer to Rice as the “vibe controller” and, with Thomas Tuchlel’s preferred buzzword being “brotherhood”, such a facet is pivotal to England’s World Cup cause.
Rice’s ultra force of personality and impact on his teammates makes him almost impossible to leave out now he is back fit to face DR Congo. But there’s one burgeoning relationship that adds another layer to Rice’s acumen. One he is helping foster into something truly special.
“We had a great chat the other day,” Rice said of turning confidant for Manchester City-bound Elliot Anderson. “We sat outside on the beanbags. I just said to him that he can’t control the price that he’s going for.
‘One of the best’
“I couldn’t control what I went for, he can’t control what he’s going for. Why he’s going for that price is because he’s been one of the best players in Europe this season. I was trying to give him a bit of perspective that the price tag is just noise.”
Anderson’s £116m move to Manchester City is not confirmed yet, but it is as good as done. That means Tuchel could have three £100m midfielders available to him in one line-up given Rice and Bellingham’s own fees.
Bellingham excelled in a deeper role against Panama, in Rice’s absence through injury – a knock that was more of a dead leg than an actual calf problem.
While Tuchel may be tempted to go with something similar, deploying either Morgan Rogers or Eberechi Eze in a No 10 role ahead of Bellingham, Rice’s explanation of that telepathy developing between him and Anderson alone should be enough to force a rethink.
“He’s one of the best I’ve played with,” Rice continues. “If he doesn’t get the ball, he has a little dig at you because he wants it. I think our first nine to 10 months together have been amazing as a new partnership.
“Sometimes it’s hard because when you play against low blocks. I feel like as the games keep going on and teams become more expansive against us, you’ll keep seeing the best of me, El [Anderson], Jude, and the rest of the team. Those are the types of games we want because that’s what we’re used to at our clubs — being active, having really good rhythm on the pitch, and finding each other in good spaces. What we are good at.”
England’s generational force
While DR Congo will set up to contain rather than dictate in Atlanta, they will not set up as negatively as Carlos Queiroz did when Ghana needed only a point from last week’s group-stage clash.
While supporters were quick to lament England’s tepid display in Boston, with their anodyne approach continuing in the first half in New Jersey against Panama, breaking through stymied backlines has stumped some of the greatest footballing minds.
The lack of jeopardy in the group stage helped teams take such an approach, once they had a win under their belts. Unless you want to rely on penalties, knockout football naturally encourages more endeavour, even in small doses.
A midfield three of Rice, Anderson and Bellingham is a potentially generational force. Tuchel’s experiment of moving Bellingham forward to play off Harry Kane as a natural No 10 has not worked. A flatter 4-3-3 may just be that modus operandi.
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Bellingham should play deeper, that much is clear. Yet with the level of understanding Anderson and Rice are developing, and the ostensible respect between the pair, his inclusion should not be at the expense of the Premier League winner.
England were occasionally vulnerable with only Anderson to protect the backline out of possession. That cannot be allowed to happen again. Rice solves that problem and can simultaneously do so without stifling England’s most potent weapon from deep.
And, in a team picked as much on the vibes as talent, there is nobody better at keeping England gunning for glory in their heads as well as their feet.
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