Gary Neville always has a lot to say about Arsenal.
The Premier League legend has often made controversial comments about the Gunners, many of which have angered the fans.
Just last season, Neville disagreed with Mikel Arteta’s decision to deploy Declan Rice at right-back during a game against Brighton.
“Playing Rice at right back was one of the strangest decisions I’ve seen this season,” he said at the time.
Neville changed his mind on that during England’s recent win against Congo.
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Gary Neville was ‘crying out’ for Declan Rice to play at right-back for England
Declan Rice was used at right-back late in England’s win over Congo.
Thomas Tuchel is missing Reece James in that role, and with the Three Lions in need of a different option, he turned to Rice.
The Arsenal man actually looked comfortable in that role and did a good job in the little period that he played in that position.
Gary Neville, who didn’t like Rice in that role just a few months ago, has now claimed that he made a U-turn during that game.
He said, as per The Metro: “He [Rice] went to right-back for Arsenal in a game at West Ham I watched a few months ago, and I thought it was the wrong decision by Mikel Arteta at the time.
“But I was actually crying out for it in the second half (of England vs Congo) to put him there.”
Neville went on to highlight Tuchel’s mistake of not calling up enough reliable right-backs into his England World Cup squad.
That has led to Rice having to play there, which is not ideal at all.
Arsenal fans…What should Thomas Tuchel do with Declan Rice in the next two games?
Declan Rice at right-back is not the answer
Rice can do a job in most positions on the pitch, but that does not mean he should be forced to play there.
The Englishman is already carrying an injury, and moving him to a demanding role after already giving his all in the middle of the park was never a good idea.
Tuchel has decided against starting Rice at right-back against Mexico in England’s next World Cup game, and that is the right thing to do.
Rice’s fitness needs to be managed very carefully going forward. If England are in a comfortable position, he should come off and rest for the remaining games.
Moving him to right-back, unless it’s absolutely necessary, is not the answer.
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