Dean Saunders’ comments on Declan Rice before the Wales vs England World Cup clash prove just how clueless he is.
England comfortably beat Wales 3-0 out in Qatar last night in the final game of Group B.
The Three Lions qualified as group winners, whilst Wales finished bottom.
There is genuine belief in England that Gareth Southgate’s side can go all the way and lift the World Cup trophy on December 18th.
A key component to the Three Lions side is Declan Rice. Southgate proved just how important the 23-year-old is by bringing him off last night with around 35 minutes still to play, in order to ensure that he would be fit to face Senegal on Sunday night.
The West Ham star is essentially undroppable. That fact seemed to escape high-profile Welshman Dean Saunders prior to kick-off last night though…
Saunders’ comments on Rice before the Wales vs England World Cup clash prove how clueless he is
The ex Wales, Liverpool and Aston Villa striker spoke to Wales Online before last night’s World Cup clash out in Qatar:
I would definitely start with Aaron Ramsey. The point is, if England decide to leave out Declan Rice, they can pick Phil Foden, or Jack Grealish, Jordan Henderson or Mason Mount in his place. We haven’t got the standard of player in reserve that we can say, ‘let’s just play him instead’. Look at the one goal we have scored so far. It was scored by Gareth Bale and made by Aaron Ramsey. I would definitely play both.
Now, Saunders may have been speaking rhetorically, but still the point remains. Southgate would never leave Rice out of a game with any kind of meaning or importance attached to it.
Saunders should have just used another name instead of Rice – we all know that he’s one of the first names’s on Gareth Southgate’s England team-sheet.
Sure, he was subbed off last night, but that was because the game was wrapped up and Southgate was protecting him.
You can bet your bottom dollar that had the game not been put to bed, Rice wouldn’t have been taken off.
The Wales vs England World Cup clash played out exactly how I thought it would last night. And Southgate will have been delighted that he had the chance to rest Rice with some huge games on the horizon.
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