West Ham United fans can see clearly that their brilliant midfield star Declan Rice is playing with the handbrake on for England.
And it is all because of the tactics being employed by Gareth Southgate to accommodate Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
West Ham and Leeds heroes Rice and Phillips were highly praised after England’s opening Euro 2020 win over Croatia.
Rice and Phillips proved to be two of the best players in their positions for West Ham and Leeds last season.
Rice and Phillips prove two of the best driving West Ham and Leeds to successful seasons
Rice drove the Hammers to a sixth place finish and secured Europa League football. But West Ham agonisingly finished just one win off making a Champions League spot.
But the England midfield partnership made in east London and Leeds has been criticised in some quarters since that opening game.
It has been labelled unnecessary by some. And West Ham fans were fuming when Rice was substituted at half-time of the 1-0 win over Czech Republic.
It was a slap in the face for Rice who was up against West Ham teammate Tomas Soucek.
Many Leeds fans regularly troll Rice on social media, claiming Phillips is the better player.
But West Ham fans know they are different animals and Rice is very much shackled when playing for England.
Hammers fans feel Rice is completely shackled by Southgate’s England tactics and Three Lions are getting half the player
When Rice breaks up an opposition move for West Ham he uses his supreme athleticism to burst forward often carrying the ball 50 or 60 yards to spring counter attacks.
It was key to West Ham’s excellent campaign. Phillips – as good a player as he is technically – does not possess the same dynamism and power.
Yet Rice has been sacrificed in the relationship with the Leeds man playing further forward and Rice rarely coming past the halfway line.
To most West Ham fans Southgate is getting it all wrong with Rice. And England are only getting half the player because of it.
Now speaking to England’s YouTube channel, West Ham star Rice tried to be diplomatic but ultimately admitted he is following Southgate’s orders by playing a more reserved role to accommodate Leeds man Phillips.
“I don’t think it differs much because here I play in a two-man midfield like I do with (Tomas) Soucek at West Ham,” Rice said on England’s YouTube channel.
Rice admits he is following Southgate’s orders as Phillips plays the ‘Soucek role’ while he is told to strictly sit
“Obviously in this tournament you’ve seen that me and Kalvin Phillips have played together and he’s kind of been the Soucek in that way in kind of being more advanced up the pitch.
“And my job is always – kind of like at West Ham – where I sit in front of the back four and protect the defence.
“But with me I always want to do what the manager tells me to do. I’m not going to go out there and do anything different. You know I want to express myself of course but at the end of the day we’re at a tournament, I want us to win games so I’m not going to go out there and try and do something to not make the team play well.
“I’m going to stay solid and stay to my jobs which I know I’ve got to do.”
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