Declan Rice or Jude Bellingham?

Is summer finally here?

After the “hottest May on record” (really?), the sun is finally shining. I think a walk through Epping Forest and then a pub lunch is needed today. The walk much needed to work off the weekend excess.

Yesterday is was a little walk around Farringdon and Islington having a few beers. Found a boozer called the The Marian Anderson where it was only £4 a pint!

Everywhere we went people were engrossed with the Champions League final. I did not watch a minute.

Whilst I do The Arsenal home and away, I struggle to watch other football unless the result influences what we might achieve. Dortmund v Madrid in the final had little interest for me.

A debate was had in one of my WhatsApp groups over Jude Bellingham v Declan Rice. For me there is only one winner and that is Rice.

Declan Rice is vastly superior in defensive midfield than Bellingham. Jude has not really played deep in his career and tends to float around in an old school 10 position. Were he to play as the deepest midfielder, he would be exposed.

As for playing in the 10, Rice has shown his ability in more advanced positions this season and I am sure if he did play in behind a striker, or even as a “false 9”, he would excel.

He certainly has the ball striking to be an influence in the opposing box, and his barnstorming powerful runs would be hard to stop. I will concede Bellingham is a better attacking midfielder, but the drop off from Bellingham to Rice in the 10 is a lot less than Rice to Bellingham in defensive positions.

I would also say Rice is a better traditional central midfielder (the cool kids call it the “8”). And again that is down to his defensive work rate. Rice is just the better all round midfielder.

What I would also say is Bellingham is just 20-years-old. He is a tremendous footballer and his game awareness will only improve as he plays more. I can certainly see him transitioning to playing deeper as his career progresses.

This summer, I really want to see a midfield 3 of Rice, Bellingham and Foden for England. Rice being that defensive lynchpin and then Bellingham and Foden playing ahead in a similar style to what both Arsenal and Manchester City play. You could then have Bukayo Saka and Ollie Watkins either side of Harry Kane.

For those that say “what about Cole Palmer?”, you do not need to try and shoe horn all your good players into a team. Palmer will be a great asset coming off the bench for Saka, Foden or Watkins depending on who is having the underwhelming game.

My final thought on this is who you believe is better might also be influenced by who you think your team needs more.

Real Madrid have a hole host of defensive minded midfielders, so would not need a Declan Rice. Bellingham is more suited to them. Meanwhile, in the more physical, higher paced Premier League, having a world class DM is a difference maker. Rice is more suited to The Arsenal.

Anyway, I am off into the forest. Been a while since I have just aimlessly wondered through it. Not sure which pub I will aim at for lunch. Any suggestion?

Keenos