David Moyes may only have Declan Rice in claret and blue for a few more games but he wants more from him.
It has been made clear to Claret and Hugh since last summer that Dec will be on his way this year and even Moyes himself is now talking in terms of whether will he stay or go.
But that doesn’t stop him from declaring the captain needs more in his game declaring after the Gent game that he needs to show more personality.
He was asked by reporters whether after scoring against Bournemouth whether that is what he meant by the remark.
Moyes responded: “Taking ownership, Taking more leadership, of which he is capable. He has done an awful lot of good things this year. He can score and we know he can.
I just felt as though he could add to it. There are other parts which he can really take ownership of and he is doing that. He is doing a great job.”
Asked what he believed was holding him back from scoring more and if he was too defensive minded he added: “You might as Gareth Southgate the same questions. Why does he not score more goals for England.
“As his future goes on Dec will probably be someone who plays deeper rather than higher up the pitch.
“I would say while he is youthful he can do it because he has the energy and the ability, and he is still very young, but as his career progresses he may become a proper No 6.
“We play him in different roles depending on who we are playing, and that’s the way he plays for England as well.”
By Hughie Southon
Managers have to manage many different types of personalities in a squad. Some players need an arm around them and some players are a little more robust. My guess is that Dec is the robust type and has a strong personality. Whatever their relationship is, it seems to be working, even through our difficult spells, Dec always put in a shift.
It is really going to hurt when Dec leaves us, seeing him playing in another shirt, probably for one of our rivals with the media all over him, now saying what a great player he is and how is (Now) world-class, won’t make me happy.