da dobrowin： Slaven Bilic was widely criticised for his decision to hook off promising youngster Declan Rice at half time against Newcastle United after committing an error, not least because his involvement in the first team since has been minimal.
da luck： But Bilic has turned to the Carabao Cup as the competition to give the 18-year-old more experience at senior level, starting him in the 3-0 win over Bolton Wanderers and again last night as the Hammers staged a stunning comeback to beat London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at Wembley.
The Irons were their usual shambolic selves in the first half as Tottenham cut them open twice but they rallied together during the interval and their second-half performance was superb, Rice earning the plaudits for the composure he showed despite the pressure created by the uncertainty over his manager’s future.
And tellingly of how impressive the youngster – who Transfermarkt value at £450k – was at Wembley, he made the most interceptions of any West Ham player while ranking joint-second for tackles and clearances. He also weighed in with one block, showing a willingness to put his body on the line, and calmly completed 97% of his passes.
Considering Bilic allegedly needs a positive result against Crystal Palace this weekend to save his job and that West Ham’s more experienced defenders just haven’t delivered this season, with 17 Premier League goals conceded already, should Rice keep his place in the team for the trip to Selhurst Park? Let us know by voting below…