Graeme Souness has continued his campaign of speaking down on Declan Rice as he demands more from the Arsenal man and other midfielders of this generation.Before Rice, Souness had Paul Pogba as a favourite player whom he loved to talk about, and when the Frenchman left, he turned his attention to other players, with Rice becoming one of his favourites.The World Cup semi-finalist is Arsenal’s most expensive signing and has met expectations so far, which explains why few people have discussed his transfer fee. Generally, Rice is seen as one of the best midfielders in the world, and he rarely has a bad game for club and country.Souness Questions RiceThe former West Ham man can improve and helped Arsenal win the Premier League title last season. In his generation, there are few midfielders who come close to the Arsenal man, yet Souness doubts whether he could do well if he had played when the Liverpool icon played in England.Rice has established himself as an important player for Arsenal, while his performances have largely justified the significant fee the club paid for him. However, Souness continues to question whether modern midfielders would have succeeded under the conditions faced during his playing career.The former Liverpool midfielder believes players from his era faced different technical and physical demands, particularly because of the pitches and challenges they encountered.(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Souness Compares ErasHe said via the Daily Star: “Don’t ask me, ‘Could I play today?’ Ask me, ‘Could guys [like Declan Rice] have played in the 80s and before that?’“Where do you need the most technique? On a carpet when there’s no nasty challenges, or on a bobbly pitch where you’re having to take an extra touch all the time and people are launching themselves at you to hurt you?”Rice remains one of Arsenal’s most important players, but Souness clearly believes the modern game does not demand the same qualities required during his playing days._____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsGraeme Souness doubts Declan Rice could have survived if he played in the 80s14 September 2026, 22:00Opinion: Lewis-Skelly cannot afford bad games in an Arsenal shirt now14 September 2026, 21:00Emmanuel Petit thinks Arsenal dodged a bullet by missing out on summer signing14 September 2026, 20:00The post Graeme Souness doubts Declan Rice could have survived if he played in the 80s appeared first on Just Arsenal News.