Paul Scholes delivers blunt verdict on Declan Rice's leadership

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes Declan Rice is too 'emotional' to be a leader at Arsenal.

In Arsenal's 4-1 demolition of Tottenham on Sunday, Rice made a rare error that led to Spurs' lone goal in the first half.

There have been clips circulating around of him trying to push his team while also trying to calm them down in a big game, only to then make a mistake of his own.

Scholes had a lot to say about the kind of leadership that Rice offers, and how it is different from a captain like Roy Keane.

Paul Scholes delivers blunt verdict on Declan Rice's leadership

He said: “When Roy Keane was getting the team together and leading the team really well, there was a certain calmness about it. When I look at Declan Rice, he almost looks too emotional. He’s lively, he’s, 'Come on! Come on! Come on!', and then he makes his mistake.

“When you’re going for a league title, when you’ve got tough games, there has to be a calmness about you. I think potentially he’s a captain. It’s just when I look at him now, he’s so emotional. I don’t like all that when Rice was geeing up the crowd just moments before Kolo Muani’s goal in the game at the weekend. I don’t like people being so emotional like that.

It is safe to say that Scholes is being a little harsh on Rice. Obviously, Rice's mistake was clear as day. He messed up, and he would have apologised to the fans and his teammates.

However, it is not happening every week. Rice is one of the most consistent players in the world, not just at Arsenal, not just in the Premier League. He has been Arsenal's best player for a very long time, and he has also willed them to many, many victories since joining a few years ago.

All of that cannot be discounted after one bad judgement call that ultimately did not lead to anything.

It is also worth mentioning that there isn't just one kind of leader. Keane may have been a cool, calm and collected individual, but there are plenty of other players who have been similar to what Rice is like, and have done just fine.

Scholes is just giving his opinion on the matter, and that is completely fair, but it is not just supposed to be like that. People lead in different ways. People react to adversities in different ways, and that is something that people need to realise.

Besides, it is fair to say that Rice is also a leader by example. He does things that not many people do, and in doing so, inspires others to achieve more than they think they can. That also matters. That also counts as leadership.

Rice is doing really well, and one bad mistake cannot change that.