When was Rafael ever "terrible" for us? I don't know what some fans see when they watch football.
2
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 11
- Clean sheets
- 4
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 2
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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If he somehow manages to not get injured. Which looks increasingly unlikely.
Rafael lost his job to a winger with no defensive abilities whatsoever and couldn't get it back, he is not suddenly going to turn to a world beater in another team.
It is one thing to be sympathetic, but some of the comments on here will leave you thinking we are about to lose one of the best players in the world (in the last 2 seasons), oh well.
That's true. Although he only actually missed 9 games due to injury up until the end of April last season. Then he fractured a rib which is not exactly a chronic or repeatable injury.
Oh Rafa 
When you look around at the standard of right backs currently, a player with his ability is not a million miles away. I'm not being sympathetic at all, I just genuinely think he's a far better player than many on here give him credit for. Doesn't really matter what I think though because Van Gaal isn't a fan.
Veron didn't make it here and Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder didn't make it at Real Madrid for whatever reasons. Doesn't mean they aren't great players. Sometimes a coach just doesn't like a player or things don't work out.
No one said anything like that, you are the one who posts this exaggerated nonsense.
Wasnt actually addressing a particular comment, Rafa in the 2012/13 season was a top 10 RB, but he has since regressed due to injuries, he isn't that player anymore, infact i was still optimistic about his abilities till i watched him against Spurs at WHL, at 25 it is definitely probable that he won't surpass his best season with us and with his current injury record he might never get to that level again, which is why i think we should sell him, Tony V is more dangerous going forward and Darmian doesn't seem like an injury prone player.
Veron...yes, Robben and Sneijder however.. where in very different situations from Rafa - which is why they were able to move to other clubs and become World Class players.
This coming from a man who wants to hold on to an injury prone player who seems to have regressed in the last 2 seasons for his sentimental value...Ok.
or a woman*
I've always said we need competition for him, since we can't rely on him, but he's also too good to get rid entirely. Giggs seems to agree with that. There aren't many good right-backs out there and he's turning 25. He still has time on his side and some other manager might use him. Bayern are looking for a right-back as well. He'd probably do well for them. What I've suggested is that we extend his contract one more year and loan him out. Hardly sentimental.
I'll miss him, he's one of my favorite players when he actually plays. His constant injuries have ruined any real chance of him making an impact here again though unfortunately.
If it comes down to keeping either Rafael or Valencia as competition/backup for RB, I know who I'd rather have. Just several years ago (actually seems more recent than that), everyone here thought he was one of our most consistent performers.
Yes, and i shared the same views..... 2 seasons ago, he has since gone on to make 28 appearances for us, which is really poor, he is a good player on his day, but he cant seem to stay fit, when you combine that with the fact that he is a very reckless player -i think you will agree that having an injury prone right back with a poor disciplinary record might not be the best idea for a team looking to contend, what Darmian needs as a backup is an experienced RB someone in the vein of Coleman,Juanfran, Piszczek etc
Has something happened to make people sure he's off or is it just the Darmian signing? I love Rafael but signing Darmian is great news regardless. Rafael will be a great back up to have if he can get some more luck with injuries. I doubt he's on huge wages so it's surely worth keeping him around in that role if he wants to.
Valencia will be the backup.
Rafael is gone. Don't get why people don't seem to have grasped that. He's not reliable enough. One season out of like 5, where he's managed to stay injury free.
justBoy68 is right though, there's no particular guarantee that he'll actually sell him this summer. Unlike Nani, RVP etc, there've yet to be any serious rumours regarding him actually being put up for sale, or clubs showing interest.
Just because Van Gaal appears to have decided that he can't rely on such an injury-prone player, it doesn't mean he'll insist on immediately selling him. The squad is a very manageable size at the moment, and it's not as if Rafa is on a huge salary. He could easily end up sticking around for another season until LVG is confident that Darmian's settled in.
EDIT: In short, managers don't always get rid of players the instant they decide they don't need them.
Just because Van Gaal appears to have decided that he can't rely on such an injury-prone player, it doesn't mean he'll insist on immediately selling him. The squad is a very manageable size at the moment, and it's not as if Rafa is on a huge salary. He could easily end up sticking around for another season until LVG is confident that Darmian's settled in.
EDIT: In short, managers don't always get rid of players the instant they decide they don't need them.
He is more than likely going to leave but, worth remembering he was not injured or in poor form when LVG decided to start Valencia ahead of him. People need to stop with the revisionist history when it comes to that.
Based on last season you'd expect so but things can easily change. Who knows what goes on in LvG's crazy mind. He always talks about fitting players into the system and next years system will probably be different to the last, so maybe the personnel he favours will be to. The main point being as Brightonian said above there's no real indicator he is on his way just yet.
Injury prone player LVG doesn't seem to rate or play vs the super fit player all of our last three managers rated and played.
Doesn't take a genius to work out who is gonna get sold.
Doesn't take a genius to work out who is gonna get sold.
I'll always remember those two or three glorious times he played the full 90 minutes without leaving on a stretcher or getting substituted.
Yup. Just like the player we sold to Arsenal was never going to become a prolific striker all of a sudden.
Did Valencia really outperform Clyne last season or is that just a rumour?
Rafael has 1 year left on his contract and didn't renew, Valencia renewed his deal last year. Rafael also played 11 matches last season whilst he was fit to play more, it's looking kinda obvious who is staying as 2nd rightback.
Nothing too solid on his supposed departure. He probably couldn't get his medical done at this stage so the chances are he may actually stay for now.
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Remarkable, i dont think Tony V gets the credit he deserves sometimes.
So you changed your opinion of him as a player based on one game where he came on as a sub at right wing back on his return from injury?! Well done.
I will be really sad to see him leave. LVG clearly wants a different style full back and he has missed a lot of games through injury but when he has played he has been excellent (including the last 2 years). Quality player, great character.
I'm sorry but any sensible person would know (after reading every thing i wrote) that i changed my opinion on him after watching him for 2 seasons, that game was just the last straw, but you just need to pick something to comment on, should have just read the whole thing.
Its slightly odd how Rafael splits opinion here. Obviously its was great to see and him and his brother progress into the first team and at times (in Rafaels case) excel in that position.
The fact remains he never really reached those heights on a consistent basis, over a number of seasons which is what should be the bare minimum at United. His habit of getting yellow cards was also an issue.
I really don't think hes a good as some people here feel he is. Its a pretty obvious departure now and probably has been for 12 months.
The fact remains he never really reached those heights on a consistent basis, over a number of seasons which is what should be the bare minimum at United. His habit of getting yellow cards was also an issue.
I really don't think hes a good as some people here feel he is. Its a pretty obvious departure now and probably has been for 12 months.
This is why I don't want him managing us when LVG retires. Rafael's time at the top is finished, he'll be lucky to play in Italy for a team like Fiorentina or Napoli, but his injury record will follow him wherever he goes. He's going to end up like Fabio, forgotten.
Ditto.
No way am I forgetting Rafael but you are way to harsh saying he couldn't make it for a team like that in Italy. He is a quality player.
For transfer muppets stats isn't important, only important when the player they like have better stats.
Quality player with a fvcked up body for football. Its not his fault
Think Rafa's injuries have skewed some opinions on his ability. At his best he was one of the best RBs in the league. I will miss him if he goes. I haven't seen any reports linking him with anyone though?
Valencia gets lots of yellow cards, this rash nonsense needs to stop. It's quite funny how people don't want to talk about a player who had a tremendous season in our last title winning season because it's ages ago now, and seem to forget how good he was for us that year until shit hit the fan with Moyes, yet they believe other players can rediscover form from 2009/10 
I miss rafa bombing down the right. So much energy and passion. Valencia pales in comparison but he's a safe player who takes no risks at all.
I miss rafa bombing down the right. So much energy and passion. Valencia pales in comparison but he's a safe player who takes no risks at all.
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