You won't be saying this when Rafael is plying his trade for some Turkish/Russian club trying to win a place in their first XI. Aside from one season Rafael has been miles off at United.
36
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 39
- Clean sheets
- 20
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 10
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
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Mediocre? He looks like our best buy this season. From all our signings he's performed the best.
From our squad I think Shaw and Darmian look the sharpest during these 3 preseason games we've played.
Pre-season doesn't mean much.I'm talking more about long-term i.e what he can bring to the team.All I can see is a solid defender but limited going forward - which is again, not bad at all but isn't the type of signing that will bring excitement and limitation will be scrutinised a lot on here soon enough when the real campaign kicked off.
He can attack as good as he can defend. He played as a wingback for Torino. We have signed one of the best right backs in Europe and he will show it during the season.
His performance vs Barça was outstanding.. If he can show this for us in the PL we have a hell of a player on our hands.. Just oozes class.
So Rafael Dos Anjos is a chicken?
ah I hardly follow MMA, so the name certainly slipped my mindSo Rafael Dos Anjos is a chicken?
I figured you weren't a MMA follower.ah I hardly follow MMA, so the name certainly slipped my mind
But on topic, Darmian is class he is so smooth that's almost boring.
He's much quicker than I thought, really good acceleration over short distances.
he was not, and that can happen easily Brazilians are often prone to be comfortable with moves like that after they give up. Don't think Rafa gave up, it was Van Gaal who told him, he doesn't count with him, some strange decisions has been made before... miles off is silly overstatement mate.
omg again at it, it was just clear faul, hand was pushing, Vardy didn't play with his body, it was unfortunate moment. Valencia showed how much liability he is on dozen more occasions but nobody talks about that, his defensive contribution is also very passive unlike rafaels which give us good advantage to set up counters and aggression pretty much needed. Darmian hasn't proved himself yet
Always injured then. He hasn't really been that great for us, Fabio was getting similar praise before his departure and he's not even good enough to be a starter for Cardiff these days. Both had some good moments but were ultimately inconsistent and couldn't be relied upon.
Darmian looks like he's going to be significantly better.
Darmian gonna be ace for us - no question about that. Very happy with this signing.
Valencia was never a liability last season. That's an overstatement. He wasn't spectacular and he had minor issues in the RW to RB transformation initially but he was really consistent over the season. We can blame him for maybe 2 mistakes that led to goals. Which is why Rafael was benched even when fit.
his understanding of the game and his passing are superior to rafaels. i really like rafa and i hope he would have gone out on loan instead of being sold.
Sadly There's no point of that. He is 25. Darmian is the same age meaning even if he comes back next year he will still be second choice.
i would give valencia another season and sell him when hes 30. then we can have rafa and darmian compete for the RB spot. that would have been ideal
Valencia turns 30 this year. I don't think that will happen anyway. He doesn't really fit the profile we want
yeah like i said i would have preferred that. as you correctly put it - it wont happen. clearly not a van gaal type of player.
I am with you, it starts like with Blind, omg we've got new Pirlo etc and all of a sudden we have got squad player at best..
Again I get the excitement from fans, we have not seen always injured Rafael in full action for a long time who was an exciting player, instead we watch 6/10 or 7/10 ultraconsistent Valencia... fans have reason to be excited but , Darmian was quite average IMO, nothing special, hardly exciting going forward and okay defensively but harder times will come in the fecking premier league.
I want him to succeed but I think that Valencia will be the starter anyway which is a bit worrying..
Next Gary Neville!!! (lol)
Nobody compared Blind to Pirlo.
Valencia starting the season as our RB isn't worrying, he did a decent job overall last season and Darmian may well need a short adaptation period. As Van Gaal said, Schweini and Darmian have to prove themselves in the Premier League.
he was hyped as feck, read the thread if you don't believe me and don't pretend it wasn't like that, that was also due to lack of quality at center midfield, particularly no6 position, we had only two players, injured Carrick and him.. hence the excitement
Of course he will need time to adapt, that's not worrying but I don't see him as exciting signing as others at all, and that's all. Valencia being decent I agree, I was on his side when lots of people slated him for his average performances but he wasn't anything special and our right hand side could have worked much better going forward if Valencia hasn't played like robot using his only foot. Overall it was slightly better than average season from him, he did half a dozen mistakes which led to goals too, being it rafael he was crucified here
Blind wasn't hyped to feck. A lot of the caf members did not want him.
You yet to show these world class performances Rafael put in.
You yet to show these world class performances Rafael put in.
Rafael is no where near "world class". I've just caught the back end of this conversation but you can't seriously suggest that, @m1y2?
From the games I have seen him play he has looked a good defender, good positioning and snuffs out danger, contributes to making the team as a whole more solid he reduces options for the opposition where valencia offers them
I see the same, but its a bit harsh to draw any conclusions from preseason. At least he looks more secure defensively than Valencia, which will allow the team to play better
people have short term memories, he was world class two seasons back, on par with Zabaleta for the spot in the premier league TOTY, no one can deny that, as well as that injuries stopped him from being our no1 RB.
Feck that I stop posting here it's the same like to argue with people in Daley Blind thread from the beginning that we are buying an average player. No one believe that and Modric and Pirlo comparisions came from people who never seen him play in a single league game..
Not saying Darmian is like Blind but he's hardly world class and exciting player. If he can replicate Rafael's best season in two years time I will be only glad. I also can't judge on Darmian that much as I have seen very little of him unlike with Blind before but it seems very similar situation. Let's wait and be patient is my stance now but keeping Rafael to fight for the spot too would be much more exciting than a poor competition with Valencia...
Also last time I say this as it's getting annoying to me to repeat that Rafa's even younger than Darmian and already acomplished right back with a lot of experience, we've seen a lot of players overcoming their injuries in their mid twenties. It's not like he's Hargreaves, we should keep him too.
But that isn't world class. Zabaleta isn't world class either. World class is when they're amongst the best in the world in their position. Rafael has NEVER been that.
If Rafael is world class then why is no top side interested in signing him?
Exactly.
Peak Alves, who was carrying Sevilla and then at Barca was world class.
Lahm is world class. Maicon was world class.
If Rafael was world class, don't you think clubs would be lining up? Especially considering the lack of world class right backs.
That's actually a lot. Usually you don't concede a goal where you can pinpoint the mistake of a single player.
Rafa world class
He's not even in the top 5 RBs in the league. He's never been anything close to world class.
He's not even in the top 5 RBs in the league. He's never been anything close to world class.
LVG said yesterday in his long interview that Darmian will hit his peak later. I'm pretty sure that he will get better and better playing in PL with us. He showed absoluted class last year at the WC with Italy and showing what a real RB provides to a team.
He's very athletic, meaning that he's not afraid by the challenges, and he can runs down the wing.
I'm very happy with this signing
He's very athletic, meaning that he's not afraid by the challenges, and he can runs down the wing.
I'm very happy with this signing
Of course Darmian isnt word class. Maybe he'll be probably not, I dont care ,what I care about if he'll be good and reliable for us. ANd from what I've seen he can be only better.
Strange that you have already made your opinion on him, you think he's average and he's similar to Blind..
And what does that exciting part mean. What should he do to make your excited, step overs or sthing? He's a proper RB, defends good and has a decent cross on him or a very good cross. Of course we should wait and see. He has just arrived and we'll see if he can replicate that one great season Rafael had.
Oh and as much as I rate Rafael he wasnt wc.
ANd there's nothing to prove he's not exactly like Hargreaves.
Most full backs do. Because they often get caught out of position because of their requirement to attack and defend. Coleman clyne have 2 or more mistakes that led to goals
Or why Brazil doesn't play him anymore?
Zabaleta was the best right back in the fecking premier league in the strongest of seasons (same with coleman the other one). What are you on that you claim otherwise, now he's not, he peaked and he's on decline but he had world class season as had Rafael.
really no need to spend time arguing with you it's heading nowhere
I said that he reminds me of Blind hype last season but added that I won't make a proper judgement on him after he plays some games, please read what I wrote. Yes I made a statement about him what I think but it was rather a prediction..
I don't really demand stepovers for RB, what you described is what I want from the player too but there's difference in what he does on the pitch in the premier league and he does seem for me too leightweight and perhaps too little aggressive for my liking and pretty average going forward, this very good crossing thing, he made one good cross in preseason and some rushed misplaced passes too. I am really not excited, he's also average speed. If people are comparing him to Valencia than I get they are excited, he's likeable player but we should wait until the season starts and he puts in some good shifts. For that reason I rather like to underrate player than overrate him and be disappointed after.
not to mention he can't buy his way into the Brazil squad either and with that defence, it's kinda sadRafa world class
He's not even in the top 5 RBs in the league. He's never been anything close to world class.
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