Raphael Varane

[FootballHQ]

My player of the World cup. Best central defender at Real Madrid btw.

Masterclass of defensive play and so good to see a young player capable of this rather than being asked to just do defence splitting passes and leave the positioning as it's not important.

Best defensive level from a player at WC since Cannavaro in 2006? I'd say so.

He stepped up to become France's new defensive leader and also inspired Umtiti who had a dodgy start to improve and also play well in the last two rounds.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

And then you look at varane, also 25.

2x La Liga
1x Copa del rey
4 x champions league
3x uefa super Cup
3x fifa world club cup

1x World Cup

Posted this elsewhere.

Deserves to be shortlisted for ballon d’or at least.

 

[Bastian]

Outstanding.

 

[kouroux]

Best CB of the WC for me. Player of the tournament even.
In an ideal world, he'd a strong candidate for Ballon d'Or

 

[adexkola]

My player of the World cup. Best central defender at Real Madrid btw.

Masterclass of defensive play and so good to see a young player capable of this rather than being asked to just do defence splitting passes and leave the positioning as it's not important.

Best defensive level from a player at WC since Cannavaro in 2006? I'd say so.

He stepped up to become France's new defensive leader and also inspired Umtiti who had a dodgy start to improve and also play well in the last two rounds.

Spot on.

 

[charlenefan]

Thank you Fergie for Phil Jones

On a serious note we may not have signed him but the great man knew the talent was there as did the man who signed him for Madrid...

 

[Deleted member 101472]

Best CB of the WC for me. Player of the tournament even.
In an ideal world, he'd a strong candidate for Ballon d'Or

No reason it shouldn’t be an ideal world it just needs a few people in the media to push the narrative like they did with cannavaro

 

[sullydnl]

Was absolutely outstanding.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

No reason it shouldn’t be an ideal world it just needs a few people in the media to push the narrative like they did with cannavaro

Cannavaro was a stand out player when they won the WC. France have Pogba, Mpabbe and Griezmann who been fantastic - not saying he’s not been great himself.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

Cannavaro was a stand out player when they won the WC. France have Pogba, Mpabbe and Griezmann who been fantastic - not saying he’s not been great himself.

There were a few players in that Italian team who stood out for performances just not as big names at the time as the ones you mention.

 

[pcaming]

We really did miss out here didn't we

 

[Acole9]

Him and Umtiti have been excellent.

 

[Canagel]

To think SAF chose Phil Jones over him.... what a defender.

 

[Zoo]

To think SAF chose Phil Jones over him.... what a defender.

Pretty sure Varane rejected us?

 

[yumtum]

To think SAF chose Phil Jones over him.... what a defender.

No, SAF wanted both while Varane wanted to be guaranteed a spot, and because he seen another talent coming in at the same time he decided to go to Real (Zidane helped change his mind too).

 

[Canagel]

Pretty sure Varane rejected us?

I think he rejected us because we went for Jones.
http://www.espn.com/soccer/league-name/story/2086925/headline

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

I think he rejected us because we went for Jones.
http://www.espn.com/soccer/league-name/story/2086925/headline

I think that's a bit of explanation after fact. He had a choice and no french kid was ever going to say no when Zidane calls.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Didn't put a foot wrong the entire tournament. He should win the best player imo.

 

[bucky]

To think SAF chose Phil Jones over him.... what a defender.

He didn't. Ferguson wanted both.

 

[::sonny::]

We have Smalling, Jones and Rojo

 

[Ekeke]

Not the most worked CB by opposition teams, but what he did do he did well especially in France's final few games.

Some interesting stats : Varane attempted and made the least tackles of any CB, was joint 2nd (with lots) least interceptions of any CB. Statistically he's very similar - but better, than Lindelof's performances at the world cup. He's also quite fast unlike Lindelof. If you like Varane then Lindelof is a good bet to convince you for United for next season. That said Varane did make more clearances and win more headers so he's not exactly like for like.

Personally while I do think Varane was France's best CB for sure and like I mentioned, I thought he played well in their final couple of games I didn't think he was the best CB in the tournament. I think Godin, Gimenez and Granqvist were better.

 

[Adisa]

We would never be able to sign him. We need defenders like him, class and can play. Not brick shithouses hoofing the ball at every opportunity. Hope Lindelof and Bailly can step up. I'm so jealous.

 

[kouroux]

No reason it shouldn’t be an ideal world it just needs a few people in the media to push the narrative like they did with cannavaro

Exactly. I would love it for him to get it. He has been a beast in this tournament

 

[Adisa]

Form has gone to pot. The number of mistakes he's making is incredible.

 

[cyberman]

Its strange that Ramos, Marcelo and Verane, Casemiro and Navas are consistently praised to high heaven yet they never seem to keep a clean sheet

 

[Schneckerl]

Its strange that Ramos, Marcelo and Verane, Casemiro and Navas are consistently praised to high heaven yet they never seem to keep a clean sheet

They always conceded a lot of goals in the league, so it's not just due to recent form. Varane however performed pretty well in the CL knockouts IIRC.

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

He has been crap since then the WC. It basically happens to most of the players.

 

[vangagal]

So, is he better than we currently have?

 

[izec]

So, is he better than we currently have?

Yes, class is permanent. Post world cup blues. He was incredible the last 2 years

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Some people call Ramos overrated but, Varane is the Real Madrid CB who is overrated if there is one. His ability on the ball is vastly overstated. And the only really great quality he has defensively is his pace.

 

[Sayros]

Some people call Ramos overrated but, Varane is the Real Madrid CB who is overrated if there is one. His ability on the ball is vastly overstated. And the only really great quality he has defensively is his pace.

His pace is a great tool, but he's far more than just pace. He's intelligent, reads the game well, he's powerful in his challenges and usually clean in his dispossession. Ramos is a far more overrated defender than Varane, and a bigger liability. Now, I haven't followed Madrid as much this season, so I have to admit I'm not sure how he's performing at the moment but no matter how he is performing, it won't change my opinion on what I've seen from him since the age of 18 where he almost single-handedly beat Barcelona from the CB position in the Copa Del Rey. Now the guy is 25, has won everything in club and world football outside of the Euro, has never lost a Final he's played in, and has always been reliable in the big games. Is he the best defender in the world right now? I don't think so from what I'm reading coming out of Madrid, but he was last year for me along with Godin, but the world cup match up between France and Uruguay (where Varane scored) and overall titles won puts him over the edge to me for last season.

 

[Murray3007]

always find it weird he was the name we were prepared to pay £100m for, although he was superb at the WC and the in CL knockout games last season he never been able to perform consistently, not 2 sure he has the leadership quality we currently need to take us forward, there is a real lack of top CB's just now.

 

[Johnny Love]

His pace is a great tool, but he's far more than just pace. He's intelligent, reads the game well, he's powerful in his challenges and usually clean in his dispossession. Ramos is a far more overrated defender than Varane, and a bigger liability. Now, I haven't followed Madrid as much this season, so I have to admit I'm not sure how he's performing at the moment but no matter how he is performing, it won't change my opinion on what I've seen from him since the age of 18 where he almost single-handedly beat Barcelona from the CB position in the Copa Del Rey. Now the guy is 25, has won everything in club and world football outside of the Euro, has never lost a Final he's played in, and has always been reliable in the big games. Is he the best defender in the world right now? I don't think so from what I'm reading coming out of Madrid, but he was last year for me along with Godin, but the world cup match up between France and Uruguay (where Varane scored) and overall titles won puts him over the edge to me for last season.

I remember that Copa Del Rey..that really was a dominant performance.

 

[endless_wheelies]

Form has gone to pot. The number of mistakes he's making is incredible.

If our club were shrewd "buy low sell high" operators this may actually be the faintest glimmer of an opportunity to nab him.

But they're not.

 

[FootballHQ]

Yeah he's having a shite season. Guess it's only fair after I bumped up the Ramos thread.

 

[TwoSheds]

He wasn't even that good in the world cup, didn't get the hype. He had Kanté, a disciplined Pogba and I think Matuidi as well screening him plus a pretty handy defender alongside him in Umtiti. Never seen anything in him to suggest he'd ever have been considered "world class" in an era where there were more than a handful of top defenders.

 

[JPRouve]

He wasn't even that good in the world cup, didn't get the hype. He had Kanté, a disciplined Pogba and I think Matuidi as well screening him plus a pretty handy defender alongside him in Umtiti. Never seen anything in him to suggest he'd ever have been considered "world class" in an era where there were more than a handful of top defenders.

He was very good during the world cup and covered almost every mistakes made by Pavard and Umtiti. Umtiti was very shaky.

 

[FootballHQ]

He was very good during the world cup and covered almost every mistakes made by Pavard and Umtiti. Umtiti was very shaky.

What I saw aswell. Varane was immense in the Belgium game when France were holding onto the 1-0. Umtit struggled after giving away that penalty in the opening game.

 

[sunama]

Thank you Fergie for Phil Jones

On a serious note we may not have signed him but the great man knew the talent was there as did the man who signed him for Madrid...

I wonder who it was who signed Varane. Hmmmmm.....

 

[Bwuk]

Madrid in general are having a shite season, doesn’t mean there players are shite!