The challenge on Suarez was not a yellow card. At all.
Rafael da Silva | 2010-14 Performances
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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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He's better with the ball than without. Runs around like a headless chicken when he doesnt have it. However, he is quite good at coming forward with it.
They all were "thick" today. Rafael for handballing after getting a yellow - we never recovered. Phil for heading an entire man instead of the ball - thick & lazy defending - needs to mvoe his feet. Vidic for a sliding tackle when on a yellow in our box - lazy and doesn't care any more he's off.
The handball is a harsh one to criticise. If you play football, and you're so close to your own goal, you have a real sense of danger, and it is pure instinct to try and stop the ball from getting even closer to your goal with any part of your body. You can see how quickly he tries to retract his hand. It's so hard not to do it if the ball comes off the ground like that, and when the ball does come off the ground in such a way, it's so hard to stop. When I played in defence in Sunday League, I did it a fair bit (got away with plenty of them n'all!) but you kick yourself when it happens, because it's 100% instinctive, and not a concious decision, and it almost feels like you're not in control of it. Fair play if you can cut the link between your concious thought process and instinctive reactions on a football pitch, but it happens so often in alot of games at the highest level.
The foul on Gerrard was dumb, but I did kinda cheer as he did it. Gerrard was sticking a boot in on anyone around him in the first ten minutes and he should have been booked much earlier than he was, so I was pretty glad to see one of our players stick two fingers up at that and give their captain a good kick back.
Made a clumsy challenge after that and was lucky to not see a second yellow, but he wasn't the only player who got away with not getting a second yellow, as you'd expect in these sorts of games.
The foul on Gerrard was dumb, but I did kinda cheer as he did it. Gerrard was sticking a boot in on anyone around him in the first ten minutes and he should have been booked much earlier than he was, so I was pretty glad to see one of our players stick two fingers up at that and give their captain a good kick back.
Made a clumsy challenge after that and was lucky to not see a second yellow, but he wasn't the only player who got away with not getting a second yellow, as you'd expect in these sorts of games.
Nowt wrong with his challenge on Gerrard. This perception Rafael flakes it in big games is bobbins too, he was great last season and has struggled at times this year like most of our squad. Rafael is precisely the type of player we need, plenty of heart and ability.
I'm sorry but that handball was absolutely fecking ridiculous. I've always played across the back four and can say I have never hand-balled it like that. He stuck his arm all the way out to hit it. If you can't defend without instinctively reaching your hand out and handling the ball then you must be an idiot. There is no excuse for it, it was simply an idiotic moment.
He was probably our best player today but it goes straight out the window when he does these idiotic things. He needs to calm the feck down and stop going on these fecking mood swings where he is just all over the place.
He was probably our best player today but it goes straight out the window when he does these idiotic things. He needs to calm the feck down and stop going on these fecking mood swings where he is just all over the place.
His arm was already out, as he was in motion, so it's not like his arm moved from his side to the ball, it was inches.
And very similar occurrences happen in football of all levels so often. So I guess football is littered with idiots.
No it wasn't. Suarez took the touch down, the ball bounced up and he put his arm out.
I do not see handballs like that often. If you can't control your arm not to reach all the way out to touch the ball then yes you are an idiot.
I do not see handballs like that often. If you can't control your arm not to reach all the way out to touch the ball then yes you are an idiot.
Kin' ell even Gary Neville said it was reactionary more than anything, a stupid reaction yes but no more stupid than Jones or Vidic's defending.
Exactly a stupid reaction and the ball was far enough that you should be able to stop your arm from going all the way out and touching it. Yes, Jones and Vidic's defending was stupid too but it doesn't take away that from how stupid reaching out and hitting the ball is.
No, just ones that deliberately handle the ball, y'know like Rafael did there. Should have been sent off.
Agreed. Just dont understand why Moyes continues to play Vidic knowing very well he will be walking at the end of the season. Smalling and Jones would have been a better bet... they save some pace and at least will be here next season.
Rafa was alrite and played with great determination. The handball was just unfortunate.
Not good enough for United. Naive defensively. A liability when it comes to controlling his temperament. Throws himself into tackles and is booked too easily. Should have been sent off today.
At least he, unlike other United player, showed a bit of heart today - but still has let us down too many times now. Needs moving on or rotation. You can't hate Ramires and his ilk and simultaneously defend Rafael.
At least he, unlike other United player, showed a bit of heart today - but still has let us down too many times now. Needs moving on or rotation. You can't hate Ramires and his ilk and simultaneously defend Rafael.
1. Wrong
2. Wrong. 4 booking in 19 games or so. Its not as if we've never had players with dodgy temperaments before either. One of them was our captain.
3. Probably. He's not the first player to get away with a silly decision though.
I do think he tends to be a bit rash in big games. Hence why many non Man Utd fans don't rate him as they judge him on those games.
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He reminds me of Rooney, in that, if something goes against him or he makes a mistake you feel he's going to do something in an effort to make it up, but end up getting booked.
Sorry lads. I love him but he can't be trusted..
Agree with all that!No it wasn't. Suarez took the touch down, the ball bounced up and he put his arm out.
I do not see handballs like that often. If you can't control your arm not to reach all the way out to touch the ball then yes you are an idiot.
How anyone can say it was an accident or just a silly mistake is beyond feckin belief. He put his hand to the ball deliberately. He's a thick rash gobshite & has made these type of reactions so many times. He jumps into tackles with intent also - like a headless chicken & not only is there the concern that he'll seriously hurt someone - he's always one tackle away from a sending off in almost every game.
He's a liability & has cost us too many times. I remember that challenge he made in the Champions League on Robben (i think) on the half-way line when he was caught out of position & he brought him down. He got sent off with a 2nd yellow & we went to shit after that, and went out. We were in a great position in that tie & would have gone into the semi's comfortably havin a 2 goal lead.
That was 4 years ago ffs & he's still makin the same type of decisions now!
I see no real reason to lambast him and not the rest of our back 4, or basically any of our players not playing in goal. His mistake (the hand ball) was probably the costliest of the match, but these things can happen to any player, and it was very far from being our only big mistake today. Also, hand ball aside, he was probably our best outfield player today, brought some bite and width to our attack, and had to deal with getting completely abandoned defensively down that right hand side.
Edit: I also didn't think any of his challenges were that bad (though of course he should have been sent off for the hand ball given that he was on a yellow); the Gerrard one, for instance, I haven't watched it again but it looked to me like he caught him with his trailing leg.
Edit: I also didn't think any of his challenges were that bad (though of course he should have been sent off for the hand ball given that he was on a yellow); the Gerrard one, for instance, I haven't watched it again but it looked to me like he caught him with his trailing leg.
Yeah agreed. He has too many hotheaded moments that could potentially cost us e.g. in a CL final. Great little player, United through and through but he needs to be more mature in his defending.
More than the handball, it's the space he afforded Suarez that is more concerning. If Suarez controlled it better, the handball wouldn't have been an issue.
I do think the handball was a very stupid (reactionary) act from him.
I do think the handball was a very stupid (reactionary) act from him.
Rio used to be prone to lapses in concentration when he was younger. I know he'd sorted it out by the time he'd reached Rafa's current age, but maybe it's something Rafa can sort out. It's definitely a mental thing. One or two things suddenly go wrong and he just loses it. In my opinion the penalty today wouldn't have happened if not for the fact that Rafa had just been booked, he was frustrated and made the mistake. Surely he needs to be speaking to a sports psychologist if he hasn't been already.
Aside from that mistake I thought he played well. His ability is undoubtedly good enough, but he needs to sort his head out.
Aside from that mistake I thought he played well. His ability is undoubtedly good enough, but he needs to sort his head out.
When he feels a decision has gone against him, you see him shaking his head for several seconds later. Just to be clear, I'm not saying no one else does that 
but I think following this perceived injustice, Rafael loses a lot of concentration in his football.
but I think following this perceived injustice, Rafael loses a lot of concentration in his football.A tale of two halves really from Rafael. Really should have been sent off for a second yellow in the first and lost the ball quite a few times. Not going to try and defend him for that, but second half he was much better and was probably one of our better players out there. I remember quite a few times he managed to get across the bail out our CB with a perfectly timed tackle.
@limerickcitykid question when fans ask for more passion from the players, why is it now like in rafael's case do they want to see more calmness? i get confused. keep seeing some of fans say "we lack passion. if we were more passionate, showed desire and guts we would have won!" however how does showing passion mean you're not susceptible to silly mistakes as a result?
He's in poor form overall and is suffering because of it. But let's be honest, we can't keep having the same conversation where he gets an idiotic yellow early on and then walks a tightrope for the next hour or so. Plus when he makes these mistakes his head seems to go at times. He has to develop some semblance of sense so that he's actually there when we need him. He's still young, though. Plenty of time to smooth off those rough edges.
He did not have the best game did our Rafael. However, he seemed to me to be one of the only players that did not give up. Showed lots of heart and desire and was our only threat on the wings. Ye, he messed up with the penalty. You could see how annoyed he was, he knew he made a mistake. The lad wears his heart on his sleeve. If only we had more Rafael's in our team, then we would not be in the position we are at the moment.
I'm going to make the joke before Pete does: If you had a team of Rafaels there's no danger of anyone being in the position they should be.
Silly penalty. But otherwise our best player IMO. One of few who came out of the game fighting.
He was our best player yesterday FFS. Couple of bad games and all the old stereotypes come back, superb.
I thought he was disappointing yesterday, in that he had an overall good game with some excellent passages of play, but let himself down with that handball. I'm not saying it wasn't just a reaction, of course it was, but that's the whole point. He's a professional football player, trains hours and hours every week to make everything perfect, those reactions shouldn't be there. They can be excused at amateur level, not at his. I don't think he's been flawless this season and I've been disappointed with him a number of times, but he's still one of my favourite players and can't deny he plays with passion and desire.
Despite his moment of madness he's the only outfield player I thought to show any semblance of passion and pride yesterday. Ran tirelessly all game.
he is suffering as the rest of the team is, but he is still trying his best.
it would unfair to judge him based on this season but even so he has been mostly better than others out there
it would unfair to judge him based on this season but even so he has been mostly better than others out there
He was holding the badge and baiting Sturridge in the last 5 mins, when Sturridge was showboating and doing the 'shhhh' gesture to the crowd in East stand. Gotta love Rafael for that - pulling out the badge on this shirt and blowing kisses at Sturridge.
Yes. My thoughts exactly.
This. Wasn't having his best day by a long chalk but never once waivered in his dedication to the cause. he's the least of our problems
Rafael is a very good player and yesterday only he really looked dangerous when bombing forward with and without the ball.
Sturridge is an arrogant fat headed idiot.
His stupid celebration shows everyone how much of a fool he is.
He obviously wanted to make things right after that madness handball. Things like that happens from time to time to players (the wierd handball), nothing extraordinary.
As already pointed out, he was one of few players who played with some passion. De Gea was another.
As already pointed out, he was one of few players who played with some passion. De Gea was another.
To the Coleman thread
*dies a little*
*dies a little*
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