It's weird. He was in my top three or four favourite players at one point but now he has been out for ages (and only fit briefly) I have forgotten how much I like him. Now that he is close to returning I am getting excited. Recently watched the goal he scored against QPR a few seasons ago. Great strike.
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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injuries aside, he is a top player. i'm sure we are a much better side when rafael is playing.
I feel like this. Can't wait for him to come back.
He could be great at wing back.
Pleased he's back, he's our best RB by quite some distance, lets hope he can stay fit. Because after a run of games he shows he's a top player!
And wing back I think could really suit him.
And wing back I think could really suit him.
Hasn't there been talks that he is on his way out? (No source on it). Would be a shame, but I imagine he has to if we are to "cleanse" the squad and rebuild... Guess a valid reason to kick him out would be the fact that he rarely plays anymore, very injury prone, but surely a great player when fit.
When he plays we look like a far better team, its weird that a right back can have such influence. Then again, his replacements being so utterly crap might have something to do with it.
when Dani Alves was at Sevilla, he practically ran the show from right-back, so yeah it is possible.
And it speaks to Rafael's quality in that in our better seasons 2011-12,12-13, having him really made a difference, in spite of the fact that there were so many other really good players.
Not sure that's entirely true. Not last season anyway. Rafael played his part in some absolutely shocking performances. Usually featuring woeful defending from him.
The season before was a different story. We just have to hope he recaptures that sort of form.
Agreed he was shocking last season and is vastly overrated on here. If you have to go back more than 12 months to justify your praise for a player he should really have competition for his place. He's nothing on Coleman and thats going to become more apparent as this season goes on....
Coleman is a top RB but to say Rafael has nothing on him is ridiculous. The pro-Everton nonsense gets too much on here at times.
Disagree on that. Sure, Coleman has improved and Rafael had a poor season by his standards last season but Rafael has shown far more during his career in my opinion. On a far bigger stage too.
Shown far more what, exactly?
His quality, ability to deal with top class opposition, the way he can completely change the way his team plays. It's nothing against Coleman but Rafael is the better footballer, anyone questioning that needs to find a bus-stop. In saying that, Coleman had a better season last year but so did pretty much every Everton player, that doesn't mean they are better footballers than those at United.
Rafael and Coleman are a lot closer than many on here seem to think. The main difference is Coleman's ability to stay fit. Rafael's recurrent injuries have been a real hindrance to his career so far. The one and only time he avoided injuries for a lengthy period he hit some really impressive form. Otherwise, he's been kind of stop start, with ups and downs in his form.
Coleman has slightly better stats going forward despite playing for team that (up until last season) was a lot worse than United. 11 goals and 10 assists in 100 games (compared to 4 and 11 in 86) Rafael makes more tackles and interceptions but also gets dribbled more frequently and gives away more fouls.
Coleman has slightly better stats going forward despite playing for team that (up until last season) was a lot worse than United. 11 goals and 10 assists in 100 games (compared to 4 and 11 in 86) Rafael makes more tackles and interceptions but also gets dribbled more frequently and gives away more fouls.
We'll just have to disagree, I guess.
I do agree that it's not true that Rafael has nothing on Coleman though.
I'd give the edge to Coleman as a player right now - I think he leaves his mark on games more, gets forward better (is harder to stop when in full flow), links up better, has better end product, is better at choosing when to go in for the tackle, and has a better low-level.
He also doesn't look like slowing down any time soon.
That's based on him playing the same 19 teams as Rafael on a weekly basis.
But, like you say, he hasn't also been tested at the levels Rafael has (though I don't think Rafael has been anything amazing in Europe), so maybe he'd crumble at a bigger club.
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No doubt Coleman at the moment is the better player, at the end of the day you are only as good as your last game and Rafael hasn't played this season. On the back of last season too, Rafael was part of a struggling United side while Coleman was part of a team who had the season of their lives.
I think Rafael still has what he has shown us, he just needs to be fit to show it again. And Rafael on his game, is miles ahead of Coleman in my opinion.
I think Rafael still has what he has shown us, he just needs to be fit to show it again. And Rafael on his game, is miles ahead of Coleman in my opinion.
Seems to be the only player in our team who plays with any urgency and likes to speed the game up when we attack. Can't wait to have him back.
Apologies for being a stats bore but even when we compare Rafael's best ever season (2012/13) with Coleman from the same period, there's very little between them.
Rafael
Goals: 3
Assists: 3
Tackles: 3.1
Interceptions: 2.1
Fouls: 1.5
Was Dribbled: 1.5
Pass Completion: 84%
Coleman
Goals: 0
Assists: 5
Tackles: 2.4
Interceptions: 1.9
Fouls: 0.7
Was Dribbled: 0.2
Pass Completion: 80%
Similar pattern to their PL career overall.
He had a few iffy games after the new year, culminating in that daft game against Liverpool in which he was probably still our best player. "Shocking" is exaggerative rubbish but I'd expect no less from you.
He played well on his original return from injury at the back end of 2013. Read back through his player thread and you'll find my appraisal is a lot more accurate. As for Coleman, forget it. He's at Everton and the chances we strike up a deal with that lot again verges on non-existent.
"Afew iffy games"...."daft game against Liverpool"......having to choose carefully selected words in rationalising his awful form says it all. We were daft to pay him during this period I wonder how he'd see that......abit iffy on our part! He was fortunate many fans choose to blame Moyes for players hiding last season but under LVG if anything its worse thus far and fans need to find some other logic for what is largely players simply not being good enough for too long last season. He'll be replaced anyway on the back of his injury record so I dont know why im bothering to argue.
The night before the Liverpool game his wife gave birth and he had very little sleep. Coleman is a great player going forward but people seem to ignore that Everton do suffer big defeats and it isn't just the rest of the defence that be at fault for this.
I rationalise because I know what I'm talking about and because I don't have a propensity for acting like a stroppy mare every time we happen to lose a game. I believe in the players for the most part, did last season under the dinosaur decimating our club, and still do under the new man. Rafael is one of those players.
You're over exaggerating Rafael's "shocking" form. I've explained why and you haven't really responded back to that. If you can name some legitimate errors, and there must be many I'm sure, then perhaps your assessment would make a little more sense. As it stands, I'm correct. He was iffy after the new year, should have been sent off against Liverpool, picked up some early yellow cards in dodgy ten minute spells against teams like West Ham, but that aside, his defending wasn't really a constant source of goals. If anything it was his crossing that had a bigger negative impact on the team's performance. It needs a lot of work. But carry on lad.
As for Moyes, he got the blame because he was a raging moron. He deserved all that came his way.
I reckon with Rafael fit and (eventually) Shaw fit, we'll revert to a back 4. Hope so anyway.
Can't wait for Rafael to come back. I really hope LvG gives him a run in the side. I miss his drive and determination. Last season wasn't one of his best but to claim he was shocking is such a ridiculous over exaggeration. In that case everyone but DDG was shocking.
Man Utd 4:0 Q.P.R.
Been very good and has made intelligent use of of the ball unlike Valencia.
Managed to look despite Evans trying his best to sell him short
Managed to look despite Evans trying his best to sell him short
How great to see him back, such energy and enthusiasm. Lifts the whole team, lifts the crowd etc.
Great half by him! Love him to bits and a terrific player - looks much smarter and better on the ball than Valencia, and he isn't a slouch either, so let's keep him!
Definitely looks like the Rafeal of the 12/13 season. Great to see him back.
He's been brilliant. Drives us forward and is almost a leader from the back.
Di maria is stealing the show but Rafael has been great this half. Showing how much better he is than our other options and how much better we are as a team having a proper right back playing.
The difference between having Rafael or Valencia on the right hand side of our defence is huge. So glad to see Rafa back.
Oh my god how much I've missed our Rafael, hope he stays injury free, he truly is a quality RB.
One of the players we miss the most when he is out. Clearly our best outlet on the right flank and he just makes a world of difference to our team when fit.
Coleman who? 
It's actcually embarassing how a fullback is much better attacking wise than our actual winger who plays there. Judging by Rafael's first half performance, Valencia isn't good even as a backup, because the difference is enormous.
A timely reminder as to why I love him. Brilliant!
Goddamn, I hope this boy can stay fit. He's been excellent. What a little rogue.
We have missed him.
From front to back, brilliant today! The difference he adds is big. He always pressures the opposition on the ball and forces them back and made some great blocks and tackles. Even just before he subbed and looking tired, he put in a great block and set us off on the attack again. Didn't stop running forward at all and was always an outlet for us on the right. Great match from him
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