[fishfingers15]

You have to trust the manager to put the team out. If he feels Valencia gives him balance, then so be it.

 

[Lawman]

If Rafael had his right leg amputated below the knee, I'd pick Valencia. Otherwise, no.

I had great hopes for him and his twin when they came first. If LVG prefers Valencia, he may eventually follow his bro out the door. Pity.

Or the other reason being Valencia has been excellent and Rafael will need to wait and fight for his chance to get back in the team. Great news for all united fans as performance levels will only go up with competition for places.

 

[gooDevil]

We probably should buy a right back.

For the half the season Rafael will inevitably miss.

 

[KM]

Valencia deserves his spot at the right back. Good to see the manager picking players on form/merit rather than anything else.

 

[Devil may care]

I have no issue with the form argument but I don't understand not even having him in the 18, if Valencia got hurt we have no RB cover and out only RWB is Januzaj, and Rafael is certainly better than him in that role.

 

[Bojan11]

I have no issue with the form argument but I don't understand not even having him in the 18, if Valencia got hurt we have no RB cover and out only RWB is Januzaj, and Rafael is certainly better than him in that role.

What 18?

Only game he wasn't in the 18 for was Liverpool. And that may have been a match too soon for him.

 

[Devil may care]

What 18?

Only game he wasn't in the 18 for was Liverpool. And that may have been a match too soon for him.

LvG said he was left out on merit, we'll see if he's in the 18 tomorrow but it didn't sound like he would be.

 

[krazyrobus]

Agree with the merit argument as well. So AV should stay, however I am concerned, while AV has been going forward and solid in the tackle his positioning and anticipation are suspect, same with Young, and those are things that come with playing the role for a long time.

We've been lucky to not get punished for that, like when Valencia was caught behind Moreno's who's poor 1st touch prevented a clear 1 v 1 with DDG or when Young got caught underneath the cross that have Henderson a clear header at goal that with better execution should have resulted in a goal.

 

[legball]

Of course he has been fit for long, but he's not getting picked, it's the same situation with Herrera [Fellaini, Mata], Falcao [RVP], yet, many wll ignore Rafa and keep banging on about how LVG doesn't rate or like Herrera/Falcao and stuff like that. If you're injured and your replacement has done well, the manager has to be fair and keep picking that fellow. Shaw will go through the same process if Young keeps on performing very well at LB, that's how LVG operates.

 

[ryan_forlan]

I think it's as simple as LvG just prefers Valencia to Rafael.

OK. Well in that case, I don't agree with LvG. Just like I don't agree with the back 5 etc. I am miffed :-(

 

[Nighteyes]

Disagree with LVG but hopefully it works. I'm not convinced with Valencia defensively or going forward..

 

[Cooksen]

Shaw is still not fit so we cant go back to the back 4 unless he is fit too.

 

[humdinger]

Valencia has been excellent at right back recently. Van Gaal is absolutely right and it sends a great message to the squad.

Agree with this. Rafael is one of my favourite players and Valenica has done my nut in for a while now, but while Valencia is playing well and doing as the manager asks, he should play.

 

[soap]

As good as Valencia and Young have been for us while Rafa and Shaw have been out injured, they've still made mistakes. We've just been lucky the teams haven't taken them and De Gea has been in super human mode.

Sooner or later it will bite us in the ass, so I wouldn't persist with keeping Rafa out.

Spot on. Doing a good job as cover isn't the same as being capable of fulfilling that role full time. Maybe Rafael is playing badly in training or something.

 

[Dan_F]

Shaw is still not fit so we cant go back to the back 4 unless he is fit too.

Even Rojo or Blind would work.

 

[ryan_forlan]

He's played just slightly less games in a flat four than he has as a RWB. There's no basis for you saying 'he can't be trusted' in a back four.

Valencia having played in a back four when Rafael was injured does not necessarily mean that he can be trusted.

 

[Kazi]

Rafael not being picked on merit? So why was Van Persie picked week after week?

 

[krazyrobus]

Different situations, it doesn't even make sense to compare them.

 

[saivet]

Wait, so Rafa has been fit for some time but simply hasn't been placed in the squad? Interesting, wasn't he doing quite well when he was playing?

 

[Kazi]

Different situations, it doesn't even make sense to compare them.

Ultimately it's the same thing, merit. LvG's own words. BS double standards.

The worst bit is that Rafael's performances at RB have clearly been superior to Valencia's.

 

[Dante]

Rafael has always had a habit of going walk-about and ending up as a midfielder or centreforward for no good reason. This break could just be a part of the same van Gaal re-education program that Shaw was put through. On the other hand, he might think Rafael is a bit of a liability who's never going to be reliable enough. Whatever the case, I really hope it doesn't signal a permanent shift to 3-5-2 where Valencia is the preferred option at rwb. I don't mind AV, but 3 at the back makes me sad.

 

[TwoSheds]

Ultimately it's the same thing, merit. LvG's own words. BS double standards.

The worst bit is that Rafael's performances at RB have clearly been superior to Valencia's.

Valencia has been excellent the last few games and he is rarely injured. A good combination for a right back. Love Rafael but he has to fight for his place, same as any player here.

 

[Ash_G]

Seems strange to me if he's being left out entirely. Valencia has picked up but don't think he's been any better than rafael was.

I hope this isn't used as an excuse to play a 5 as we just don't look comfortable in that formation. Even if Valencia is playing well I don't think he's playing that well to justify the 5 when shaw/rojo are back.

 

[bosnian_red]

He's played just slightly less games in a flat four than he has as a RWB. There's no basis for you saying 'he can't be trusted' in a back four.

The games he did play in a back four were at home against very weak opponents, and even then he was basically a wing back and we just used 2 defenders. Same with young. They never played as proper fullbacks.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

As consistent as Valencia's performances have been there is a ceiling to what he can bring to the role, particularly when employed in a four. I would trust that this is a temporary stance partly influenced by the 3-5-2's preferred state at present.

And Rafael's fitness has in fact been better than one might have supposed, so there is that positive.

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

On the bench. That's a start.

 

[DevilRed]

Can he actually come on?

We really need to buy some fullbacks in January because its about time we ditched the 3-5-2.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

Valenia has been steady and reliable when the team needed cover, however Rafael can bring more to the team's performance and indeed be one of the drivers behind any attacking momentum. I think he could well have made a difference against Villa today.

 

[Loublaze]

Valencia having played in a back four when Rafael was injured does not necessarily mean that he can be trusted.

You're not saying anything. Why can't he be trusted? He's done nothing wrong on the pitch to warrant that. My only criticism is that he hasn't been as good going forward. Defensively he's been very, very sound.

 

[Hed Zitin]

Prediction.

He wont be starter RB next seasons. I dearly hope it isn't Alvez.

 

[JPRouve]

Prediction.

He wont be starter RB next seasons. I dearly hope it isn't Alvez.

If the rumours are correct, it could be Clyne and maybe in january.

 

[Hed Zitin]

If the rumours are correct, it could be Clyne and maybe in january.

Hope so. Clyne looked great against Everton. Big fan of his.

 

[izec]

His link up play and directness going forward is something that Valencia doesnt offer, thats something that van Gaal doesnt like. Valencia is predictable and decent, but not risky. Rafael on the other hand is impulsive and aggressive, that just doesnt suit the philosophy.

 

[ZDwyr]

I'm a Rafael fan but I have no issue with Valencia being picked ahead of him. He earned the spot so he should keep it until he has a poor game or two.

 

[Devil may care]

Given Herrera and Fellaini are both likely to miss the Newcastle game I'd like to see us return to the diamond with Rafael at RB and Valencia on the right side of the diamond.

 

[Browniee]

He's a bloody crock, massive fan of his but patience is running thin. Why has he been out most of the season anyway?
We need a decent RB in the next 2 transfer windows

 

[Americano]

We should have bought that Yedlin fella...

I was just thinking that today. I see he is going to Spurs. Probably didn't cost that much either.

 

[Litch]

In fairness Young and Valencia have been excellent. Hard to say they have been at fault as can't say Rafa hasn't had his own defensive lapses. To me it's down to LVG defensive set-up preference, and if it's 3 at the back, that changes everything in the future around personal. I suspect Rafa may go in the summer anyway.....to many mistakes in key moments in games.

 

[Eric'sCollar]

In fairness Young and Valencia have been excellent. Hard to say they have been at fault as can't say Rafa hasn't had his own defensive lapses. To me it's down to LVG defensive set-up preference, and if it's 3 at the back, that changes everything in the future around personal. I suspect Rafa may go in the summer anyway.....to many mistakes in key moments in games.

Still don't see why he continues to get labelled with these big mistakes at key moments. I know he was rash and immature in his early days but it's something that he has improved greatly on. Every player is vulnerable to rash challenges and lapses in concentration but they don't get the same treatment as Rafael. He just seems to get labelled with it because of his past and not for what he actually produces now.

 

[m1y2]

Still don't see why he continues to get labelled with these big mistakes at key moments. I know he was rash and immature in his early days but it's something that he has improved greatly on. Every player is vulnerable to rash challenges and lapses in concentration but they don't get the same treatment as Rafael. He just seems to get labelled with it because of his past and not for what he actually produces now.

completely agree, I think people calling Rafael immature, making a lot of rash unwise challenges are really sick tbh. He is actually very consistent in his defending even he's got very aggressive style and commits himself a lot but unlike when he first arrived he very often wins those challenges and sets the counter attack which is in contrast to fullbacks who sits back deep and waiting the player to take them on, not only they risk the player will go past them, players like Hazard are very difficult to defend this way.. but they also have really poor starting position to start or support the attack something in which Rafael is brilliant. As for the Vardy challenge, it was nonsense from Clattenburg and every mature player can commit this kind of foul or get sent off but just because it is Rafael people are all crazy about him. Referees didn't like him either for the same reason - just because he is from south america, if he was english he would already be the best RB in the world and treated fairly.. The biggest problem is his injury record tho