Still think he's our long term right back, only player i would take over him would probably be coleman although he would cost 20 mil
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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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You can't use the example of just one game, but fair play. I still stand by what I said, Rafael is very hit and miss with his crossing. I did say he's capable of better did I not?
Glad to have him back. Not a good day at the office, but expecting him to get back to form quickly if he gets a run. Think once he does, he'll help create a lot of space for Mata/Rooney/di Maria to exploit
Clearly lacking some match fitness. The overreaction that happens on here is crazy. One thing that bothers me about him though is that a lot of the time he crosses the ball as it is behind him, in that he always seems to have to dig the cross out (if that makes sense). His touch never seems to put the ball in front of him.
Valencia deserves to remain as first choice, even if we go back to a four man defence.
Thought he deserved an assist for the cross Mata blasted over from 6 yards away. Pretty decent comeback I thought.
Give him a break. Just returned and had to play with tired players. He was not good today though. Still created our best chance of the half. Mata skied it.
I love him and if Mata had finished his chance everyone would be buzzing about him.
I would have had a wet dream over Rafael setting a goal up for Mata.
some posters in here are utter vomit. The state of the criticism of some players this weekend, yikes.
He seems a little short in confidence at the moment.
The way he is dribbling, he has his head down seeming as if he is only looking to focus on being careful and not messing up, and therefore is not looking up enough when he's with the ball. If you compare the way he was dribbling with the ball against Spurs compared to West Ham, you'll see the difference.
We've seen Rafael in his stride, he's a confident fast dribbler, capable of producing a fine delivery. I'm sure the more run of games he gets, the more likely he will be his old self again, just need a little bit of patience.
The way he is dribbling, he has his head down seeming as if he is only looking to focus on being careful and not messing up, and therefore is not looking up enough when he's with the ball. If you compare the way he was dribbling with the ball against Spurs compared to West Ham, you'll see the difference.
We've seen Rafael in his stride, he's a confident fast dribbler, capable of producing a fine delivery. I'm sure the more run of games he gets, the more likely he will be his old self again, just need a little bit of patience.
Why do we always need such posts that make sense after all the drama queens before have spoken?
I honestly dislike this 'tired' players excuse. I know we started the same starting 11, but Spurs should've been tired as well and they had more energy in the second half. They're no excuses for our shitty second half performances.
And roles were completely reversed first half. It's not an alien concept for home teams to grow into games and away to tire.
All our young and talented defenders have terrible injury records, and we'll have to wait and see how Shaw will do. It'll be another 5 years before he is physically fully grown and if you look at how much Jones, Rafael and Smalling have struggled and still do, well I just hope that will not apply to Shaw.
I don't really see the problem with Rafael, the moment he is fit and gets into form he will definitely add a completely other dimension to our right hand side. He already had some excellent moments this season. Antionio has done a great job too covering for him. Coleman is a good player but not as good as Rafael. Plus bringing a new right back in might mean Valencia has to leave, surely Van Gaal doesn't see him as a winger (especially with Young doing very well attackingly, he could play on both wings)?
I don't really see the problem with Rafael, the moment he is fit and gets into form he will definitely add a completely other dimension to our right hand side. He already had some excellent moments this season. Antionio has done a great job too covering for him. Coleman is a good player but not as good as Rafael. Plus bringing a new right back in might mean Valencia has to leave, surely Van Gaal doesn't see him as a winger (especially with Young doing very well attackingly, he could play on both wings)?
It doesn't stem from being tired, its the home team growing in confidence and going for the win. We've looked piss poor in games at home too in the second half. LVG has mentioned this more than once.
If we bring in a new right back, then Rafael will leave not Valencia.
And for me Coleman is currently better.
We would let one of the most talented right backs in the -25 age category go, and keep a player who's not really a right back? Would surprise me.
Completely disagree there.
Van Gaal trusts Rafael at right back, he only trusts Valencia at RWB. He's not going to sell our only other player capable of playing RB in a back four.
I do think Rafael is a good bet for "shock" transfer though this summer. I can see us buying two right backs and moving him on. It won't be a straight choice between Valencia or Rafael to leave though as they play different positions.
One point I would make is that even if Coleman isn't better than Rafael (which is in itself very debatable) then he is still arguably a better option if you're switching between using them as fullbacks/wingbacks given that he has plenty of experience playing as an out and out winger and is much more of a goal threat.
Anyway, you highlighted Rafael's big problem yourself. He's fine when he's fit and in form but, unfortunately, we have little reason to belief he can stay fit and in form given his injury record.
I don't see a problem in having competition between a new RB + whichever of Rafael/Valencia LVG prefers.
What's the point of keeping a player who can't stay fit?
You seem to forgotten that Van Gaal played Valencia at right back vs City and we played 4 at the back that game. He's only gone to 5 due to Young being there too. If Shaw was fit, then I'm sure we'd be playing 4 at the back.
Like I said, if we sign another right back then it perhaps signals the end for Rafael rather than Valencia.
And look who was an absolute country mile out of position and left Smalling completely exposed to get his second yellow. He hasn't played RB since.
He played right back against Palace and Stoke. And has played right back under Moyes and Fergie in the past, so let's not make out its alien to him unlike Young.
If Rafael stays fit then we have no reason to sign another fullback. As Valencia could provide cover for the few games. The only reason we need to sign a new fullback is if Rafael can't stay fit.
We had our 4 first choice centrebacks out against Palace so had no choice while we played with 3 at the back (Carrick CCB) and Valencia at RWB against Stoke.
Jones and Smalling were also played to death at RB by Moyes and Fergie yet Van Gaal would never dream of it so I don't get your point?
Even then we might not need to sign a new one. Rojo, Shaw and Blind for the left back, Rafael, Jones, Valencia/Young for right back could be in Van Gaals head too, depending on fitness/injuries of the squad. In an away game vs. a top 4 team or against a good European side I could see him wanting Phil Jones at right back over Valencia for instance.
We played 4 at the back vs Stoke and Palace. Carrick was the centre of the diamond with Fellaini on the right.
Jones and Smalling haven't even been fit enough for them to give Van Gaal that option.
Answer this. Why would we look to sign a new right back, when we have Rafael? You even admitted yourself he could go. I don't see Valencia going anywhere considering he can play in three different positions for us.
Depending on how durable Rafael is for the remainder of the season [i have no qualms about him regaining his form], an ideal signing would be a decent albeit somewhat ageing defender who can fill in at both RB and CB. Wes Brown with a case of Benjamin Button.
If Rafael can't stay fit, then we need to sign another right back.
This changing the defence every game you may like just for Rafael. But I'm not a fan of. Chelsea have the best defence because they never change it. We will never get that consistency if likes of Rafael can't stay fit. I don't care how talented they are. We shouldn't have to change the defence every game.
Our best teams under Fergie everyone knew what the back 4 was.
Did you read my original post? I said we need another right back, if he doesn't feel Rafael is a reliable option for right back he will buy two right backs. It's not a choice between Valencia or Rafael as Valencia is not a right back as Van Gaal has stressed recently.
I did and I said we only need one right back. Not waste money on another one. Considering Valencia has played there since the Man City game.
Yeah and unfair to pick out one mistake against City, when Smalling himself was an idiot for diving in like that when on a yellow.
I really don't get this line of thought. Why would we limit ourselves to either Valencia or a "decent albeit somewhat ageing defender" as cover for Rafael? I don't see what the advantage of that is as opposed to actually signing a top quality RB.
Take Azpilicueta at Chelsea as example. Roughly the same age as Rafael, far less injury prone and (by some distance) a better player. Chelsea could have easily brought in a "decent" option as back up for him yet instead they went for a top quality 28 year old La Liga winner to provide genuine competition/back up. Why the hell wouldn't we try to do the same with our team? It would leave us in a far, far stronger position than signing a decent veteran or sticking with an out of position winger.
I'd get it if money was an issue but that doesn't seem to be at all the case atm. So why settle?
He played one game there when we had four centrebacks out.
Asked about Valencia and Young Van Gaal replied:
“As wingbacks, not as fullbacks, because now am more or less obliged to play with wingbacks because the real fullbacks, Shaw and Rafael Da Silva were not fit enough and that’s not good, I have to select what I want and now I am forced to select and for a manager that’s not so good.”
That tells you everything you need to know.
Because CB, CM and winger should be our priority.
Because if Rafael does indeed demonstrate an acceptable level of fitness between now and the end of the season, i don't think we need act as you suggest. I'd sooner promote a promising youth player or try and kill two birds with stone with regard the the fragility of the centre backs.
I can think of at least three positions of higher priority.
If such a policy brought us success in the past i fail to see why it shouldn't be considered in the present.
It tells me that Van Gaal does not trust having both Valencia and Young as fullbacks in the same team.
But if one of Shaw or Rafael were fit alongside them then I'm sure he wouldn't play 5 at the back.
I'd leave it that.
Right on cue, Jamie Jackson has been following you on the caf, even got the price right:
http://www.theguardian.com/football...united-seamus-coleman-transfer-target-everton
No quotes from van Gaal about Coleman.
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I love Rafael, but we need another right back (not Valencia, if it means changing the formation when he plays). If Rafael could stay fit for most of the time, we could have settled for a good but not great right back. But since he misses such big chunks, I don't think it would be enough.
Im inclined to call it bs just because its Jamie Jackson but it sounds quite convincing really
I admire the patience with some of our fans with regards to Rafael.
Sadly, I don't ever see him putting in a full shift due to his injury record.
Sadly, I don't ever see him putting in a full shift due to his injury record.
Rafael is 24 and hasn't made much progress in three years. He's injury prone to boot. If we're serious about challenging the likes of Bayern and Real Madrid next season we need a dependable RB. Too much sentimentality with him. Fabio was just like him, injury prone as well but the difference is Rafa had no competition whatsoever so he got more games while Fabio couldn't usurp even a declining Evra.
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