The lack of interest point is fair enough. I still don't think the (lack of) international career is a fair criticism though. He should definitely have been getting caps at certain points but wasn't for reasons outside of ability. Anyway, it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things I guess.
Rafael | Lyon Player
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Fans, including myself, absolutely love him due to his never say die attitude - something we've all bemoaned our squad lacking more of, over recent years. It helped that he was talented as well.
Good luck to the lad.
Good luck to the lad.
I'm gonna miss him 
Always one of my favourite players, was a brilliant player when fit, but unfortunately it just didn't work out because of injuries. Always gave 100% on the pitch and you could tell was a huge United fan, and you can see it through his farewell, saying goodbye to everyone personally. Not many players are like that I feel like. Hope he gets past the injury problems and becomes the top player we know he can be.
Always one of my favourite players, was a brilliant player when fit, but unfortunately it just didn't work out because of injuries. Always gave 100% on the pitch and you could tell was a huge United fan, and you can see it through his farewell, saying goodbye to everyone personally. Not many players are like that I feel like. Hope he gets past the injury problems and becomes the top player we know he can be.To be fair it's just as possible all that could be because of the same reason United are probably letting him go, his very poor injury record.
Injury prone players in the last year of their contracts rarely go for big fees, nor do many become regulars for their national teams. At least not for countries with huge talent pools like Brazil.
Those reasons are more to do with his injury record than anything else.
I'm really not sure you can claim to be providing objective analysis as you have quite the tendency to camp in any thread related to Rafael to downplay his ability/contribution.
I think its fair to say that if Rafael didn't have the constant injury problems then his quality would never have been doubted. But then I'm as bias as you are on this particular issue!
Iirc it was when they got stuffed by Mexico (Olympics, possibly?)
Bye Rafael.
Too bad it didn't work out here for you and your brother. Still hope he can turn his fortunes around in terms of injury and go on to have great career.
All the best for the future you little nutter.
Too bad it didn't work out here for you and your brother. Still hope he can turn his fortunes around in terms of injury and go on to have great career.
All the best for the future you little nutter.
I'm not claiming to be objective, though. Just mentioning some facts which are a completely objective way to measure his status as a footballer.
Another player sold that I'd have liked us to hang on to...
I read this an was clear to see he is as much of a fan as any of the rest of us. I like the part where he says "heaven knows LVG has told me what he thinks of my heading ability". That may be where the problem comes from.
Class act though really hope it goes well for him and have confidence it will. We may regret this one in a few years if he can stay fit but he just doesn't fit our managers thinking which is a a shame.
Hopefully the next manager will buy him back.
You do realise it's a (crap) spoof letter?
LVG is an idiot though tbh. During the Chelsea game at home he had Rafael marking Drogba at corners... WTF of course Drogba was going to beat him in the air!
Yes. He'd been very good in that tournament up to that match but then made a terrible backpass to Thiago which led to the only goal.
Never realised did think some of it sounded a little random
That's what I get for reading other forums.Not that i'm agreeing he is an idiot but yes that's a strange one. We saw Luke Shaw marking Ibrahimovic against PSG as well so mismatches like that don't see to be a problem for LVG. Strange.
Respect Rafa.Genuinely sad about this. The fact he chose #20 there for us too
He was without a doubt my favourite player of the later Fergie years along with Paddy Evra.
He's the exact opposite of Di Maria - for years he was made to look bad by the media and was always underrated but fought on to be one of the best RBs in the league in Fergie's last year. Di Maria had one tough season and bottled it.
Rafa is a legend for me who was too unlucky with injuries.
I remember that game against Reading in December 2012, when we were getting absolutely murdered at set pieces and crosses. Fergie pulled Rafael off (ooh, Matron!) for Smalling after 30 minutes, and we looked much more solid after that. I mean 'Short arse defender will be vulnerable when the ball's in the air' is hardly news.
Moyes clearly didn't rate Rafael either. There were rumours that he wanted to offload him in January 2014, but given the strong anti-Moyes feeling at the time, people just thought it was another example of his ineptitude.
But when Bob Cass - who does have United connections - started describing him as a 'serious liability' on Twitter in March 2014, that's when I thought there was definitely something up in regards to his long term future. I think Cass knows better than to be slagging off players that the club hierarchy want to keep around.
Good full back, great personality by all accounts, but deemed surplus to requirements by the last two people who've managed him. We move on.
Not news but a shock to the system when we're used to the aerial excellence of famed short arses like Neville and Evra. Defending crosses is about much more than having a good leap, with anticipation, positioning and reading of the game being just as important. Which are qualities Rafael has never really shown as a strength of his.
Tbf I think Luke Shaw also lacks a bit in this regard but he's yong and lernin.
Yeah, there are good full backs who are relatively short. Most of 'em, in fact, in this day and age. So it was obviously down to more than just his stature. I agree with your previous comments, though, that he's been slightly overrated by some United fans.
He was usually good, but I personally never had full confidence in him, in the way I did for an Irwin, Neville, Evra or even a Mikael Silvestre (who I thought was very good in his prime).
Off-topic, but I feel the same way about Januzaj, for what that's worth.
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Dear God what?! You think him marking Drogba was LvG decision,dont think in corners before that one he marked Drogba,so you telling me that LvG stood up and gave specific instructions just before that corrner,where he ordered Rafael to man mark Drogba?
Re-watch the game, he marked Drobga at every corner, like 3 or 4 before the goal, if that is not instruction from the management then something else is up, like you know at half time he could have told someone else to mark Drogba, it was so obvious I even called it at halftime and said if that shit happens again in second half we would concede.
So yes I hold LVG responsible for that goal tbh
You're right, actually. It was incredibly bizarre. One of the most predictable goals I can ever remember United conceding. Stupidity all round.
goodbye Rafa and good luck!
hated him as much as i loved him. I would have gave him all the opportunities he needs to fullfill that potential, but that fitness situation (discipline?)... well, i guess i can understand LVG.
Oh Rafa. Can't believe he chose number 20 at Lyon because United have won 20 titles. I hope somehow miraculously he shakes off his injury proneness, develops into one of the world's best RB's and shows United what we missed out on.
Checked it like in quick mode and you are right when it comes to corners,on some free kicks he got told by others to do the same or something.
While Rafael marking Drogba seems silly, imo he has a good leap and is decent in the air. Not quite Evra's leap and heading but not a weakness either
Apparently LVG told Rafa differently. I agree though he is decent in the air. Drogba is a beast though, not a fair match up
He's a good lad and a good player and I will miss not having him as part of our squad. However 170 appearances in eight years is an awful record and cannot be overlooked.
in the interests of balance you have to say he could be piss poor defensively & cost us crucial goals at important times
sorry
sorry
He was not the first choice RB for at least half of those years. That is also a major reason why his appearance numbers are low.
I remember a time when we had ronaldo, rooney, nani, anderson and the 2 da silva's all around 20 ish in our squad
and just being really excited about their (and our) future.
Its weird, im disappointed about a rake of Leagues, a CL and 2 more finals ...
Kind of thought (hoped) rafa would have been one of the few knocking about at the end of his career.
Now i wonder will rooney even be here in 5 years time.
Not much room left for sentimentality in football these days is there?
and just being really excited about their (and our) future.
Its weird, im disappointed about a rake of Leagues, a CL and 2 more finals ...
Kind of thought (hoped) rafa would have been one of the few knocking about at the end of his career.
Now i wonder will rooney even be here in 5 years time.
Not much room left for sentimentality in football these days is there?
Think Carrick and Schweinsteiger are the only players going to retire here of the current lot (I'm probably forgetting someone).
I doubt that.
Think Carrick will keep playing for a smaller team in PL when he's too old/not good enough anymore for Utd, while I can see Schweinsteiger ending up in the MLS
Rafael was consistently good I felt. Injuries killed his career here. Revisionists keep saying he was crap but I reckon if we dragged up some old player ratings threads the story would be different, barring the Moyes season where he was shite to be fair
It's a fair point and Rafa wouldn't have been my choice to mark Drogba on corners but to be fair if i remember correctly in that match their big lads outnumbered ours (as is usually the case with a Jose side). Drogba, Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic and Matic vs Fellaini, RVP Smalling and not sure who else we had playing Jones maybe?
But if it wasn't Rafa marking one of their big lads it would have been Mata, Blind or Januzaj etc. Rafa has a good leap so he was the obvious one to mark one of them ahead of the others mentioned.
Though i would have probably swapped it around so Rafa was marking one of the others with Smalling or Fellaini picking up Drogba but hindsight is great.
Lets just say that I wouldn't like him to be analysed with the same forensic tools Valencia enjoys being scrutinised with each game.
I think that is spot on. People here used to get far too carried away with him, some here used to talk about him being the best RB in the league. The all action style is something which appeals to football fans but does mask deficiencies in the players game.
that works both ways, there are a lot of people who under-rate him because of his style. his defensive mistakes were much more highlighted and are over-stated because of his enthusiasm and talent for attacking.
while someone like Gary Neville whose mistakes are that well remembered because he was more conservative in approach
There was one season where his mistakes were minimal, and his aggressive style led to him winning the ball a lot. Unfortunately after that he couldnt keep it up
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