Rafael

[Chabon]

Are people really complaining about Rafa's card-waving thing? When he went through Palacios and half the Spurs team surrounded the ref shouting about something what do you think they were saying? "Well that wasn't a very nice tackle now was it Mr Dean?" Aye, right, if you say so.

fecking spastics.

 

[Fiskey]

Pretty odd comments by Gallagher it seems. The way he spoke it was as if FIFA kyboshed this years ago.

This was my thing about something else may have been said in addition to the card waving. At the end of the day we often can't see that, and I think that's probably the more likely reason for the bookings.

 

[Bearded but no genius]

Just look at how Dean puts his finger over his nose in the video. Last time I saw someone doing that was at a petulant three year old. Authority has gone to Dean's head. The worst thing Rafael did in the game was wave an imaginary yellow card, and kick the microphone whilst going off.

You need some passion in a player. They are not robots.

That finger thing illustrates how out to lunch and full of his own "authoritay" Dean is.

The fact is that this arsehole had the chance to take a look at the incident after the game and before he submitted his match report, or to speak to his assistants or others who may well have let him know how ridiculous his red card was.

After having that chance, he decided to write up Rafael for daring to argue with his amazingly spectacular magnificent perfect decision-making.

 

[wr8_utd]

A City man becomes chairman of the FA. Some weeks later Rafael charged. No surprise.

 

[ooeat0meoo]

What rules did Rafael break?

Players swearing at referees is as common as a round ball.

Oh, I miss these conversations.

 

[Raoul]

Another City of God moment for our Rafa.

 

[MUFC07]

I totally love him, whoever scouted him deserves his money.

 

[holdsteady]

It's scary to think that there's another, exact copy of him, steadily growing as well.

 

[Eto'odinho]

I am not surprised by the FA charge but I hope the disciplinary panel exercise a bit of common sense and understand how shocked even the queen was by Rafa's dismissal. If they go on and punish him I can see Fergie speaking out against both the decision and the ref and sadly for Dean I don't think he will be getting any big games any time soon.


In Rafa I Trust

 

[elmo]

Meh, if the FA gives him further punishment, I think it's time that someone started going after the FA. Sue them if we have to, it's ludicrous that Rafael's reaction against a shocking decision which went terribly for him leads to him being punished while the idiot who makes the mistake gets away scot-free.

 

[Kelvin]

an extra-ban would be crazy from the FA but you won't bet against it since they hate us.

 

[Jinn]

That's it, Evra will get a 4 game ban for this!

 

[Sam]

Is it just me that thinks Rafael has been out-performing Evra this season?

And before people jump on my back, thats not a dig at Paddy, I love the guy, it's just a testament to how well Rafael has been playing.

 

[I'm always right]

Is it just me that thinks Rafael has been out-performing Evra this season?

And before people jump on my back, thats not a dig at Paddy, I love the guy, it's just a testament to how well Rafael has been playing.

Do you read the forum much Sam? that's the general consensus so I doubt anyone will "jump on your back".

 

[Sam]

Do you read the forum much Sam? that's the general consensus so I doubt anyone will "jump on your back".

I haven't really been posting that much recently, just browsing here and there. Hadn't seen the comparisons mentioned before, and was a bit nervous about posting it, considering all the man love we have for Evra on here. I think I got away with it

Would be fantastic if Evra could get his best form back soonish. Him and Rafael both on song on either wing really would be a joy to watch.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Is it just me that thinks Rafael has been out-performing Evra this season?

And before people jump on my back, thats not a dig at Paddy, I love the guy, it's just a testament to how well Rafael has been playing.

Looking at the season as a whole, I'm not sure that's true.

Based on the last couple of months, definitely.

 

[Snow]

Well Pogue the season is only a couple of months old. Given that Rafael has 11 starts and Evra 20 in the league and that Rafael has been better the last couple of months pretty much means he's been better. He's been less prone to mistakes at least.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Well Pogue the season is only a couple of months old. Given that Rafael has 11 starts and Evra 20 in the league and that Rafael has been better the last couple of months pretty much means he's been better. He's been less prone to mistakes at least.

wtf?

 

[Snow]

wtf?

You said you weren't sure if Rafael had been outperforming Evra this season. But then you said Rafael had been better the last couple of months.
With few games in August this season is only a couple of months old. Especially considering Rafael didn't really play for two of them.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

You said you weren't sure if Rafael had been outperforming Evra this season. But then you said Rafael had been better the last couple of months.
With few games in August this season is only a couple of months old. Especially considering Rafael didn't really play for two of them.

I know English isn't your native tongue, so I should probably point out that "a couple" means "two"

The first PL game of the season was exactly 5 months ago.

 

[Cutch]

'A couple' must have been lost in translation

Edit: and i agree that Rafaels performed better over the season so far. Evra had no preseason at all and took a couple of months to get going (understandably) and since around the start of October when both have been playing consistently and regularly Rafael has been playing much better.

 

[Snow]

Yes it kinda has. Should've known that a couple meant two of course but I never really thought about it in that scenario. Just figured that 'a couple' or 'a few' were figure of speech when talking about very low numbers without specifying them.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Yes it kinda has. Should've known that a couple meant two of course but I never really thought about it in that scenario. Just figured that 'a couple' or 'a few' were figure of speech when talking about very low numbers without specifying them.

Yeah, it's an easy mistake to make. I'm fairly sure that when I was younger I also used to think a couple meant a few. English, eh?

 

[Nate Dogg]

I'm one of those unfortunates ones who have yet to see Raphael live at OT etc.

Can someone please tell me how quick he is, it seems on occassions that he gets caught out for pace, it maybe due to positional play, or is he as quick as the likes of Evra, Nani etc?

 

[towcester_red]

I'm one of those unfortunates ones who have yet to see Raphael live at OT etc.

Can someone please tell me how quick he is, it seems on occassions that he gets caught out for pace, it maybe due to positional play, or is he as quick as the likes of Evra, Nani etc?

He is rapid.

 

[Cutch]

I'm one of those unfortunates ones who have yet to see Raphael live at OT etc.

Can someone please tell me how quick he is, it seems on occassions that he gets caught out for pace, it maybe due to positional play, or is he as quick as the likes of Evra, Nani etc?

He's not as quick as when he first arrived when i would say he wasn't far off being quickest at the club, but since he's bulked up he's not quite as quick off the mark. He's certainly as fast as Nani and Evra.

 

[Nate Dogg]

He's not as quick as when he first arrived when i would say he wasn't far off being quickest at the club, but since he's bulked up he's not quite as quick off the mark. He's certainly as fast as Nani and Evra.

That is still impressive, i guess you get a better appreciation of a player when you watch them live rather than on the box, thanks guys.

 

[johnmufc]

Is it just me that thinks Rafael has been out-performing Evra this season?

And before people jump on my back, thats not a dig at Paddy, I love the guy, it's just a testament to how well Rafael has been playing.

I said it earlier in the season. He has surpassed Evra.

For me, he's surpassed Evra as our best fullback. Evra has had a very poor 2010.

It was far from a popular view (I got ridiculed for it), but at the time I said the majority of people would agree with me by the end of the season.

Now I think most will agree with me already.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Nah, you were ridiculed for good reason.

There's a difference between having a better season than someone who is under-performing and "surpassing" them.

I suppose you think Welbeck has "surpassed" Rooney?

 

[towcester_red]

Evra has definately been well below his best for a couple of months now, defensively speaking.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

He's been suffering from a WC hangover all season.

 

[towcester_red]

He's been suffering from a WC hangover all season.

Yeh id agree with that.

 

[kouroux]

Rafael has had a better season than Evra and no one can deny it but it's not enough to surpass him.It's childish to think it only takes a few months of great form to be deemed than a player who has had several great seasons.
It's too soon to make this sort of call, this is just like "Evans is the best young CB in the world".We have this knee jerk thing on the caf where many of our players whether they're young or not are branded "the best .... in the ...."

 

[Raees]

He's been suffering from a WC hangover all season.

He wasn't that great the season before either tbf, so I don't think the World Cups entirely to blame. I just think he needs a prolonged rest but we don't have a good enough backup left back, when Evra is not in the team, the whole team looks out of sync going forwards.

Mentally he just looks exhausted to me, not the same tenacity and precision in his defending these days and going forwards his dribbles are few and far between, unlike the old Evra who would regularly take on men effectively. That 4 match ban changed him and he hasn't been the same since.

 

[Fiskey]

He wasn't that great the season before either tbf, so I don't think the World Cups entirely to blame. I just think he needs a prolonged rest but we don't have a good enough backup left back, when Evra is not in the team, the whole team looks out of sync going forwards.

Mentally he just looks exhausted to me, not the same tenacity and precision in his defending these days and going forwards his dribbles are few and far between, unlike the old Evra who would regularly take on men effectively. That 4 match ban changed him and he hasn't been the same since.

He was great last season!

 

[adexkola]

For those who are defending Rafael for his outburst, look at Fletcher's reaction to the red card he recieved in the Champions League against Arsenal, which disqualified him from the final. He had even more of a right to blast that useless referee, but he just walked off. It was very classy of him to keep his calm in such a situation.

Now, I love Rafa, and I'm proud of his ascent this season. The darker side of me enjoyed his rant against Tevez and the ref, he's the perfect successor to Keane and Neville in being a fecking psycho. Yet he has to learn to restrain himself in critical scenarios, such as addressing the referee. Irregardless of how spastic the referee was, it would be better for him and us if he took a few deep breaths before talking. Now managers in the league and Europe will mark him as a potential target to wind up.

Inexperience showed on Sunday. I'm sure the imperfections will be ironed out with time.

 

[johnmufc]

He wasn't that great the season before either tbf, so I don't think the World Cups entirely to blame. I just think he needs a prolonged rest but we don't have a good enough backup left back, when Evra is not in the team, the whole team looks out of sync going forwards.

Mentally he just looks exhausted to me, not the same tenacity and precision in his defending these days and going forwards his dribbles are few and far between, unlike the old Evra who would regularly take on men effectively. That 4 match ban changed him and he hasn't been the same since.

This is correct.

I think he is in decline. He will be 30 in a few months. Rafael is improving at a frightening rate; he is more important to us than Evra now.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

He was great last season!

Agreed. Arguably our best player for most of last season.

Some short memories in this thread.

 

[Dion]

Would love some of the drugs john is taking.

 

[Fiskey]

Agreed. Arguably our best player for most of last season.

Some short memories in this thread.

Yeah, wasn't he in the PFA team of the year?

Edit: Yes he was.