Rafael da Silva | 2010-14 Performances

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Well, fecking hell. I was totally wrong about this one.

He's been superb since he came back. His energy levels looks fine as well.

I called it before the game in fairness, that we would boss the midfield and Liverpool would sit off.
 
I was talking about Paul Scholes. In the wrong thread. I don't fecking care, I'm ecstatic!
 
Cutch said:
Love the wee fecker. Never stops trying. Gives it his all for the whole game. Even won 2 aerial battles against Carroll :lol:
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I love Rafa. Think he's probably our best full back, left or right, right now and that he's been superb recently today being no exception. But lets face it beating Carroll to the ball is hardly an achievement. :lol: I'd make much more hay out of the fact he kept Bellamy and Downing on lock all day long. ;)
 
Another solid performance from him today. He's recently been showing us how competent he can be in the defensive side of his game.
 
He was against Downing tho. And Enrique was busy hiding from Val
 
It is hard not to love his silly little hops as he tries to nick yards at throw ins.
 
Him doing the Evra celebration at the end did it for me. It was like "get the fcuk in". Love the little guy. Hopefully there are no more injuries as RB is his imo.
 
Sylar said:
Him doing the Evra celebration at the end did it for me. It was like "get the fcuk in". Love the little guy. Hopefully there are no more injuries as RB is his imo.
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:lol: That made me laugh too. He's fast growing into one of my favourite players at the club. Great to see him having another strong performance.
 
I thought he was a little quieter than an amazing performance last week.

Watching him out jump Carroll with clearing headers was absolutely priceless. He is fast becoming one of my favourite players.
 
It's amazing how much he gets stuck in. Some say it means more to local lads or English players with rivalries like Liverpool, or even City.

But Rafael has shown such desire and passion, especially in matches like this. He always seems more pumped than usual. He gives it his all, and if his tendency to get injured settles down, then he'll be class for us.

Plus, I loved the little bit at the end when he started copying Evra in celebrating :lol:
 
MUFCgal said:
It's amazing how much he gets stuck in. Some say it means more to local lads or English players with rivalries like Liverpool, or even City.

But Rafael has shown such desire and passion, especially in matches like this. He always seems more pumped than usual. He gives it his all, and if his tendency to get injured settles down, then he'll be class for us.

Plus, I loved the little bit at the end when he started copying Evra in celebrating :lol:
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Can we please get video of this?! I missed it.
 
MUFCgal said:
It's amazing how much he gets stuck in. Some say it means more to local lads or English players with rivalries like Liverpool, or even City.

But Rafael has shown such desire and passion, especially in matches like this. He always seems more pumped than usual. He gives it his all, and if his tendency to get injured settles down, then he'll be class for us.

Plus, I loved the little bit at the end when he started copying Evra in celebrating :lol:
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Him and his brother are both Man Utd fans arent they? So they'll know what the rivalry means and they will know what it means to put on the shirt every week. He is a fantastic player and can be one of the greatest in a few years when he is fully developed in terms of skill and technique etc. Its great to have the twins at the club, they always give it their all.
 
Very good defensively today, but I think his passing was a bit off. Gave the ball away because he tried difficult passes instead of making the easy choice.

What a leap he has! Dominated Carroll totally in at least 2 aerial battles.
 
MUFCgal said:
I think there's a link somewhere in the Evra celebrating thread in the United forum. It's a BBC link and there's a few different videos.

There's a video of Evra's celebration at the Stretford End, and you see Rafael coming into the picture :lol:

Edit: Here it is, I think it's around 1.03 :lol:

BBC Sport - Tensions run high as Patrice Evra celebrates victory
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:lol: That's absolutely brilliant!

"Hey, what's going on here, someone celebrating without me? I'm not having that!"

Brosstan said:
Very good defensively today, but I think his passing was a bit off. Gave the ball away because he tried difficult passes instead of making the easy choice.

What a leap he has! Dominated Carroll totally in at least 2 aerial battles.
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I agree. Thought he was spotless defensively, but a bit sloppy with his passing game, especially in the first half.

Just happy that he's finally back.
 
One of my favourite players. He can do no wrong for me! Quality!
 
Guybrush Threepwood said:
85% pass completion today,
some of you want perfection.
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Might sound harsh to say that his passing was "off" if that is indeed the stats for today's match. Its just so easy to notice when someone does an absolutely pointless difficult pass forward that makes us lose the ball when there are easier and more sensible alternatives (such as giving it to Carrick or Scholes when they are available instead). Rafael still does this some times each match, and its something he has to work on. No harm in pointing it out.

He had a great game overall.
 
He's gotten into a good run of form at the key time, I thought he defended really well today,. especially aerially.
 
Brophs said:
Thought he was excellent today. He seems to relish big games. I love seeing that in a young player.
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The tenacity that he plays with is amazing, I don't think I've seen him abck out of one challenge since he's came here.
 
Guybrush Threepwood said:
85% pass completion today,
some of you want perfection.
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It's not just about the stats, like Brosstan said. If you saw the first half you'll notice that he gave away some a couple of "easy" short passes, that a better team could well have exploited. In my opinion those short passes are of the most dangerous kind when you get them wrong from the back, because you're usually the last line of defence when you make them.

I don't think there's anything wrong in pointing it out when there are claims of him being faultless. On the whole he had yet another great game though, as per what we've come to expect of him!
 
EdWeatherall said:
Piece in the Sunday Times about the pair of them
Behind the paywall though
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Here:

Family Silva

Man United's Brazilian wonder twins are so identical even their own father can’t tell them apart on the field of play

First things first. Who is older? “Me,” grins Rafael. “By two minutes,” shrugs Fabio. “Yeah, I’m big brother,” Rafael continues, “The Boss.” Interviewing the Da Silva twins is both a challenge and a joy. Banter leaps from one to the other like an electric current and laughter flies like sparks. Twin one begins a sentence, twin two takes over, it finishes in unison — or if there’s disagreement, by one heckling and giggling while the other concludes.

The task of following this flow is hilarious but requires 100% concentration. One issue you don’t encounter is telling them apart. “Running down the pitch, don’t know which one’s which,” sing Manchester United fans yet, close up, differences are obvious. Physically, Rafael is squarer. Personality-wise, his volume dial is up a notch. Fabio is softer-featured, quieter, equally mischievous.

The love between them strikes you. Fabio clearly enjoys the way his brother is outgoing and protective, while Rafael emits deep respect for Fabio’s more thoughtful nature. “The worst thing about Rafa? Sometimes he does something and doesn’t think about the consequence,” Fabio reveals.

“Everyone has some faults, even him,” Rafael counters, playfully tugging Fabio’s striped polo shirt. “Maybe his are . . . the roupas, the clothes!”

In the heat of football, though, even those closest to the twins confuse them. “The song’s funny because on the pitch my dad can’t tell the difference. Though if you see the pictures when we were young it was worse,” says Rafael.

“The boss [Sir Alex Ferguson], he is like a father and he still doesn’t know which one is which,” Fabio laughs.

“Yes,” says Rafael, “in the dressing room he’s shouting, ‘Rafa, Rafa’, but he is speaking with my brother . . .”

Apparently, this greatly amuses the other players. “Sometimes the boss is talking at half-time and says, ‘Rafa, do this’ but looks at me,” says Fabio. “And I look at him and then he knows . . . and he just says, ‘Aaach!’”

You try to picture life inside The Republic of Silva, the nickname given by Rafael’s wife, Carla, to the house in Cheshire shared by the twins, their wives, their older brother, his partner and child, and the newest resident, Rafael’s one-month-old daughter, Eduarda. Their parents (who manage the boys’ commercial affairs from Brazil) often visit, and so do other relatives. “It’s typically Brazilian,” says a friend. “They love all the noise, the chaos and family members around.”

The Republic of Silva has five bedrooms. Don’t they want their own places? “No,” grins Fabio, “we talk about getting a bigger house.”

Rafael says: “We have a special bond, we’re best friends. When we were five years old someone said, ‘Come on, let’s play football’, we start there and we’ve never split. But sometimes we think what it would be like. I know he could go to another club, one day. If it happens it will be hard but we’re prepared, it’s football, it’s life.”

This reminds you that beyond the sunny smiles, as is often the case with Brazilians, an extremely strong-minded and resolute professionalism sustains the pair.

At 21 they have already dealt with a career’s worth of challenges. Aged 11, they left their home city, Petropolis, to live at Fluminese’s academy in Rio. “We were the youngest, the other players were 13, 14, even 20, 21. When our dad left we were crying. He stayed strong — but later he told us when he went back to the car he started crying too,” says Rafael.

They starred in the Nike Premier Cup in Hong Kong aged 15, were spotted by Les Kershaw, United’s former chief scout, and invited to Carrington for training. United struck a deal to sign them and in January 2008, aged 17, they moved to England. Both had been barred from playing for Fluminese because of club politics and the impending transfers. Fabio, captain of Brazil’s Under-17s and rated the better prospect by compatriots, was injured.

Rafael’s slightly better English and stronger physique — he’s two stone heavier — are perhaps because he had a year in United’s first team before Fabio’s Premier League debut in 2009. Both have progressed but seldom simultaneously. Fabio played in May’s Champions League final and was first to win Brazil caps, in friendlies against Costa Rica and Gabon. Yet Rafael starts more often for United. “We’ve only played one full game together,” Rafael says. “Valencia, Champions League last season,” Fabio adds.

They compete for the right-back slot. Fabio, a striker and midfielder at youth level, sees left-back as his best position, but Patrice Evra bars his way. “One target is playing for Brazil at the [2014] World Cup and, for that, we need more games for United, but we’re relaxed. We’re young and, here, maybe only Rooney can play every week, maybe Patrice — you have to understand it’s part of being at a big club,” Rafael says.

Professionalism again. Rafael has worked hard to avoid bookings. “My father says he was a player but his friends say he only smashed the opponent and maybe I play a bit like him,” he smiles. “But I have had to change. I spoke with the boss and Fabio and they said if you want to be a top player you can’t [get so many bookings]. Now I’m more mature and getting more clever.”

We discuss toughest opponents. Craig Bellamy and Gareth Bale, says Rafael. Lionel Messi, says Fabio. Heroes? “Cafu, you looked and you didn’t see amazing talent, but big heart. Incredible. He worked hard, never got tired,” says Rafael. “Me and my brother want to be like this,” adds Fabio.

“Now I’m at United, I can say Scholes and Giggs . . . and Gary Neville as well,” says Rafael. Really? “Serious, you have to see Gary Nev train. In Brazil it’s hard to see players like this. And Giggs, in training today he just wanted to win. He’s unbelievable,” says Fabio.

“If we lose he says to the players, ‘Forget the result, go again’. Rio’s good like that too. I don’t think City have the advantage for the title. United have won more titles and have the mentality,” says Rafael.

When one plays and the other doesn’t, is there jealousy? “We feel competition. If he scores, I want to score. But never that,” says Rafael. “When I play, I feel relaxed. But when he plays I feel so nervous, even though I trust him.”

Each hates opponents getting physical with his twin. “That time with Tevez [Rafael and Tevez had a confrontation in a 2010 Manchester derby]. Oh, I was so angry, man. I was watching on TV but wanted to be there. Though I know Rafa can defend himself and doesn’t need me.” They have each other but they don’t need each other — that’s their triumph.

Does a twin know what the other is thinking? “Yes,” grins Fabio. “And now he’s thinking about my English. Sometimes I am speaking and he just looks at me, ‘What is this?!’”
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Good read.
“Sometimes the boss is talking at half-time and says, ‘Rafa, do this’ but looks at me,” says Fabio. “And I look at him and then he knows . . . and he just says, ‘Aaach!’”
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:lol:
 
Majestic again yesterday, our right flank is scarily good. Pace, power, work rate: Valencia and Rafael working together makes us a very secure unit down that side, both going forward and defending.
 
Does a twin know what the other is thinking? “Yes,” grins Fabio. “And now he’s thinking about my English. Sometimes I am speaking and he just looks at me, ‘What is this?!’”
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:lol:
 
I think Rafael has been fecking brilliant recently!!! Absolutely solid performances in every game he has been playing in.

Best part of it from my point of view is that he seems to be learning the importance of not diving in and also making the decision when to attack and when not to.

His partnership with Valencia is also very, very promising and they seem to compliment each other fantastically.
 
Both the twins are fecking awesome. So much enthusiasm and desire to win. Occasionally they are a little naive admittedly but as they gain experience I'm sure that will get sorted out.
 
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