Our second best player this season. He and Valencia were murdering Cole on the right hand side early on.
Rafael da Silva | 2010-14 Performances
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I didn't see Rafael being good enough last season with the ammount of mistakes he was making I moaned about him constantly, my dad said he just needed a run of games. I disagreed but wow the improvement in him after a run of games has been nothing short of sensational. Happy to admit I was wrong with him becoming a beast of a player this season.
I always enjoy watching him play. Even when he's not on form, there's one thing you know you're going to get from him and that's commitment. And his energy always stands out in a defence and midfield of 'oldies'.
Now I don't mind giving the lad praise but stop this rubbish...............
He's just got that trench warfare mentality, Ramires jumped up as if he were going to retaliate... then saw those crazy eyesI was reminded of that after Ramires brought down Rooney and he hacked Ramries down (even though the whistle had gone).
Also, any excuse to post this
he really has been superb this season....
aggressive, not jumping into tackles or getting caught out of position, very productive going forward
lets hope he keeps it up
aggressive, not jumping into tackles or getting caught out of position, very productive going forward
lets hope he keeps it up
Yep agree his desire to get back is in stark contrast to Evra's.
I might be mistaken but I think some clown mentioned Rafael in the overrated PL player thread.
Not only have his performances been top notch, his stats are fantastic too.
Goals, assists, passing %, tackles won, dribbles won, aerial balls won and touches he is a little Brazilian beast at RB that plays with passion and balls.
Not only have his performances been top notch, his stats are fantastic too.
Goals, assists, passing %, tackles won, dribbles won, aerial balls won and touches he is a little Brazilian beast at RB that plays with passion and balls.
Not necessarily saying he's World Class but he's been the best right back in the league so far. By a considerable distance too.
Exactly - and I wasn't saying he is, but closing in on becoming. Not that many right backs that are considerably better.
As usual, my non-heterosexual side comes out when Rafael is about. Much man love.
Still needs to work though on not giving up needless fouls. Particularly one yesterday where he had a Chelsea player facing away from our goal and at the sideline but, dry humped him till the guy fell over and they got a freekick in a dangerous place.
Froggie better stick with him even when Smalling and Jones are back. He has more than cemented his spot as starting RB - well to me has for a while
Still needs to work though on not giving up needless fouls. Particularly one yesterday where he had a Chelsea player facing away from our goal and at the sideline but, dry humped him till the guy fell over and they got a freekick in a dangerous place.
Froggie better stick with him even when Smalling and Jones are back. He has more than cemented his spot as starting RB - well to me has for a while
Even if it's still in his game I like how he seems to have reduced the ridiculous fouls he'd often commit in previous seasons, I'm talking about the needless challenged further up the field where there is no danger.He's maturing as a player and it's showing in his general decision making
Really, I could understand the argument that Kyle Walker was further along in his development before this season. If Rafael continues in this vein then he sprints away from Walker as best young right-back in the country.
Come on now, Walker only ever had pace on Rafael. Everything else Raf matched or was better at and thats before having a great start to the season.
Nah, last season he was a more rounded player, fair to say
Then again, Kyle Walker is damned fast too - saying that, Rafael is far from slow - kept up with Bale on a couple of occasions, even on longer runs.
Walker has never been as good as Rafael, I laughed when I saw the comparisons at the time and I still laugh at the them now.
Rafael was banging in screamers against Arsenal years ago, and he was keeping players in his pocket in the Champions League before Walker had even played a first team game for Spuds. Walker was just in a shitter team, with less/no competition for his place. Oh, and it helped that he didn't get injured, as Rafael did.
Still, you could argue that he had a better last season than Rafael last year - but no doubt that physique impresses more than anything.
Physique? I don't think Walker's any faster, stronger or better in the air than Rafael. Infact considering Walker is taller than Rafa, the fact that he's not any better in the air is a compliment to our right back. Nor is he positionally as good, and both are good at contributing to attacking football.
If you don't think Walkers faster i'd nearly question whether you've ever seen him play at all. Walkers probably the quickest player in the league
Rafael is probably better in the air. Although I love him to bits and think he is amazingly fast, I still think Walker is a tad faster than Rafael, and possibly stronger.
Positionally, I think Rafael is better; he is also better one on one defending, has better technique and links-up better with his winger.
That's probably not far from the truth - I always wanted to see a flat out run between him and Walcott - I'm sure both of them would outpace Bale. I actually think Bale is a bit hyped up, but that's just me I suppose.
Walker is definitely faster and stronger. Rafael scores in all other areas though.
When Rafael is discussed with my friends absolutely non of them rate him. Is it just us that rate him so highly?
One of the guys i was watching the match with yesterday suggested we take off Evans and put Welbeck on after a chelsea attack
. Am pretty sure your friends are smarter but cliches like "he's rash", "positionally suspect" etc take a long time to go away when people dont watch players every week.
Anyone that has half a brain and more importantly, watches him regularly, rates him.
The problem you usually get with people under-rating him is the hyperbole idea of him a) bring rash and b) being poor at defending. If you don't watch him enough, you won't be able to realise that.
Sir Alex rates him, that's all that matters.
I would bet it's about the same as it is with me and RVP; I always thought he was just a poacher. It was what we got to see at Arsenal, at least for those of us who only watched the odd game. Now, however, I know he is so, so much more!
Rafael has matured terrifically (is that a word?), and may well become better and more legendary on that right back than Neville was - fingers crossed for him staying relatively injury free!
Rafael has matured terrifically (is that a word?), and may well become better and more legendary on that right back than Neville was - fingers crossed for him staying relatively injury free!
He's a beast!
I did remember thinking he got conned into giving that foul up at the time. He still has that its all up to me to win the ball back mentality that someone gets him in trouble, but he has cut out the more drastic lunges for the ball so isn't as likely to pick up cards and such as a result.
Saying that, his determination and aggression in trying to win the ball back is also one of the reasons why I like him and makes him so good at the moment. He is learning when to attack or hold the man up still, but for the most part he is making the correct decisions these days.
The only mate I have who is into United as much as I am is a right plonker like this - hates Nani, hates Welbeck, hates the twins, hates Evans, goes around saying Fergie should retire every time we lose, is still disgruntled that we didn't sign Sneijder...
He's stepped up a lot this season, and I've been one of his biggest critics at times.
Only turned 22 in July and already has 101 appearances for United - and this from a kid who like his brother has been a bit brittle physically in the past.
Think about that...100+ appearances and he doesn't turn 23 for another 9 months. He isn't chalking up these appearances for midtable Liverpool, but for perennial domestic and continental challengers, Manchester United - and all in a spot where mistakes are usually heavily punished and with very little opportunity to make amends.
Think about that...100+ appearances and he doesn't turn 23 for another 9 months. He isn't chalking up these appearances for midtable Liverpool, but for perennial domestic and continental challengers, Manchester United - and all in a spot where mistakes are usually heavily punished and with very little opportunity to make amends.
TBF, he stepped up before in previous big games. With maturity, he is showing amazing consistancy and I hope he will get picked by Brazil this summer
hope fabio makes the same progress as rafael.
The problem with Fabio is that he is physically fragile.
And why is he so different from his brother?
Don't be a cock and question if I've ever seen him play, it's not like I'm saying Mertesacker could have Walker in the first 20m is it.
Okay Walker is slightly faster than Rafael, but only to a degree where it's insignificant if that makes sense. The only time it'd come into play is if there was a counter attack from their box to ours and it was a full on sprint. Most of the time in a match Rafael would have ample pace to neutralise Walker. I disagree that he's any stronger than Rafael though, although it's hard to measure it as both full backs are very good at holding off a man.
The most important factors are definitely positional player and 1-vs-1 defending though, and I'd take Rafael over Walker any day, even if we do lose that tiny bit of pace.
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