I think we must have grown Rafael one in a lab using samples from Paul Scholes, cause I remember hearing that "a player either has it, or he doesn't have it".
Rafael da Silva | 2010-14 Performances
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Fantastic pass with the outside of boot to send Valencia down the wing which he ballooned over the net ( crowd reaction to Rafael's pass: Oooooooohhhh then to Valencia's cross attempt: awwwwwww 
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Looked pretty tired near the end, couple of sloppy touches just hope he's recovered fully for the game v spurs as its going to be a test for him - I'm confident he'll be up for it
)Looked pretty tired near the end, couple of sloppy touches just hope he's recovered fully for the game v spurs as its going to be a test for him - I'm confident he'll be up for it
He has at least one of this kind for Valencia in every game, and Valencia somehow menages to create nothing out of it every time.
He has at least one of this kind for Valencia in every game, and Valencia somehow menages to create nothing out of it every time.
Class player
If one isn't enough, there is another one to come back next season. Who and where the feck found this pair of twins from? Delighted we have them playing for United
After the Liverpool game I read comments that Rafael is not very good at reading the game and only sees what is happening in front of him and I don't agree with those at all.
Yes, he does have those lapses where he sometimes won't see the run of a player behind but, it's not often. Also, people keep saying that will get cut out with age/experience but, that also I disagree with. That will always be there and it's there with every player/defender, it happens.
As far as reading the game goes, so often I see Rafael step up to nick the ball away and or he positions himself in a way to cut out passes. More so this season - he knows when to go in for a tackle to win the ball or when to back off and watch for the run behind.
The ball he cut out in yesterday's game that could easily have been a goal for WHU is just one example of his ability to read the game and get himself into the right positions. He is having such a fantastic season, long may it continue.
Yes, he does have those lapses where he sometimes won't see the run of a player behind but, it's not often. Also, people keep saying that will get cut out with age/experience but, that also I disagree with. That will always be there and it's there with every player/defender, it happens.
As far as reading the game goes, so often I see Rafael step up to nick the ball away and or he positions himself in a way to cut out passes. More so this season - he knows when to go in for a tackle to win the ball or when to back off and watch for the run behind.
The ball he cut out in yesterday's game that could easily have been a goal for WHU is just one example of his ability to read the game and get himself into the right positions. He is having such a fantastic season, long may it continue.
Amazing season, he reads the game very well in my opinion. He has the world at his feet, he has his very own right back position at United at such a young age, yet has so much experience.
How can Rafa be blamed for the Liverpool goal. NO defender in the world could have stopped Strurridge scoring that goal after DDG's stop. Which defenders follow up a such a shot directly into a striker's path...
Me too. There's something Keane-esque about him, the way he drive the team when the chips are down. My favorite Rafael moment was when he smashed that equaliser against Liverpool last season. We were playing poorly until that point and he look like he had enough, and thought "feck this, we're not losing this" and just smashed the ball into the net. With his weaker foot no less
That and Paul Wilson's 'Where will the goals come from'..
Unforgettable articles.
Both from the guardian too iirc.. which is pretty decent usually.
Daniel Taylor also writes for them.. he's another funny one. Can be pretty decent.. comes up with a few gems from time to time.
Rob Smyth seems intent on wanting people to believe his bullshit, no matter how wrong he's proven to be. I remember an article last year, might have been after we'd beat the bitters in the FA Cup, where he stated that we might win the double but it couldn't hide the fact we were in decline...I can't think of a bigger contradiction than that! The guy is a cretin.
The Guardian's absoutely shit for football, they had to fire McCarra since he was so useless and they still give space to the F1 dick Williams.
I don't think there is any UK paper for football that is actually good.
Rumour pieces in particular kill their credibility for me, could you imagine if they made up such unfounded bollocks in the actual news section of their paper?
This. Even if he had followed him up I dont thon he could hav prevented the goal. The ball wa going right into sturridges path
It's only football after all. Too much integrity is dull.
I don't mind wild transfer speculation - it's fun.
I don't mind it in the rags where you know you're going to get shite, but papers that have a reputation for journalistic integrity in their news section should do better than making up rubbish transfer rumours to fill column inches.
Really should've done better for their goal. Not only does he inexplicably leg it up the pitch, he then calmly runs back slowly.
Great otherwise.
Great otherwise.
Yep. A real spastic moment.
For the second game in a row he's had a defensive lapse that's cost us a goal. Against Liverpool, it didn't matter in the end. Today, we dropped two points.
I'm still kind of confused, mainly because I haven't seen a replay yet, and because I was watching the last 10 minutes with my hands over my face, but what the feck happened at the end? Where was Rafael running too?! He just....ran away?
He thought he was going to get a pass so he ran up to counter attack. Can't remember who he thought was gonna pass it. feckity feck feck shit.
Yeah, him running away from the ball there at the end (likely expecting one of the other players to boot it out to him, hence he sets off to take another position) but it allowed two Spurs players to stroll onto the ball and pick their pass into the box.
He assumed we had the ball and was off on the counter. Then when he released Spurs had the ball he waved his arms about in frustration and strolled towards his man.
I'm not going to be too harsh on him since he had a very good game otherwise and we sometimes tend to forget he's only 22.
Not to sure what was going through his head when he decided to tear up the pitch without the ball but it wasn't the best decision he ever made and probably the main reason Spurs got their equalizer.
Dont exactly know what the problem is. Hardly a huge mistake, he thought val would actually like a normal football player run towards the ball the play him the pass.
He thought there was a break on
Cheers lads.
I was genuinely mystified. I was watching on some god awful Russian stream, and one second we had the ball, and then next, all I could see was Rafa running away, without it.
I was genuinely mystified. I was watching on some god awful Russian stream, and one second we had the ball, and then next, all I could see was Rafa running away, without it.
I don't think the goal should be blamed on him entirely. It was a bit silly of him to run away without realising we didn't have the ball. But the intention was good and to be honest, Valencia/Rooney were more of the culprits for not providing us with more energy and penetration with the ball.
Did everyone miss him standing still after while the Spurs player strolled forward?
As I said in the Valencia thread, I think you're all being overly harsh. He think Valencia is gonna go to the ball and sets off to give him an option.
2 players on different wavelengths, not a "defensive lapse that cost us". Everyone is always so desperate to play the blame game these days. Spurs simply got what they deserved because we we pretty crap in that second half, lots of players and the management were at fault for that crapness.
2 players on different wavelengths, not a "defensive lapse that cost us". Everyone is always so desperate to play the blame game these days. Spurs simply got what they deserved because we we pretty crap in that second half, lots of players and the management were at fault for that crapness.
I agree Rooney didn't really insert any special energy even after coming as a sub and playing only few mins.
Couple of times was just strolling around when the ball was there to be won.
From first viewing at least I felt his teammates let him down on the goal. Rafael pressed and nobody followed him up allowing Spurs the space
As Ekeke says, I thought he tried to press the ball then when the ball was available he ran off expecting a pass from Jones (I think it was) but they both left it for each other. It was just a breakdown in communication, hardly a mistake on Rafa's part.
The moment i saw him dart forward even though we didnt have the ball, i felt a sense of dread 
Seriously, i love him to bits and i have absolutely no issues that he has an extreme attacking instinct...but to do that in the 92nd minute in a difficult away game whilst we have only a 1 goal lead is annoying. He needs to work on these small things.
Seriously, i love him to bits and i have absolutely no issues that he has an extreme attacking instinct...but to do that in the 92nd minute in a difficult away game whilst we have only a 1 goal lead is annoying. He needs to work on these small things.
Finally someone else who thinks outside of the "he's a right back, why's he running forward in the 92nd minute" box.
Brazilian mentality. An English player would have just hoofed it into row Z.
Had Bale in his pocket all game again.
The most sensible assessment yet.It happens when players are tired.The workrate the defence put in was immense.
We need to stop looking for scapegoats when we in reality gained a point not lost 2
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