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Raphael Varane France flag

2021-22 Performances

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5.8 Season Average Rating
Appearances
29
Clean sheets
6
Goals
1
Assists
1
Yellow cards
1
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It was Maguire's failed lunging tackle that opened the floodgates there and not much varane could have done after that.

On a different note though, it's funny how we were looking for a partner for Maguire but ended up with an even better defender
 
Hmmm how about we let him play at least a few months before we say he's better or worse for us than Maguire?
 
I know Maguire would likely never be dropped, but I'd be curious to see him paired with Lindelof for a game or two. Perhaps a dead rubber cup game.
 
Still over the moon that Varne is a United player :drool:
 
criticalanalysis said:
Again I realise I'm being really harsh! He did exactly the right thing to stop and stand up as soon as Maximin receives the ball. At that exact point, I thought he should have waited (right before he closed in for the tackle) half a second to either anticipate/bait for the pass or make him come inside for the shot i.e delay his decision. His body shape is perfect to cover the pass but he decides to go in for the tackle instead. It's literally a fraction of a second and I don't blame him as it was a wide open counter attack.

De Gea's closing out wasn't exactly the best reaction either btw.
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The aim of the defender is to force the attacker to make the decision you want him to rather than let him decide what to do.

Standing off lets Varane manage the situation but that pass to Manquillo is always coming, by committing he makes Saint-Maximim do it when Varane wants it rather than the other way around. He chose the point at which S-M let the ball get away from him a little away to try and force an error but it didn't work. Other than that there really was no way to have stopped that shot coming in from Manquillo.
 
11101 said:
The aim of the defender is to force the attacker to make the decision you want him to rather than let him decide what to do.

Standing off lets Varane manage the situation but that pass to Manquillo is always coming, by committing he makes Saint-Maximim do it when Varane wants it rather than the other way around. He chose the point at which S-M let the ball get away from him a little away to try and force an error but it didn't work. Other than that there really was no way to have stopped that shot coming in from Manquillo.
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Ok this is going to be my last post on this particular situation. Whilst I agree on your first sentence, it absolutely was not Varane's choice to let Maximin play a through ball to a player, who can run onto it unchallenged at the most optimal timing and angle. The shot was coming I agree but perhaps if Varane didn't go for the tackle and instead went for the runner, which he possibly could have if he had waited then the angle would have been narrowed. Alternatively, he could have seen the runner and went to (over) cover the pass, which would have opened up the centre of the goal to allow Maximin take an extra touch to take a shot; it would have had to been a rocket to beat De Gea there. It's basically a game of chicken and as it was 2-vs-1, I'm not blaming Varane but deep down he will know he was a fraction too rash there and got caught.

Let me end it by saying I am absolutely choked to have Varane in the team. He's pretty much everything I had expected and more so since I am a big naysayer of Lindelof but I will call it as I see it regardless of personnel.
 
Hardly culpable for the goal, but I did think he looked a bit shaky at times versus Newcastle. Was done twice 1v1 and there were one or two other moments he seemed a bit hesitant. But Matic hardly did the defense any favors so I’m not too worried. He’ll settle in and form a fantastic partnership with Maguire.
 
Strelok said:
Watch this and you'd see I think. If Varane stand there doing nothing Saint Maximin would simply pass the ball to Manquillo. Nothing changed.

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Cover the runner, force SM to take the shot outside the box. Matic was coming in to cover the centre to put pressure on SM. I don't know if Varane noticed Matic coming back to cover.
 
Looking at that goal again, yes Varane could have done better and so could Maguire and De Gea.
 
I don't see how Varane could have done much there, once he was on the edge of the box. If he stands up Saint-Maximin, the guy just has an even easier pass to make. There's no way he can track Manquillo, who is already at full pace before he could even begin to turn. Even if he could keep up with Manquillo, you don't run away from the attacker with the ball at his feet and leave him with a free shot on goal, that would be horrendous defending.

The best he could do was try and nick the ball, knowing that even if he failed, he at least makes the pass slightly harder for SM and makes the shot for Manquillo come from a slightly worse angle. Neither of which works, but when you're 2 v 1 as a defender, it's basically out of your hands.
 
Varane had no chance on stopping that Newcastle goal. It was 2 vs 1 at the point the ball was near him
 
Ole90+3 said:
Cover the runner, force SM to take the shot outside the box. Matic was coming in to cover the centre to put pressure on SM. I don't know if Varane noticed Matic coming back to cover.
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That's really your conclusion from the video? If Varane had just covered the run of Manquillo (who was at full pace) ASM could have gone through the middle and would have an even cleaner 1v1 than Manquillo. I thought DDG could have come out a bit more to narrow the angle for Manquillo, he made it pretty easy for him to score. But tbh it was also hard for DDG.

I think there are not too many faults in our defence with this goal. In my opinion Almiron made it just amazing, the 1st touch to get away from Shaw was world class and i don't think that Maguire would have had a chance even if he did only try to track Almiron as he was full pace and much faster than Maguire. Then the pass was good and ASM is a very tricky and pacey player so he could easily have gone through the middle if Varane had commited to much to Manquillo.

In the end he failed with his tackling and you can say that he could have done better with the tackling but i think Varane didn't really have a realistic chance in this situation.
 
Desert Eagle said:
Looking at that goal again, yes Varane could have done better and so could Maguire and De Gea.
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Not comparable though, not in the slightest.

Varane was facing a 2v1 at the edge of his own box. DDG was facing a 1 on 1 with the attacker. Could these two have done better? Perhaps. But they are not at fault, they just had to deal with really tough odds. Maguire however, is majorly at fault for lunging into a hopeless and unnecessary tackle near the halfway line. One that got nowhere near taking the ball or even the player. He should absolutely not being doing what he did there, it was poor error of judgement.
 
Desert Eagle said:
Looking at that goal again, yes Varane could have done better and so could Maguire and De Gea.
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De Gea was protecting the short side, as he should. Near post is the easy finish there and you don't want to give that goal away. It's possible he could have got a little further out to take away the angle but realistically, the finish was perfect. Not everything is a mistake.

Varane had to make the challenge in a 2 on 1 and lost out. The fault lies with Maguire for diving in 55 yards from goal and missing everything. Stupid. Clatter the guy and take the yellow.
 
Dwazza Gunnar Solskjær said:
De Gea was protecting the short side, as he should. Near post is the easy finish there and you don't want to give that goal away. It's possible he could have got a little further out to take away the angle but realistically, the finish was perfect. Not everything is a mistake.

Varane had to make the challenge in a 2 on 1 and lost out. The fault lies with Maguire for diving in 55 yards from goal and missing everything. Stupid. Clatter the guy and take the yellow.
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MadMike said:
Not comparable though, not in the slightest.

Varane was facing a 2v1 at the edge of his own box. DDG was facing a 1 on 1 with the attacker. Could these two have done better? Perhaps. But they are not at fault, they just had to deal with really tough odds. Maguire however, is majorly at fault for lunging into a hopeless and unnecessary tackle near the halfway line. One that got nowhere near taking the ball or even the player. He should absolutely not being doing what he did there, it was poor error of judgement.
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Agree with the bolded. I didn't mean to imply their mistakes were on the same level. Just that they could all have done better. Maguire obviously had the biggest feck up while Varane and De Geas are nitpicking.
 
Desert Eagle said:
Agree with the bolded. I didn't mean to imply their mistakes were on the same level. Just that they could all have done better. Maguire obviously had the biggest feck up while Varane and De Geas are nitpicking.
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Yeah, my concern with De Gea coming out further is that he may have opened up the near side just enough to let the ball through. Credit to the finish, it was excellent.
 
Dwazza Gunnar Solskjær said:
Yeah, my concern with De Gea coming out further is that he may have opened up the near side just enough to let the ball through. Credit to the finish, it was excellent.
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Yeah missed De Geas right foot by inches. If he comes out just a bit more it's probably saved. Good finish though
 
Strelok said:
Watch this and you'd see I think. If Varane stand there doing nothing Saint Maximin would simply pass the ball to Manquillo. Nothing changed.

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Yup that goal's on Maguire, Varane to his credit almost intercepted the pass.

The initial dummy took out both Shaw and Matic (which is fine, it was a great move) but Maguire shouldn't be letting Almiron past him at that point. Just drag the attacker down and take the yellow.
 
Maguire brainless challenge is #1 #2 #3 reason for that goal. Everyone from then on is under incredible pressure to pull off something spectacular. That challenge from Maguire was utterly unnecessary.
 
Young Boys 2:1 Man Utd
Bad defending by Varane on their first goal, it has to be said.
 
Bubz27 said:
Didn't the cross take 2 deflections?
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Don´t think it did (it was passed through Shaw´s legs directly into the box), but it doesn´t matter much. When you are marking someone in the box, you need to get in front of your man. Looked like he fell asleep for a second.
 
Dve said:
Don´t think it did (it was passed through Shaw´s legs directly into the box), but it doesn´t matter much. When you are marking someone in the box, you need to get in front of your man. Looked like he fell asleep for a second.
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watch it again
 
Dve said:
Don´t think it did (it was passed through Shaw´s legs directly into the box), but it doesn´t matter much. When you are marking someone in the box, you need to get in front of your man. Looked like he fell asleep for a second.
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Took a hefty deflection.
 
Had several good clearances but in the end he cost us a goal.
 
It for sure took at least one deflection. Would need to see a replay again though to see the relative positions and why Varane was behind the man who ended up scoring.
 
Dve said:
Don´t think it did (it was passed through Shaw´s legs directly into the box), but it doesn´t matter much. When you are marking someone in the box, you need to get in front of your man. Looked like he fell asleep for a second.
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It definitely took a deflection which changed the direction. Of course you get in front of your man but can't account for deflections like that.
 
Wouldn't have said he made a mistake for the goal at all. Huge deflection off Shaw then their man throws a foot at it and it goes in. Sometimes you can concede a goal like that and there is no-one really at fault.
 
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