Raphael Varane image 19

Raphael Varane France flag

2021-22 Performances

View full 2021-22 profile

5.8 Season Average Rating
Appearances
29
Clean sheets
6
Goals
1
Assists
1
Yellow cards
1
Status
Not open for further replies.
Thought he was ok last match, not great, not bad.

ti vu said:
As I just replied to your more recent post with explanation of the full sequence of play, let's agree to disagree here.

The example Liverpool video is for comparison purpose of one of CB had to push up and tightly press opposition second highest attacker. It's the same principle among pressing teams. Liverpool risked more in that situation than us leading 1-0. The game was at 1-1 in last minutes. VVD did well, but it's also a huge Sissoko feck up moment. This same situation and a better player in place of Sissoko, and it would have well resulted in goal for Tottenham, VVD world class defending or not. What it tells us is when a manager subscribes to this philosophy & mentality, they're ready to take this risk because they believe in their tactic for its long term benefit.

IIRC, Liverpool even won this game afterward with a late goal moment away from this narrow escape. This is the season where Liverpool finished second with record 97 points. They were in title race, and putting everything on the line risking a defeat to turn a draw into a victory! Correct me if I am wrong here.
Click to expand...
As I said I like pressing football. I enjoy watching the aggressive pressing style of Liverpool, Salzburg and Leipzig but we don’t have the skills to pull it off. Imo this is also how Salzburg and Leipzig have lost several important matches as well. All those three teams would benefit if they could tune down the pressing style and adjust tactics better during games. It looks like Liverpool have started to pull back their FBs a little when in lead, but they still invite lesser teams to score by opening up big space.
I agree with what you wrote; We have a manager who believes in winning long term by pressing, and then we have to accept being overplayed here and there.But there is still room for adjusting tactics when you are in the lead in 64th minute and totally dominating the game. The only way the Boro could get back in the game was if something like this happened. Then a tactical foul would be better.
 
Id like to see him and Lindelof. Think they can create a decent partnership. Him and Bailly or jones would have been interesting if those two could stay fit :lol:
 
A-man said:
Thought he was ok last match, not great, not bad.


As I said I like pressing football. I enjoy watching the aggressive pressing style of Liverpool, Salzburg and Leipzig but we don’t have the skills to pull it off. Imo this is also how Salzburg and Leipzig have lost several important matches as well. All those three teams would benefit if they could tune down the pressing style and adjust tactics better during games. It looks like Liverpool have started to pull back their FBs a little when in lead, but they still invite lesser teams to score by opening up big space.
I agree with what you wrote; We have a manager who believes in winning long term by pressing, and then we have to accept being overplayed here and there.But there is still room for adjusting tactics when you are in the lead in 64th minute and totally dominating the game. The only way the Boro could get back in the game was if something like this happened. Then a tactical foul would be better.
Click to expand...
Pressing and tactical foul can go hand to hand. As I pointed out in my analysis of that sequence of play, the pressing was meant to deter opposition into traffic. That player in this case was Bruno, who should have decided to challenge for the ball either winning the ball, regain possession and start our attack well into opposition half; or a tactical foul.

Pep's teams and Klopp Liverpool is very cynical with tactical foul to complement their pressing. It's not the issue of you can't do both. It's the issue with player's tactical discipline to carry through the tactic. Here in this case, Bruno was the culprit for the failure of the pressing.

When the tactic is carried out to perfection, there should be no room for Boro to even counter attack.

Still, the plan B for when the pressing fails is as important, and we're in big trouble with our captain being total tactical airhead. As seen with the Burnley game, our captain made silly tactical decision and created indefensible situation especially in a high defensive line. This is not recent and rare issue.
 
Last edited:
Man Utd 1:1 Southampton
He wasn't bad today as such, but it is fairly obvious we have got a guy who has declined from his top level pre injury.
 
Bobski said:
He wasn't bad today as such, but it is fairly obvious we have got a guy who has declined from his top level pre injury.
Click to expand...

To be fair, he went from playing alongside god-tier Sergio Ramo for years, to playing alongside Englebert Clusterfúck.

Imagine the mental damage that could do to a man.
 
I wonder if he will want to leave when we're playing in the conference League?
 
He was bad. Just state the fact. Harry was better than him. How.many times was he positionally bad ?
 
Felt a bit on the periphery today and careless on their goal, 4/10, lowest mark I've given him since he came here.
 
Maguire and Varane aren't comparable.

Varane was poor today, no doubt. However he's been mostly excellent since he's joined. It can't help when he's playing beside one of the worst defenders in the league.

Maguire was shit today and has been useless all season. We'll move him on in the summer if we've any sense.
 
Varane has made his fair share of errors this season. Not on the same level as Maguire, but they're there. He moves towards the ball and leaves his man. We concede. Always blaming teammates when players you like make mistakes is ridiculous.
 
Firmly believe he would be better alongside Lindlof. VL is a clever player and I feel they would work well together in this system. He doesn’t look confident alongside HM. Not a good pairing and costing us simple goals.
 
I haven't been impressed with Varane in the last few games to be honest.

I don't know who is meant to lead the back line, him as the more decorated defender or Maguire as captain, but somebody needs to take charge of it.
 
CloneMC16 said:
Varane has made his fair share of errors this season. Not on the same level as Maguire, but they're there. He moves towards the ball and leaves his man. We concede. Always blaming teammates when players you like make mistakes is ridiculous.
Click to expand...
His man, Adam was on purpose moving wide. No CB would follow their mark wide, when there is a free opposition player in his zone centrally.

The biggest issue here beside the offside trap issue is that McTominay was no defensive midfielder. Has zero tactical awareness to mark the goal assister. He was free all along, and McTominay was in no position to engage him. It created 2 vs 1 for Varane in his zone.

In a split second before engaging the goal assister, Varane glance over his right should, and make sure Adam was offside in comparison to Varane's line. Adam was played offside for at least 3 seconds prior. A good defensive unit would. But no, we have players that too used to low blow box defending that they prefer back away instead of read the play and set up offside trap accordingly.
 
ti vu said:
His man, Adam was on purpose moving wide. No CB would follow their mark wide, when there is a free opposition player in his zone centrally.

The biggest issue here beside the offside trap issue is that McTominay was no defensive midfielder. Has zero tactical awareness to mark the goal assister. He was free all along, and McTominay was in no position to engage him. It created 2 vs 1 for Varane in his zone.

In a split second before engaging the goal assister, Varane glance over his right should, and make sure Adam was offside in comparison to Varane's line. Adam was played offside for at least 3 seconds prior. A good defensive unit would. But no, we have players that too used to low blow box defending that they prefer back away instead of read the play and set up offside trap accordingly.
Click to expand...
Not asking him to follow him wide. I would have liked him to back off and stay in line with Maguire. He commits to a challenge and doesn't win the ball. If he backs off and allows Pogba to try and make a challenge, the pass they make is probably not on. If it was on, he could have gotten back in to stop the shot. If he tries to cut in and shoot McT is there to block that.

Shaw also fecked up and played them onside. They're both majorly at fault.
 
CloneMC16 said:
Not asking him to follow him wide. I would have liked him to back off and stay in line with Maguire. He commits to a challenge and doesn't win the ball. If he backs off and allows Pogba to try and make a challenge, the pass they make is probably not on. If it was on, he could have gotten back in to stop the shot. If he tries to cut in and shoot McT is there to block that.

Shaw also fecked up and played them onside. They're both majorly at fault.
Click to expand...
It would be 4 vs 3 ( Broja, Adam, the goal assister, and Armstrong/JWP on our left wing) for Southampton if Varane back off just about Maguire line. Pogba was on the wrong side, he was not close enough to make a safe tackle/ tactical foul.

Armstrong or JWP was completely free to our left since Maguire and Shaw was drawn in and occupied by Broja. The goal assister could easy have 2 more option continue to run at our goal or switch to our switch now he see Adam option is not good.

In reality, engaging the goal assister did the job to rush him with a quick decision which limit his options. He picked Adam which a good offside trap would easy kill that attack.

Switching play to our left and they have a chance to shoot, and an overload situation where Broja, Adam and the goal assister would with our midfielder was behind the play, and Dalot was pulled out of equation. That was more difficult to defend against even if we made no tactical mistake like with the offside trap.

Edit: different situation, but Armstrong chances around 64th minute, show you that Southampton is well drilled in these kind of situation, to switch play to a free player in wide position, even when we maintained good number, and good defensive shape. Armstrong option was limited here after he received the ball. However, in 4 vs 3 situation would be even much more difficult to defend against.
 
Last edited:
I wonder after a couple of seasons of not challenging for any trophy and playing in the Europa (or conference) will sway his mind to leave the club?
 
Ayoba said:
I wonder after a couple of seasons of not challenging for any trophy and playing in the Europa (or conference) will sway his mind to leave the club?
Click to expand...

It is possible, but Varane has won everything there is to win with Real Madrid & France (maybe no Euro cup with France yet), so he won't be pressed to want to be in a team that wins trophies now, I think he wants to be here and always says in the interviews he is enjoying the challenge of playing in PL,
 
ti vu said:
His man, Adam was on purpose moving wide. No CB would follow their mark wide, when there is a free opposition player in his zone centrally.

The biggest issue here beside the offside trap issue is that McTominay was no defensive midfielder. Has zero tactical awareness to mark the goal assister. He was free all along, and McTominay was in no position to engage him. It created 2 vs 1 for Varane in his zone.

In a split second before engaging the goal assister, Varane glance over his right should, and make sure Adam was offside in comparison to Varane's line. Adam was played offside for at least 3 seconds prior. A good defensive unit would. But no, we have players that too used to low blow box defending that they prefer back away instead of read the play and set up offside trap accordingly.
Click to expand...
Agree with this. I don't think Varane makes the main errors here. There's a problem in the midfield as Southampton have overloaded and an extra man. Then it's an easy offside trap to make, but Shaw (again) doesn't play it and jogs back to his own goal.

Your last point is spot on. Varane is used to much more proactive high line defending from Real and France. Whereas the rest of the United defence instinctively prefer to take a deeper line. That simple disconnect on the park comes back to the club's disjointed recruitment and strategy.
 
Atletico Madrid 1:1 Man Utd
Varane wasn't at it tonight. From a man who's won four Champions Leagues and a World Cup we needed more. The players around him aren't at his level. They don't have the knowhow to deal with big European nights. Varane needed to be more composed and help nurse them through it.
 
He reminds me of Smalling. Exact same gait and even does the 'run past two men, then turn 180 degree to pass backwards' thing.
 
Having never really seen him for Madrid, I can only judge him now and it seems he must have regressed dramatically to have had the career that he has had.
 
Last edited:
Eugenius said:
He reminds me of Smalling. Exact same gait and even does the 'run past two men, then turn 180 degree to pass backwards' thing.
Click to expand...
He’s more than capable of playing quick, forward passes. You need passing options for that though.
 
Formation and lineup didn’t suit him, was much better in the second half when things settled down.

I mean wtf even was that first half an interchangeable 352 to 433 every few minutes, not surprisingly the players didn’t know their leg from their elbow.
 
He was around an entirely new set of teammates around him in Lindelof as his RB and Fred/Pogba in front. Considering he knows what it's like playing against Atletico, he probably wasn't surprised at how poor his individual and team performance was in the first half.

He like everyone else picked it up in the 2nd half.

He's also playing in a team that is totally different than Real Madrid. Quality, shape, understanding, assertiveness, etc. He wasn't afraid of the occasion though, especially in the 2nd half.
 
He seemed completely lost on the pitch at times, to the point that I was wondering what the hell he was doing.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.