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2022-23 Performances


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6.7 Season Average Rating
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34
Clean sheets
13
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0
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0
Yellow cards
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I wouldn’t completely rule out him leaving next month.

Juventus need to replace De Ligt and I imagine the Italian league will be kinder to Varane.
They've replaced him with Bremer, never watched him but was the defender of the season I understood.

Would really be for selling Varane to a club like Juve or PSG. Bailly can easily take his place, and it would financially make much more sense. He is not going to be our van Dijk.
 
They've replaced him with Bremer, never watched him but was the defender of the season I understood.

Would really be for selling Varane to a club like Juve or PSG. Bailly can easily take his place, and it would financially make much more sense. He is not going to be our van Dijk.
Bailly is injured just as much as Varane. I'd at least give Varane the benefit of the doubt for now.
 
Bailly is injured just as much as Varane. I'd at least give Varane the benefit of the doubt for now.
Yeah, they are both injured all the time. At least one isn't one of our best paid players with it.

Bailly has his flaws but his athleticism and ability to take risks on the ball are very valuable. With Varane his aerial presence is undoubted, but other than that just incredibly meh. He's been on a decline for some time now.
 
We just love collecting injury prone centre backs. Signing one for the sort of wages we are paying Varane was very silly.
 
He will be managed well I assume, he will still start a lot of games, he’s a top class player when he is fit & just hope he can form a partnership with hopefully Martinez, he’s ten times the player is maguire is, that’s not slight on maguire who I think will have a much better season, lindelof is meh, we have really good cb depth now though
he isn't. What games last year did he impress you? really think he is being overrated here based on past success.
 
Not enough is made of how poor this signing has been.
He was really poor last season and was injured a lot.
Against Villa earlier he was just really really bad.
He was meant to be the guy to sort out our back line.

Yes not good enough but at least he hasn't been a Meme compared to the other guy.
 
We just love collecting injury prone centre backs. Signing one for the sort of wages we are paying Varane was very silly.

I agree, I also wonder about our medical department.

He signs for United and is fit for less of the season than he has been in 8 years.
 
I agree, I also wonder about our medical department.

He signs for United and is fit for less of the season than he has been in 8 years.

not saying it’s the only factor but playing in the most fast paced, physical league in the world probably doesn’t help someone already injury prone.
 
not saying it’s the only factor but playing in the most fast paced, physical league in the world probably doesn’t help someone already injury prone.

Again, he wasnt injury prone, no idea where this has come from. In fact, assuming you don't count coronavirus or flu as an injury, his record was remarkably good. You have to go back to 2017 to find a time that he any meaningful injury problems.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/raphael-varane/verletzungen/spieler/164770
 
What I wrote was only based on my own observations as I follow Real Madrid and watch their matches. In my opinion he declined the last two season in Spain. With decline, I mean that he has had his peak, and I don’t expect him to ever get better than when he was at his best. This doesn’t mean he’s a poor defender, just not as good as before.

I really hope he will stay injury free and get back at a high and consistent level as I think he is one of those players who will manage to adapt to EtH’s system of playing.

I’m sure I’ve read about this before, but what aspects of his games declined the last two seasons at RM?
 
Again, he wasnt injury prone, no idea where this has come from. In fact, assuming you don't count coronavirus or flu as an injury, his record was remarkably good. You have to go back to 2017 to find a time that he any meaningful injury problems.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/raphael-varane/verletzungen/spieler/164770
His injuries don't look like a concern before last season. He missed 3 months of last season through injury. It is pretty unfair to blame the club based on what his injuries were like prior to coming here. It's gotten a whole lot worse since then.
 
Again, he wasnt injury prone, no idea where this has come from. In fact, assuming you don't count coronavirus or flu as an injury, his record was remarkably good. You have to go back to 2017 to find a time that he any meaningful injury problems.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/raphael-varane/verletzungen/spieler/164770

again, he’s playing in a totally different league with different pace and physicality. You see it all the time when players come here. Not saying that’s it.. there’s obviously other factors.. but it could contribute.
 
Players seem to get injured a lot more when the team is doing shite, I'm sure if we do well next season under ETH we'll see a lot of Varane
 
again, he’s playing in a totally different league with different pace and physicality. You see it all the time when players come here. Not saying that’s it.. there’s obviously other factors.. but it could contribute.

Perhaps, but you said he was already injury prone, which he wasn't.
 
I’m sure I’ve read about this before, but what aspects of his games declined the last two seasons at RM?
Most of all it was his game in general. Did not look as good as before. Still a great player but not one of the absolute best in the world anymore.
If I try to find more specifics. I think he had less of his amazing recovery runs. In general less amazing moments overall. His timing and decision making got worse. As example I think he is more often caught out nowadays, he more often misjudges the situation when he pushes forward and is overplayed. He has added more mistakes to his game. Those are some things on top of my head, but it is really his overall game that I think has declined. He has his best years behind him, not in the future imo.
 
Based on what?

My captain shall always play.

Or something.

Anyway, Maguire was decent in the pre-season and he's basically fit all the time. At this moment I'd pick Maguire over Varane.
 
Think he will (weirdly) shock people with how good he is this year. If he stays fit then he’s a top 3 CB in the league and easily the best on our team.
 
I think too much is being read into Maguire playing on the right at the moment. Varane was hurt and that disrupted his preparation for the season so ETH is getting the fit and available Maguire ready to partner Martinez at Brighton but I would imagine team selection will evolve throughout the season. I just think Erik will give Varane time to get into his best shape and with the volume of games this season he will get his opportunities and if he is back to something close to his Madrid form he will make himself an automatic starter in time.
 
Need him back fit. Top quality CB - can form a dominant partnership with Martinez
 
Most of all it was his game in general. Did not look as good as before. Still a great player but not one of the absolute best in the world anymore.
If I try to find more specifics. I think he had less of his amazing recovery runs. In general less amazing moments overall. His timing and decision making got worse. As example I think he is more often caught out nowadays, he more often misjudges the situation when he pushes forward and is overplayed. He has added more mistakes to his game. Those are some things on top of my head, but it is really his overall game that I think has declined. He has his best years behind him, not in the future imo.

Interesting. My impression looking at CB-s is that they seldom decline that early but for two reasons - physical decline of their core strengths through injuries, or motivational decline. Otherwise it will more often be a question of being in a functioning set-up. It doesn’t sound like the first kind from your description. If not, then I’m curious as to how Ten Hag’s reign may be able to help him get back to his peak level. Of course, he’s won it all at a young age, that affects the hunger of most players.
 
Interesting. My impression looking at CB-s is that they seldom decline that early but for two reasons - physical decline of their core strengths through injuries, or motivational decline. Otherwise it will more often be a question of being in a functioning set-up. It doesn’t sound like the first kind from your description. If not, then I’m curious as to how Ten Hag’s reign may be able to help him get back to his peak level. Of course, he’s won it all at a young age, that affects the hunger of most players.
First of all, this just me, a football fan watching games with beers and friends, making my own conclusions. However, I don’t seem to be alone in this conclusion as I’ve seen others express the same. And why did RM not offer Varane a contract that lived up to his resume, but instead offered Alaba the double salary. I think they believed he was past his peak.

I fully agree, most CBs have their peak pretty much in the age where Varane is now. 28-33 typically. I have read theories that it’s not so much about age, but instead that you only have a certain number of years at your peak. If you break through young, like Varane, you will decline young. This clearly does not fit for everybody, but maybe it fits for the masses. (This would mean Bailly will peak at 35, let’s keep him)
 
First of all, this just me, a football fan watching games with beers and friends, making my own conclusions. However, I don’t seem to be alone in this conclusion as I’ve seen others express the same. And why did RM not offer Varane a contract that lived up to his resume, but instead offered Alaba the double salary. I think they believed he was past his peak.

I fully agree, most CBs have their peak pretty much in the age where Varane is now. 28-33 typically. I have read theories that it’s not so much about age, but instead that you only have a certain number of years at your peak. If you break through young, like Varane, you will decline young. This clearly does not fit for everybody, but maybe it fits for the masses. (This would mean Bailly will peak at 35, let’s keep him)

Well, I certainly don’t hold my opinion high on this matter, but may have more of an optimistic cloud about Varane’s possibility to get back to speed. I also thought he did ok last season, in a club where a large number of potentially good footballers didn’t function, so I’m curious to see. I won’t be surprised if Maguire - Martinez will be the pair of the year back there. Or even Maguire - Lindelöf, though that will inevitably lead to quite a few cafites throwing themselves off the cliffs of Dover.
 
His CV flatters how good he actually is. More than half of the CLs he won were with him on the bench. Pepe was the starter alongside Ramos in 2014, 2016 and half of the 2017 win (he picked up injuries late into the season and Varane started the last KO games and the final).
 
Again, he wasnt injury prone, no idea where this has come from. In fact, assuming you don't count coronavirus or flu as an injury, his record was remarkably good. You have to go back to 2017 to find a time that he any meaningful injury problems.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/raphael-varane/verletzungen/spieler/164770

He did have some quite serious injuries soon after joining Madrid and, at the time, they were quite a concern for him. Somehow he managed to then have season after season of very few problems. I wonder if Madrid felt that they’d been lucky to get such a good run from him and it was a good time to cash in, given the earlier issues he’d had. From the outside, I’d also say Madrid have had a much better fitness and medical team than United, which might explain why Varane has suddenly started having more problems since his move. Madrid have been squeezing more out of players for the last decade: Modric, Ramos, Benzema, Marcelo, Ronaldo all going on well into their 30s playing most weeks. They’ve become a bit like Juventus and Milan used to be in that way.

- I think he’s still a good player, though. If he’s fit and gets a run of games he’s got to be ahead of Maguire.
 
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He did have some quite serious injuries soon after joining Madrid and, at the time, they were quite a concern for him. Somehow he managed to then have season after season of very few problems. I wonder if Madrid felt that they’d been lucky to get such a good run from him and it was a good time to cash in, given the earlier issues he’d had. From the outside, I’d also say Madrid have had a much better fitness and medical team than United, which might explain why Varane has suddenly started having more problems since his move. Madrid have been squeezing more out of players for the last decade: Modric, Ramos, Benzema, Marcelo, Ronaldo all going on well into their 30s playing most weeks. They’ve become a bit like Juventus and Milan used to be in that way.

This is a guess but I feel like Madrid win most of their games playing within themselves. That’s how good they are or how poor a lot of their opposition are in comparison. They can save it up for 10 hard league games and the CL every season and when they need to they clearly have the quality to go toe to toe with anyone. They can go up through the gears. So for that reason I would say their training is probably less strenuous and physical week by week. If someone isn’t in peak physical condition in the PL they will keep getting hurt and breaking down, or so it seems. I feel like the gulf in class and getting more out of older players was the same with the Italian teams previously.
 
This is a guess but I feel like Madrid win most of their games playing within themselves. That’s how good they are or how poor a lot of their opposition are in comparison. They can save it up for 10 hard league games and the CL every season and when they need to they clearly have the quality to go toe to toe with anyone. They can go up through the gears. So for that reason I would say their training is probably less strenuous and physical week by week. If someone isn’t in peak physical condition in the PL they will keep getting hurt and breaking down, or so it seems. I feel like the gulf in class and getting more out of older players was the same with the Italian teams previously.

Good post. Yes, definitely think that’s a factor as well.
 
He did have some quite serious injuries soon after joining Madrid and, at the time, they were quite a concern for him. Somehow he managed to then have season after season of very few problems. I wonder if Madrid felt that they’d been lucky to get such a good run from him and it was a good time to cash in, given the earlier issues he’d had. From the outside, I’d also say Madrid have had a much better fitness and medical team than United, which might explain why Varane has suddenly started having more problems since his move. Madrid have been squeezing more out of players for the last decade: Modric, Ramos, Benzema, Marcelo, Ronaldo all going on well into their 30s playing most weeks. They’ve become a bit like Juventus and Milan used to be in that way.

- I think he’s still a good player, though. If he’s fit and gets a run of games he’s got to be ahead of Maguire.

Madrid offered him a new contract, that was reliably reported, and if I am correct, they more or less met what he would demand, Varane just wanted to move on, after spending 10 seasons with Madrid (almost his entire pro career), winning everything there is to win, he probably thought that a new challenge will be good for his career.

Madrid basically knew that Varane wanted to leave, so they went all in with Alaba who was a free agent, then this season went for Rudiger too, they basically got 2 CBs worth 50M each for free, which makes it look like Madrid didn't suffer much from the departure of Ramos (left as free agent) & Varane (on his final year and sold for under 40M) in the same summer.

My real concerns with Varane is that he is yet to show what he is known for, which was consistency and solidity as a defender, with Martinez's arrival, he will need to do his best to get a starting spot ahead of Maguire and Martinez.
 
This is a guess but I feel like Madrid win most of their games playing within themselves. That’s how good they are or how poor a lot of their opposition are in comparison. They can save it up for 10 hard league games and the CL every season and when they need to they clearly have the quality to go toe to toe with anyone. They can go up through the gears. So for that reason I would say their training is probably less strenuous and physical week by week. If someone isn’t in peak physical condition in the PL they will keep getting hurt and breaking down, or so it seems. I feel like the gulf in class and getting more out of older players was the same with the Italian teams previously.

Bale had a lot of fitness issues when he left Spurs to join Madrid, Hazard who was playing week in and week out with Chelsea had also a lot of injuries since he went to Madrid.

Varane injuries and fitness issues last season were not the norm if you see his last 4 seasons with Madrid where he was virtually available for every game, and another thing is that the worse injury he got was with the NT, my hope is that our medical team can spot the root cause of it and find a solution for it.
 
I think he is the 3rd or 4th highest earner at the club on 350k a week....absolutely mind boggling!!!
 
I think he is the 3rd or 4th highest earner at the club on 350k a week....absolutely mind boggling!!!

Jesus. How long is his contract? I read somewhere that Maguire was given 6 years when he signed.
 
This is a guess but I feel like Madrid win most of their games playing within themselves. That’s how good they are or how poor a lot of their opposition are in comparison. They can save it up for 10 hard league games and the CL every season and when they need to they clearly have the quality to go toe to toe with anyone. They can go up through the gears. So for that reason I would say their training is probably less strenuous and physical week by week. If someone isn’t in peak physical condition in the PL they will keep getting hurt and breaking down, or so it seems. I feel like the gulf in class and getting more out of older players was the same with the Italian teams previously.
Great point
 
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