Rio - SAF's greatest defender?

ghaliboy said:
Reel it in noods, he's just fecking old :lol:.
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What does it matter if it's because he's old or carrying an injury or just playing poorly?

Three games in a row he's made big errors (although De Gea was more at fault last night). His distribution on the ball has been very poor. He needs to either sort it out or someone else should be playing instead of him. Smalling is fit and Jones and Evans presumably aren't too far off.
 
I think this will be the season where Rio is phased out of the first team and one of the other three (most likely Evans) will take over.

Rio doesn't look very solid at the moment and like noodle has pointed out for the last month, his distribution is as poor as it's ever been.
 
I cant believe he has played 3 times in a week.

Moyes seems scared to rotate.

But yeah he looks fragile and his concentration has gone to shit
 
I presume he's only playing bacause Evans isn't fit enough yet?

He's been fecking awful every time he's played this season...that's probably two games he's directly cost us now aswell.

He's an actual liability this season.
 
And the worst thing is, it's not even stuff you can put down to fitness or age. It's basic things like paying attention at a fecking corner.

Keeping in the team now makes no sense and is impossible to justify. You may as well just spit in Evans, Jones and Smalling's faces and tell them they're worthless.
 
Mistake in every game this season. Showing signs his best days are long gone.

Evans really needs to start ahead of him.
 
noodlehair said:
And the worst thing is, it's not even stuff you can put down to fitness or age. It's basic things like paying attention at a fecking corner.

Keeping in the team now makes no sense and is impossible to justify. You may as well just spit in Evans, Jones and Smalling's faces and tell them they're worthless.
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Or those endless fecking punts up the field.
 
Three seasons in a row we have several games where we concede absurd amounts of goals, and there's been one factor in common in all those matches.

It's a fecking mystery why it keeps happening...
 
If Moyes doesn't have the balls to drop him for the upcoming games after today's performance, I would seriously doubt his management skills.
 
I am not sure what he is doing, but he better fecking sort himself out quickly. Concentration since the opening game has been pathetic and that (and organisation/leadership) has been the only thing keeping him around the club. Very poor all round. The difference between him and the quick, powerful Kompany at the other end was startling.

Well it wasn't, because its happened about 4 times now.
 
Too many games may have killed him, he looked so slow today and looked his age. Someone like Aguero is going to run anyone ragged but these days if you want to be at the top you need fast, strong mobile centre halves.
 
Looked sluggish and sleepy, unfortunately. As he has of late. We need Evans in there with Vidic. It seems the obvious way to go now and I hope Moyes agrees. Rio can still play a part, obviously, but he shouldn't be first choice anymore. Leave that to Jonny - he's ready.
 
Was poor today, but he started the campaign pretty well. He should not play this often though. I would rather see Smalling, who is very quick and mobile, start now. I think Vidic was very poor today too.
 
He's making big mistakes every game. Shouldn't be starting if Evans can walk on the evidence of what we've seen so far.
 
His distribution has been erratic for a while now. Giving him possession means their is a good chance he'll punt it upfield towards no one in particular. And his defending this season has gone downhill too. His final season here.
 
Rossa said:
Was poor today, but he started the campaign pretty well. He should not play this often though. I would rather see Smalling, who is very quick and mobile, start now. I think Vidic was very poor today too.
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Evans over Smalling surely!
 
You know it's bad when you concede four goals and the keeper and other centreback actually played quite well.
 
noodlehair said:
You know it's bad when you concede four goals and the keeper and other centreback actually played quite well.
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To be fair Vidic was badly involved in both of Aguero's goals as well.

I'm questioning the wisdom of playing these two together time and time again after their fitness issues, but Moyes himself has admitted that he's playing it safe and opts for experience.

I'm guessing that has cost him already and will continue to do so if he's not changing his approach.
 
marjen said:
He's making big mistakes every game. Shouldn't be starting if Evans can walk on the evidence of what we've seen so far.
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3 games in 8 days is too much for Rio at this stage. Fergie got the best out of him by using him wisely.
 
marjen said:
To be fair Vidic was badly involved in both of Aguero's goals as well.

I'm questioning the wisdom of playing these two together time and time again after their fitness issues, but Moyes himself has admitted that he's playing it safe and opts for experience.

I'm guessing that has cost him already and will continue to do so if he's not changing his approach.
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I think there would have been more goals in today's game if it hadn't been Vidic playing alongside Rio. He did all the defending on his own...as he has in every game he's played with Rio this season. The amount of times he bailed us out easily eclipsed the tmes he got caught.

I can understand wanting to keep a consistent team together for the tough opening games, but the thing is Rio's been that bad a decision should have been made before today. Smalling should have played there even if it meant playing someone else at fullback. Or Evans if he was fit enough.

It's not just one aspect of Rio's game that's slacking. It's all of it. He's awful in possession, he's too slow at reading the game. He sits too deep and yet somehow still gets caught not positioning himself correctly...he consistently can't even mark his man at a corner.

I don't know what it is with this club in the last couple of years and ignoring what players are doing now in preference to pretending they're still doing what they were 5 years ago.

Just look at Kompany at the other end. The difference in his and Rio's performances was utterly fecking embarassing.
 
noodlehair said:
I think there would have been more goals in today's game if it hadn't been Vidic playing alongside Rio. He did all the defending on his own...as he has in every game he's played with Rio this season.

I can understand wanting to keep a consistent team together for the tough opening games, but the thing is Rio's been that bad a decision should have been made before today. Smalling should have played there even if it meant playing someone else at fullback. Or Evans if he was fit enough.

It's not just one aspect of Rio's game that's slacking. It's all of it. He's awful in possession, he's too slow at reading the game. He sits too deep and yet somehow still gets caught not positioning himself correctly...he consistently can't even mark his man at a corner.

I don't know what it is with this club in the last couple of years and ignoring what players are doing now in preference to pretending they're still doing what they were 5 years ago.

Just look at Kompany at the other end. The difference in his and Rio's performances was utterly fecking embarassing.
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Yup but I think Moyes is showing a bit of insecurity in trusting experience rather than taking the "tough" decision of benching Rio.

I completely agree with what you're saying except for Vidic's performance. He was left unprotected but the marking for the first goal and his mistake on the third was very, very poor as well.
 
Valencia was at fault for first goal. Don't know what Vidic could have find to be honest. You have to hold your hand up and say it was a fantastic volley by Aguero.
 
Bojan11 said:
Valencia was at fault for first goal. Don't know what Vidic could have find to be honest. You have to hold your hand up and say it was a fantastic volley by Aguero.
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Vidic left him drift completely unmarked into space.

Yes, Valencia was badly at fault but it doesn't mean you have to just stop defending whenever someone makes a mistake. Although Rio certainly feels that way.
 
Rossa said:
Not for me. I see much more potential in Smalling. Much quicker, stronger and better in the air. Evans is a much better passer of the ball though
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Fair enough, I think Evans is comfortably a class above at the moment and was probably the Player of the Season in 11-12 when Vidic was out.

Not sure he's that much faster, certainly not on the turn. I think Evans is the better tackler and his positioning/reading of the game is on another level to Smalling's at the moment.
 
Theon said:
Fair enough, I think Evans is comfortably a class above at the moment and was probably the Player of the Season in 11-12 when Vidic was out.

Not sure he's that much faster, certainly not on the turn. I think Evans is the better tackler and his positioning/reading of the game is on another level to Smalling's at the moment.
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Smalling is probably at Rio's level (at physical peak) in terms of pace whereas Evans is only slightly average - Smalling is comfortably the fastest of the two and the strongest. Evans is probably better atm, but Smalling was better before the injury, imo. I just feel that Smalling has a much higher ceiling in terms of talent and that he is less prone to the occasional brain fart. I like Evans' surging runs through midfield though.

We have to remember, though, that Rio was probably the best defender in the PL last season, and I doubt that much has changed since then. He shouldn't play this much though.
 
Watching the third goal, although Vidic doesn't deal with Negredo and the fault is mainly his, Rio just stands there watching instead of helping his CB and anticipating that there could be some danger if Negredo gets a cross in. So poor.
 
Rio has not had the best of starts but who in their right mind would play him 3 times in a week?

Fabio to right back, smalling to centre half until Evans is fully fit, job done.
 
rolandofgilead said:
Rio has not had the best of starts but who in their right mind would play him 3 times in a week?

Fabio to right back, smalling to centre half until Evans is fully fit, job done.
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I have been surprised with how much he has featured. Really needs a week or two off in my eyes. Just looks that yard or two off the pace.
 
Im not sure why people are bashing Rio, the entire under performed. I'm sure Rio would be the first to say he didnt have a great game but what is needed now is perspective for us to regroup and gather our thoughts for the next game.
 
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