As always the summer transfer window brings heaps of rumours linking all types of players to Manchester United, but this year the rumours of right-backs have drastically increased. So why is it, despite Rafael only being 24 having huge potential and being a fan favourite that he has disappeared from the limelight and looks set to permanently lose his starting place.
In Sir Alex Ferguson’s last season in charge it is no doubt that Rafael was one of the most exciting fullbacks in the league. He had attacking prowess and defended valiantly, but since then there has been a steady decrease in his play time and form. In Ferguson’s last campaign he totalled 28 Premier League matches, which was cut to 19 under David Moyes and a measly 10 under Louis van Gaal, with only 6 of those being starts. This decline has been caused by multiple factors including his startling injury record and Antonio Valencia’s reinvention as a right-back.
Under Louis van Gaal it was clear from the very start that he wanted Antonio Valencia as a part of his squad. Technically, he was Louis van Gaal’s first signing as he signed a new three year contract when the Dutchman took over and it was clear why. Valencia has all the attributes to play a wing-back role, he can attack, defend and keep the ball ticking and with Van Gaal coming to United believing that the 3-5-2 would be his preferred formation Antonio Valencia suited the position brilliantly. Yet, even after the failed 3-5-2 experiment it was clear Van Gaal preferred Valencia to play in the right-back role. Van Gaal’s style of play demands safe, accurate and concise passing movements with the players playing in their specified positions and one of Rafael’s weaknesses in his play is his discipline. Some would say he is rash, but this would be an exaggeration, he loves to get forward and defends valiantly, but it is all too much for Van Gaal, who clearly prefers the safety of Valencia’s play. However, Rafael should cling to a ray of light which was omitted by Ander Herrera who suffered a spell on the bench for similar mistakes, he darted around too much in search of the ball and didn’t hold his position, but with fine-tuning of that part of his game he became a pivotal part of the midfield for the rest of the season and through his change, it may be a sign that Rafael still has the time to adapt to Van Gaal’s needs.
Despite only playing 10 games last season the biggest problem for Rafael wasn’t necessarily Louis van Gaal’s demands, but his continuous injuries. At the start of the season after Van Gaal’s failed experiment with the 3-5-2, Rafael actually found himself continuously playing and even put in a ‘Man of the Match’ performance against West Ham, but injuries disrupted his rhythm. What makes this worse is that Louis van Gaal demands his players to be in full match fitness, which includes them making brief substitute appearances and playing for the under-21 side – which made Rafael’s comeback time progressively longer. The phrase “made of glass” cannot apply to a player more than it has applied to Rafael this season, when it seemed like he was making a return to full fitness he suffered a broken rib in an under-21 match which ruled him out for the rest of the season. However, despite returning to training late on in the season Van Gaal simply dismissed his return by simply stating “he cannot play”, which many saw as the nail in the coffin for Rafael’s United career.
However, despite injuries Rafael’s spot in the team has simply been taken by Antonio Valencia. Luke Shaw has also suffered multiple injuries, yet returns to the starting line-up every time he regains full fitness. Valencia has split the opinions of United fans as his performances have never been consistently impressive. His catastrophic error against Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-final was somewhat redeemed with increasingly assured performances against Chelsea and Manchester City. When compared with the other right-backs in the league Valencia has some stand out attributes, most notably his ball retention which Van Gaal loves. A pass accuracy of 89% is a very commendable, but he is often criticised for not being as effective attacking creating only 26 chances in his 32 appearances, 10 less than title-winner Branislav Ivanovic. Whilst also having the highest interceptions out of the other top-4 right-backs and winning 48% of his duels, it is clear that there is improvement in Valencia in what he believes is his third strongest position.
With United on the verge of signing Torino’s Matteo Darmian, if last season’s trend continues Rafael could find himself being the third choice right-back. Yet, I believe he still has his chance to show what he is capable of through, fine-tuning of his positioning, ball retention and concentration could make him challenge for a spot in the starting line-up and give United a plethora of talented and capable options at right-back.
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