Despite his previous shortcomings and inconsistency, Rafael is quickly shrugging off his ‘liability’ label and maturing into one of the Premier League’s most promising stars and a pivotal player for the team.
Think back to the 7th April 2010. Manchester United faced Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in the Quarter Finals of the Champions League second leg, trying to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the Allianz Arena.
First half goals from Darron Gibson and a brace from Nani had United in the driving seat, but in first half stoppage time a Michael Carrick slip afforded Ivica Olic just enough space to squeeze his shot past Edwin Van De Sar and into the corner of the net. Game on.
The game’s turning point arrived a few minutes into the second half when Frank Ribery picked up the ball and drove towards the United defence. Rafael was a bit too eager to keep up, pulling the French maestro back and in turn receiving a second yellow card and getting sent off.
“That kid is a liability”, said the Arsenal fan I was watching the game with and at that moment in time I found it difficult to argue against that label. One of the most frustrating things is that up to that point in the game Rafael was playing out of his skin.
That was one of the problems with the ‘old’ Rafael. His over-zealous attitude seemed to cloud his judgment and despite his unwavering enthusiasm I would always wince when he dived into tackles or was left in a one-on-one situation.
His ability going forward has never been in question but all too often, in the past, he would be out of position, making the wrong decisions, losing his aerial battles and ultimately costing the team goals.
Despite the repeated criticism from my mates I had my United ‘blinkers’ on and stuck up for him, time after time. I could see the potential he possessed and, this season especially, the little Brazilian has paid back my support with interest.
Aside from the mercurial Robin Van Persie, Rafael is arguably our player of the season and one that can be relied upon to produce a mature performance, with the same tenacity of previous years, but without the calamities.
The 22-year old is nearing 120 appearances in a United shirt now and it’s clear that his experience is starting to bear fruit, especially when it comes to his decision-making.
“I think the difference now is that I’m making more correct decisions and that’s something that comes from playing regularly in the team”, Rafael told the club’s official website.
“The same goes for my tackling. You can’t always win the ball and sometimes the best thing to do is not to make a challenge. You learn when to tackle and when not to.”
His newfound maturity hasn’t gone unnoticed either, with Sir Alex Ferguson paying him the ultimate compliment in a recent interview. Fergie suggested he’s the man to keep Cristiano Ronaldo quiet when United face Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 tie in February.
“Their best player is the one we know about and that’s an advantage to us,” said Ferguson. “We know everything he can do in a game, but Rafa’s had a fantastic season for us.
“He’s quick and he’s aggressive and my faith would be in him to do the job.”
In a Premier League season where a solid defensive display is about as rare as a Liverpool win, Rafael has been a shining light and a player I’m confident can carry on improving to become, dare I say it, one of the best right backs in the world.
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