tbf for them to win the title, their mail rivals are United, City and Chelsea. Losing a player like RVP will have an effect of course. But they should still be a match for Spurs and Newcastle.
Arsenals chances of a top 4 finish this season
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tbf for them to win the title, their mail rivals are United, City and Chelsea. Losing a player like RVP will have an effect of course. But they should still be a match for Spurs and Newcastle.
I used to think so, but honestly he is only widely recognised & rated in United circuit.
Other hardly know whether he exists.
Gareth Bale, Frank Ribery and a bunch of other super star wingers certainly know who the feck he is.
This could be said about a huge number of United players for the last 20 years.
It's beyond me how we keep winning so many titles
Not denying your success.
It's just that Rafael showed lot of promise when he first arrived, but has not progressed.
What could have been a Maicon-like threat from right, is still not upto PL football yet.
It's just that Rafael showed lot of promise when he first arrived, but has not progressed.
What could have been a Maicon-like threat from right, is still not upto PL football yet.
He's a lot better defensively than when he first joined.
He'll get more attention when he starts adding assists and the odd goal, which he is capable of.
He'll get more attention when he starts adding assists and the odd goal, which he is capable of.
Sorry I didn't realise he had a 4 year time limit to reach his full potential. How is it that he's more than held his own with Ribery and Bale, yet somehow he's not up to PL football yet?
Michael Carrick is in the same boat, and wasn't even recognized by us until the last 12-24 months!
It was around this age that Sagna was starting to establish himself in the Auxerre side. Cut the kid some slack.
Nope not at all. Just consistently dominates the right hand side of the field against the top premier league sides.
In terms of talent in their position, Rafael has it in spades and you know this when even fecking rawkites reckon he's going to be a top player. The only thing that hasn't progressed for Rafael much is his decision making against lesser opposition, but as another caf poster pointed out, even Rio Ferdinand had this issue at Rafaels age.
He is for me, the hybrid of Irwin and Neville and he's going to be a hell of a player.
I am not criticising him harshly, you have to admit.
Stating that he has stalled is a completely fair statement.
I am not going to compare another player with him and neither am i saying a certain player is better than Rafael.
My opinion is purely about Rafael and given that that right back spot has been available for last 3 seasons and completely vacant last season; despite injuries he should have had nailed it by now.
However, Jones & Smalling have contributed more from that position.(though i am not sure whether he was available then)
If someone is considered ''one of the best young rightback''(which i used to agree with before), well it's been too long that he held that tag & guess he should soon realise his potential. (He is stuck on 89 in SM, eating my wages)
Someone said about time limit of a potential to be realised. Well there has to be some right?
He is 22 now and to say widely regarded as 'best young talent ...' at that age, he has to do something more than having couple of good performances against admittedly class players.
That's unfair on Carrick, the more i read it.
Carrick does something that doesn't catch attention and hence go unnoticed.
He has consistently performed at the standard that he has set for himself.
I'd argue that the job of a fullback goes unnoticed, especially when they aren't the greatest offensively. Forcing your winger into putting in a poor quality cross often results in the crosser getting castigated by fans, when in reality, the defenders made it really hard for him to even put one in. In fact, most wingers won't even cross the ball if they don't feel they can wrap their foot around it, and the ball will go back towards the middle; yet again, you won't see the good work of the full back, you'll see a winger trying to make something happen in a more central region i.e. a shot from 20-25 yards, instead of putting in a speculative, hopeful cross.
Likewise, Carrick does the same; slowing down the opposition attack, breaking it up with interceptions, yet a lot of this will go down to 'Oh that stupid idiot, he gave the ball right back to the opposition, whereas, in reality, Carrick will have read the play and cut the pass out. Again, someone like Lionheart Scottie Parker will be considered far superior, because he gets stuck into tackles which you do recognize as an ACTION made by the defending player; something they've done on purpose to cut the play out.
Keeping the ball tidy, far tidier than Parker and his ilk. 90-91% passing completion, with a far better passing range; but all we'll remember is the lack of assists etc.
Am i right in coming to conclusion that Rafael is at Parker's level right now?
Rafael is definitely one of, if not the best young right-back in the world.
Of course he'll make mistakes because he's still nowhere near fulfilling his potential.
When a supposed top right-back like Sagna can make multiple feck-ups every season, we can expect Rafael to make as many.
The problem with Rafel is when he inevitably makes a mistake, idiots jump in to write him off and say "oh look, I was right all along", ignoring all the times he's kept world class wingers in his pocket and put in very promising performances.
Thankfully, most sensible fans, and crucially Fergie, know a lot better.
Of course he'll make mistakes because he's still nowhere near fulfilling his potential.
When a supposed top right-back like Sagna can make multiple feck-ups every season, we can expect Rafael to make as many.
The problem with Rafel is when he inevitably makes a mistake, idiots jump in to write him off and say "oh look, I was right all along", ignoring all the times he's kept world class wingers in his pocket and put in very promising performances.
Thankfully, most sensible fans, and crucially Fergie, know a lot better.
Thats poor form Trionz.
Can someone remind me of the last Sagna disaster? I don't remember any.
Rafael will make mistakes, that's fine, but to say he's arguably the best young right back in the world is complete bollocks. No-one outside of United would say that. He might end up being brilliant, but it's by no means an open shut case.
How?
As per feck-ups from rafael.
Weirdly i am not aware of any. I have not dwelled on any of his feck-ups anywhere.
I am neither counting his bright part nor his dark ones. There is huge range of mid-tones of one's performance that one can look into.
Fergir knows better, i agree; and it doesn't seem like he believes completely in Rafael.
As per feck-ups from rafael.
Weirdly i am not aware of any. I have not dwelled on any of his feck-ups anywhere.
I am neither counting his bright part nor his dark ones. There is huge range of mid-tones of one's performance that one can look into.
Fergir knows better, i agree; and it doesn't seem like he believes completely in Rafael.
I think you're confusing him with Walker.
Rafael will be abandoned by MUFC as a failed project ... probably within the next 18 months.
People who fail to see what a great talent Rafael is, should not be allowed to watch football.
That's why we gave him a new contract just month ago
believeing in him in terms of starts?
Regarding Rafael a great talent but needs to cut on his mistakes. Bit over-rated on this forum but he's a fantastic talent and still only 22 and the defensive maturity comes in the future.
See, more evidence that fans of other teams are idiots.
I have no doubts that Arsenal will finish in the top 4 this coming season. No matter who they sell, as long as they still have Wenger, they definitely will. The man's a fantastic manager who knows what he's doing, and is doing very well despite the limited funds.
He's not worse off than Neville was at his age IMO
Raphael has undoubted talent, its his endurance that always worries me.
Rafael should be able to get rid of his major faults within the next few years as he gains experience. He needs to improve his confidence and not be as rash as he sometimes can be, but it's natural for a youngster to be a bit like that sometimes. The rest of his game will develop naturally and he should be a top right back in a couple of years. His defending really came on at times last season.
Did you watch Brazil v Mexico? He was a pile of steaming shit.
I still think Arsenal will have a good season. Strength in depth is their issue I think and that's why they won't challenge for the title.
3rd and a cup win I reckon.
3rd and a cup win I reckon.
One game does not a player make or break, he wasn't his best though I'll admit.
That's a sweeter way of saying he is not all that currently.
Rafael is a great talent but I cringe when I hear him being praised so highly (e.g one of the best .... in the world).
Evra made more mistakes than Rafael last season
That said, 'best young right-back in the world'...er no
That said, 'best young right-back in the world'...er no
I really don't watch enough football to know much about all the young right-backs in the game right now, but it doesn't concern me whether he's the best of them or not; if Fergie has given him a new contract and the No 2 shirt that's a massive suggestion that he's going to be our right-back for the future. Happy with that, I love his enthusiasm and the way he plays, and he has so much ability you'd hope it will work out for him at United.
Of course he's one of the best young right-backs in the world.
Difficult to say whether he is the best, but he's certainly the one who's been consistently tested at the highest levels, and often come out with flying colours.
Whereas someone like Walker, promising player that he is, is effectively playing for an upper mid-table Europa League team, with much less scrutiny than at Man United.
Difficult to say whether he is the best, but he's certainly the one who's been consistently tested at the highest levels, and often come out with flying colours.
Whereas someone like Walker, promising player that he is, is effectively playing for an upper mid-table Europa League team, with much less scrutiny than at Man United.
I hope Fergie trusts in him, and starts him every time he picks his best side.
Regular games always is a benefit for him. He can be so good when he's at the top of his game.
Also, please let him escape injury this time around.
Regular games always is a benefit for him. He can be so good when he's at the top of his game.
Also, please let him escape injury this time around.
Walker is twice the RB that Rafael is or will ever be.
Rafael isn't even in the top 4 of best RBs in the Prem ... let alone "one of the best young right-backs in the world"
Man Utd fans go nuts and expose their genitals over Brazilians. Same old nonsense with Anderson as well.