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Post by Stew on Aug 17, 2021 10:37:14 GMT
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Post by Kojak on Aug 18, 2021 9:24:32 GMT
Looking forward to a clickbait TalkShite video of Trevor Sinclair claiming Varane is a coward for not fighting Phil Jones to the death over the number 4 shirt. |
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Post by Deez on Feb 11, 2022 12:04:13 GMT
It was either the Burnley or Boro game where Varane made an excellent block, but these are getting forgotten about because of the other shitshow we're seeing on the pitch. Good article from Andy here www.gq-magazine.co.uk/lifestyle/article/varane-manchester-united
Ralf Rangnick and his staff thought that the introduction to the current block of Manchester United games after a two-week break was a forgiving one. Championship side Middlesbrough at home in the FA Cup would be followed by a short trip to Burnley, who’ve won only one league game this season. Had you stopped watching both games at half-time, you could see why they might have thought that too. United were dominant from the start of the match — something that had been a struggle under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer — played well, created loads of chances and led 1-0. Yet United drew both games 1-1 and lost against ‘Boro on penalties.
The results were baffling. United had 30 shots against ‘Boro and 22 against Burnley and looked far more proactive than in Rangnick’s early games, yet the efforts yielded only two goals, one point and FA Cup elimination. So you can understand why the 3,000 travelling United fans left Turf Moor fuming in the rain on Tuesday, having sung almost non-stop in support of their team. As they cursed through the puddles in a Lowryesque northern English scene and moaned about the performance of Harry Maguire, solace was to be found only in individual performances. Jadon Sancho played well, Paul Pogba too, while Maguire’s defensive partner Raphaël Varane deserved praise. The Frenchman has finally settled at United after his August signing from Real Madrid when optimism was far higher than it is now and when GQ asked Rangnick about the defender before the Burnley game, he said: “I think he has arrived. He seems to be physically fit, has no issues anymore with injuries and up until he was substituted he did extremely well with Harry against a Championship team, but an ambitious Championship team. I’m very happy to have him for the game, hopefully we can have him in the same form for the upcoming games.” Hardly the most interesting answer from an interim manager who is usually refreshingly frank when dealing with the media, but one which shows his conviction in his best central defender.
Varane is playing well week after week. Against Burnley, he won more than his fair share of headers against big, strong strikers. He also looked delighted when he scored his first United goal – and you can’t blame him for feeling a little crestfallen when VAR killed that joy. Throughout, he tried to play forward, tried to lead by example. Among the players and staff, Varane is considered a quiet leader. An Amazon Prime series about him in France and Spain describes him as "a discreet hero" and in Manchester, the other players look up to him and like him. Varane displays a winning mentality, which well he might because he’s been there and won everything there is to win in a decade with Real Madrid.
“He’s passionate but not in your face and constant,” one United source tells us. “With regards to his style, he does not complicate the game. If he’s in trouble in the channel then he’ll just kick the ball out or put it into a position where his teammates can recover or regroup whereas Harry Maguire will take more risks. Sometimes those risks come off, sometimes not. Varane’s speed and clarity of defending, plus his first touch, are some of his biggest attributes. He receives the ball under pressure and chooses right, where to head or chest the ball as it’s coming from the sky for example. He’s a very clean defender, technically and mentally with his positioning and decision making.”
Varane is clearly a world-class defender, but what are his weaknesses? He has few, but one is when a fast-opposing striker turns quickly. United had the same fears about Gerard Pique (and later planned to exploit that in the 2009 Champions League final in Rome) — that he could be done in the first few metres but not after ten. That didn’t work out and although no Premier League attacker has bested Varane yet, there have just been a few moments where smaller players have twisted around him.
“You might catch him on the immediate turn and the first yard of acceleration, but once he gets going he has several gears he can go through and he’s very fast,” adds the source. Not for nothing did former Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa say: “It’s not just that he’s fast, he’s fast without ever feeling that he had to be. He didn’t ever seem to be trying, he just glided.”
Varane can get even better. At Burnley, he played on right with Maguire to his left, but he’s also played on the left and with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly. This is not the stability he had with Sergio Ramos season after season in Madrid, but United are not a stable construct right now.
The feeling at United is that with a regular position and partner, his passing patterns and familiarity with his partner will improve. Maguire, United’s captain and best central defender last season, was long expected to be that partner, but the world’s most expensive defender has had a disappointing season, as has the whole team.
With Varane, you wonder what he must make of his new surroundings. He’s enjoying playing in England and his family like living in England, though they went back to Madrid recently for a break. And he’ll be back again in a few weeks when United play Atletico.
Fed up of seeing their club manipulated by players who wanted new contracts, United fans were surprised that he actually came to Old Trafford, but United long felt that his desire to come to the club was genuine – and that was certainly something Darren Fletcher felt when he met Varane before he signed.
There was surprise in Madrid that he was let go, but while they offered him a new contract they didn’t push hard for him to sign and both parties knew that. Varane also wanted to try a new league, to try England. He was his own man, not someone in the shadow of Sergio Ramos and he’d come a long way from those early days in Spain when Cristiano Ronaldo said to the new teen signing: “Varane, you go in the middle,” ahead of a game of “rondo” to warm the players up.
Varane walked up to Cristiano in front of the other players. “My name is not Varane,” he said, “my name is Rapha.” He made his point quickly that while he was flattered to be in such esteemed company, he wasn’t to be overawed and he was to be respected. He gets on fine with Ronaldo.
Then Madrid manager Jose Mourinho praised the way Varane adapted quickly, integrating into the team and learning Spanish quickly. Mourinho also praised “the good people around him. Stable people, positive influences, intelligence.”
Varane wasn’t close to being the first-choice central defender when he went to Spain, since Ramos and Pepe were established, but he almost botched up joining Madrid in the first place in 2011. Zidane was in between playing for and coaching Madrid but still very close to the club and its president Florentino Perez and was given the task of sounding him out. With respect to Sir Alex Ferguson who also wanted to sign him, Zidane was a much bigger deal in the eyes of a young Frenchman, but he couldn’t comprehend why Zidane would have called him from a mobile number he didn’t recognise. Varane asked if it was really him, told him he was busy and hung up. He told his family, who said he was crazy to hang up on Zidane. But Zidane called back three hours later and told him again that Madrid wanted to sign him and that yes, it was really him.
Varane stayed for a decade and won the lot. He also became a world champion with France for whom he’s now played 83 times. At Old Trafford, where he played for Madrid in a controversial 2013 Champions League game when Nani was sent off, he had an up and down first few months following the incredible reception which greeted him on the pitch before the Leeds game on the opening day of the season.
He played 90 minutes in five consecutive league games after making his debut in the 1-0 August win at Wolves, then a groin injury was followed by a hamstring injury. United were weaker without him. He was absent for all the four defeats in five games from mid-October to mid-November – the only game he played in saw United’s only win, a 3-0 triumph at Spurs. He returned for Newcastle away at the end of December and has played 90 minutes in six of the seven league games since. United have only conceded more than one goal in one of them. In Varane’s 13 league games so far, United have conceded more than one goal only once. United’s defence is imperfect, the whole team is, but he’s been one of the bright spots so far this year. His immense experience over his career at the very top will be crucial if United, nowhere near that peak, are to do anything with a season which has been underwhelming so far.
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Post by Tatty on Feb 11, 2022 13:01:20 GMT
Was a bit worried when he first came in, looked a teeny big lightweight, Joelinton buffered him about in the Ronaldo comeback game, but since coming back from injury he's been phenomenal. Proper Rolls Royce stuff. Makes the charlatan next to him look worse and worse each passing week.
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Post by Tatty on Feb 12, 2022 23:01:59 GMT
Watched him today, as my perch was right behind his area he was marshalling. Fuck me. What a player. He makes the game look so effortless. So much taller than I thought too. When every header just by judging the flight of the ball. Never gets pulled into an aerial duel for the sake of it. Honestly, he’s the best player I’ve seen in a United shirt for a solid decade.
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Post by traffordbrown on Feb 13, 2022 9:29:00 GMT
Watched him today, as my perch was right behind his area he was marshalling. Fuck me. What a player. He makes the game look so effortless. So much taller than I thought too. When every header just by judging the flight of the ball. Never gets pulled into an aerial duel for the sake of it. Honestly, he’s the best player I’ve seen in a United shirt for a solid decade. I couldn't agree more. Yesterday was the first time I'd watched him in the flesh and wow. What a privilege it was. The man oozes class. He deserves a worthy partner. |
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Post by redcase on Feb 13, 2022 10:36:12 GMT
All of y'all are at the game yesterday and you don't meet in person? 😄 Seemed like a good opportunity for an impromptu RoM piss-up.
If anything you lads could have helped Rustin seeing as he's most probably single by now...
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Post by Stretty on Feb 13, 2022 11:11:13 GMT
Watched him today, as my perch was right behind his area he was marshalling. Fuck me. What a player. He makes the game look so effortless. So much taller than I thought too. When every header just by judging the flight of the ball. Never gets pulled into an aerial duel for the sake of it. Honestly, he’s the best player I’ve seen in a United shirt for a solid decade. I couldn't agree more. Yesterday was the first time I'd watched him in the flesh and wow. What a privilege it was. The man oozes class. He deserves a worthy partner. seen him “in the flesh” a few times and both the above posts are spot on. he’s the absolute opposite of Maguire |
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Post by Stew on Feb 13, 2022 13:28:09 GMT
He’s a magnificent defender.
I’ve no idea what he’s doing at Utd as it’s presently run.
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Post by GeniusCantona on Feb 13, 2022 17:32:16 GMT
He’s a magnificent defender. I’ve no idea what he’s doing at Utd as it’s presently run. Thankfully he did so much winning at Madrid that he might be ok with our pathetic club. |
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Post by DedRevil on Feb 13, 2022 19:02:33 GMT
His greatest achievement at United is gonna be exposing Maguire
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Post by Deez on Feb 18, 2022 15:52:10 GMT
Imagine Vidic and Varane as a partnership....
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Post by redcase on Feb 18, 2022 16:58:56 GMT
Imagine Vidic and Varane as a partnership.... We had Vidic and Rio and I think that's been one of the best pairings I have ever seen in my life. As good as Varane is, I don't know if he is better than Rio was. |
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Post by Deez on Feb 18, 2022 17:35:04 GMT
Imagine Vidic and Varane as a partnership.... We had Vidic and Rio and I think that's been one of the best pairings I have ever seen in my life. As good as Varane is, I don't know if he is better than Rio was. Was going to add at the end that this wasn't a slant at Rio as Rio and Vidic is my all time favourite pairing, but him and Varane are similar types of defenders so he would play the Rio role while Vida would go about breaking legs with his head |
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Post by Paul on May 14, 2024 11:21:51 GMT
Really is a shame that injuries have hit him as much. Is a world class defender when he's fully fit. Just unfortunate that we didn't see enough of it. Injuries and wages though the timing is right to move on.
40m bought, letting him go on a free is something I hope Ratcliffe puts a stop to aswell. Ridiculous how we keep allowing this to happen.
All the best to the lad though.
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