Chris Smalling is making life difficult for Rafael at Manchester United

Chris Smalling

One of the biggest pluses for Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge ofManchester United, was the form of Brazilian right back Rafael Da Silvawho finally put the rashness that blighted his game behind him.

Rafael was superb last season, playing a huge part in helping United win the title at something of a canter and enabling Sir Alex to call it a day in the same position he occupied during most of his Old Trafford reign – top of the Premier League.

This season hasn’t quite been the same storm to the summit as last for United, which is to be expected considering the new regime is finding its feet, while simultaneously grappling with rivals who’ve had massive summer investment.

Despite a patchy start, recently United have begun to look a lot more like the side you’d associate with the previous manager and have put together a run which is beginning to remind everyone just who the reigning champions are.

Chris Smalling has found himself thrown into the less preferred spot of right back for the Reds this season, as Rafael’s injury problems, which have always blighted his career somewhat, have kept him out for all but three league games. United fans love Rafael, not just for his finger waving rant at Carlos Tevez a few seasons back, but his never-say-die bombing forward attitude that naturally endears a player to his supporters.

Rafael has excelled defensively over the past 12 months, something that was a severe flaw in his game as sometimes the rash challenges could leave United exposed or even worse, down to ten men as happened against Bayern Munich in 2010.

Chris Smalling may not be as rash as Rafael was a few seasons back, but at times he can look shaky defensively – especially in the right-back position. This season though, Smalling has shown he’s capable of matching his Brazilian counterpart when it comes to defending, as the defensive actions graph shows.

All this sounds like it’s almost an open and shut case of Smalling being the better option for Moyes, but that’s not really true as Rafael still brings a lot to the side that perhaps the England man can’t quite match. Rafael loves getting forward and although the stats prove Smalling isn’t afraid of joining attacks either, the fact that despite playing less games, the Brazilian is the only one of the pair to test the oppositions goalkeeper gives us an indication of why he’s so popular with the fans.

It seems United finally have two options at right-back that may both be able to stake a claim as David Moyes’ stronger option.