Ronaldo, Park, Nani Out – Try Rafael As A Winger!

Manchester United face a real injury crisis, particularly in central midfield and on the wings. To the latter, there IS a solution.

Nani, Ronaldo and Park are all out of the Premiership opener against Newcastle therefore it’s time for a bold move I think. With Ryan Giggs as our only winger, we need someone on the other flank who provides pace as well as tricks. Clearly, Darren Fletcher is not the man.

Sir Alex has been waxing lyrical about the Da Silva twins, particularly about Rafael. The youngster seems to be in the mould of Roberto Carlos or Daniel Alves: great going forward but suspect at defending. He’s supposed to be a defender – but I see no reason why he could not be a great winger.

The boy has pace to burn, bags of skill and an eagerness to go past opponents. He’s a dribbler and is definitely worth a try against Newcastle if the situation does not improve. With Rooney unlikely to make the game I think this is the only encouraging option – playing Martin or Fletcher there will not solve anything.

One might argue that he’s inexperienced for the role but the position of right winger has an advantage: it’s very difficult to commit a mistake there that might lead to losing the game. In that sense, the full-back position demands much more responsibility. Therefore we would not risk much playing him.

If Fergie is reluctant to do this, then there’s always the option of a three-pronged attack with Tevez, Giggs and Campbell. This is more likely but I’d love to see Rafael playing on the wing. And the boy would surely have no objection, either…