Sir Alex Ferguson believes Rafael da Silva’s performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night proved just how far he has progressed in recent times.
The Brazilian right-back was bombarded with Madrid attacks during the first 45 minutes, particularly through Cristiano Rolando, and struggled to cope, by the United manager’s own admission.
However, Sir Alex insists he never considered substituting the young defender at half-time, despite his booking on 40 minutes for hauling down Mesut Ozil on the by-line.
He told MUTV: “Obviously Rafa had a trying first half but he coped well in the second half. He calmed down.
“He’s a very impetuous boy. He’s enthusiastic and wants to win every ball and, of course, he committed himself far too early on a lot of occasions.
“In the second half, he was back to the form he has shown all season and he did really well.
“For a young boy to recover like that says a lot for him so that was pleasing to get that second-half performance out of him.”
Source: manutd.com
