Antonio Valencia | 2009/10 Performances

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All of what you said is true, but as I said, I found him better against Blackburn both going forward and defensively
 
R_Nick said:
How exactly was he wasteful?

And people going on about him getting to the byline and having to pass back as if its the worst thing in the world, he was consistently pulling two defenders out wide to deal with him and then laying it back to a wide open Neviller to put dangerous crosses in.
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By giving the ball away and not managing to complete passes
 
He might be one footed, he might be predictable but he has a knack of creating chances and as long as that continues and he improves I'll be happy.
 
R_Nick said:
How exactly was he wasteful?

And people going on about him getting to the byline and having to pass back as if its the worst thing in the world, he was consistently pulling two defenders out wide to deal with him and then laying it back to a wide open Neviller to put dangerous crosses in.
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Which was great to see. Neville's always been a fantastic crosser of the ball. We've badly missed his delivery from the right.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Which was great to see. Neville's always been a fantastic crosser of the ball. We've badly missed his delivery from the right.
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Some of the crosses Neville put in last night were sublime the commentators mentioned last night that when ever the ball went back to Neville, Scholes was busting a gut to get in the box! Even though it didn't go in all that often in the first half.

Valencia doesn't get the support from O'Shea sometimes and when he does he doesn't really have the quality in an attacking sense which can be a problem at times.
 
R_Nick said:
He's the highest rated player in Sky's report too.
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I think he's getting better and better. He may not be the winking portugese winger but he workrate is fantastic, his delivery is far above Nani's in terms of consistency and he's getting into the right places. I think that if he can be coached to be more positive with his shooting then he'll become more dangerous for us. I get the impression he is always looking for the pass, wheras Ronnie had that strikers instinct. As soon as Ronnie got the ball he was thinking whether he could score, if not he passed or ran at the player. Valencia needs to add a bit more directness to his game and keep the defensive attributes too. I'm pleased with his progress personally.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Which was great to see. Neville's always been a fantastic crosser of the ball. We've badly missed his delivery from the right.
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True. I think that it will take a while to knit together an effective system that completely suits Valencia's style but I am sure that it will include delivery from the full back who will be given more time due to Valencia's speed and threat.
 
As I said, liking what I've seen so far.

However, I can't recall seeing a more one-footed player at the club.
 
Loads of wingers out there who are one footed, its what he does with that one foot that counts. I'm sure he's got a half decent left foot, it just seems he's not overly confident in using it.

That being said, he gets to the byline and his options are I can swing it in with left foot, or I'll knock it back to my team mate who's in a better position to cross the ball then it makes sense. And he did that to great effect against CSKA, aided by the fact that Gary Neville actually thought he was Beckham.

Might have been a different story had it been O'Shea playing as he doesn't have the best quality on the ball!
 
R_Nick said:
And people going on about him getting to the byline and having to pass back as if its the worst thing in the world, he was consistently pulling two defenders out wide to deal with him and then laying it back to a wide open Neviller to put dangerous crosses in.
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Driving down the right, drawing two defenders, yet still retaining possession also allowed the rest of the team to advance deep into CSKA's half. When Valencia was getting the ball, we still had players in our own half, but his thrusts down the right brought the whole team forward and kept CSKA on the defensive deep in their own half.
 
Trippin_Stoned said:
Loads of wingers out there who are one footed, its what he does with that one foot that counts. I'm sure he's got a half decent left foot, it just seems he's not overly confident in using it.

That being said, he gets to the byline and his options are I can swing it in with left foot, or I'll knock it back to my team mate who's in a better position to cross the ball then it makes sense. And he did that to great effect against CSKA, aided by the fact that Gary Neville actually thought he was Beckham.

Might have been a different story had it been O'Shea playing as he doesn't have the best quality on the ball!
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Don't make me laugh....
 
Chris H said:
Driving down the right, drawing two defenders, yet still retaining possession also allowed the rest of the team to advance deep into CSKA's half. When Valencia was getting the ball, we still had players in our own half, but his thrusts down the right brought the whole team forward and kept CSKA on the defensive deep in their own half.
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I just hope Chelsea don't figure out his (our) game plan... Although i do worry because Valencia seems to be running down the by line drawing players out (noticeable the left back) and knocking it back to our right back for weeks now...
 
Mainoldo said:
I just hope Chelsea don't figure out his (our) game plan... Although i do worry because Valencia seems to be running down the by line drawing players out (noticeable the left back) and knocking it back to our right back for weeks now...
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He has adapted according to whoever he's played against. In CSKA away he was receiving diagonal balls behind their full back and getting crosses in, against Liverpool and CSKA home he was doubled up on so he either had to knock it back or work inside that he did numerous times.
 
Many people seem to misunderstand that just because some people criticize him, doesn't necessarily mean that he isn't good enough or anything. He is very direct, but at the same time very predictable. I'm glad he's scored the goals he has, otherwise he'd be crucified as a major flop. However, as someone to replace Ronaldo on the right flank (not as a direct replacement of course, but still he took his position), he will often come under scrutiny especially if our strikers are misfiring.

Personally I think he adds balance to the squad, and he's better than Park. If Obertan or Nani can play really well on the other side, they can add the flair and unpredictability. Valencia does seem to be getting better but he's not really that young anymore, and i really doubt if our coaching staff can teach him any new tricks. I'd be ecstatic if he can just beat his man with a bit more regularity.
 
datura said:
He has adapted according to whoever he's played against. In CSKA away he was receiving diagonal balls behind their full back and getting crosses in, against Liverpool and CSKA home he was doubled up on so he either had to knock it back or work inside that he did numerous times.
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Yep, and against Blackburn he cut inside quite often - don't tell anyone though, because apparently he never does that.
 
11 starts, three goals, not too shabby. He hit the cross bar in Moscow and in Liverpool as well, he's a bigger goal threat than I expected.

It's looking good.

If we get Rafael up and running they could potentially create a great partnership wide right, the balance should be just right.
 
Anyone else think he'll start against Chelsea? I can see him being very important in terms of tracking Ashley Cole. He is one of their biggest attacking threats especially with the way the diamond operates.
 
Decotron said:
Anyone else think he'll start against Chelsea? I can see him being very important in terms of tracking Ashley Cole. He is one of their biggest attacking threats especially with the way the diamond operates.
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His a first team regular of course he'll start... I'm more worried about what Fergie will do in the middle. So far he's got it wrong against both Arsenal and Liverpool!!
 
Floyd said:
11 starts, three goals, not too shabby. He hit the cross bar in Moscow and in Liverpool as well, he's a bigger goal threat than I expected.

It's looking good.

If we get Rafael up and running they could potentially create a great partnership wide right, the balance should be just right.
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Good post, he's done really well so far.It's not aesthetics aspect of his game the most part, it's the efficiency and he's done well (creates and scores goals)
 
Mainoldo said:
His a first team regular of course he'll start... I'm more worried about what Fergie will do in the middle. So far he's got it wrong against both Arsenal and Liverpool!!
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I think Fergie once said that he prefers starting British players in derbies. And playing Carrick & Scholes in midfield, and then Giggs on the left just left us very lightweight in midfield. Need to not make that mistake again.
 
amolbhatia100 said:
I think Fergie once said that he prefers starting British players in derbies. And playing Carrick & Scholes in midfield, and then Giggs on the left just left us very lightweight in midfield. Need to not make that mistake again.
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It wasn't as if he had any other options. Fletcher and Hargreaves both wasn't available. He probably thought playing Anderson would be suicidal if he doesn't have a Fletcher/Hargreaves next to him for that sort of game.
 
Why would it be so suicidal, Carrick and Anderson would have done far better than Scholes and Carrick. It would have probably been best to play all three and leave Giggs on the bench as a sub, either that or Valencia. The thing is that Scholes passed the ball very well that day, but his lack of legs cost United dearly in the midfield badly, something Anderson would have coped with well.
 
Wan said:
Yeap. It worked brilliantly in Rome. Oh wait..
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No one showed up that day, well one player was half decent, but he isnt here anymore, and I have to say didn t realize we were playing Barcelona on Sunday???? When did they become an EPL side????
 
We were missing a Fletcher/Hargreaves far more in both games. A Fletcher/Hargreaves-Carrick-Anderson would have been good. Since those two wasn't available, he picked a Carrick-Scholes.. things just didn't work out and Anderson wasn't even brought on.
 
Wan said:
We were missing a Fletcher/Hargreaves far more in both games. A Fletcher/Hargreaves-Carrick-Anderson would have been good. Since those two wasn't available, he picked a Carrick-Scholes.. things just didn't work out and Anderson wasn't even brought on.
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Which had no battle in them or drive in them!! Which is why we lost... Anderson would have brought that drive or at least stretched the play in the middle!! As for the Barca game we killed them for the first 15mins, then we lost our head when they scored not to mention Anderson getting injured before half-time. At the end of the day Scholes-Carrick-Giggs was never going to when us the midfield battle against liverpool.
 
It was a two in the middle, two out wide. Guess SAF didn't trust Anderson alongside one of those to start in the middle for that game.
 
Bump.

I thought he was pretty good today against Everton. Dangerous when he cut inside, generally unspectacular with the ball but not wasteful either. Loved the bit where he won two tackles to win the ball back just outside the box, setting up Owen for a chance on goal. Headed across the area to set up Fletcher's strike, then scored one himself - "productive", as some here like to call it. Only 3 goals for Wigan last season, but today he scored his 4th. Maybe 10 this year (in all competitions)? I'd take it.

Three months into his first season with us now, looks like a United player to me. We overpaid because of the circumstances (we had to buy a positional replacement for Ronaldo), but he looks like a good signing. Fast, strong, highly experienced, increasingly effective. Just turned 24 in August.
 
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