Antonio Valencia | 2013/14 Performances

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It's nice to see him playing with more confidence and beating his man and attempting crosses but the reality of it is that those crosses often create nothing which is a shame given that we attack down that flank so much.

I agree. It's shocking and it's one of the reasons Nani should be given a chance on the right.

It's not even his crossing that is the problem, he's completely incapable of getting into any sort of position to cross. He's the most one dimensional player I have ever seen. How can a player that spends his life playing football, not realise that he has to learn to pull it onto the other foot and learn to do an in-swinger.

As a 19 year old at my absolute peak of sunday league mediocrity as a right winger I was able to cut it back and whip one into the back post with my left foot.

I can't disagree with that, though he's improved 0.1% from last year. The problem I have with Valencia is that yesterday's performance was against Vertonghen, who struggles at LB. And his best game for a month or so last week was against Can, a midfielder who basically let Valencia have it his way. I think that explains these two performances, I'm sorry I have to do this to you Valencia.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one then. Totally agree with your last sentence, mind.

Fair enough mate. I agree with most of what you said anyway.
 
Valencia wishes he had Kuyt's lovely face though.


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I'm better than Pexbo btw. My dribbling is insane. My chest is amazing. The way the ball bounces off it, oh lawd.
 
All I'm talking about is that Fergie and now Moyes have been seeing more of Nani in one week than you lot, the vast majority as you suggested, have seen so far in his United career. Their competence, believe it or not, is incomparable to this of yours as well. As Rob from Chelsea said recently, he must not perform to a good level if he's being overlooked not only by Sir Alex but also Moyes. Do you lot really believe those two managers are such idiots that they would be risking results, trophies or in Moyes's case head if he really was the bees knees?


If Nani can't get picked ahead Young and Valencia, then he's obviously shit and we should get rid of all three.
 
To be fair to Valencia, he got absolutely no help from Smalling on Sunday - none. He was isolated against two defenders most of the time, yet managed to break free with his insane speed on a few occasions. On a couple of those occasions there were only probably one or two United in the box. Then, if Rooney hadn't taken the ball ahead of Cleverley, Valencia might have gotten an assist as well and people would be singing a different tune. His crossing is a bit woeful though.
 
To be fair to Valencia, he got absolutely no help from Smalling on Sunday - none. He was isolated against two defenders most of the time, yet managed to break free with his insane speed on a few occasions. On a couple of those occasions there were only probably one or two United in the box. Then, if Rooney hadn't taken the ball ahead of Cleverley, Valencia might have gotten an assist as well and people would be singing a different tune. His crossing is a bit woeful though.


I don't know which game you were watching, because I remember several occasions where he was picked out on the wing (a few times by Rooney) and was one-on-one with Vertongen with time and space, and still managed to create nothing. Against a quick agile defender that could be forgiven, but Valencia is significantly quicker than Vertongen...

He should have done much better given the service/opportunities he had out wide.
 
I don't know which game you were watching, because I remember several occasions where he was picked out on the wing (a few times by Rooney) and was one-on-one with Vertongen with time and space, and still managed to create nothing. Against a quick agile defender that could be forgiven, but Valencia is significantly quicker than Vertongen...

He should have done much better given the service/opportunities he had out wide.


It's true that he should've done more on those occasions! He also managed to get past Verthongen several times only to hesitate before crossing, thus letting Verthongen claw his way back in with a last ditch tackle - good from Verthongen and indecisive from Valencia. However, there were also several times when he was isolated against two defenders and there was no help from Smalling. When Rooney tried against Verthongen and that other guy with the weird name, the same happened to him - seemed to get past for the cross, then a last ditch tackle. Valencia is much quicker than Rooney though so should get away more easily - it's that fraction of a second of hesitation before he crosses that ruins it. Nani is better at crossing at full pelt.
 
I must be alone in thinking that he's been performing well recently. Not great or as good as his past performances, but better than what we've seen from him in more recent times.

He took the piss out of the Spurs full back at the weekend but his crossing was a bit off. I still think he's moving in the right direction. I'd have him in there ahead of Nani for now. Nani needs to get going because his self confessed lack of confidence has been showing in his play.
 
I must be alone in thinking that he's been performing well recently. Not great or as good as his past performances, but better than what we've seen from him in more recent times.

He took the piss out of the Spurs full back at the weekend but his crossing was a bit off. I still think he's moving in the right direction. I'd have him in there ahead of Nani for now. Nani needs to get going because his self confessed lack of confidence has been showing in his play.
wow your standards seem low!
 
His crossing is a mess atm. Have no idea what went wrong with it as always had a quality delivery. But since his form took a nosedive he keeps going hard and low instead of trying to find someone's head. Someone has to make him aware that what he's doing isn't helping us at all. Its simply wasting countless opportunities to build quality attacks.
 
I must be alone in thinking that he's been performing well recently. Not great or as good as his past performances, but better than what we've seen from him in more recent times.

He took the piss out of the Spurs full back at the weekend but his crossing was a bit off. I still think he's moving in the right direction. I'd have him in there ahead of Nani for now. Nani needs to get going because his self confessed lack of confidence has been showing in his play.


That's an understatement unfortunately. With time and space hitting the first man as often as he does is unforgiveable. I agree the signs are better, but I disagree that on the basis of said improvement he deserves to start ahead of Nani. Nani creates chances, confident or not. Valencia hasn't been, despite the improvement. At the very least, the minutes should be more evenly distributed between the two than they are being now.
 
I don't think his crossing style has changed that much since his "beast days". More so I think it's just been a lack of getting past defenders to at least get a good look. When he he has got past players and been able to get his head up, I think he has picked out players quite well.

People have to also take into account that since his standout season, he has been getting a lot more double teamed. On Sunday it wasn't the fact that Vertonghen was just crap, it was he was one on one against Valencia. That's what happened to Ashley Cole a few times, Chelsea thought they could single cover him since Cole is so good defensively and Valencia tore him a new one each time.

It's why having Rafael or a fullback that can help lend in the attack becomes to critical when teams do double down on Valencia. The more confident Valencia overall this season and given the form of the last 2 games, along with Rafael I think we'll start seeing a lot more chances coming from the right.
 
His crossing did change. Or rather he limited the range of his crossing. He used to put it on Rooney's head for fun when in form. What he has improved massively in comparison with last season is going at full-back. That's positive, even if a bit desperate. We wanted him to at least improve, which wasn't too difficult and he has done so. Now we hope for his crossing to follow the suit.
 
I don't think his crossing style has changed that much since his "beast days". More so I think it's just been a lack of getting past defenders to at least get a good look. When he he has got past players and been able to get his head up, I think he has picked out players quite well.
People have to also take into account that since his standout season, he has been getting a lot more double teamed. On Sunday it wasn't the fact that Vertonghen was just crap, it was he was one on one against Valencia. That's what happened to Ashley Cole a few times, Chelsea thought they could single cover him since Cole is so good defensively and Valencia tore him a new one each time.

It's why having Rafael or a fullback that can help lend in the attack becomes to critical when teams do double down on Valencia. The more confident Valencia overall this season and given the form of the last 2 games, along with Rafael I think we'll start seeing a lot more chances coming from the right.


Sorry but disagree with this. In his peak season, he could outrun, outmuscle, and beat his man more times than not. Once he did, he'd also pick out a great cross. His crossing was magnificent that season, so much so that Rooney scored a bunch of headers.

Last season, he lost all confidence. He was too scared to run at his man, and thus never really got the chance to cross.

This season, he's come on a bit. He at least will run at his man, and beats him (but not as often as before). The problem now is that he doesn't aim his crosses (or so it seems). He lashes them hard across the goal.
 
Starts again today. I'm finding it difficult to be optimistic about this. At least Rafael is back. I really hope he's the catalyst that turns Valencia into a productive winger again. Still prefer to see Nani in the starting 11, but we'll see...
 
You could probably play a drinking game on how many times he hits the first man with his crosses.

And subsequently die of alcohol poisoning.
 
Shouldn't be starting but hopefully we'll be more effective with him and Rafa down the right.
 
Seriously, what kind of pass into space, and how much space does he need to actually cross the ball? Unbeliveable. Rafael needed 25 minutes to put better cross than Valencia did for whole season.
 
Rafael has put in some excellent crosses, probably more than Valencia has done all season
 
Never like him at right back to be honest.

Was Rafael injured? If not, it's a rubbish decision by Moyes.
 
More than 24 months of absolute shit. He's fecking garbage, get rid of him.
 
Started the game with a winger who can't cross and a striker who can't shoot.
 
3 games, 29 attempted crosses. 1 found a player. Kagawa outside the area :lol:
 
We should sell him just because I don't want our manager to have the option of picking him. He could be a decent option in some games, but he somehow convinces our managers to start him every single time despite doing nothing in attacking sense apart from being an outlet.
 
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