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Antonio Valencia Ecuador flag

2014-15 Performances

View full 2014-15 profile

5.6 Season Average Rating
Appearances
35
Clean sheets
12
Goals
0
Assists
5
Yellow cards
4
What used to make Valencia a good option on the right - He would take the ball and run at his fullback, get past him with power and pace and put a ball into the box that the striker could get on the end of. At first these balls weren't that good, often behind the striker but it still made a chance for the team and the stats showed that he created more oppertunities from the right than anyone else in the league, so just the sheer number of balls that a striker could possibly turn in was what made him a good right winger. In his best season he finally refined his crosses and he wasnt putting a lot of them behind the striker where the chances was more difficult than it should have been, he was putting in some peaches that were very easy to turn in and his delivery was probably as good as anyone in the league at that time.

The current Valencia? He does none of these things. This weekend he beat his man 0 times. 0.

He attempted 12 crosses, allowing a striker to get an effort of some description away 0 times. 0.

All he really did is tackle 5 times, which tends to be all he does these days. Makes a bunch of tackles but isnt good enough defensively to be a defender. He's a crap rightback playing right wing.
 
The funny thing about him. Most pundits and some opposition fans still think he is great.
 
I just don't get it. I re-watched a video of his exploits in the 2011/2012 season and he was an absolute beast. Everyone knew what he was going to do, but he simply ran past players with immense pace. His crossing has arguably never been world class, but at least he used to vary it with low and lofted crosses. He also varied his runs more in that he cut inside the players more. Sometimes I wish that LvG would force him to do this by actually play him on the left; sure he would be even easier to read, but he would be forced to do something different - Robben didn't use his right leg to save a drowning kitten, so why not...

Valencia hasn't lost pace either... weird it is
 
I do want to shake him at times, it's like he waits for the marker to come to him and close down the angle before he tries to cross the ball. It's very infuriating at times because he has the potent is to be unstoppable particularly in that 2011-12 season when he came back from that horrific injury he was amazing. Since then he seemed to have regressed. I do like him but I want to strangle him sometimes.
 
The only thing he ever had was pace and power. He's always been unintelligent, limited and incredibly one dimensional, but I heard he makes us solid, "puts in a shift" and helps out in defence, so let's give him a pass. It's absurd that most of you are just realizing he's shit, he's been shit for a long time now, never rated him. Pub standard player at best.
 
What baffles me the most is how many times Mata was there at the edge of the box asking for the ball to play some combination with him and Valencia just ignored him time and time again and kept smashing the ball into defenders legs. I have no idea if he really is that stupid, but he looks like he has no brain whatsoever. He literally represents everything that is wrong with this team in last two seasons.
 
I do think he's lost some pace actually, we rarely if ever see him leave someone for dead anymore once past them even if he's still one of if not the fastest player we have.
 
I could be wrong but I seem to remember someone posted a video analysis showing he hadn't lost any pace even over the first yard.

Important to note - as many posters already have - that the last time he was 'good' was when Paul fracking Scholes was hitting him in stride with forty yard passes, with the opposition left back off balance and scrambling to get into position. A far cry from the past two/three years of our current midfielders merely pushing the ball out wide to him with two banks of four already set.
 
Even when he gets into a decent position his crossing is absolutely woeful. Thats the real regression imo.
 
legball said:
The only thing he ever had was pace and power. He's always been unintelligent, limited and incredibly one dimensional, but I heard he makes us solid, "puts in a shift" and helps out in defence, so let's give him a pass. It's absurd that most of you are just realizing he's shit, he's been shit for a long time now, never rated him. Pub standard player at best.
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:wenger: you haven't been on the caf for a long time now have you ?
 
Being one-dimensional isn't necessarily a negative thing, especially in Valencia's case since he combined four crucial elements of his play - intelligence, speed, great engine, and good crosser - and made himself a very useful outlet for us. But it seems like he's lost most of that.

The point about the system being a hindrance for him is a good point because we all know that he's lost the ability to run at his man with conviction and relies more on our right back to overlap and provide him with space. However, you can't blame the system for his atrocious deliveries. There are occasions where he finds space but then delays his cross which I don't quite understand. Or other occasions where he's in space and crosses it first time, but it's a mediocre delivery. It's definitely something that can be improved, but there has been no improvement for two years now.
 
kouroux said:
:wenger: you haven't been on the caf for a long time now have you ?
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Depends how long haha, but i keep hearing that he makes us solid, tracks back, plays better with Rafael and bullshit lines like that.
 
MoneyMay said:
Being one-dimensional isn't necessarily a negative thing, especially in Valencia's case since he combined four crucial elements of his play - intelligence, speed, great engine, and good crosser - and made himself a very useful outlet for us. But it seems like he's lost most of that.

The point about the system being a hindrance for him is a good point because we all know that he's lost the ability to run at his man with conviction and relies more on our right back to overlap and provide him with space. However, you can't blame the system for his atrocious deliveries. There are occasions where he finds space but then delays his cross which I don't quite understand. Or other occasions where he's in space and crosses it first time, but it's a mediocre delivery. It's definitely something that can be improved, but there has been no improvement for two years now.
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You can't be serious! He's not an intelligent player. There's this misconception here that because he keeps the ball more, then he's intelligent. He's not. He's just a cowardly player who is too scared to make a mistake, so, rather than try to beat his man, he'll pass back and play it safe. We'' retain the ball, but never hurt the opposition. I'm sure that's why you think he's intelligent. There's nothing intelligent about beating your man with pace and whipping in a cross.
 
legball said:
You can't be serious! He's not an intelligent player. There's this misconception here that because he keeps the ball more, then he's intelligent. He's not. He's just a cowardly player who is too scared to make a mistake, so, rather than try to beat his man, he'll pass back and play it safe. We'' retain the ball, but never hurt the opposition. I'm sure that's why you think he's intelligent. There's nothing intelligent about beating your man with pace and whipping in a cross.
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Well in the post you quoted, I wasn't talking about the current Valencia because he's not an intelligent player, but I was referring to the "old Valencia" who was unarguably an intelligent player for us IMO. He wouldn't dwell on the ball to the degree we see now and would take on his full back with conviction and put in a good cross. He would also cut in, but that seems to have completely disappeared out of his game (last seen against Aston Villa away 13/14).
 
kouroux said:
It doesn't work but he still crosses like an idiot. When will he get it and why is no one telling him to stop ?
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He didn't do it before, that's the thing! One of his strengths was choosing the right crossing technique and target in the box. Nowadays he just smashes it in without looking.

I don't get it. He's also completely lost the ability to go past his man.
 
He's been like this for over two years now. Funny how even up until recently people were constantly saying "it's just a dip in form" to make excuses for their beloved winger. It must be the longest dip ever.

The worst thing with Valencia is that there was nothing gradual about his decline, or any injuries involved. He literally went from flat out being our POTY to being absolutely dire as soon as he threw the #7 on next season, and has been awful ever since. Just bizarre really.
 
Things will only start to improve once he's gone in my opinion. He is literally everyone's go to outball and he constantly produces nothing with it. It won't be until we remove the option of passing to him that we start to look better and have to try new things. With Valencia on the pitch it's too easy to pass him the ball.
 
The absolute worst thing is, he gets applauded for consistently winning corners from great attacking positions. wtf?
 
rpitchfo said:
Things will only start to improve once he's gone in my opinion. He is literally everyone's go to outball and he constantly produces nothing with it. It won't be until we remove the option of passing to him that we start to look better and have to try new things. With Valencia on the pitch it's too easy to pass him the ball.
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That could be a long time, considering we have given him a new contract
 
Pony con solo uno trickito. Found out long ago and can no longer be counted on for any real threat going forward.
 
Varun said:
Who'd have played RB then? Jones? We'd have a half fit Evans and Blackett as the 2 CBs then.
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I would use valencia at RB, he is solid, works hard, he can be that extra man someone like janazaj or di maria can use to overlap, much like how beckham and neville use to do down our right hand side. If VG is using valencia at RB, why not see how he can be used at RB, I actually think that is where valencia's future could lie, has a fullback more than a wingback, which that position I still feel is too much like playing at RW
 
Cina said:
He's been like this for over two years now. Funny how even up until recently people were constantly saying "it's just a dip in form" to make excuses for their beloved winger. It must be the longest dip ever.

The worst thing with Valencia is that there was nothing gradual about his decline, or any injuries involved. He literally went from flat out being our POTY to being absolutely dire as soon as he threw the #7 on next season, and has been awful ever since. Just bizarre really.
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What's really bizarre is that every now and then (like once in 10 games or something) he'll do something decent, like actually run at a full-back, beat him, put in a cross and we'll score (see Sunderland), but then after that, he will flat out refuse to do anything of the sort again in that game, instead opting for that wonderful 5 yard backwards/sideways pass (see the rest of the Sunderland game) or any of the following games... seemingly content with that one run he did and thinking it'll serve him for the near future.
 
Oneunited26 said:
I would use valencia at RB, he is solid, works hard, he can be that extra man someone like janazaj or di maria can use to overlap, much like how beckham and neville use to do down our right hand side. If VG is using valencia at RB, why not see how he can be used at RB, I actually think that is where valencia's future could lie, has a fullback more than a wingback, which that position I still feel is too much like playing at RW
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He did play RB last season and was dire there as well. Its shitness isnt due to the new system.
 
Annihilate Now! said:
What's really bizarre is that every now and then (like once in 10 games or something) he'll do something decent, like actually run at a full-back, beat him, put in a cross and we'll score (see Sunderland), but then after that, he will flat out refuse to do anything of the sort again in that game, instead opting for that wonderful 5 yard backwards/sideways pass (see the rest of the Sunderland game) or any of the following games... seemingly content with that one run he did and thinking it'll serve him for the near future.
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That is where he could be effective if he is played at fullback, someone like di maria or janazaj could carry the attack and all valencia has to do is overlap, makes his job easier and he could be an effective weapon on that front
 
Varun said:
He did play RB last season and was dire there as well. Its shitness isnt due to the new system.
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Who wasn't shit last season? I do not think we had the wingers, under someone like VG and with di maria signed he could be better.
 
Oneunited26 said:
That is where he could be effective if he is played at fullback, someone like di maria or janazaj could carry the attack and all valencia has to do is overlap, makes his job easier and he could be an effective weapon on that front
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It could be, but he flat out refuses to do it at times... despite it working in that very same game, it's completely baffling.
 
He was terrible before we became terrible. If anything players like Valencia were a sign of things to come
 
Oneunited26 said:
Who wasn't shit last season? I do not think we had the wingers, under someone like VG and with di maria signed he could be better.
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Not just last season, the season before that too. He's hit rock bottom and stayed there for a while now. If we have to play wingers, Januzaj would be a much much better option. The guy cant beat a man, cant cross, cant shoot.
 
Tony V has one move in his locker and fullbacks figured him out a long, long time ago.

Useful squad man? Sure. But he grinds our game down when he's got the ball.
 
Varun said:
Not just last season, the season before that too. He's hit rock bottom and stayed there for a while now. If we have to play wingers, Januzaj would be a much much better option. The guy cant beat a man, cant cross, cant shoot.
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Annihilate Now! said:
It could be, but he flat out refuses to do it at times... despite it working in that very same game, it's completely baffling.
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The question is? why did the club give him a new contract, he has been so terrible, yet the club extends his contract
 
Oneunited26 said:
The question is? why did the club give him a new contract, he has been so terrible, yet the club extends his contract
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Giggsy you mean? Sentimentality. He played Rio and Vida in pretty much every game he managed too.
 
Varun said:
Giggsy you mean? Sentimentality. He played Rio and Vida in pretty much every game he managed too.
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It just frustrates me how he is continued to be played, and I do not even want to get started with ashley young fletcher and the coaching staff continuing to think cement feet trio of mata rooney and RVP will work, when our wingbacks are young and valencia
 
Oneunited26 said:
It just frustrates me how he is continued to be played, and I do not even want to get started with ashley young fletcher and the coaching staff continuing to think cement feet trio of mata rooney and RVP will work, when our wingbacks are young and valencia
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It all depends on how fit Rafael can stay, no way does Valencia get picked over a fit Rafael. Ditto with Young and Shaw. Fletch too with us getting Blind and when carrick gets fit again.
 
Varun said:
It all depends on how fit Rafael can stay, no way does Valencia get picked over a fit Rafael. Ditto with Young and Shaw. Fletch too with us getting Blind and when carrick gets fit again.
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I still think our best system is 4231, and dropping either mata rooney and RVP. If by miracle everyone is fit, the team defiantly should look like this

DDG
rafeal jones rojo shaw
carrick herrera
di maria mata janazaj
rooney/RVP

Blind still think he is more of a squad player
 
marjen said:
He didn't do it before, that's the thing! One of his strengths was choosing the right crossing technique and target in the box. Nowadays he just smashes it in without looking.

I don't get it. He's also completely lost the ability to go past his man.
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Exactly what I think too, it is crazy how he's let this aspect of his game get that worse without trying to change things. I bet he believes that smashing it increases his chances of "creating" danger. That's retarded IMO.
 
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