And it shouldn't be.
Antonio Valencia... | Will wear #25 shirt from this point onwards by request
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And it shouldn't be.
It's just confidence.
When Kagawa's back he should be benched though. That won't help the confidence, true, but we can't keep carrying him.
When Kagawa's back he should be benched though. That won't help the confidence, true, but we can't keep carrying him.
His performance today was ridiculous. What the hell was he waiting for? Slipping around on the pitch like that. And I am one of his fan bois. All that physics and speed and yet he looks like he's never seen a ball when he gets it at his feet. He just looks so empty headed, I don't know if there's any point in giving him a hairdryer because he just don't seem to give a shit. Hope he will be back the way he used to be soon.
Watching that over and over again.
It's depressing. Look at all those players in the box...
It's depressing. Look at all those players in the box...
doesn't help that teams have started double teaming him too.
Need to be wiser and quicker with the ball though as it simply means space elsewhere.
Need to be wiser and quicker with the ball though as it simply means space elsewhere.
he is drained of confidence.
He was terrible today, needs to find form quickly.
It's so annoying to watch him 'run' at a defender to just make a full stop and stand there when he's approaching him. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that he only uses 1 foot which limits the options to (A) get passed the defender on the outside or (B) pass back. If he would actually cut back from time to time to cross it with his left, it would be so much harder for a defender to mark him. Right now, Valencia just stands there and the defender knows he only has to defend the outside so he Valencia keeps standing there hoping the defender will somehow 'take the bait', which they just don't do anymore, so it results in standing there for 10 seconds to cut back and then pass back without any threat for the opposition.
Cross it with your left, Tony! Surprise them! Be unpredictable! It's what a winger should be.
Probably the most annoying thing for me is the fact that during his United years, I remember only 2 occassions where he used his left foot. One was a (decent!) cross and the other one was this one (at 0:40):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8spkx1Xim8
So it's not that he can't do it at all. It's just that he chooses not to use his left foot which limits his game tremendously.
Cross it with your left, Tony! Surprise them! Be unpredictable! It's what a winger should be.
Probably the most annoying thing for me is the fact that during his United years, I remember only 2 occassions where he used his left foot. One was a (decent!) cross and the other one was this one (at 0:40):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8spkx1Xim8
So it's not that he can't do it at all. It's just that he chooses not to use his left foot which limits his game tremendously.
He's managet to get an assist with his left peg as well. 2 years ago at Upton Park when Rooney scored thrice.
Credit to mdanani.
That is Bebe-esque. Absolute pony. Sad to see, he's better than this.
That goal was all Rooney to be fair, some how made that pass into a goal. Absolute class.
I think bebe may of even been better than that, he would of atleast attempted a cross!
That's the one I ment I think. I wasn't sure I remembered correctly that it was an assist, so i just said 'decent cross' in stead.
Anyway, why doesn't he use it more often. Two touches with his left in 3 years: 1 goal, 1 assist. Downing only levels that with two feet.
I have no idea how he can perform this poorly, I mean, it is just baffling! With his pace he should just try to use it to get a few inches to blast the ball into the box, even if it turnes out to be a shite cross, it is better than screwing around on the ball like he has done for quite a while now.
Needs to get back to basics and keep hitting the byeline his form will come. But should come under threat if Kagawa or Nani gets back fit.
He was like a League Two level footballer today, I know he's been off form lately but today he literally looked as if he was too scared to play football. I hate how he stops with the ball, he loses it every single time when he does that.
Agreed.
Sums it up perfectly. He'll play a one-man game of twister rather than use his left foot. It's frankly pathetic, and something he needs to address asap (especially since his new repertoire doesn't seem to include his previous trick of actually running past players.)
That gif is sad. His confidence must be at an all-time low.
Not sure what is going on with him right now. In our half of the pitch he is great, gets the ball and can take it forward/keep it until we have regrouped and moved out of our own half. But then when we give the ball to him in a dangerous position he does the same thing and just stands there waiting before knocking the ball back. Its getting to the point where it just gives the other team plenty of time to regroup and fully mark up the men we do get in the box.
Even waiting for the overlap doesn't really work right now as Jones is generally slower getting forward compared to Rafael and he is well and truly cut off by the time Jones gets there most of the time and just results in the ball being passed back to him.
Someone needs to get Valencia to stop thinking about what is the best option when he gets the ball deep in the forward half. Tell him to run and smash a cross across the box every time even if we don't have a player in there. At least if he does that sooner or later one off our players will get on the end of it. Right now he isn't really giving much goal threat at all, which is sad considering what we know he can do.
Even waiting for the overlap doesn't really work right now as Jones is generally slower getting forward compared to Rafael and he is well and truly cut off by the time Jones gets there most of the time and just results in the ball being passed back to him.
Someone needs to get Valencia to stop thinking about what is the best option when he gets the ball deep in the forward half. Tell him to run and smash a cross across the box every time even if we don't have a player in there. At least if he does that sooner or later one off our players will get on the end of it. Right now he isn't really giving much goal threat at all, which is sad considering what we know he can do.
I agree. It is worrying though that he has played without Rafael overlapping before and just done the Plan A while now he seems unable to.
I did feel we missed Rafael badly today, particularly with Evans-Vidic and Jones at the back, none particularly great ball players.
He was appalling, but in the gif why does Jones not even attempt to make space to help him out?
I think Jones is as baffled as those 3 players in the box as to what Tony is trying to do.
Feed Me summed it up well. We need more options. Young and Valencia won't cut it. That showed yesterday against Swansea. Albeit it was one game, for me, I'm not sure we can expect that much more from Young. Even though he was good yesterday, he still frustrates me with how he wastes our attacks.
Back to Tony V, hopefully Kagawa or Nani will be back in the side because as others have said something has to be done. Either valencia gets his head into gear or he gets a stint on the bench. Not sure what he's playing at this season.
Back to Tony V, hopefully Kagawa or Nani will be back in the side because as others have said something has to be done. Either valencia gets his head into gear or he gets a stint on the bench. Not sure what he's playing at this season.
We've been saying this for a while now....but I agree with the sentiment
There is something visibly wrong with Valencia it seems. His confidence is very low and he seems almost disinterested in what is going on around him. Yesterday when we scored I don't think he even celebrated and there were numerous occasions, when he was far from tired, that he just didn't realise he needed to make a run, or simply couldn't be bothered.
Very unusual but starting to be a concern.
Very unusual but starting to be a concern.
It's a catch 22 situation with him right now. He can't put in a cross because he is too low on confidence and he can't get any more confident unless he puts them in and gets an assist or scores a goal. Fergie is one of best around when it comes to these type of things so it shouldn't be a problem in medium term.
I don't think it helps matters by having Nani hidden away mind.
Fergie is good with players lacking in confidence but when we have no one else (or we do but refuse to play them?) then you have to continue to persevere with the poor displays.
Perhaps Valencia could do with coming on off the bench for a bit against some tired legs.
Nani has been injured and the player I feel most sorry for is Welbeck, he must be scratching his head as to how Tony is getting away with inept display after inept display.
To be fair Welbeck is not a winger and I think with Rafael out Fergie doesn't want to overly expose Jones when he has just come back in, especially away from home.
He lacks inspiration.
It can't just be a confidence thing though can it? He came back last year from that horrible ankle injury and hit the ground running. Was superb in the final half of the season. Teams are just wising up to the fact we channel most of our attacks down the right. He needs to get back to basics and also Jones didn't give him much help yesterday. Rafael has a better understanding with him.
He's been crap with Rafael too, no excuse.
To be fair when rafael is back i would rather play jones at RB and rafael as a right winger, it cant be any worse than valencias form is right now.
Ashley young on on the right and welbeck on the left is also an option.
Ashley young on on the right and welbeck on the left is also an option.
Rather have Welbeck on the left (Young right) than Valencia with that kind of form. Can see Rooney dropped for the next game too
I find it surprising that poster justify his poor form but defenders seemingly figuring out his game.It's has got nothing with that
In my honest view I reckon he's just not as good as some think. I have felt this for a while, by the way. Has fairly limited actual footballing ability for a regular United wideman, and I believe if you started listing his assets against what he lacks in his game, it would honestly sound like you are describing a full-back. It doesn't suprise me at all that he has been tried there many times, because I think that is the obvious/natural role for his skill-set.
He has never been top top quality, but he is consistently good. He hits 8/10 in most games, and usually he keeps up a steady supply of assists.
He can never win a game by himself (apart from that blackburn game) like nani can, who on his day can hit 10/10, but usually he is steady and solid.
Unfortunately this is the first time we've seen valencia in any real run of poor form for a few games.
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