I can't believe people think this was some sort of an improvement. He was painful to watch, even his pass to van Persie when he scored looked nervous. He looks extremely stressful out there, he's developed some sort of anxiety that prevents him from playing the ball when he has it so he has to take about 25 seconds to decide what to do before inevitably hitting the nearest defender or kicking it Bebe-style to no one.
Antonio Valencia... | Will wear #25 shirt from this point onwards by request
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Ah lord mother of feck. Whenever I start to think I'm a spastic I get reassured by reading this sort of stuff. There's always worse out there folks.
I used to like his straightforward play. But these days he is just getting too straightforward.
Poor decision making but that was a bit better. Pinged two or three great crosses and helped (as usual) defensively which was of huge importance today.
Why can't this man return to his old self. He used to beat every single PL left-back repeatedly only last season.
EDIT Sarni, how did he look nervous while assisting RvP? I can't see what you mean now that I'm checking the goal once again.
Why can't this man return to his old self. He used to beat every single PL left-back repeatedly only last season.
EDIT Sarni, how did he look nervous while assisting RvP? I can't see what you mean now that I'm checking the goal once again.
I donno, he was pretty bad yesterday.
Dwelled on the ball AGAIN and didn't get forward that much, De Gea and other pinged a few balls to where he should have been running only for him to be sat a good 14 yards back standing still, not even attempting a run.
I think looking back part of that was the fecking odd formation.
Criticism of Valencia's recent form isn't unfounded but to be fair to the lad we have seen signs of improvement in the last couple of games imo. I will admit he was doing this annoying thing previously where he makes a good run down the wing and then he'd stop completely still in front of the opposition left back, dwell on the ball for a little bit and then pass back to Carrick. Unsurprisingly that type of play is frustrating to fans.
In the second half against Newcastle and at times yesterday though, I thought he put some decent crosses in but I think they're being overlooked because everyone is in the habit of blaming/criticising him atm perhaps?
Sometimes when a player is going though a bad patch of form, you look out for all of the things that they do wrong and you only see their mistakes and miss the good things that they do and I personally think Valencia hasn't been as awful in the last couple of games as this thread would imply.
I'm not arguing that he's been back to the high standards he set last season but in the last two games he has been decent and has shown signs of improvement imo.
Another thing to point out is that I think Rafael's recent absence has highlighted a few of Valencia's deficiencies. What I mean by that is he really relies heavily on an overlapping fullback (Rafa) and when he doesn't have that it flags up Valencia's indecision and lack of other options and ways to play. Smalling and Jones (to a lesser extent) compliment Valencia's one dimensional style of play a lot less so when Rafael isn't playing it makes gives Valencia less options. If anything I would agree he needs to adapt to playing better without Rafael there.
I do feel Valencia's confidence is down a bit right now. I think he could do with getting a good goal or two. But I also think recent reports of him playing with a niggling injury could be a factor that we shouldn't be too quick to dismiss. A big part of the problem is that we have come to being fairly heavily reliant on Antonio so when he isn't firing on all cylinders we look a bit stuck. Kagawa coming back into the fray and Nani should hopefully relieve some if the burden of creative expectation that has been put on to Valencia's shoulders in some part, due to injuries/form of our other creative players.
In the second half against Newcastle and at times yesterday though, I thought he put some decent crosses in but I think they're being overlooked because everyone is in the habit of blaming/criticising him atm perhaps?
Sometimes when a player is going though a bad patch of form, you look out for all of the things that they do wrong and you only see their mistakes and miss the good things that they do and I personally think Valencia hasn't been as awful in the last couple of games as this thread would imply.
I'm not arguing that he's been back to the high standards he set last season but in the last two games he has been decent and has shown signs of improvement imo.
Another thing to point out is that I think Rafael's recent absence has highlighted a few of Valencia's deficiencies. What I mean by that is he really relies heavily on an overlapping fullback (Rafa) and when he doesn't have that it flags up Valencia's indecision and lack of other options and ways to play. Smalling and Jones (to a lesser extent) compliment Valencia's one dimensional style of play a lot less so when Rafael isn't playing it makes gives Valencia less options. If anything I would agree he needs to adapt to playing better without Rafael there.
I do feel Valencia's confidence is down a bit right now. I think he could do with getting a good goal or two. But I also think recent reports of him playing with a niggling injury could be a factor that we shouldn't be too quick to dismiss. A big part of the problem is that we have come to being fairly heavily reliant on Antonio so when he isn't firing on all cylinders we look a bit stuck. Kagawa coming back into the fray and Nani should hopefully relieve some if the burden of creative expectation that has been put on to Valencia's shoulders in some part, due to injuries/form of our other creative players.
He did start actually taking his man on and putting the ball into the box yesterday which is a 100% improvement on just standing there and then passing it back. Certainly signs he's getting back to what he was but needs to keep it up and improve consistently.
I was thinking about Valencia's form recently and it dawned on me that the last time he consistently played well is when he had the support of Rafael, recently we've played Smalling and Jones at RB, both are not RB's and Smalling not the best full back.
I'm hoping when Rafael returns it will give Valencia a much needed support.
Bloody hell, is it that bad that now we're clinging on to "signs of improvement"? So from shite to less shite/distinctly average. He's having a shocker of a season and needs to pull his finger out of his arse sooner rather than later. Right now it'd be Young and Kagawa in the wide positions for me, I'd even give Welbeck the time before Valencia.
It was December before Valencia got his 2nd assist last season, I wouldn't worry about him pulling himself together after January. I don't think he played well yesterday though.
Watched him closely yesterday (I attended the game) and I'm convinced he's playing with some kind of injury. He's definitely lost a yard of pace.
I hope Nani gets fit soon so we can give Valencia a couple of weeks out of the firing line (unless he finds form before then, obviously). His confidence looks shot.
Valencia has been crap all season, with Rafael supporting him.
Good point that.
Rafael started 14 games from December onwards last season, Valencia started 24. He got 3 assists v Wolves when Rafael didn't step foot on the pitch and an assist in each of the next 4 games playing - Rafael played right back once, Smalling played right back twice, Jones played right back once and Valencia played right back himself once. He can be a top class winger no matter who he has supporting him, he's just in poor form and this is another case of people over-analysing things. Sometimes players lose confidence over silly issues and it's not always easy to get it back. That's what sets the top players apart from the very good ones. There's no doubt Rafael's attacking input takes some of the burden off of Valencia or any other winger in front of him but that comes with it's own issues - Valencia really stepped up last season when he was given more responsibility than ever before but he's the kind of player who's happy to defer to others and Rafael allows him to do that. It goes both ways for me. He can be great no matter who he's paired up with.
Beckham took his family and left after Valencia overhit his cross over everyone's heads and out of play for a throw. Didnt want his children to watch crossing like that
Probably the worst 2 crosses i have ever seen
I really do worry for him if he keeps up this form for the rest of the season. Doesn't seem the type to shake that off easily and snap back into form.
By the way he crossed it twice today with his swinger. They both went like typical weak-foot crosses - into the middle in a decent area but easily cleared. That's why he doesn't do it, not because he's not capable. It's a rubbish thing to do and almost never works.
By the way he crossed it twice today with his swinger. They both went like typical weak-foot crosses - into the middle in a decent area but easily cleared. That's why he doesn't do it, not because he's not capable. It's a rubbish thing to do and almost never works.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his attempted shot at the end.
I don't like Welbeck as a winger but I'd have him ahead of Tony in the pecking order right now.
I don't like Welbeck as a winger but I'd have him ahead of Tony in the pecking order right now.
Looking worryingly out of confidence now.
He's in terrible form but some of the comments in the match thread were fecking disgraceful.
Showing no signs of getting back into form.
Agreed. He has given us a few excellent seasons and this is his first dip (although it is severe) in form.
Valencia is finished.....
We could have won the game if he had added a bit of common sense at the death. A drilled low cross would have sufficed but the tool shot horribly wide.
We could have won the game if he had added a bit of common sense at the death. A drilled low cross would have sufficed but the tool shot horribly wide.
He's fine, needs confidence like most Footballers.
He's a limited footballer. And when the only few things he's good at go shit he's a bit useless.
what has happened to him? Even when players are off-form like Nani or Giggs, you can still count on them to deliver decent balls in. Valencia seems to have lost all ability to cross the ball
He had two decent left foot crosses
in the end.fecking hell, it's been months. When is the confidence ever going to come back?
Player in poor form shocker. He's not the first at this club and he won't be the last.
No need to call him stupid things, but not over the top in saying his performances over the last month has been very poor.
I'll be the first to admit he is playing the worse football that he has played in his United career but to those calling him a cnut, hang your fecking heads.
Comments like he's a limited footballer are back, I see.
If he can't get any confidence back against a tiring 18 year old full back, I'm not sure how it's going to happen.
Was Bebe like today. I don't know why.
Must be in the worst form of his life
I really wouldn't be surprised if something was going wrong in his private life. For example, I remember soon after Rooney's worst run of form - possibly ever - it came out in the press about his affair and then his transfer request etc.
I'm obviously not saying the same will happen with Valencia, it's a bad example in that respect, but I think we should check to make sure he's okay. Something seems very wrong. I'd be half tempted to give him a leave of absence to get his head straight.
I'm obviously not saying the same will happen with Valencia, it's a bad example in that respect, but I think we should check to make sure he's okay. Something seems very wrong. I'd be half tempted to give him a leave of absence to get his head straight.
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