I was shocked to see some great crosses with that left peg.
Antonio Valencia... | Will wear #25 shirt from this point onwards by request
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He wasn't that great at all.
One twos with rafael were very good, but individually he was solid at most. Most of the time he struggled to put decent cross, probably 80% of his crosses vere forced, those two with his left foot were probably his best of the day, his crosses were nothing more dangereous than Nani's against Everton. He struggled to beat their fullback, who is type of player you would expect to be destroyed by Valencia.
But still, I like him, and he and Nani should be regular starters on wings.
One twos with rafael were very good, but individually he was solid at most. Most of the time he struggled to put decent cross, probably 80% of his crosses vere forced, those two with his left foot were probably his best of the day, his crosses were nothing more dangereous than Nani's against Everton. He struggled to beat their fullback, who is type of player you would expect to be destroyed by Valencia.
But still, I like him, and he and Nani should be regular starters on wings.
He fired in a couple of great crosses besides that, most obviously the one that led to Kagawa hitting the post. He was a constant threat in the first half.
Yes, he was threat, no doubt about that, but he still could have done much better. I would say solid performance, nothing more.
Thought he was pure quality today if we had that threat on the left we'd be unstoppable. He just stop teams going forward as they have to try stop him. What a player fast becoming my favorite.
Was good today, thought he tired in the second half and didn't get to the byline as much but still good. Surprised he pulled out a few crosses on his left foot, will be an excellent addition to his game if he keeps working on it. Would love to see Nani and Valencia either side of Kagawa. Could make a great balance as Valencia will offer constant width on his side and so compensate for Nani if he drives in.
Was quality in the first half. Much, much more quiet in the second half, but the whole team was to be fair.
His crosses are really something. Just drills it across, any touch and it might go in.
Him and RvP'll gel together better (in terms of RvP knowing where Valencia's going to put in the cross). Rooney had a knack of being on the end of Valencia's crosses (and more than likely giving Valencia the ball in the first place). Too many crosses went across the pitch that were in good positions, but no-one on the end of them.
Whereas you look at the goal by Rooney vs City in the FA cup 3rd round.
I think RvP and Rooney will be great this season, when he's back. RvP brings a lot, as soon as he (and the rest of the time) start using each other to suit their strengths, and knowing what the other guys going to do, we'll be firing plenty; we lifted so well after going behind.
It's good RvP can finish with his right peg though; he won't always have enough time to hit it with his left when the balls coming in from the right side.
Whereas you look at the goal by Rooney vs City in the FA cup 3rd round.
I think RvP and Rooney will be great this season, when he's back. RvP brings a lot, as soon as he (and the rest of the time) start using each other to suit their strengths, and knowing what the other guys going to do, we'll be firing plenty; we lifted so well after going behind.
It's good RvP can finish with his right peg though; he won't always have enough time to hit it with his left when the balls coming in from the right side.
Did anyone notice that Valencia made a few left footed crosses that were pretty decent? I wonder if it is something he focussed on pre season?
I did. He made 2 good left footed crosses, he's obviously been working on his left foot, great to see.
He tired a lot in the second half. One moment, we could have countered Fulham, but he passes the ball back instead of driving forward. Was a bit annoyed. The 1st half he was very good. Excellent to see he has been working on his left foot.
Seriously? He was quick, direct and a constant threat. Vastly more effective than Nani at Goodison. No question in my mind of any hangover from the injury.
He's been the better player ever since basically. Last season was his best one.Most consistant winger in Europe in my honest opinion
Clearly many disagree, but he doesn't take people on and cross from the bye line like he once did...he just doesn't go past defenders like he used to.
But it's all about opinions...
;-)
But it's all about opinions...
;-)
He was beating full-backs for fun last season, including then best Enrique from Liverpool.
Weird thing to say, because he's a far better player now than he was 20 months ago (around the time he got his injury?).
He's not far off. He'd always be one of the first names on the teamsheet for me.
I just feel so much more confident with his name in the line-up than I do without it. You virtually never see him having a bad game. Literally 3 or 4 in his United career so far.
That's why I'd always pick him. Nani and Young may be capable of doing better things than Valencia, but Valencia consistently puts in very good performances and has very few poor games, as you said. I would never drop him unless he was in awful form.
I love him but he hasn't been very good so far this.season.no doubt he will come good soon though
He is also quite a predictable player, you always know what he will do, but he is quite hard to stop. Never been one for going past players but for just finding a half a yard of space to put a cross in. He does the simple things very well. Sometimes I feel he is capable of so much more.
I like when he moves centrally as well. Like he does for Equador, showed it a couple of times against Fulham, one move ending in a piledriver just wide. He has that in him, he has to believe he's even better than he does now. He was magical at times last season when he was full of confidence and swagger.
I do believe he can start for us even in an accomplished 4-3-3. He started to drift inside a great deal last year and hopefully he continues doing so to an even better result.
I do believe he can start for us even in an accomplished 4-3-3. He started to drift inside a great deal last year and hopefully he continues doing so to an even better result.
He was one of the better players playing out of position against Everton, and he was pretty good against Fulham. Apart from Kagawa and De Gea, I don't really see who could say they have been better overall so far.
Yeah, all those two games he played in.
He was rubbish against Everton, it was an example of why he shouldn't be playing right back. Good against Fulham though, in the first half at least.
Wow someone should dig up the matchday threads from the first half of last season. I like Valencia but the double standard he seems to be held to in comparison to Nani is pretty amazing.
This is from 1 game before the end of last season: http://www.eplindex.com/14347/man-utd-wingers-premier-leagues-finest.html
So in what many (myself included), was a good and maybe, great season for Valencia his actual productivity was pretty much exactly the same as Nani, who many say on here had a poor season.
Valencia is a top winger but he can be prone to having poor/average games like other wingers. The difference with him though is that on a bad day he'll keep possession, he might not beat his man so he'll pass it back to the fullback or something. That safe play imo helps mask his ineffectiveness and to be fair can help the team. Nani, or a different sort of winger who is more direct would try and take players on or do something complicated and might lose the ball. That's a lot more noticeable and sticks out more on a bad day. On the other hand they might well produce something as a result of win a set piece in a good position.
Either way both great players in their own way, this thing of Valencia being much more consistent is overblown imo. He is a safer player no doubt but the trade off for that is that he doesn't have the same ability to make something out of nothing on a bad day that Nani has.
This is from 1 game before the end of last season: http://www.eplindex.com/14347/man-utd-wingers-premier-leagues-finest.html
So in what many (myself included), was a good and maybe, great season for Valencia his actual productivity was pretty much exactly the same as Nani, who many say on here had a poor season.
Valencia is a top winger but he can be prone to having poor/average games like other wingers. The difference with him though is that on a bad day he'll keep possession, he might not beat his man so he'll pass it back to the fullback or something. That safe play imo helps mask his ineffectiveness and to be fair can help the team. Nani, or a different sort of winger who is more direct would try and take players on or do something complicated and might lose the ball. That's a lot more noticeable and sticks out more on a bad day. On the other hand they might well produce something as a result of win a set piece in a good position.
Either way both great players in their own way, this thing of Valencia being much more consistent is overblown imo. He is a safer player no doubt but the trade off for that is that he doesn't have the same ability to make something out of nothing on a bad day that Nani has.
Grand total of 2 games so far, one at right-back where Nani was... well, he wasn't which resulted in non-existent cooperation between them (even when Tony made himself available) , and the second one against Fulham where he was at least good. In fact he was very good till the moment we stopped playing.
My opinion anyway. He was decent but he can do more. No need to get all bitchy.
Hes ******* awsome!!!
Well it's a bit pointless to say he hasn't been playing well after 2 games, one of which was out of his preferred position, and the other which he was one of our better players in. Makes no sense.
nobody gets bitchy, you're perfectly right to have an opinion on his appearance it's that 'hasn't been good so far this season' bit which baffled me.
But only de Gea and Kagawa weren't rubbish against Everton and only de Gea and Kagawa have been better than him so far this season.
We played just two games, it's definitely too early to start this "so far this season" shit, Godfather.
Downingand he played 34 games!
Lol yeah, that's what £20 mil buys you. Still at least his crossing accuracy was better than Gervinho's, 6%, is ridiculous.
Ok so it's pointless. Still think he wasnt that good in those 2 games.
Nani only played one game. Didn't stop people giving him dogs abuse.
Don't know where exactly the problem lies when judging a players game. He's a brilliant player no doubt, don't get me wrong
Ah there lies the problem. Well bad wording from me then
Valencia wasn't remotely as bad as Nani though, despite being crap, plus he was playing out of position!
I just think players should get more than two games before statements like that are made.
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