Antonio Valencia... | Will wear #25 shirt from this point onwards by request
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I would play Young on the right and leave Valencia out until he is back in form.
I would play Young on the right and leave Valencia out until he is back in form.
Understatement of the year. When off-form, I don't think there is a more useless player around.
Understatement of the year. When off-form, I don't think there is a more useless player around.
I honestly would just throw Anderson, Cleverley, Carrick (reluctantly) and Kagawa (once he's back) on all at once and stop worrying about wing play. Evra and Rafael look far more threatening than either Valencia and Young at the moment.
rofl, so what happens when a one footed player cant actually use that right foot correctly.
Well hopefully he doesn't run the full-length of the pitch at top speed only to come to a complete stand-still (thereby allowing all the defenders to get back behind the ball.) And hopefully, he won't ever get near the United starting 11.
If I was a coach, I'd just say "Run Antonio, run".
Today pretty much every time he had the ball he was at walking pace with no idea of what to do with the ball. He just looked scared, which is the one thing a Manchester United player can't be.
Losing the ball whilst trying to do flicks and take on players I can accept - what we saw from Valencia today I can't.
Saying that, I don't think it's a physical problem and he'll play himself into form at the right time.
Today pretty much every time he had the ball he was at walking pace with no idea of what to do with the ball. He just looked scared, which is the one thing a Manchester United player can't be.
Losing the ball whilst trying to do flicks and take on players I can accept - what we saw from Valencia today I can't.
Saying that, I don't think it's a physical problem and he'll play himself into form at the right time.
Yeah, I think it's completely mental/psychological, but that's not exactly reassuring. When a player like Berbatov or Scholes slows down the play, at least there's the chance of magic happening. With Valencia, it's like ripping the needle off the record.
Has his one-footedness become this bad so he can't even use his left foot for running? I don't see any other explanation why he's seemingly refusing to just run past his marker. There's been plenty of opportunities in recent games to at least try it, but the only time he's done it was in the last minutes against Villa.
He's absolutely doing my head in at the minute. Was screaming at him all game to run at the fullback, you know he's got it in him just to run the lad ragged all game but he's completely reluctant to do it at the minute. Pull yourself together Tony for feck sake. It wouldnt be so bad only we've got a complete fanny on the opposite side doing exactly the same thing
The best teams and at times us, have shown that you don't need 2 traditional wingers to play good or productive football. Those sort of mentality are obsolete. /rant
this, this, fecking this.
Been saying it for weeks, Ando and Clev are in form, our wingers are playing shite. So, let's stop fecking playing them and go 4-3-3.
Who ever said you needed it?
We've also seen it backfire. Our main problem with playing a different way is probably that we bought these players to play in a 4-4-2 and almost all of them came from teams playing 4-4-2
The one odd man out is Kagawa but he hasnt settled just yet
I don't believe he will ever reproduce the form of the 6 months last season.
Shocking how Nani looses his place for a poor display but SAF doesn't do shit about players like Valencia.
Shocking how Nani looses his place for a poor display but SAF doesn't do shit about players like Valencia.
I understand that when everyone's fit, Valencia should sometimes start on the bench, maybe Ferguson is more happy with off form Valencia than off form Nani - better defensively, understanding with Rafael, an option as a right-back etc.
What did you expect yesterday? Welbeck on the wing? And then read "why is Welbeck playing there when he's not a winger"?
What did you expect yesterday? Welbeck on the wing? And then read "why is Welbeck playing there when he's not a winger"?
Since our width hasn't exactly been producing stellar play this season, not play with wingers, and play a more narrow shape. Yes, that would include Welbeck playing outwide, and mostly cutting inside, but we would have had a lot more movement and much better thrust going forward.
Not to mention - Rafael and Evra love to bomb forward, and could have provided width at times if necessary.
None of this is a guarantee to work, but it's worth a try.
It directly effects our style. He stays out wide, we lack mobility to play a penetrating diagonal ball. He runs to the byline and whips something in rinse repeat.
He needs to start working on his dynamism. Being selfish and trying to beat his man on the inside and the utside and be a bit more unpredictable.
Still a cracking athlete however. When his confidence is up he's still devastating.
He needs to start working on his dynamism. Being selfish and trying to beat his man on the inside and the utside and be a bit more unpredictable.
Still a cracking athlete however. When his confidence is up he's still devastating.
Expecting him to be unpredictable is a lost cause by now, he should "just" improve on the things he used to be so consistent at.Beating his full back and delivering a decent/good cross.
I do really think his 1 track mind is hurting him and us.
he is taking way too long on the ball, and by the time he decides what he wants it's too late.
a player with his attributes needs to be thundering at the defender at pace and making him commit fouls, it's like he is either scared of losing the ball or getting fouled?
Everybody knows as a defender the last thing you want is a fast player running at you near the box, you might wih 4/5 tackles but the 5th could be a penalty or a goal scoring chance.
he is taking way too long on the ball, and by the time he decides what he wants it's too late.
a player with his attributes needs to be thundering at the defender at pace and making him commit fouls, it's like he is either scared of losing the ball or getting fouled?
Everybody knows as a defender the last thing you want is a fast player running at you near the box, you might wih 4/5 tackles but the 5th could be a penalty or a goal scoring chance.
That's what I was getting at in a rather roundabout way. Valencia had a wonderful one trick: run-beat FB-cross, rinse and repeat.
With Rafael now having a regular spot and performing the way he is, it seems his trick has turned into: run-"where´s Rafael?"-panic-wait for Rafael. If he isn't coming, run again and cross with all defenders already back or pass backwards. If he comes, pass to Rafael and run back to cover him.
He basically isn't playing winger any more.
If he was actually doing what you say that would be an infinite improvement on what he has been doing lately which is pretty much run, stand still and then go back to Carrick.
He is more frustrating than any other player we have when he is off form.
No that would be Giggs or Scholes for me as at-least when Valencia is off form he is still able to contribute defensively and put in a shift.
Disagree with that. Many have said he's been off the boil quite a bit all season, and yet he's quite high up in the assist charts. Says a lot about our expectations of him.
Nani/Young off their game is the worst for me. When the step-overs don't come off, they don't really have much of a plan B except passing it back to Evra.
I just wonder if Val is feeling the pressure of the #7 shirt. Just a wonder.
Valencia needs to mix up his game a little. Most left backs know now where he's going to put the ball every time.
That is where you are wrong, and funny you pick Nani and Young that are not as set in their ways as Valencia and will still on a bad day be able to contribute to retaining the ball and interplay. Valencia, because he have to rely on his one good foot and getting to the line for a cross, will have to play it back to the full-back or to a supporting midfielder. It really is horrible to watch.
Yesterday it also seemed he didn't want to pass to Rafael for some reason. To bad, because he can really cross the ball, maybe even better than our wingers.
We don't need him for a defensive shift though. WE need him rather for his attacking efficiency.
Valencia's game is built on simple efficiency. His greatest asset is text book simplicity of play. When he repeatedly fails to do the simple, he is useless. Just an extra defender on the pitch.
Funny.
When Rooney's off form, he's the most frustrating player we have. When Valencia's off form, he's the most frustrasting player we have. Two or three weeks ago it was Giggs. And before that Anderson, Young, Hernandez (when he doesn't score goals). Boring.
And this is said by people who watch (and really support) Nani, who's of course a threat when off form.
When Rooney's off form, he's the most frustrating player we have. When Valencia's off form, he's the most frustrasting player we have. Two or three weeks ago it was Giggs. And before that Anderson, Young, Hernandez (when he doesn't score goals). Boring.
And this is said by people who watch (and really support) Nani, who's of course a threat when off form.
Your opinion on Nani and bias towards him has not a lot to do with reality though and on top of that is misplaced in the Valencia thread.
He is still beating his man, but takes so long to decide what to do after that his man catches up. I'm sure he will come good soon though, Valencia always just bursts into form rather than slowly getting better.
I agree at some point he is going to find form again. (like every other footballer)
What worries me are his crosses though. Is he able to swing them? I honeslty can't tell.
What worries me are his crosses though. Is he able to swing them? I honeslty can't tell.
Not even an extra defender as the cross was coming in for the Norwich goal...
Yeah I think that's almost the worst thing atm, he's definitely not working as hard as he used to, at least Young is always back to help Evra, sometimes you see Valencia being so casual about getting back.
Of course he is, you don't just lose that ability.
Has he ever swung it though? I really can't recall. I don't know the freaking word in english but he always "goes through" the ball when he puts in a cross. Do you know what I mean? Or he hits it hard and low.
I think he can put in any kind of cross its just that he prefers to stick to pinpointing a player in the box. Young when on form puts in almost nothing but in swinging crosses so it will even itself out.
I'm not sure Val can. If he would be able to why is he sticking with this pinpointing when the box is full of defenders? It makes no sense to put in such a slow and high ball into the box in such situations.
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