Appreciating Antonio Valencia

Selbourne

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Dec 8, 2011
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Viewing the Mason Mount number 7 thread and there's so many people diminishing Valencia and putting him in lists with shit like Depay, Di Maria, and Sanchez

I genuinely remember him absolutely tearing it up for us, winning player of the year for us even after suffering that horrific injury.

Before that, in his debut season, I really think Valencia played a huge part in Rooney getting the goals he did. He was a proper classic winger that created countless chances for people. Really rated him highly
 
He was excellent until he got the 7 and the injury, I remember that season he was taking on everyone and created all those headed goals for Rooney. He still ended up being a good player for us. I remember when he switched to right-back and he did a job there for a while.
 
I would imagine people are saying that Valencia was a bit crap when he had the number 7 shirt on - which is mostly true.

As a player in general for us though he was obviously way way above the likes of Depay, ADM etc.

I still maintain he was an excellent right back for a period of time.
 
Not gonna lie...I thought he was dead when I saw the thread title.
 
It sounds like the poor lad is dead :lol:

It was frustrating watching him at times, no point denying it, but he served us well for a number of years. The club in general declined around him but it certainly wasn't his fault when he was putting in steady performances match after match.
 
His legacy is really misaligned. He was a good servant to the club, lot of respect for him.

He was a fantastic old-fashioned winger his first two seasons, really contributed to the team both offensively and defensively. He owned that right wing and when he wasn’t a threat he was bombing back to support the defence.

Via injury and general form he wasn’t able to do the same job and transitioned to RB where he was a solid servant for us. He wasn’t amazing at RB but he was reliable, and over the years his attacking threat just completely diminished.

He was around at a time when both the RM/RW and the RB positions were changing in the game, he was the last of a dying breed really.
 
Quality player who even when he started losing his pace still gave his all for the shirt putting him the same company as Di Maria etc for us is a disgrace.
 
Solid spell as an old-fashioned winger a la Kanchelskis (without the goals or the right foot). Solid spell as a reliable full-back in a side that was anything but reliable. Excellent bloke all round.
 
He was what people used to call a great servant to the club. Didn't start moaning when he was used as rb and I don't remember him ever not giving it all.
 
He was overrated if anything. Never did like him at RB. But an absolutely solid and reliable pro, I’ll give him that.
 
His technique was excellent. Scholesey pinging them and Valencia controlling it perfectly was great to watch
 
Valencia's biggest mistake was the fact that he followed Cristiano.

Fans were wanting us to sign Robben or similar calibre, not 'somebody from Wigan'.

From the get go he had this unfair burden/handicap.

To be honest, There was very few players (if any) at that time we could have signed that wouldn't have been a step down or overburdened with the expectation to 'fill big boots.'

If we look at Valencia as a signing overall, he was an undoubted success. As the OP already alludes to, he was more a classic winger and was particularly brilliant (him and Nani) the season we won the league in 2011.

I felt his form took a downturn when given the no.7 shirt. Although it might not have been the weight that came with the shirt number, rather simply just a coincidence as all players encounter a loss of form.

As a right back, he was more mixed bag. I can remember many a game watching in frustration as he had the habit of repeatedly cutting/turning back. If I'm not wrong, it earned him the nickname TBT...'Turn back Tony!'
 
He had the unenviable task along with Obertan of replacing Ronaldo in that summer of 2009. Ronaldo and Tevez out of the door and bringing in Valencia, Obertan, Owen and Diouf was the stuff of nightmares.

I’ll remember him as a great professional. When he was in full flight charging down that right wing he took some stopping and proved to be one of our more reliable players. Wish he’d developed a left foot though.
 
He was consistently good for a period of time, then with #7 on his back he was frustrating as feck. In latter stages of his carreer when playing as RB he was given acres of space to run into, pass/cross etc. I don't think he was very smart on the ball but a workhorse and a good servant overall.

He was very reliable on the ball and the way he could play with outside of his foot always amazed me.
 
His first season was so fun. I remember him destroying Wolves to the point that their fullback looked as though he was welling up with tears when they panned to him at the end of the match.

I actually thought he was really decent at right back too.

Him and Ashley Young both had some excellent spells for us.
 
OverratedOpinion said:
His first season was so fun. I remember him destroying Wolves to the point that their fullback looked as though he was welling up with tears when they panned to him at the end of the match.

I actually thought he was really decent at right back too.

Him and Ashley Young both had some excellent spells for us.
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Ashley Young was a failure as a signing. We never won the league with Young as a starter which cannot be said for Valencia.

Valencia was also a far better fullback.
 
Based Adnan said:
Ashley Young was a failure as a signing. We never won the league with Young as a starter which cannot be said for Valencia.

Valencia was also a far better fullback.
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That's a weird metric. Young's personal performances were pretty good at different spells under Van Gaal and Mourinho. Decent player.

Valencia was better than him though you are right about that.
 
If you didn't enjoy Valencia engaging in a test of strength with whatever winger he was up against and absolutely bodying them, you're dead inside.
 
Great couple of years playing at right-wing, but once he settled at right-back position he just could worse and worse. Would have a nose-bleed every time he got to the halfway line and just pass back. Rarely looked to take on a player and couldn't cross to save his life!

A lot of the criticism is justified, mainly due to him not being dropped from the team for many years.
 
One of the best first touches I’ve ever seen. If you said that to a non-United fan they’d think you were mental, but I genuinely can’t recall a bad touch when plucking it from the air.
 
I was one of the people that said he was shite in the number 7 and I stand by it - he was decent before it. He also only had one working leg.
 
He was really good in his first sesson in 2009/10, that run of 10 games where Rooney kept scoring with headers mainly delivered from his crosses was great.

However the level he reached after returning from his ankle injury at the beginning of 2011 to the end of the 11/12 season was incredible. He was such a machine and bossed that whole wing, winning us matches along the way.

It was always funny to watch how players bounced off him especially at full pelt. Complete opposite of our current right wing options.
 
OverratedOpinion said:
That's a weird metric. Young's personal performances were pretty good at different spells under Van Gaal and Mourinho. Decent player.

Valencia was better than him though you are right about that.
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Young was the type of signing that caused United to regress. You don't win any serious trophies with him in the team hence why I consider him a failure.

He had some decent spells but that's to be expected over a 9 year stint. Even Fred has had good spells. Overall though he was a poor signing and should have been moved on a lot sooner.
 
Loved Valencia. I’d actually take him over Nani
 
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