[DJ Jeff]

Magnificent player who seems to have inherited Paddy's fitness levels and immunity to injury.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Looks more comfortable going forward on the left than he did on the right. Top purchase in my opinion, best we did in a while.

 

[acnumber9]

I thought today was probably his best game. It was good to see him overlapping. It's strange we hadn't seen a lot of it before.

 

[marlowe78]

Glad to see him at the top of his game. His recent so-so performances were probably fatigue more than anything.

 

[Scorpy]

I thought today was probably his best game. It was good to see him overlapping. It's strange we hadn't seen a lot of it before.

With Mata constantly cutting inside on the right, Darmian doesn't have anyone to overlap with, so I guess that's the main reason, not tactics.

 

[Moonred]

He is immense, back to his best today. If he improves his crossing, he will be unbelievable.

 

[acnumber9]

With Mata constantly cutting inside on the right, Darmian doesn't have anyone to overlap with, so I guess that's the main reason, not tactics.

Depay constantly cuts in too. That actually makes it easier to overlap.

 

[Akshay]

Funny he seemed better going forward as a left-back than in his natural position. Very good game today, showing some trickery and pace in attack. Didn't know he had it in him.

 

[Alock1]

He's generally great defensively but I still find him somewhat frustrating going forward. And Id say today was his best attacking display we've seen.

Confident he will add this with time though. He had the ability it's more the know how. Saying that, he was great against England at the world cup in an attacking sense.

 

[Sigma]

Funny how you guys are all saying Darmian played brilliantly and then in the Valencia thread people are saying he was OK, when they had very similar games.

It's double standards, they are both right backs, analyse them similarly.

 

[Gerald G]

He found it easier overlapping today because of Memphis in my opinion. Memphis cuts in and takes defenders with him while Mata cuts in field and defenders just seem to pass him on. Plus Mata doesn't stay wide long enough, he moves infield quite a lot a roams around that area. So on the right hand side Darmian is usually facing the defender one-on-one if that makes sense.
Anyone he was great today.

 

[limerickcitykid]

I think this guy is our best defender. Solid at RB, as impressive at LB. Fast becoming one of my favourite players, along with Blind.

Personally I think he is our worst, out of the usual 4, but that is just how good our back line is which is bloody great.

Still think he can offer a bit more going forward. I think he has gotten away with some defensive mistakes as well, especially tracking runners. Great buy overall though.

 

[Scorpy]

Depay constantly cuts in too. That actually makes it easier to overlap.

Memphis draws more attention from the defenders with his runs, which leaves more opportunities to attack to our leftback (being Shaw or Darmian). Memphis is faster than Mata and contantly runs at the defenders (even though most of his runs aren't exactly successful), while our attacking play on the right is basically Mata standing still and waiting for the rightback to overlap, which is more predictable and doesn't always work.

I agree that Darmian has been somewhat hesitant in his attacking play on the right, though. He was much more involved today and I think it's down to Memphis' aggressive style. Memphis might cut inside as much as Mata, but spends more time on the wing than him IMO and that's why most of our attacks go down the left with Mata often waiting at the far post.

He needs to improve his crossing, but was better at it today than in the previous games.

edit: agree with Gerald G's post.

 

[diarm]

Anyone else see that little bit of quick feet to drag the ball around the defender in their box late on?

That was more skill than I thought he had in his locker. More and more impressed with the guy, I'm not sure I've seen a defender settle so well so quickly in this league. Certainly not for us.

 

[ChaddyP]

Back to normal. Was great today and a good option for lb

 

[Bojan11]

It helps he is playing with Depay. Depay is harder to mark than Mata and teams double up on him. Which creates space for Darmian.

Where as Mata is easier to play against on the wing as he's not going to run past you and always look to come inside.

 

[NoPace]

Glad to see him at the top of his game. His recent so-so performances were probably fatigue more than anything.

I just think there's a lot to adjust to. Serie A is very different in tempo and tactics, we play 4 at the back, new teammates, new language, different of coach and Torino don't dominate their games.

I think we'll see a new, better player by the end of the season.

 

[pseudo_canadian]

Though he was great yesterday - looks like we found our new LB while Shaw recovers.

Tony V and Mata work well together on the right, and Darmian with Memphis work well because Memphis is pretty much always double-covered - creating space for Damo.

 

[Lawman]

Great signing like all them this summer just made so much sense.

 

[K2K]

Funny how you guys are all saying Darmian played brilliantly and then in the Valencia thread people are saying he was OK, when they had very similar games.

It's double standards, they are both right backs, analyse them similarly.

Some people simply do not like Valencia, no matter what he does..you are wasting your time trying to do otherwise...

 

[Santiago_KinderBueno]

Depending on how highly van gaal regards Rojo; i can see darmian staying at LB until shaw is fit. Then Mcnair can start edging towards the RB position.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Anyone else see that little bit of quick feet to drag the ball around the defender in their box late on?

That was more skill than I thought he had in his locker. More and more impressed with the guy, I'm not sure I've seen a defender settle so well so quickly in this league. Certainly not for us.

Heinze?

 

[diarm]

Heinze?

That's probably a fair call actually. We tend to think less of him because of how things turned out but I was a huge Heinze fan until he turned out to be a cnut. Not sure he ever looked as natural a defender as Darmian does but he did settle very well, very quickly.

 

[Amar__]

Funny how you guys are all saying Darmian played brilliantly and then in the Valencia thread people are saying he was OK, when they had very similar games.

It's double standards, they are both right backs, analyse them similarly.

Maybe because that's the first time he's played in that position for us and we badly need a good LB now that Shaw is injured?

 

[Sigma]

Maybe because that's the first time he's played in that position for us and we badly need a good LB now that Shaw is injured?

So you are saying Darmian was better because he played left back for the first time for us despite playing it regularly there for Torino while he was there and Valencia is worse because he had an almost identical game to him but he's played right back for 1 year, only transferring from being a winger very late in his career.

 

[Ixion]

So you are saying Darmian was better because he played left back for the first time for us despite playing it regularly there for Torino while he was there and Valencia is worse because he had an almost identical game to him but he's played right back for 1 year, only transferring from being a winger very late in his career.

Compared to Valencia Darmian had a higher pass accuracy, more tackles and more interceptions. And most of the Sunderland shots came from the right side of our box except that one in first half De Gea saved with his legs.

 

[Kill 'em all]

Funny he seemed better going forward as a left-back than in his natural position. Very good game today, showing some trickery and pace in attack. Didn't know he had it in him.

Of course. He has a winger on that left side supporting him. On the right side Mata leaves him alone when he cuts inside.

 

[Pexbo]

Compared to Valencia Darmian had a higher pass accuracy, more tackles and more interceptions. And most of the Sunderland shots came from the right side of our box except that one in first half De Gea saved with his legs.

Passing:
Valencia: 44/55 (80%)
Darmian: 38/44 (86.4%)

Crossing:
Valencia: 2/4 (50%)
Darmian: 1/2 (50%)

Take Ons:
Valencia 3/3 (100%)
Darmian: 1/2 (50%)

Tackles:
Valencia: 2/4 (50%)
Darmian: 3/4 (75%)

Interceptions:
Valencia: 2
Darmian: 3

Ball recoveries:
Valencia: 6
Darmian: 8

Chances created:
Valencia: 1
Darmian: 0

Clearances:
Valencia: 2/2
Darmian: 0



It's a lot closer than you'd like to make out. A performance where some people continue to criticise Valencia yet laud Darmian despite it being close defensively and Valencia being the more adventurous and successful going forward.

 

[Ixion]

Valencia also wins the stats for running the ball out of play when no one is around.

Sunderland's best chance came right down Valencia's side also when he was caught out of position as usual.

 

[Sigma]

Valencia also wins the stats for running the ball out of play when no one is around.

Sunderland's best chance came right down Valencia's side also when he was caught out of position as usual.

Actually he had come in to cover for the winger, Mata was supposed to be following the full back, Valencia can't 2v1 (like anyone else) and Mata didn't do his job there.

 

[krazyrobus]

Unfortunately with Valencia is his RB performance is looked through the prism of his RW performances. So if he isn't skinning some player and putting in a great cross like the good ol days it's poor whereas Darmian is a FB and is given slack in that he isn't primarily a dribbler.

 

[krazyrobus]

That's probably a fair call actually. We tend to think less of him because of how things turned out but I was a huge Heinze fan until he turned out to be a cnut. Not sure he ever looked as natural a defender as Darmian does but he did settle very well, very quickly.

He was as natural as they come. Going forward was where he looked very awkward.

 

[Devil may care]

Passing:
Valencia: 44/55 (80%)
Darmian: 38/44 (86.4%)

Crossing:
Valencia: 2/4 (50%)
Darmian: 1/2 (50%)

Take Ons:
Valencia 3/3 (100%)
Darmian: 1/2 (50%)

Tackles:
Valencia: 2/4 (50%)
Darmian: 3/4 (75%)

Interceptions:
Valencia: 2
Darmian: 3

Ball recoveries:
Valencia: 6
Darmian: 8

Chances created:
Valencia: 1
Darmian: 0

Clearances:
Valencia: 2/2
Darmian: 0


It's a lot closer than you'd like to make out. A performance where some people continue to criticise Valencia yet laud Darmian despite it being close defensively and Valencia being the more adventurous and successful going forward.

When you look at those stats against the worst team in the PL both need to improve their crossing and chance creation in a system that relies on the fullbacks for most of the deliveries into the box.

 

[Loublaze]

Anyone else see that little bit of quick feet to drag the ball around the defender in their box late on?

That was more skill than I thought he had in his locker. More and more impressed with the guy, I'm not sure I've seen a defender settle so well so quickly in this league. Certainly not for us.

Hienze looked very natural in this team.

 

[Sigma]

When you look at those stats against the worst team in the PL both need to improve their crossing and chance creation in a system that relies on the fullbacks for most of the deliveries into the box.

Agreed but people who say that Valencia isn't good defensively have an agenda against him.

 

[Devil may care]

Agreed but people who say that Valencia isn't good defensively have an agenda against him.

Yesterday and the game before he was fine I agree, but he had quite a few dodgy positional moments last season.

 

[Sigma]

Yesterday and the game before he was fine I agree, but he had quite a few dodgy positional moments last season.

I thought he was one of the best right backs in the league last year.

 

[HabeasC]

Agreed but people who say that Valencia isn't good defensively have an agenda against him.

I'm not so sure about that. Admittedly a lot of it is excessive, but there are a few occasions when he is caught out of position when Darmian wouldn't be.

I do think his passing has got a lot better though, if not his crossing.

 

[VanGaalEra]

Played well, really well at LB.

I like how multi functional a lot of our players are!!

 

[Sigma]

Played well, really well at LB.

I like how multi functional a lot of our players are!!

Exactly like van Gaal.

Are you van Gaal?