His cross from his left foot is actually decent, if he varied his play and crossed more with his left he would be so much more dangerous as a LB.
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I like Valencia but he lost the ability to cross years ago and his play is extremely one dimensional.
He gets in great positions and cannot deliver the final ball and the team sufferers because of it.
Young gets unfairly lumped in with Valencia as they are both converted wingers. Young is far superior in every aspect of his play, with the exception of bench pressing (which is not that useful on the pitch...).
Young is a good crosser and probably a decent set-piece specialist but that's about it. Not taking away his good performances for us and at the world cup, but we do need a better LB.
Put it this way, just as Fellaini is a good back-up to Pogba, Young should be a back-up to our first choice LB.
Put it this way, just as Fellaini is a good back-up to Pogba, Young should be a back-up to our first choice LB.
He’s also showed quite a bit leadership and maturity. Very happy he’s at our club.
Valencia is a better ball carrier from 18 to 18 and more assured on the ball. He’s also better at defending one on one. If Valencia could get back to taking his man on and crossing to a half decent standard we’d have an excellent player on our hands. But for some reason he refuses to take men on and his crossing is abysmal so I won’t hold my breath.
I wish we could permanently switched him to right back.
Valencia hasn’t been able to cross in about 8 years, which was the season Rooney was fantastic as a proper CF. The chances of Valencia being able to ever cross the ball again disappeared a long time ago.
Valencia is better than Young at turning 180 degrees and turning back towards his own goal in the face of an opponent. That’s about it.
Am so pleased for Young - he’s got his head down and worked hard for the team and got his reward, many players would have just accepted a bit part role and banked the wages.
Think you are doing Tony a major disservice to be fair.
Bit harsh on Valencia... yeah his crossing is shoddy at best, but he still has many great attributes... such as his touch, his stamina, his strength and his pace.
I have a weird belief that if Pep had come to manage us after Fergie left, he'd have have turned Valencia into a DM.
If I’m being slightly harsh on Valencia, it would be because I genuinely don’t understand why the guy is our captain, when he is so devoid of captain material it’s laughable. Captain because he’s been at Utd the longest is just not good enough.
But I stand by my opinion, Young is just so much better in every important way.
But I stand by my opinion, Young is just so much better in every important way.
Football isn't like cricket whereby captains have any meaningful duties.
Carrick was also club captain for the exact reason, and hardly played.
It’s a bit more than being able to toss a coin. As far as I’m concerned he shouldn’t even be playing, he can’t soeak English and can’t give an interview - it’s pathetic after so long in the PL.
Carrick is a leader, he doesn’t go around shouting ala Keane, but he has respect, a valuable opinion and can convey his experience. Carrick has been a great player for us. Valencia has not.
Carrick is a leader, he doesn’t go around shouting ala Keane, but he has respect, a valuable opinion and can convey his experience. Carrick has been a great player for us. Valencia has not.
I'm pretty sure he's picked up the basics after living here for over 10 years but as far as giving an interview goes he's probably not comfortable. A lot of players are like this, they're okay communicating with teammates and coaches but when it comes to speaking English in public they're just not comfortable doing it.
He's played the left side his entire career (more or less) but I agree, he's right footed with good delivery seems a no brainer
Maybe we will next season given Dalot appears to also have spent most of his time at LB
We just don’t know do we? A Utd captain who can’t give an interview is pathetic for whatever reason, whether he can’t speak English or doesn’t have the confidence to do so.
If he had free reign to attack on a flank where he can cross in his natural side. I suspect he'd start garnering the respect denied him for years. For Ive always found him rather good at what he does.
He doesn't always take on his man because he is instructed not to do so except for defined situations. He also hits the first defender more often than not because he understands that it's not the worst outcome at all. To not clear the first defender means that you more often than not keep possession of the ball; through a throw in or a corner or just by getting the ball back. This is basic modern football and has nothing to do with the crossing qualities of our FBs.
I really don't get this narrative of Young/Shaw/Valencia being bad crossers of the ball or even worse: afraid to take on their man. This is not the 1980s anymore, to have to cross the ball into the penalty area is a last resort; especially against an established defense. Young and Valencia are both more than adequate crossers of the ball; both being old wingers from an era where one of the wingers major tasks was to cross the ball. I would personally imagine Valencia for example wanting to enjoy more freedom at what he can and cannot do in different situations offensively. But it is what it is.
Today: To cross the ball against an established defense is probably the most low-percentage choice for a goal scoring opportunity you can fathom in modern football. What it does constitute is a high-percentage chance of losing possession, even worse a turnover and worst case giving up a pure counterattack.
Not just that: We are also playing under a manager that loathes turnovers and counterattacks. Mourinho will never allow"bombing fullbacks" and crosses into the box looking for storming forwards and midfielders into the box. Sorry, it wont happen.
We will never risk committing 5 or even 4 players in the penalty area with a cross coming in. Which means that Valencia or Young essentially will be looking to clear the first defender to find Lukaku driving at the first post, which is his instructions as well. We will have our number 10/off midfielder just outside the penalty area and one of the wingers coming in after Lukaku. Second winger will be outside trying to give Valencia the short option. Three defenders and two midfielders will be staying back protecting space and against turnovers. Thats how Mourinho always has played.
In addition: Valencia and Young does not take on their man in most cases because in most games they are doubled up on by a low block established defense. To take on your man then is a big no-no for most managers, even the more offensive ones. If its not that its because they cannot be sure of the fact that if they lose the ball they have at least five or preferably six players behind the ball to protect the team from a turnover should they lose the ball.
This approach is one of the major reasons why a Mourinho team doesn't get countered. And why our defensive record is so good. But also the real explanation to why "Valencia does not take on his man".
But its completely unfair to blame this on Valencia or Young being unable to cross the ball or scared to take on their man. Why do you think they keep on playing? Occams razor: Easiest explanation: They are following their instructions. Blame Mourinho for this if you want to but don't expect it to change by switching players.
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Don't think I've read so much nonsense in a post in a long time.
Nonsense.
Valencia is a much better defender. But yes in attack Young is a valuable weapon while Valencia not so much
that's nonsense. Valencia is rock solid RB capable of playing on his wing alone, he can't be that much attacking without an actual flank. They are different players, young bring more offensively and Valencia a more defensively but whoever plays on the right with Mata will have absolute tough time to join attack and defend for both players. When will fans notice? it's not actually that difficult to watch football and make an easy observation like that.
Yeah can't wait for Dalot/TFM to play there and own that side
What a revolutionary tactic - smash the ball into your opponents shin every time to win a corner. I see you edited your post to add even more rubbish.
You should know so much about those. When it comes to rest of your post, him getting an assist from a corner or having decent game have feck all to do with things he does in situation i described.
Ah so you didnt watch a game, its ok.
I do know alot about them and I've been told that you're a specialist in such guff.
Sad to see really
Except that I did and he’s remaining in the starting eleven and will start in a World Cup semi final because he has played out of his skin. Jose and Gareth have picked him and see a lot more then some random like you. Don’t quit your day job.
Must be that guff sniffer, who goes around making stuff up.
The one thing that's the most frustrating with Young is how long he takes to get going when he receives a pass, there was no urgency in him trying to catch Croatia on the counter tonight. As good as his crosses and set pieces have been for England, his outfield attacking has been pretty shocking.
There is no way I can see Jose going into the season with Young and Shaw as our main LBs. Surely the Ronaldo deal means Juve will play ball with Sandro 
He's plucky and apparently a good DJ but he's nowhere near good enough to be a starting LB or WB for a club with any ambition to win a PL.
I don’t think we have any interest in him at all.There is no way I can see Jose going into the season with Young and Shaw as our main LBs. Surely the Ronaldo deal means Juve will play ball with Sandro
We could of signed him weeks ago and didn’t.
Whatever you think of Young you've got to hand it to him. He's resurrected his career and played in a world cup final at the age of 33. For what it's worth we cannot go into a new season with two 33 year olds as our first choice fullbacks with Shaw, Darmian and Blind to back them up. Fullback is now such an important position, it's no longe the place where you sneak a few duds in who aren't good enough at centre back or winger.
You're forgetting Dalot? If we go into the new season with him and Shaw on either side we'll be sorted.
Duncan Castles has said we've agreed personal terms with Sandro and it's just a matter of agreeing a price with Juve. And if reports are to be believed, there's stand off going on between us and Juve over Darmian as well. My gut feeling is we'll sign Sandro with Darmian going the other way.
He is the reason England lost yesterday, should have substituted him after 60 minutes.
Oh christ yeah we do have Dalot how did I miss that? I don't think Young and Shaw are enough on the left though.
Bore off.
Whatever
It's a risk but if worst comes to worst there's always next year.. Shaw in top form is worthy of our LB spot for the long term future, so I think it makes sense for us give him one last chance, especially after seeing him put in the effort for pre season already.
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