Antonio Valencia | 2009/10 Performances

[Raees]

Messi is very one-footed.

End debate.

Messi, Maradona both had/have the capability of using their right foots if they have to. Look at Messis goal v Getafe, went past 6 players and then finished off with his right and already this season hes been using his weaker foot alot more. Also if you're playing on the opposite flank to your stronger foot, you can afford to be very one-footed..hence why alot of predominantly left-footed players play on the right drifting inside as it creates the angle for a shot or through ball. Same with a right footer playing on the left in the mould of a Pires or a Henry (Both who can use their left if the need arises).

I saw Scholesy play one left footed pass today under pressure, he knew he couldn't do his usual outside of the foot pass there as it would have been extremely risky and the angle was easier on his left. In midfield there is not as much need to be ambidextrous as you have the full width of the pitch whereas on the wing there isn't as much space to work with to play passes, hence why alot of wingers pass back and do their damage in the final third.

One of the most dangerous things about a winger is unpredictability, Best, Ronaldo could take you this way and that..Valencia if he could incorporate this into his game would be fearsome.. why do you think Giggsy is so great now and so effective, its because he is so versatile in his play now.. that through ball today ..right-footed, the defender was surprised because he expected giggsy to control it with his left and take him on.

 

[MadDogg]

Most players favour one foot more than the other. Some players are more one-footed than others. But even noted one-footed players like Giggs and Messi will generally use their weaker foot if it's blatantly in the better position. That's the difference when it comes to Valencia, he's been forcing himself to use his right even if it means he has to stumble and toe-punt it while off-balance. In his entire time here I can only remember him touching the ball with his left foot one time.

 

[Shane B]

He's took a bit longer than I would have liked to settle in, but he's now getting there.

He's now beating folk with confidence too.. which is nice.

 

[Longlivekeano]

Valencia = Kanchelskis II (both had scary pace, a hard shot)

Lets just hope Valencia is not involved with Russian mobs and all.

 

[Brwned]

He's too predictable, he keeps getting goals and assists!

5 goals and 3 assists, or a goal/assist every 1.9 games, ain't bad at all.

 

[Chris H]

Never cuts inside, too one-dimensional, no end product, world is flat, moon landing faked, etc.

 

[Jacob]

I love this guy, he's such a great athlete, he is so direct in his play he can only be efficient.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

He's too predictable, he keeps getting goals and assists!

5 goals and 3 assists, or a goal/assist every 1.9 games, ain't bad at all.

All round game coming on in leaps and bounds and he's been different class defensively since his first outing.

Any doubters want to speak up now?

 

[Name Changed]

He's too predictable, he keeps getting goals and assists!

5 goals and 3 assists, or a goal/assist every 1.9 games, ain't bad at all.

And he's only going to get better.

 

[Top]

All round game coming on in leaps and bounds and he's been different class defensively since his first outing.

Any doubters want to speak up now?

Fairly sure most of us have commented on him throughout the season.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

Didn't think he had a great game today compared to previous matches but still scored and had an assist!

 

[HsJ]

I love it when he runs through the middle with the ball. Very strong and quick. Looking better and better every game.

 

[Allforone]

Said on this thread after the Liverpool game hed been our most consistent attacking player for a while....today hes again proved that point i think.....looks a fantastic buy...

 

[Jacob]

Fairly sure most of us have commented on him throughout the season.

Speak for yourself, I've been impressed from the start.

 

[VoetbalWizard]

really coming into the shirt. looks like a proper united player.

 

[Top]

Speak for yourself, I've been impressed from the start.

Yes, so you have commented on how well he's been during throughout the season.

Which is different from what I said, how?

 

[Sylar]

Needs to run directly at defenders more. Love seeing him run like that.

 

[Wan]

Has been surprisingly good playing out wide in a 433. Getting better and better, and he's scoring as well. Get another 5-10 goals please.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Fairly sure most of us have commented on him throughout the season.

Should have rephrased that. Any doubters still got doubts?

 

[Brophs]

Couldn't have expected much more from him, a few months into his career at the club, and after making a step up from Wigan.

That said, I expect he'll be even better in the second half of the season, as he seems to be really growing into the role now.

 

[charleysurf]

Speak for yourself, I've been impressed from the start.

I've been impressed with him since he was an embryo, so there.

 

[Rado_N]

Was very happy when we signed him and he's done nothing but justify my delight. Great signing.

 

[Count Duckula]

All round game coming on in leaps and bounds and he's been different class defensively since his first outing.

Any doubters want to speak up now?

I'll admit he's proving me wrong, though I still find him a bit boring to watch but that's hardly his fault and I was spoiled by watching Ronaldo there.

You're not going to shame me into thinking I shouldn't have criticised him when he first got here, though.

 

[Crerand Legend]

Has been surprisingly good playing out wide in a 433. Getting better and better, and he's scoring as well. Get another 5-10 goals please.

That sums it up ,doing really well

 

[Jacob]

Yes, so you have commented on how well he's been during throughout the season.

Which is different from what I said, how?

Judging by the tone of your post in reply to Pogue, I thought you were being sarcastic, especially as many have been doubtful about Antonio.

 

[Brwned]

TD knows I've won this bet.

Valencia had the raw tools to score the goals, he just needed the platform to show it.

I'll let you away with the bet being called off if you give me half the price now, Tumbling?

 

[Mainoldo]

Got to say he's come alive abit... Credit where credits due!! Good to see him dart in the box for his goal!! Hopefully he'll keep improving...

 

[gbgary]

a goal and another assist for val today...and a couple of smiles. he's had a fine season thus far.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I'll admit he's proving me wrong, though I still find him a bit boring to watch but that's hardly his fault and I was spoiled by watching Ronaldo there.

You're not going to shame me into thinking I shouldn't have criticised him when he first got here, though.

I don't have any problem with people criticising his first few performances (the ones that were poor, anyway). You can only call it as you see it and he's definitely taken a few games to show us how good he can become.

What was daft was the people who criticised him as a signing, without giving him any chance to settle at his new club. All this bollox about how he will never make it without a left foot and how he's far too predictable and one-dimensional to make it at United.

 

[RedSky]

really coming into the shirt. looks like a proper united player.

Indeed, worth every penny tbh.

 

[Brwned]

Judging by the tone of your post in reply to Pogue, I thought you were being sarcastic, especially as many have been doubtful about Antonio.

Everyone makes mistakes. You thought O'Shea wasn't good enough and should be sold, he went on to prove you wrong.

I thought that while he was the best winger we could realistically buy from the league, he wasn't going to be able to make the step up to be a regular and £17m was too much for a long-term back-up. I also thought Nani was better and would've shown that by now.

I was wrong, by the end of the season he might even have established himself as an important player. He can excel in a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3, he can be relied on to do a job in the big games with very little fuss and he's got the physique to play pretty much every game for us.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Everyone makes mistakes. You thought O'Shea wasn't good enough and should be sold, he went on to prove you wrong.

I thought that while he was the best winger we could realistically buy from the league, he wasn't going to be able to make the step up to be a regular and £17m was too much for a long-term back-up. I also thought Nani was better and would've shown that by now.

I was wrong, by the end of the season he might even have established himself as an important player. He can excel in a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3, he can be relied on to do a job in the big games with very little fuss and he's got the physique to play pretty much every game for us.

Fair play, Brwned. One of the most annoying things on here is people who refuse to admit they're ever wrong about a player. Your honesty is refreshing.

 

[Top]

What was daft was the people who criticised him as a signing.

Not really, when said people had seen a fair bit of him for both Wigan and Ecuador, and had formed an opinion on him on that basis. I form an opinion on most players I watch regularly, and naturally I'm going to voice that opinion when we're being linked with said player.

Just like how I'm sure you wouldn't be clapping if we signed Aurelio, because you already think he's a bit average - unless you just discard your own opinion, which would be daft.

Valencia then proved us wrong by raising his level beyond what he showed at Wigan, and that's what happens with a lot of players when they play with better players, and what us doubters hoped would happen, as he's a United player. Though he's far exceeded what I had even hoped for.

But you won't make me regret voicing my opinion of him as a Wigan player, just like how I'm sure Brwned won't regret saying Nani is better, as that was his opinion at the time.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Not really, when said people had seen a fair bit of him for both Wigan and Ecuador, and had formed an opinion on him on that basis. I form an opinion on most players I watch regularly, and naturally I'm going to voice that opinion when we're being linked with said player.

Just like how I'm sure you wouldn't be clapping if we signed Aurelio, because you already think he's a bit average - unless you just discard your own opinion, which would be daft.

Valencia then proved us wrong by raising his level beyond what he showed at Wigan, and that's what happens with a lot of players when they play with better players, and what us doubters hoped would happen, as he's a United player. Though he's far exceeded what I had even hoped for.

But you won't make me regret voicing my opinion of him as a Wigan player, just like how I'm sure Brwned won't regret saying Nani is better, as that was his opinion at the time.

To be fair, Valencia has been exceptional for both Wigan and Ecuador.

Aurelio's basically a bit shit.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and there's nothing wrong with expressing doubts about a signing. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that I was wrong about bigging up Michael Owen, time will tell.

I'm not trying to make anyone regret anything, I was just trying to find out if Valencia is converting the doubters. When a player does that, it's a really promising sign. You and Brwned have been big enough to come out and say he has. Fair play to both of you.

 

[R.N7]

You know Top, he had plenty of great games like this for Wigan and Ecuador as well. That's why I had been wanting us to sign him for a long time, and obviously made me very delighted when we finally signed him.

 

[Top]

To be fair, Valencia has been exceptional for both Wigan and Ecuador.

That's the thing though, he had been far from exceptional in all his games for Wigan and Ecuador. He looked good against us, but he also looked distinctly average in a lot of the games I had watched him in - and it was on the basis of all the games combined that I formed an opinion on him.

If he had been exceptional whenever I and others had watched him, then we would have been over the moon when we signed him.

We didn't just decide to be against the transfer based on nothing but the desire to play the devil's advocate.

 

[Cina]

I don't think I ever doubted nor expected anything big from Valencia. I thought he was a safe purchase at £16m at a time when prices were hugely inflated. He's certainly been playing well though, very consistent and has definitely surprised me.

 

[Top]

You know Top, he had plenty of great games like this for Wigan and Ecuador as well. That's why I had been wanting us to sign him for a long time, and obviously made me very delighted when we finally signed him.

Which is the point - he was good in the games you had watched, which naturally made you happy when we signed him.

He was a very mixed bag overall in the dozen or so games I had watched with him last season, which is why I wasn't thrilled when we signed him.

Simple really.

You could then argue, that one shouldn't state an opinion based on a dozen games per season, but I felt I was as much within my right as those who had decided he was brilliant based on a couple games.

 

[Alex]

Good player, probably will get 15 goals this year

 

[Enigma_87]

To be fair, Valencia has been exceptional for both Wigan and Ecuador.

Aurelio's basically a bit shit.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and there's nothing wrong with expressing doubts about a signing. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that I was wrong about bigging up Michael Owen, time will tell.

I'm not trying to make anyone regret anything, I was just trying to find out if Valencia is converting the doubters. When a player does that, it's a really promising sign. You and Brwned have been big enough to come out and say he has. Fair play to both of you.

Uhm, exceptional for Wigan?

That's a stretch, how many exceptional games have you seen him in? Palacios was much more important for Wigan and more consistent IMO.

Fair play he has been a lot better in the recent weeks and deserves his place in the first team at the moment, adding some goals in the process but he's not the second coming of Ronaldo certainly(not that I compare them).

He's a tidy, limited player still, but seems like in the recent run of games he has found his place on the right wing and seems to exploit what he can do best - cross the ball, make an odd run in straight line and get the odd goal.

He was pretty good today, let's see him if he's capable of performing at top level for several games, not odd ones.

In the end of the season we can draw the line whether he has proved us(the doubters) wrong, shall we?