[Pexbo]

The guys a fecking machine. I was his harshest critic when he was on the wing but saw something in him when he was switched to right back and assessed him objectively, adjusting my expectations for his output.


He's no Lahm defensively, nor is he Dani Alves going forward. He's unique though in his skillset. Quicker than pretty much any winger. Stronger than pretty much every winger. I can't remember him giving anything away so far this season, and probably 3 or 4 real mistakes since he's been at right back for us. Count the mistakes of his rival right backs and it'll be similar.

On balance for what he offers and his weaknesses and we're in profit.

 

[Bruno8]

Good to see Tony V finally get some recognition. Arguably our best player of the season so far. Toss up between him and Mata

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

His first touch is exquisite. Possibly the best since Scholars.

His power and strength, too. Out of this world.

He's like some strange combination of matador and bull.

 

[SwansonsTache]

If this fecker could cross he would be a spectacular RB (okay, with some slightly improved positioning as well, but he has pace to recover.)

Best thing is I see no signs of him slowing down, think our Tony is a physical freak and can keep this up for a few more years easily.

 

[snk123]

His passing is extremely underrated. His long passes especially are absolutely pitch perfect for forwards making a run in behind.

 

[LuisNaniencia]

If this fecker could cross he would be a spectacular RB (okay, with some slightly improved positioning as well, but he has pace to recover.)

Best thing is I see no signs of him slowing down, think our Tony is a physical freak and can keep this up for a few more years easily.

He can cross, just with his left foot which he barely ever uses. It's quite bizarre, on his right foot he tends to just chip it in or hit it behind people. With his left he gets a bit of whip on it and I swear on the few occasions he does it they are always good crosses.

 

[SwansonsTache]

He can cross, just with his left foot which he barely ever uses. It's quite bizarre, on his right foot he tends to just chip it in or hit it behind people. With his left he gets a bit of whip on it and I swear on the few occasions he does it they are always good crosses.

He can cross, but he can't do it consistently to a high level. Look at the amount of times he gets into good positions on the RW, if he could cross he would be the WB with the most assists in the world consistently.

I do love our Tony, but you can't seriously mean that he got a good cross on him, 7/10 will go straight into the defenders leg.

 

[LuisNaniencia]

He can cross, but he can't do it consistently to a high level. Look at the amount of times he gets into good positions on the RW, if he could cross he would be the WB with the most assists in the world consistently.

I do love our Tony, but you can't seriously mean that he got a good cross on him, 7/10 will go straight into the defenders leg.

He needs to work on whipping it in with his right, he almost never does. It's one of the traits Nani had over him. Especially with Ibra and Pogba in the box, although Pog could have scored from a Valencia cross yesterday.

 

[Shane88]

Surprised how often he wriggles free of danger considering he's the most one-footed player around. Being built like a bull helps, I guess.

 

[MadDogg]

He can cross, just with his left foot which he barely ever uses. It's quite bizarre, on his right foot he tends to just chip it in or hit it behind people. With his left he gets a bit of whip on it and I swear on the few occasions he does it they are always good crosses.

It really is strange. He only touches the ball with his left foot two or three times a season. But every single time it's actually a quality touch. He's scored a few goals with his left from memory, and when he does actually cross it with his left it tends to always be dangerous. It really is strange how much he tries to avoid using it.

 

[criticalanalysis]

It really is strange. He only touches the ball with his left foot two or three times a season. But every single time it's actually a quality touch. He's scored a few goals with his left from memory, and when he does actually cross it with his left it tends to always be dangerous. It really is strange how much he tries to avoid using it.

I think it speaks volumes about his confidence that he's using his left foot imo

That's how much self belief he has gained as an individual with Van Gaal and now Mourinho trusting him.

 

[RedPnutz]

Valencia seems a player who knows his strengths and limitations thoroughly and he just makes sure he does those strengths and basics really well. His first touch is great, he shields the ball well, has good short passing and knows when to vary his accelerations to beat his opponent. Never very fanciful but seems to often get pass his opponents.

 

[Kill 'em all]

He's improved his game a lot under Jose. His defensive covering and positioning have greatly improved and he isn't giving away silly free kicks any more.

 

[POF]

He's improved his game a lot under Jose. His defensive covering and positioning have greatly improved and he isn't giving away silly free kicks any more.

Agreed. He'll never be perfect but his discipline (positioning and avoiding stupid fouls) has come on leaps and bounds this season. It's a shame Bailly and Smalling have been injured because Jose could really mould them into a quality defensive unit.

 

[m1y2]

He needs to work on whipping it in with his right, he almost never does. It's one of the traits Nani had over him. Especially with Ibra and Pogba in the box, although Pog could have scored from a Valencia cross yesterday.

we are talking a winger vs a fullback, we know he was a winger once but we should be careful with judging him with "he can always do more with his crossing etc.." there are fullbacks that don't even find those positions. Valencia became a beast of a player and surely he has some limitations but he's doing excellently lately, going forward and being super solid defending, the most consistent player in the team right now

 

[LuisNaniencia]

we are talking a winger vs a fullback, we know he was a winger once but we should be careful with judging him with "he can always do more with his crossing etc.." there are fullbacks that don't even find those positions. Valencia became a beast of a player and surely he has some limitations but he's doing excellently lately, going forward and being super solid defending, the most consistent player in the team right now

I agree and I think his crossing has been much better this season. Every player has something they can work on, I'd just like to see him work on the ball in with pace and he could be the complete right back.

 

[Sigma]

Agreed. He'll never be perfect but his discipline (positioning and avoiding stupid fouls) has come on leaps and bounds this season. It's a shame Bailly and Smalling have been injured because Jose could really mould them into a quality defensive unit.

It really hasn't. It's just that it's become fashion to like him. I was saying he was one of the best right backs in the league a whole year ago.

 

[Massive Spanner]

It really hasn't. It's just that it's become fashion to like him. I was saying he was one of the best right backs in the league a whole year ago.

Which was stupid because a year ago he wasn't even remotely up there.

Anyway, it's great to see him revitalised. Looks a proper player again. He was rubbish in his final years as a winger, looked completely done. Turned out to be a great move by LvG to convert him to RB where he is really coming into his own again

 

[Sigma]

Which was stupid because a year ago he wasn't even remotely up there.

Anyway, it's great to see him revitalised. Looks a proper player again. He was rubbish in his final years as a winger, looked completely done. Turned out to be a great move by LvG to convert him to RB where he is really coming into his own again

It really wasn't. Can you name a bad game he had last year when he was fit?

 

[Massive Spanner]

It really wasn't. Can you name a bad game he had last year when he was fit?

What sort of a question is that? If I could remember every individual performance of our players a year ago I'd be in MENSA.

People tend to remember great performances, not poor ones.

 

[Leftback99]

Which was stupid because a year ago he wasn't even remotely up there.

Anyway, it's great to see him revitalised. Looks a proper player again. He was rubbish in his final years as a winger, looked completely done. Turned out to be a great move by LvG to convert him to RB where he is really coming into his own again

He was definitely up even in the 14/15 season. It's why some of us were not bothered about us signing Darmian who was supposed to be twice the right back. It's just took a while for people to accept that he isn't a winger anymore.

 

[Massive Spanner]

He was definitely up even in the 14/15 season. It's why some of us were not bothered about us signing Darmian who was supposed to be twice the right back. It's just took a while for people to accept that he isn't a winger anymore.

Just look at his early pages in the performances thread to see how poor he was early on. A year ago he was not even close to one of the best right backs in the league.

He improved as the season went on and looked far better in the latter part of the season, and seems to have continued on in that vein.

 

[Sigma]

Just look at his early pages in the performances thread to see how poor he was early on. A year ago he was not even close to one of the best right backs in the league.

He improved as the season went on and looked far better in the latter part of the season, and seems to have continued on in that vein.

Yes, and they're all wrong. That's mine and @Leftback99 whole point, people couldn't get over the fact that he had been turned into a right back and that had clouded their judgement.

Stats are more representative than a couple of posts on a forum, and when you look at them, Valencia comes of very favourably.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Yes, and their all wrong. That's mine and @Leftback99 whole point, people couldn't get over the fact that he had been turned into a right back and that had clouded their judgement.

yeah everyone else is wrong and you're right. Thatll get you far in life.

Also, they're*, not their, although maybe you think Oxford are wrong and you're right on that one.

 

[Sigma]

yeah everyone else is wrong and you're right. Thatll get you far in life.

I think this season is proving it. His performances aren't too different to his performances last season and now all of a sudden he's amazing according to most. Like I said, when you look at the stats, which are more representative than a couple of fans opinions, then Valencia comes of very favourably. Just look at my first post.

 

[Massive Spanner]

I think this season is proving it. His performances aren't too different to his performances last season and now all of a sudden he's amazing according to most. Like I said, when you look at the stats, which are more representative than a couple of fans opinions, then Valencia comes of very favourably. Just look at my first post.

No, this season is not proving he was great a year ago. That's not complex logic.

If I said Depay is great right now and a year from now he was actually playing great, would that make me correct?

 

[Sigma]

No, this season is not proving he was great a year ago. That's not complex logic.

If I said Depay is great right now and a year from now he was actually playing great, would that make me correct?

I've already said why I made that comparison, because the performances levels are pretty similar. Your Depay comparison makes no sense in this context.

 

[Massive Spanner]

I've already said why I made that comparison, because the performances levels are pretty similar. Your Depay comparison makes no sense in this context.

They're not though. He was really bad a year ago.

 

[donkeyfish]

I think this season is proving it. His performances aren't too different to his performances last season and now all of a sudden he's amazing according to most. Like I said, when you look at the stats, which are more representative than a couple of fans opinions, then Valencia comes of very favourably. Just look at my first post.

I remember he was excellent in a couple of games after he returned from injury. Before that I dont remember too well, but I never recall thinking he was a bad RB. You could very well be right here

 

[Rossa]

yeah everyone else is wrong and you're right. Thatll get you far in life.

Also, they're*, not their, although maybe you think Oxford are wrong and you're right on that one.

Using that kind of logic, Carrick has been rubbish or hardly even played at times since one, there have been numerous negative post about him in the past; two, for a time when he played well, people didn't bother posting.

Many people refrained from posting about Valencia when he had good matches last season. As you may know, people have favorites. The fact that he is a converted winger was used as a stick to beat him with in defense for not having the required positioning or awareness, but also in attack where he was compared to wingers, not fullbacks.

Oh, and a grammar comment? Really

 

[Massive Spanner]

Using that kind of logic, Carrick has been rubbish or hardly even played at times since one, there have been numerous negative post about him in the past; two, for a time when he played well, people didn't bother posting.

Many people refrained from posting about Valencia when he had good matches last season. As you may know, people have favorites. The fact that he is a converted winger was used as a stick to beat him with in defense for not having the required positioning or awareness, but also in attack where he was compared to wingers, not fullbacks.

Oh, and a grammar comment? Really

Sorry but I'm just seeing a lot of excuses in this post for the fact that posts in the thread are almost unanimously negative.

When her played well, people says he did, I don't know why everything had to be some weird conspiracy against players on here.

 

[Scarecrow]

Best player in the league.

 

[K2K]

He's been good.

Our only threat from either wings.

 

[El Zoido]

I just don't rate him, I can't see what everyone else sees apparently. He's too one footed, and boringly predicable, and he can't cross to save his life. He's got to be one of the easiest players to play against. Show him on to his left and you can guarantee he'll pass the ball backwards. Let him run down the line and stay on your feet and don't open yourself up for a nutmeg, and you are guaranteed to block his hard, low cross. Maybe his defensive positioning is amazing, but every time the ball is at his feet you know he's going to waste it. I'm sorry I just don't get it. It's not that he's bad, but he offers nothing going forward.

 

[ash_86]

I just don't rate him, I can't see what everyone else sees apparently. He's too one footed, and boringly predicable, and he can't cross to save his life. He's got to be one of the easiest players to play against. Show him on to his left and you can guarantee he'll pass the ball backwards. Let him run down the line and stay on your feet and don't open yourself up for a nutmeg, and you are guaranteed to block his hard, low cross. Maybe his defensive positioning is amazing, but every time the ball is at his feet you know he's going to waste it. I'm sorry I just don't get it. It's not that he's bad, but he offers nothing going forward.

With you on this. He's as average as it gets from a winger turned RB. Has zero ball skills and can't put in a good cross.

 

[Devil may care]

He was constantly getting up his side but the quality wasn't there in the deliveries today.

 

[Red Devil 26]

His final ball is obviously woeful and has been for years. But at the same time his sheer physicality drags us up the pitch on the right hand side and he does it on his own without a winger ahead of him to play off too.

 

[DJRED97]

Lame. Delivery is as good as Darmian's. If he could pick out someone from just one of the 40 crosses he puts in a game, it'd be a miracle.

 

[Sigma]

Well, he did put in the cross that lead to the offside goal (the player who he crossed to wasn't offside). And, according to squawka he put in 3 successful crosses and created 2 chances which doesn't sound too bad from a right back.

 

[Rossa]

Well, he did put in the cross that lead to the offside goal (the player who he crossed to wasn't offside). And, according to squawka he put in 3 successful crosses and created 2 chances which doesn't sound too bad from a right back.

Too much sense here.