[bugmat]

You're gullible to think those were the left foot crosses.

What really happened is that he pulled few rabonas with his right but due to his immense speed for the naked eye it looked like he's crossing with his left.

I'm wondering myself - must have made at least 6 or 7 left footed crosses yesterday and most were good

 

[prath92]

its crazy that everyone seems to be amazing at pinging balls to Valencia on the right.

Maybe its more that however wayward the passes are, he has the pace and strength to take it down and attack. Beast

 

[Maxii]

He absolutely destroyed Arnautovic all game yesterday. He's probably the best player in the team at the moment going on form. Long may it continue!

 

[OzKangarooney]

its crazy that everyone seems to be amazing at pinging balls to Valencia on the right.

Maybe its more that however wayward the passes are, he has the pace and strength to take it down and attack. Beast

Pace to get to a somewhat miss placed pass and ability to bring it down very well plus the fact that he is usually hugging the touchline and is standing in a position you would expect the right winger to be in so he often isn't tracked by the oppenents winger which leaves him standing in heaps of space

Also seen so many people talk about how good he was vs Stoke, don't you think he was a bit sloppy when defending? Arnautovic appeared to get in behind him a few times and looked to worry Antonio when he was running at him, most of Stokes attack felt like it came down the left

 

[Lj82]

You must miss that until recently, but every past United managers rated him for a reason: he's one of best at protecting the ball under pressure. He has best protective controlling first touch too. With him we always have that extra solidness even him playing as winger.

I've always appreciated that. Just pointing out that this is one part of his game that is underappreciated by fans.

 

[Darwin09]

Can anybody GIF that moment in yesterday's match where there was a deflected clearance that went way into the sky all the way to Tony who just calmly nestled it down on his right foot. That must go into the Oxford Dictionary as the definition of "good first touch".

 

[Fracture90]

I'm wondering myself - must have made at least 6 or 7 left footed crosses yesterday and most were good

True. Joking aside he really did made few very good crosses with his left foot.

 

[prath92]

Pace to get to a somewhat miss placed pass and ability to bring it down very well plus the fact that he is usually hugging the touchline and is standing in a position you would expect the right winger to be in so he often isn't tracked by the oppenents winger which leaves him standing in heaps of space

Also seen so many people talk about how good he was vs Stoke, don't you think he was a bit sloppy when defending? Arnautovic appeared to get in behind him a few times and looked to worry Antonio when he was running at him, most of Stokes attack felt like it came down the left

He wasn't sloppy. True once or twice arnautovic managed to get past him but that's common. I remember one instance where he got behind Valencia, but Valencia just ran and bullied the ball off him.

 

[Sigma]

We look devoid of ideas without him.

 

[Leftback99]

We look devoid of ideas without him.

Definately. Our attack has been based mainly around him all season.

 

[Rossa]

He's vital to our game. Arguably more so than anyone else in. Our team.

 

[Robbie Boy]

Darmian is so fecking shit compared to him. Thankfully he's been fit most of the season because after him, our options are poor.

 

[Jonno]

We lost a huge dimension of our play without him tonight, he's vitally important.

Darmian is so average.

 

[Leftback99]

Let's hope he's not injured.

 

[Dir Wangem]

I knew that he was important, but this game could hardly haved illustrated it better.

This was arguably our worst attacking performance of the season, given the circumstances(we were playing a against a Hull team that needed to score at least 2 goals). Our wing play was particularly bad, and because of this it was much easier for Hull to pick Pogba and Zlatan out of the game. As for Herrera, I didn't even know he was playing...

 

[Robbie Boy]

Darmian is so average.

That's being generous.

 

[RikRuud]

Hope he enjoyed his little rest at home. On the flip side it shows how unreliable Darmian is on either flank. Offers absolutely nothing. See you at the weekend Tony.

 

[Jonno]

That's being generous.

He doesn't seem to do much wrong, he defends ok, goes forward ok, passes ok. Valencia is just a monster in every single attribute needed.

 

[Mike09]

Without this guy we can't create enough chances. Hard to believe it but a right back is our main man to create chance

 

[Robbie Boy]

He doesn't seem to do much wrong, he defends ok, goes forward ok, passes ok. Valencia is just a monster in every single attribute needed.

I think Darmian is rubbish. He's absolutely non-existent going forward and is far too physically weak. He can defend ok at times but that's about it.

 

[Dobba]

One man width.

 

[OohAahMartial]

Could he play on the left instead? And maybe put Bailly or TFM on the right? Has he ever ever played a game on the left?

 

[Adam-Utd]

It was quite amazing how many times our players looked up to the right wing expecting to ping a ball out to him, and he just wasn't there. Instead there was Darmian hiding behind Smalling.

 

[Clas Sified]

Could he play on the left instead? And maybe put Bailly or TFM on the right? Has he ever ever played a game on the left?

He'd be too limited on the left in my opinion. His main form of dribbling involves pushing it past the left side of the defender with his right foot and with his relatively weaker left foot, he wouldn't be able to do get past defenders often enough from the left. Even if he does get past, he doesn't really cross with his left foot too often, meaning that he'd have to cut back onto his right where the defender can get back and stop the cross.

 

[OohAahMartial]

He'd be too limited on the left in my opinion. His main form of dribbling involves pushing it past the left side of the defender with his right foot and with his relatively weaker left foot, he wouldn't be able to do get past defenders often enough from the left. Even if he does get past, he doesn't really cross with his left foot too often, meaning that he'd have to cut back onto his right where the defender can get back and stop the cross.

Hmm you have a point. His left foot is quite weak. Just curious to see how a tandem of Valencia and Martial would look.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Could he play on the left instead? And maybe put Bailly or TFM on the right? Has he ever ever played a game on the left?

Would be fun to see him cut inside and smash it, instead of going down the outside and smashing it. From the left, some of those smashes might end up rifling into the top corner.

 

[OohAahMartial]

Would be fun to see him cut inside and smash it, instead of going down the outside and smashing it. From the left, some of those smashes might end up rifling into the top corner.

Just passing linking up with Martial and overlapping would be fine. I'm just desperate after seeing Darmian and now Rojo there!

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Just passing linking up with Martial and overlapping would be fine. I'm just desperate after seeing Darmian and now Rojo there!

I agree. Hopefully Shaw returning will give our left side a bit of threat. Shaw's end product isn't brilliant, but his pace is a threat, he's good on the ball and him overlapping will free up a bit of space for Martial to run at a defender until of being doubled/tripled up on.

 

[Grunge]

Well-earned & deserved rest for the beast yesterday!
No doubt we are short a great young replacement for him at the moment that said, I wouldn't be surprised to see him tried at RB a few more times this season.
I think Mou is going to use Jones & Rojo as his 1st choice pairing with Smalling filling-in as needed as well as Bailly of course..
But Baily is young-enough & big-enough to bully his way around the pitch from anywhere including RB if necessary.

 

[Devil may care]

Never stopped trying but the crosses were all a bit floaty.

 

[Rossa]

Thought he was our best player. The problem is that when he decides not to take on his man the rest of the team looks flummoxed - like what the hell are we now going to do. It's always funny when fast players actually try to outrun Valencia like Markovic tried today - has that ever worked, even with a head start?

 

[Rossa]

Never stopped trying but the crosses were all a bit floaty.

Well, then at least we should be able to get onto them. Look at Milner's crosses - floaty as a barge, but somehow a Liverpool player manages to get onto them and head them back in. We are just useless inside the box in the air, which is a little annoying with Pogba and Ibra there.

 

[Leftback99]

The only point of attack yet again. Unfortunately everyone has sussed out that a couple of big centre backs are enough to handle the crosses.

 

[TMDaines]

Great at getting forward. Great at controlling the ball. Shame he offers little threat thereafter. Never wants to beat his man anymore and is not a great crosser of the ball.

 

[Sylar]

There was a point we had the ball on the left, and instead of crossing it, we worked it out wide to the right so that he could cross. Was crazy.
I thought it was one of his better games in terms of going down the byline and putting a cross in. I dont think hes helped though. When he gets down the line, theres normally two defenders, where he cuts back, he just needs one person standing there to pull the ball back to, so they can cross (think we saw it maybe once or twice by herrera but not often enough).

 

[ti vu]

Are teams letting more space for Valencia on purpose knowing his crossing is dross, and focus more on marking the our attackers in the box?

Valencia is great with his movement to get into good position and all, but I can't shake off the feeling that this is now actually a tactic against us seeing how packed our left wing is at time while the long pass to the right occur so often every game.

 

[Fracture90]

Thought he was our best player. The problem is that when he decides not to take on his man the rest of the team looks flummoxed - like what the hell are we now going to do. It's always funny when fast players actually try to outrun Valencia like Markovic tried today - has that ever worked, even with a head start?

When he's playing with Mata upfront and no Carrick behind him, he gotta play it safe, can't find himself going into wild dribble and risking giving away the possession in a dangerous area for counter attack.

Don't think it ever worked

If he could whip it in, banana ball the way Young can, he would be unstoppable. But than there's that problem of Zlatan not challenging for the headers…

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Totally not football related but would anyone else love to see Tony in the UFC?

 

[Bwuk]

We are so reliant on him providing width to our side.

We could desperately do with a player on the left hand side doing the same. Our wingers all come infield, we rely on our full backs so much, yet our left hand side is poor.

 

[Sigma]

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