Young on the left with a gigantic stick up his arse would do a better job on the left.
Can you imagine, especially with the level of stick that Young gets here..
Antonio Valencia... | Will wear #25 shirt from this point onwards by request
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I think it's piss poor management from Fergie. I know the theory of "keep playing the player to regain his form", but I think taking him out of the firing line would do him a world of good. Just playing him every single game without merit, letting him take the stick from the fans when his confidence is already so low is just rubbish.
Question is, why is his confidence do low?
All our wingers have been shite this year but why is he low on confidence? Especially after his performances last year
Not sure, maybe he feels the pressure of living up to his fantastic performances of last season and he's crumbled to that?
I was trying to look for something positive to say.
His drop off this season is as dramatic as any player I've seen.At least Torres scores in the cup competitions.
I've heard he asked for no.7 jersey last summer, what a shame. Maybe the pressure.
This
I am starting to get worried. I have a feeling Valencia will be a first 11 regular in the next season too. This is a player with whom all our attacks come to an end. His crosses or attempts at passes from the wing are so horribly pathetic, that it is embarrassing. You can't cross like that in a stadium like that when 75000+ are watching you. It's embarrassing. I am extremely unfit and play once in six weeks or so. When my attempts at cross field balls or crosses go so wrong, I don't want to stay on the pitch. This is in a match where none of the players play regularly.
I just can't tolerate him anymore. Please Fergie, spare us. Please.
I just can't tolerate him anymore. Please Fergie, spare us. Please.
He did and also fired his agent since he wants to stay here. Clearly put pressure on himself and has buckled under it.
Hopefully Val is just keeping no.7 warm for Ronaldo.
Yep. I'm pretty sure he's looking back at that decision and thinking "oops!". I hope he comes back better next season but if this form continues, he'll need to pick up an agent and SAF will have to stop playing him. There's no reason to carry a player who is in such dire form.
How much longer is Fergie going to persevere with him? I know this is not the right thread for this but you can't help but wonder how Nani is not even in the squad this week after his performance last week, while Valencia yet again gets back to back 90mins.
Mind boggling Fergie.
Mind boggling Fergie.
Highlights how ludicrous the Nani situation is.
SAF needs to sort it out. If we lose Nani whilst Valencia is turning in such horrible performances every single week, SAF will have to take the blame.
SAF needs to sort it out. If we lose Nani whilst Valencia is turning in such horrible performances every single week, SAF will have to take the blame.
Nani is injured I think.
I don't think Ferguson has made any comment regarding Valencia has he? Either defending him or saying something? I mean its so obvious the guy is seriously out of form, the management must hear the groans and stick from the crowd (I'm not saying they take any notice of that, but its pretty consistent now) and also even a non footie fan could watch him and see he is rather crap at the moment. It's this perseverance in picking him that is so hard to get my head round.
Fergie must know his confidence is wrecked and hopes he can play his way back into form. It's not like there hasn't been glimpses of the old Valencia (e.g. Villa, West Ham) but they're just not translating into a genuine run of form.
It's also quite possible that Valencia is looking great in training. Which will influence team selection.
It's also quite possible that Valencia is looking great in training. Which will influence team selection.
Nobody knows what goes on behind the scenes though. Valencia is fecking brutal right now, not far off what Bebe was producing.
I know 4-4-2 is the way we've always done things, but you have to wonder if it's not time for a change soon. We're so reliant on wingers, which was great when we had quality wingers. Those days are over now though.
I don't think many will argue that we've been an entertaining team to watch this season. Then you look at Dortmund who are arguably the most entertaining team in the world for the last few years, and you start to envy their style. Then you look at highlights from their last seasons, where they also played amazing football, and you notice Kagawa is the architect behind most of their fluid 1-touch counter attacking style, and you start to wonder what else we need to match their style.
I couldn't see someone like Valencia play for Dortmund in their current style.
I don't think many will argue that we've been an entertaining team to watch this season. Then you look at Dortmund who are arguably the most entertaining team in the world for the last few years, and you start to envy their style. Then you look at highlights from their last seasons, where they also played amazing football, and you notice Kagawa is the architect behind most of their fluid 1-touch counter attacking style, and you start to wonder what else we need to match their style.
I couldn't see someone like Valencia play for Dortmund in their current style.
I thought Valencia could possibly play the same role that Kuba plays, offering that pace and directness in wide areas. Kagawa and Valencia have hardly ever linked up though. Not sure whether Kagawa is just one of the few that realises Valencia never creates anything these days or whether they're just never on the same wavelength but you rarely see them interchange passes at all. As much as I think it's ridiculous that people think selling Nani and keeping Valencia is "embarrassing", it does suggest we're unlikely to move to a more fluid setup and that's disappointing. Nani has a handy habit of being involved in our best build-up play and interplay even when not on top form and there's very few wingers available that offer that never mind everything else on top. Zaha looks like he'll play that way but it'd be nice to have more than one at a time.
As shown against Arsenal, Nani gives us a different option with his movement and link up play. Him and Kagawa combine together very well. Yet for some reason, maybe due to balance, we rarely see either play together. I hope Nani doesn't leave because while he is not indispensable, I like what he offers to the team.
Earlier in the season Valencia was still lacking end product but he allowed us to use that right flank to build most of our attacks. He'd hold up the ball and bring Rooney or Rafael in and they'd do something. You could put up with his lack of form then because he was still decent in everything but beating his fullback, crossing and shooting. Now he's not even doing the other parts to a decent enough standard. Yesterday, similar to the league game at Stamford Bridge (when Gary Neville made that graphic) it was blatantly obvious that we set out to target Chelsea's left flank. That meant Valencia was our main attacking outlet seeing lots of the ball and he was so negative. He turns back and plays the safe pass the majority of the time or when he can be bothered to beat his man he crosses into the stands. The whole game plan crumbles then. Iirc every one of our goals at Stamford bridge came from that wing. Valencia's form yesterday effectively rendered it null and void.
I still think that even if Valencia doesn't get involved in the interplay with the likes of Kagawa and Nani, he will still be a great option because by keeping his width he will always be in space. Nani/Kagawa/RVP/Rooney playing off each other, would suck the opposition in and then we can switch it wide. It's what all the narrow teams have missed over the years and what say City have tried to address through Johnson and Sinclair, someone who will give natural width. Of course that relies on Valencia playing more like a united winger and less like Bebe. I'm not a big fan of Valencia's but if he can get back to his best then he could be a great weapon, with nani/kagawa linking through the left/centre.
My issue as I've said before is Valencia being allowed to continue to play/stay on the pitch, rubbish game after rubbish game. I don't really agree about Fergie trying to play him in to form, Rooney is playing better and yet he gets hauled off, as do Nani and Kagawa. We could set up without Valencia, i.e. go for the diamond, or shift others outwide. But he's seemingly getting a free pass.
My issue as I've said before is Valencia being allowed to continue to play/stay on the pitch, rubbish game after rubbish game. I don't really agree about Fergie trying to play him in to form, Rooney is playing better and yet he gets hauled off, as do Nani and Kagawa. We could set up without Valencia, i.e. go for the diamond, or shift others outwide. But he's seemingly getting a free pass.
Funny, I was just talking in the other thread about my wishes for next year how I wouldn't mind us departing a bit from our usual style and not relying on the wings so much by giving Kagawa a more important role. I don't necessarily feel we have to copy Dortmund, their style isn't perfect even though it's attractive, and we'd need to change personnel quite a bit, but I'd definitely like something more fluent up front, with more instinct, whereas now I feel we're just a very efficient machine up front, and when one of the cogs is defective, it hurts all our attacking play.
I agree with you that if we did switch to a more instinctive style of play, Valencia wouldn't be suited.
Its no surprise at all that Kagawa and Valencia dont link up. Valencia is always wide and most of the time playing passes to Rafael and central midfielders. Whereas Kagawa wants to play through the middle with short passes. The only way they'll "link up" is when Kagawa decides to pass the ball out to the wing and even then its just one pass
One thing's for sure, Zaha will defintely improve us next season, and I am not even expecting too much from him.
From manutd.com
For a player who relies on power, pace and ONLY a right foot his drop of form should come as no surprise. Nagging injuries would take two of his attributes away while a bit of scouting would handle the latter.
I suggest he takes the entire offseason to work on cutting inside onto his left. We can't afford to have such a one dimensional winger and another in Young who does the exact opposite.
I suggest he takes the entire offseason to work on cutting inside onto his left. We can't afford to have such a one dimensional winger and another in Young who does the exact opposite.
I see this a lot, and it could have some merit, but how long does that continue happening before Sir Alex realizes that it's just not translating to games at all?
I really am glad we've had Valencia, person and player wise he fits the club really well.
However, more and more I am starting to feel like he should be sold if Fergie will continue to play him not on merit of his performances but, seemingly some personal affinity to the type of player he is and his past contributions.
Surely if he has to fight for his place on the team, that until he starts showing he is willing to take on his man and make things happen - he won't be getting a starting role, is something that needs to happen now.
Love Tony V. but, really hope next season Fergie will select him mostly on the merit of his performances on the field.
However, more and more I am starting to feel like he should be sold if Fergie will continue to play him not on merit of his performances but, seemingly some personal affinity to the type of player he is and his past contributions.
Surely if he has to fight for his place on the team, that until he starts showing he is willing to take on his man and make things happen - he won't be getting a starting role, is something that needs to happen now.
Love Tony V. but, really hope next season Fergie will select him mostly on the merit of his performances on the field.
I'm starting to worry that Valencia is on decline rather than it just being a case of bad form. He's been given many consecutive games to find some form, and he hasn't. He's had some decent games here or there, but even those games we classify as decent pale in comparison to his decent games of years past. This season he's reminded me of Park's last season, where he was just awful with the exception for a few games and I think it's safe to say that Park is finished as a top flight footballer.
I like Valencia and have no problem with him being given every opportunity next season to try to prove himself, but it wouldn't surprise me if Valencia doesn't get back to his best next season either.
I like Valencia and have no problem with him being given every opportunity next season to try to prove himself, but it wouldn't surprise me if Valencia doesn't get back to his best next season either.
He's repeated his claim that injuries/fitness issues are the reason behind his form. This will be a big preseason for him.
If he's reasonably happy with his contribution this season I'd hate to see a season where he was seriously disappointed.
I think he's happy since he's somehow managed to play so may games.
I think Valencia raises a valid point here and it's the fact that he is a player who comes a lot over the physical side of the playing football which means that if he isn't physically at 100% his game will suffer as a consequence.
I think if he has a good pre-season and can prevent any long terms injuries next season we will see more of the Valencia from last season again.
I think if he has a good pre-season and can prevent any long terms injuries next season we will see more of the Valencia from last season again.
Yes. But his crossing will still be woeful because that has nothing to do with it.
I honestly hope so. For all the stick he's gotten recently, and deservedly so, he's shown enough to be given a good chance next season. My main gripe is that he's being played regardless of form, and giving ANY player a full season to play themselves back into form when there are others waiting in the wings is unacceptable at a club like ours.
It wouldn't surprise me if he had a solid pre-season and hit the ground running next season, but if he doesn't he needs to be dropped and others should be afforded the same leniency he has been(read Nani, if he's still here).
This is because he has been consistently shit. Stop all this victimisation stuff. Since when did running back to help justify regular selection for United? Do you aooreciate just how many players all the way down to League 2 could contribute the same?
And I saw a comment of how he still 'links up well with Rafael'. The truth is, he now defers to Rafael at any opportunity. Whenever they are close to each other, Valencia will ensure Rafael makes the ore daring contribution of trying to beat a man or deliver the ball.
The gap in talent between both players is enough for Danny Shittu to fit through. Also, Owen never played for prolonged periods and was shit. He rarely played, and generally scored when he did anyway.
An inside source (my cat's boyfriend's owner's uncle's brother's mate's girlfriend who knows a tea lady at Carrington) tells me Antonio Valencia wanted to remodel his game this season, specifically to ensure the number 7 shirt is given a breath of fresh air.
The source confirms he modeled his approach on this:
Perfect execution from him in all honesty.
The source confirms he modeled his approach on this:
Perfect execution from him in all honesty.
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