The enigma that is Antonio Valencia's left foot

[Fortitude]

I've wondered about this for a long time now as we all know that Valencia has an extreme reluctance to use his left foot for any ball-playing action.

I would understand this hesistancy if he had a bad left foot, but the fleeting times he uses it, he actually seems to be quite fantastic with it. Every left-footed cross I've seen him play is accurate and applied with technique, and the few times I've seen him pass with his left foot, he's hit his mark with no problem, so what gives with him? Why does he not want to use his left foot when it appears to be a viable option and him seemingly being more than average (I'd go so far as to say his left foot is actually very good) with it?

Even at the age he is now, he would open up a wholly different set of options for himself if he'd go to his left.

 

[Pexbo]

We've scored from a Tony left peg cross in every one of the last 7 seasons. He's done 5 left foot crosses total from which we have scored 6 goals. Incredible record really.

 

[prateik]

When he was 17, his coach put him on a individual training regime to "Avoid using weaker foot"

 

[Carlsen19]

The most frustrating thing ever. He's so predictable as a result and, like you say, when he does use it it's normally bang on the money so I really have no idea why he doesn't use it more regularly.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

We've scored from a Tony left peg cross in every one of the last 7 seasons. He's done 5 left foot crosses total from which we have scored 6 goals. Incredible record really.

Incredible feat.

 

[Cutch]

He's basically a robot set to use right foot only. When he uses his left foot its just a temporary malfunction

 

[MadDogg]

He even scored a few with his left foot four or five seasons back.

That game a few weeks ago where he actually used his left foot five times in the same game was amazing. Never seen anything like it from him. And every single one of them were dangerous.

 

[Dante]

If only Messi had a right foot...

 

[JohnnyKills]

It's a bit pathetic tbh that a player with a top team, who has all the attributes, won't use his weaker foot. If he'd been able to use his left leg he could have been a world-beater

 

[EyeInTheSky]

If only Messi had a right foot...

He does and it's exquisite

 

[Fortitude]

He even scored a few with his left foot four or five seasons back.

That game a few weeks ago where he actually used his left foot five times in the same game was amazing. Never seen anything like it from him. And every single one of them were dangerous.

That's what I find the most baffling and frustrating - you would expect someone with such a reluctance to use his left to be absolutely dire with it, but Valencia's left peg really does seem to be very, very good. I noticed, too, that with his right, he blasts a lot of cross blindly, but with his left, it's always placement

It's an absolute head-scratcher.

 

[FC Ronaldo]

I swear he's used it more under Mourinho than in the whole of his pre-Mou career.

Every time he does, we all take notice these days too.

 

[villain]

Whenever he does use his left foot, his crosses are impeccable.

Therefore I think he doesn't use it just out of fairness for the other team.

 

[Kostur]

Whenever he does use his left foot, his crosses are impeccable.

Therefore I think he doesn't use it just out of fairness for the other team.

Yeah this is the mindboggling part for me, whenever he crossed with his left, which is rather easy to remember as he does it so seldom that we celebrate wehn he does, it was about 100 times better than his usual right footed crosses.

 

[King.of.Red]

Whenever he does use his left foot, his crosses are impeccable.

Therefore I think he doesn't use it just out of fairness for the other team.

I think it's kind of pure habit or instinct just like Robben who always use his left foot and maybe under Jose, he gets instruction to use his left foot more.

 

[spwd]

Well said op, it's bloody mystifying and bloody frustrating, the amount of times he should and everyone else would use their left foot is incredible, but then he faffs about and pirouettes to get onto his right and the opportunity is gone.

 

[LR7]

I used to get annoyed when he'd turn 360 degrees and kill any forward momentum we had just to avoid touching the ball with his left foot. He's been far more progressive and productive this season though so I haven't been nearly as irritated by it.

 

[OldTrevil]

He probably concentrates extra when using his left and makes sure to use the right technique every time since its not as hard-wired as using his right. He should train it more though, there is no excuse there really, particularly since a unpredictable Valencia would improve our attacks greatly.

 

[harms]

It would be unfair to the opponents

 

[harms]

Whenever he does use his left foot, his crosses are impeccable.

Therefore I think he doesn't use it just out of fairness for the other team.

Oh, you've got there first!

 

[Brightonian]

The logical conclusion is that because he's wary of using his weaker foot he only ever crosses with it when he has plenty of time and space to do it carefully. Hence the good return. It's no different than the stat that City have won a much higher percentage of games without Aguero - because they only leave him out for the easy ones.

 

[ivaldo]

He crosses better with his left than he does with his right.

 

[m1y2]

well let's just accept that, players sometimes like to avoid using their weaker foot, I got used to it with Valencia, he has different qualities and he can still dribble pretty well around palyers, although it can look quite funny, I certainly wouldn't call players like Evra or Rosicky limited

 

[Eckers99]

If he uses his left foot the bomb on the bus will explode.

 

[Bubz27]

We've scored from a Tony left peg cross in every one of the last 7 seasons. He's done 5 left foot crosses total from which we have scored 6 goals. Incredible record really.

Is it me, or does the maths not add up? How can we have scored in every one of the last 7 seasons and only scored 6 goals?

 

[villain]

Oh, you've got there first!

 

[Tarrou]

Is it me, or does the maths not add up? How can we have scored in every one of the last 7 seasons and only scored 6 goals?

I was more impressed with the 6 goals from 5 crosses

 

[yumtum]

Play him at left back, and watch the opposition collectively self combust with confusion as to what's happening.

 

[Rossa]

Is it me, or does the maths not add up? How can we have scored in every one of the last 7 seasons and only scored 6 goals?

You must be a hoot at parties with your maths and making sense and all that. Just go with the flow, go with the flow.

 

[chb23]

Not sure if its just me but I feel like I've seen him use his left foot more often this season than any other season

 

[rcoobc]

We've scored from a Tony left peg cross in every one of the last 7 seasons. He's done 5 left foot crosses total from which we have scored 6 goals. Incredible record really.

It's these type of stats that make him the greatest left footed player of all time

 

[Mike09]

I can't wait to see compilation of his left foot crosses. I believe he made plenty of them this season with good quality as well.

 

[MadDogg]

Not sure if its just me but I feel like I've seen him use his left foot more often this season than any other season

Yeah, I'd agree with that. Even if we take out that one freak game where he put in five or six left footed crosses, I'd say in other games he's probably done it more. In previous seasons he'd be lucky to touch the ball with his left three times over an entire season (it sounds incredible, but I honestly don't think it's an exaggeration). Whereas this season it seems to be happening once every few games.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Not sure if its just me but I feel like I've seen him use his left foot more often this season than any other season

Nah mate - just really fast Rabonas so you don't notice

 

[BringNaniBack]

He crosses better with his left foot as it is so underpowered and weak due to using only his right foot all the time. Cross with strong right foot at full strength = over hit cross. Cross with unused extra limb left foot at full strength = perfect cross.

 

[Sylar]

Machines and Robots are programmed a certain way but every once in a while they have faults.

 

[LeftyBlaster]

I used to get annoyed when he'd turn 360 degrees and kill any forward momentum we had just to avoid touching the ball with his left foot. He's been far more progressive and productive this season though so I haven't been nearly as irritated by it.

I know the feeling. It hampers us still I feel.

 

[LilWayneHQ]

He can't be bothered to learn English so I doubt he can be bothered to use his left foot either lol.

 

[b82REZ]

Incredible foot.

Fixed

 

[Sepukku]

I've heard he was sick when he was little, and now it hurts all the time when it rains. And we all know the weather in the UK...

If you actually look at all his good left footed crosses you can easily see they've all been made when the sun was shining.