5+ years past it, if you see a wounded/struggling animal by the side of the road what do you do....
What's happened to Antonio Valencia?
- Thread starter AkaAkuma
- Start date
RIP
He's been reluctant/incapable of running for years. Newcastle just made it all the more obvious because we're no longer under Jose "6 at the back away from home and don't ever overlap" Mourinho.
He doesn't deserve more chances because Young is clearly 3x the player now and Dalot deserves chances to develop. What reason other than misplaced sentiment is there to damage our top four chances for a 33 year old who is miles away from good enough?
Last edited:
I disagree. I don't think he really hasn't been anywhere near that standard. He's never been one of the best right backs in the world, and certainly not in the last 5 years. His crossing has never been good enough.
I welcome this move. And others like it in order to move out the dead weight. He has not been good enough the last couple of years and needs to move on. Why keep someone because of how they played in the past without holding them accountable for their declining play currently? Seems like bad business to do that.
The strange thing is that in the second half of the FA Cup final last season, when it was obvious we needed some inspiration, Valencia actually rolled back the clock for a while and became the player he was years ago. He spent about 20 minutes absolutely dominating that side of the field, ripping past the Chelsea winger and fullbacks and really driving forward down that side. It was a reminder of what he was once able to do, something he otherwise hasn't done in four years or so. It was great to see, but also a bit annoying how long it had been since we'd last seen it.
I think I'll try to remember that as his last actions as a Man Utd player, as it was a much more fitting memory than the exceedingly poor form he's shown in his few opportunities this season.
I think I'll try to remember that as his last actions as a Man Utd player, as it was a much more fitting memory than the exceedingly poor form he's shown in his few opportunities this season.
Maybe one of his legs still got what it takes. I'd bet it's the left peg since it's been seldom used as opposed to the right one which was frequently misused.
Has he had a decent run under Ole yet? Probably end of the line at the end of the season but not midway surely, unless TFN or Axel get recalled .
he's been past it for a while now. bout time.
This season ? He has been crap the entire last season. His legs have been gone. He doesn't even run anymore and the problem is without his pace he has always been technically limited player, so he got exposed without it.
If it is true, then so be it. He has been a good ambassador for the club as a player and a role model. His days have been numbered for a little while and it was definitely not his fault LVG and JM had him playing so defensively. Surely I'm not the only one grateful for his service over the years.
I hope it is true.
Can we also tell the same to Jones please?
Has been a good contributor in last many years. Wish him well
Can we also tell the same to Jones please?
Has been a good contributor in last many years. Wish him well
He is not a legend, but has been an excellent professional. Never made a fuss either about his injury or about the new position he was forced to play in. I respect him for that. Also read somewhere that he sacked his agent who was a thorne in the contract negotiations with the club. After CR7 left, he and Nani filled the gaps as best as they could.
Good luck to him in whatever he does from now and Thank you for your service
Good luck to him in whatever he does from now and Thank you for your service
He had issues with his knees in previous seasons. Unfortunately that often means loss of mobility, hence loss of fitness.
Remember when he broke his leg against Rangers and the Caf was crying over it? It's because he was that important for us back then. His first season was incredibly impressing. His crosses were at the moment probably the best in the world and he had no problem taking on anyone from any team, beating them and then whip in a cross that Rooney would finish. He never really regained the same form after that leg break which is understandable but he was also in the later years converted to RB.
I will never say anything bad about him because he is the prime representation of what a true professional is. I'll also never forget the impact he had his first year. Everyone was fuming we had replaced CR7 with an unknown player from Wigan but he shut us all up. It's truly a shame he broke his leg. Who knows what he could have become if that never happened?
I will never say anything bad about him because he is the prime representation of what a true professional is. I'll also never forget the impact he had his first year. Everyone was fuming we had replaced CR7 with an unknown player from Wigan but he shut us all up. It's truly a shame he broke his leg. Who knows what he could have become if that never happened?
Loved like Rooney! Our record goalscorer. Are you on crack?
I respect Valencia. Never really rated him apart from that one season, but I respect him for keeping his head down and getting on with everything (so much so I don't have a clue about his personality 
). I feel like in another life he could've been an incredible fullback going forward.
). I feel like in another life he could've been an incredible fullback going forward.That's not a different question. You're just changing your answer. You said he wasn't good enough and should go. Anyone that knows anything about football would see that he should be certainly upgraded upon but he can still provide cover at 4 positions and he is a leader on and off the pitch and doesn't complain when he doesn't play. That is a valuable player to have on the bench and we should keep him around as backup.
Ole does see him everyday in training as well. If the boss thinks he is past it, it would be not so wise to still give him chances.
He's out of position defensively a lot. Where plenty of our conceded goals come from
Great servant to the club and deserves a proper farewell.
It is a disgrace the way some posters talk about Valencia some even calling him "garbage" and other insulting words. He gave us 10 years of his life (and a broken leg along the way). He got old. There's nothing wrong with that. It happens to everyone. He was a very good Premier League player and a physical specimen. He had one amazing season where he was arguably the best player in the Premier League that year - he was an assist machine. When he wasn't cutting it as a winger, he reinvented himself as a RB and he had a couple of very good seasons there (surprisingly, for a former winger, he was better defensively than going forward) and gave us another option at RB when Darmian didn't pan out. And now he is 33 and his career has reached it's natural conclusion and we should be thankful and wish him the best.
I loved him at his prime, but sadly he's fallen off a cliff form-wise. Uncle Time has caught up to him 
He was great as a flying winger, I wonder how he would've turned out if not for that horrific injury against Rangers. Feck Hutton.
He was great as a flying winger, I wonder how he would've turned out if not for that horrific injury against Rangers. Feck Hutton.
What's happened? He's 33 years old and he was always a player where his main attributes were mainly physical attributes. Strength, pace, stamina, etc. Nothing has happened that we shouldn't have expected to happen. In Mourinho's first season he had an excellent season, but we all knew he couldn't be a starter for more then one more year, if that. No need for anyone to go into anything more, that's all there is to it. He's old and declined physically.
Turns up pre-season overweight and unfit. Hasn't managed to get himself fit (how can you not get fit at a Pro football club??). Mourinho sees this, and then hammers him.
The end really.
A shame, he was superb for a number of seasons. He is 33, and should be playing some very good football at Full Back. Not necessarily charging forward.. but certainly a good, experienced defensive player.
I'm a little disappointed in him as it goes, but maybe it's for the best.
Good to see Ole going through the squad and making decisions.
The end really.
A shame, he was superb for a number of seasons. He is 33, and should be playing some very good football at Full Back. Not necessarily charging forward.. but certainly a good, experienced defensive player.
I'm a little disappointed in him as it goes, but maybe it's for the best.
Good to see Ole going through the squad and making decisions.
He got a chronic injury and gradually stopped running. Happens to lots of players at the end of their careers. He was great a few years ago but he started missing games out of nowhere from a dodgy knee, and it got worse over time.
He has been shite for years and this season it looks like he can't even run anymore.
He has been one of the key reasons for our failures in the past 5 years. Never anywhere near MUQ as a right back and one who started every game.
Good guy but should never have been given the 7 or the captaincy.
One of the great Valencia fallacies.
5 direct assists to Rooney that season.
The same as Nani, who did it in less games, on his weak side.
He’s not been good for a long, long time. Not sure why people are wondering what happened. The decline has been ongoing for some time.
Isn't he due a testimonial this year, says it all.
What's with all the revisionism? The whole "he wasn't the same after the ankle injury", when his best season for us came after it, in 11/12. He was pretty decent in 12/13 as well, but like most of the team, was pretty shite under Moyes. Had a pretty good season under LvG, then had more ankle problems, before coming back and being good in Mourinho's first season.
Saying "he's been shite for years" is incredibly harsh when it's really only in the last season-and-a-half his form has taken a nosedive.
Saying "he's been shite for years" is incredibly harsh when it's really only in the last season-and-a-half his form has taken a nosedive.
Image calling Valencia a technically limited player. He has one of the most consistent first touches at the club. He lacks any sort of flair and is completely unimaginative sure, but whoever labels him technically poor is just blind.
He’s poor. Has been basic at best for a very long time. Being got rid of not before time.
Look around again - many people rewriting history just because they have a memory of a gold fish.
Wow.
You're the one who said he was one of the best right backs in the world....
I mean he was probably in the top 10 right backs in the league for a season or two... so there's that.
Guys. He was a good player for us. Not a great player but a good player. He has been handsomely paid over the years, travelled the world, led a life most of us can only dream of. However it is clear he is done at the top level. Thank you Antonio, all the best now move on. That's life.
He's not good enough and he should go, but as we have absolutely zero cover at right back, he stays. It's a bad situation for us to be in.
He just got old. He was captain because he was a long serving player who always conducted himself well but we've had previous captains who were seen as much more indispensable to our side than him.
Its a situation similar to Neville with the exception that Tony perhaps feels he can still offer something on the pitch.