Antonio Valencia: How good is this guy?!

Just been reading a few posts with regards to players who are underrated, how about the quiet man that is Mr Valencia?

Signed from Wigan to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, many had written the guy off. However, With many wingers at their disposal (Park, Young, Nani and Giggs) Valencia for me is always the first name on the United teamsheet. His direct play has led to United's revival. It's also no coincidence that Paul Scholes ability to pick out Valencia in space has just about saved United's season.

A lot of people talk about Rooney or Vidic being United's main man but for me this season belongs to Valencia. I hate using this word as it is somewhat overused but he is simply World Class.

I think Valencia is criminally underrated by fans of United and other teams, while Rooney and Scholes have been picking up plaudits I think it is the directness of Valencia that has driven United's season forward. They are a noticeably weaker side without Valencia.

Weirdly it's actually the simplicity of his play that makes him so good, while he may not offer as much individually as Ronaldo, and he doesn't have the same amount of tricks or shooting ability as Young or Nani, his strength is using his pace to go straight down the line and whip in really dangerous crosses. In a game that is becoming more and more complex, to see such simple and core football skills be used so effectively is really refreshing.

Can't think of a single winger I would rather have in my team than Valencia, he's direct and deadly, to me a winger is someone who provides goals and chips in with a few himself and it is something he does better than anyone else out there. I had never seen anyone dominate Ashley Cole before the title decider last year where Valencia used pace, power and simplicity to overwhelm him, he's a constant threat to defences and almost always knows what the right ball to play is.

i dont know of any united fans who dont rate valencia, certainly not criminally underated by us!! we all know he's the biggest threat in our team and best winger by a distance.

like crimey has said its his simplicity thats so effective, he does need help of other midfielders to get into the game as he will just hug the touchline all game, without service he doesnt get into the game but get it out to him and he gets the ball into the dangerzone. he's a strikers dream as you know exactly what he's going to do everytime and a good striker can time thier runs because of this. the problem with nani and young is they over do it too often with pointless step overs and cutting back to much, by the time the ball is crossed in all the strikers are stood still, as nobodys knows when the balls getting crossed in.

he and Rooney have carried us for the last couple of years. Like Imperial alluded to, ashley cole has never been given as torrid time as Valencia gave him last year. He's your good ol fashioned winger which is a dying form these days, with the modern game now having right footers on the left and left footers on the right, with more emphasis on shooting.

If United could buy Llorente in the summer, with Young and Valencia's crossing ability, United could be a real force next year. It would certainly give us more options and dimensions to our game, plus Welbeck and Hernandez it could be a very good season for United next year. But he sure is a very good player.

I think the Valencia we are seeing now isn't as good as he was when he first came, he seems reluctant at times to take defenders on down the outside unless he has plenty of space

gonna be brutal here and say that valncia is a poor mans beckham and
nani is a poor mans ronaldo- both good players- but neither are gonna
shine out of this united team, but needed at the same time

mystiroakey wrote:gonna be brutal here and say that valncia is a poor mans beckham and
nani is a poor mans ronaldo- both good players- but neither are gonna
shine out of this united team, but needed at the same time

They are different players Beckham was a wide midfielder and Valencia is a winger and Ronaldo was and is a player who likes to attack the penalty box were as Nani plays outside of it

marty they are slightly different players, but not much(both right sided- valencia thrives on delivery and assits, nani thrives on attacking runs)- however as said before poor mans versions of two great players on the right. this is also mirrored everywhere at united- all players bar possibly the attck or the aged players- which are also poor vesions of what they once were

mystiroakey wrote:marty they are slightly different players, but not much(both right sided- valencia thrives on delivery and assits, nani thrives on attacking runs)- however as said before poor mans versions of two great players on the right. this is also mirrored everywhere at united- all players bar possibly the attck or the aged players- which are also poor vesions of what they once were

To be honest you could say every player is inferior to a previous club legend - I mean it is approaching a decade from Beckham left.

De Gea he is no Schmeichael
Rafael no Neville
Vidic no Jaap Stam
Evra no Irwin
Carrick no Keane
Young no Giggs
Rooney no Cantona
Welbeck no Cole
Hernandez no Solskjaer

Really not sure what your point is, we've by in large had the best teams and players in the PL for 2 decades. Of course some of the current team won't be as good as we previously had, some of them are better than what we had.

Just because Valencia and Nani aren't Beckham and Ronaldo doesn't mean they aren't very good players, most will come up short being compared to 2 legends of the game. I mean only Messi is better than Ronaldo in world football - of course his replacements were going to be inferior.

He's done well since he recovered from injury he's one of the few Man U players I can like. Doesn't harass refs and brandish imaginary cards like most of his teammates. Doesn't have as much flair as he did at Wigan though, restricted on the wings'.

Ent wrote:

Vidic no Jaap Stam

Really?

I think we look back at some players through rose tinted glasses Vidic is in the same league as Stam in my opinion and a similar no nonsense kind of player

Ent , man u are on decline and inability to get top signings these days is the reason.

But yes vidic and ferdinand are quality but in my ageing bracket

Who was the last big player Ferguson signed?

Berbatov? And before that Ferdinand?

He doesnt sign big players he creates them he prefers to sign younger players and turn them into top class players he did it with Ronaldo and Rooney and now he wants to do it with the players hes got now

i hope he succeeds- i really like united (as much as a non fan can)- because i think they allways have a british core and i really respect that.. I think wellbeck and young are the two that could make it.

He usually does Cleverly is one who can make it too he and Welbeck are said to be telepathic in their understanding of each others game

But Utd have Jones Smalling Evans and the twinsat the back with the likes of Pogba if he signs a new contract the Keane twins and Hernandez all there this will be the future for Utd

well the media were raving about jones and smalling- i am not convinced

They are young and inexperienced the media like to hype people up theres no doubting their quality they just need to learn

Both have had less than 2 full seasons under their belt as full time pros yet can play with the best but the mental aspect and reading the game is what make a player great and thats what needs working on

problem is with players like this- it can be very tough to learn and break through at a club like united where results are so pressurised.

If united fall back and have to strengthen through experience they could get sidelined rather than playing week in week out at a lesser club which would develop them

They have been playing regularly but injury set them back a bit

The Champions League campaign highlighted their deficencies but technically they more than capable but Jonny Evans form this season shows what patience can do

I know they have been playing- point is if there dont win anything this year- or the next, whats gonna happen?

As an england fan i hope very different. Because it seems to me like fergie is trying to get that next golden generation of kids (aka scholes,giggs,beckham,nevilles,butt,etc) but i am not sure if these guys are as good.

Utd have went a few years without winning before and as Utd fan we know from experience to be patient but didn't someone write that batch of kids off before?

They are either going to win the league or lose out on goal difference against a side that cost a few hundred million to assemble so thats no shame its in Europe they need to improve and they will Ive already heard from a good source Modric is on the radar for next season

mystiroakey wrote:Ent , man u are on decline and inability to get top signings these days is the reason.

Really look back at what you are saying in this thread with your initial post.

That Valencia is a poor mans Beckham.

Just to confirm, our current winger who bears no resemblance in playing style is a poor version of a player who left us a decade ago.

From when are we in decline? 99? 68?

I mentioned nani and valencia and compared them to the two players you had on the right before(ronaldo and beckham). what is so hard to understand?

i then mentioned that united are in decline(today) and one of the reasons is they cant attract the biggest names. again what is so difficult to understand? - this is all just common sense

mystiroakey wrote:I mentioned nani and valencia and compared them to the two players you had on the right before(ronaldo and beckham). what is so hard to understand?

i then mentioned that united are in decline(today) and one of the reasons is they cant attract the biggest names. again what is so difficult to understand? - this is all just common sense

Just to reiterate you think a comparison between two players with no similarities in play style, who operate in a team nearly a decade apart is valid and therefore we are in decline?

Ent i dont have a scooby do what you are trying to say, or what point you are trying to make.

I will have to answer your question as NO, because there are many similarities with players playing in a certain position, and valncia was not my reasoing behind why you are in decline.

beckham and valencia thrive on assits and delivery and passing, nanai and ronaldo thrive on dribbling and direct play. all 4 play on the right.

Man u are in decline because man u used to have wolrd class players all over the pitch, now you cant attract them. beckham and ronaldo along many others were world class players, today you have aged(once were) world class players and ronney. no one else.

how hard is that to understand!

mystiroakey wrote:Ent i dont have a scooby do what you are trying to say, or what point you are trying to make.

I will have to answer your question as NO, because there are many similarities with players playing in a certain position, and valncia was not my reasoing behind why you are in decline.

beckham and valencia thrive on assits and delivery and passing, nanai and ronaldo thrive on dribbling and direct play. all 4 play on the right.

Man u are in decline because man u used to have wolrd class players all over the pitch, now you cant attract them. beckham and ronaldo along many others were world class players, today you have aged(once were) world class players and ronney. no one else.

how hard is that to understand!

The point is that the only thing Valencia and Beckham have in common is the position they play in - that is very clear.

The thread was to discuss Valencia, the comparison with Beckham is about as relevant as a comparison with Kanchelskis (which would have made sense as they are more similar) - Beckham was in a completely different side, is a club legend and one of the best players to grace the premier league. How Valencia compares to him is irrelevant and does not make us in decline.

We have signed 1 genuinely world class player under Fergie (Veron), the rest were either about to become world class or youngsters that need developing - we have not decline because of a failing to make world class signings or because of our wide players (who happen to be amongst the best in the league).

It's all about the centre midfield but I digress.

good luck to your team ENT, i think you have missed my point completely so i am not gonna debate anymore on that subject. I like a good united team- it picks up our league and allways has a brit core.