Antonio Valencia... | Will wear #25 shirt from this point onwards by request

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Brwned said:
He's far exceeded my expectations though, I'd be surprised if anyone expected more from him in his first season.
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Agreed.
He's playing a blinder of a season so far, absolutely outstanding considering it's his first season at a big club. 7 goals and 10 assists (or something like that, not sure if my stats are accurate) in 37 appearances while probably being our most consistent performer. Anyone who expected more than this has no clue of the game...

Now let's just hope Nani comes back and makes the left wing his own. The both of them are a terrifying prospect for our opposition.
 
What an immense cross for the first goal.

I think he was the MOM today, Rooney will get the plaudits (as goalscorers do) but Valencia supply today was brilliant.

Berbatov deserves credit for the two sublime passes too.
 
I think Park has got the left flank nailed on when he plays like he has done the past month or so.

Nani and Valencia in competition seem to bring the best out of one another.
 
Ekeke said:
He's improved his crossing in the past few games since he's come back to the side for sure. Nani raised the bar in his spell on the right and Valencia has accepted the challenge. Looked like he might be injured at the end of the match though.
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Valencia raised the bar long before Nani had his little spell. If anyone has to meet the challenge it's Nani, not Valencia. Valencia has been producing consistently all season, with assists and goals. Could hardly ask for more.
 
Allforone said:
4 assists in his last 3 games, all via excellent crosses......who was it who moaned about his crossing again?.......i wonder.....
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Probably the same people who said Rooney isnt a particularly good header of the ball last season.

They'd have been right, but players can improve on certains skills. Just dont tell Scholesy that.
 
Valencia was fecking class tonight, looked like a world-class player. Had Park's goal gone in, he would have had 3 assists. Stong, quick, and a great crosser. Hugs the line. Tracks back. Great character and spirit. That's what's required from a right midfielder. Fantastic buy. I love the guy.
 
Brwned said:
I still think he's the best in our team for consistent delivery, never really understood the crossing criticism.

He's far exceeded my expectations though, I'd be surprised if anyone expected more from him in his first season.

Hopefully he builds on a great first season rather than has the 'second season syndrome' that often happens with wingers.
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That's not too hard when your expectations were shite to begin with. A lot of people expected a good season from him :rolleyes:

Brwned said:
I'll happily come back to this thread this time next year and we'll see if Valencia is still a much better footballer than Nani.
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Brwned said:
You think?

3 goals and 3 assists last season in 31 starts, compared to Nani's 4 goals and 11 assists in 25 starts.

And that's just the stats, in terms of performances Valencia was still very inconsistent and not all that impressive, IMO.

Absolutely no doubt in my mind that if Valencia came here he would be struggling for form like Nani is, and that Nani would be doing just as well if not better if he was at Wigan.
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Brwned said:
Eh?

Nani's definitely quick, and I've no idea why you seem to think Ronaldo's slower.

Nani has everything you've asked for, an eye for a goal, pace and a good cross on him, more so than Valencia.
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Just a few posts among the drivel slating Valencia
https://www.redcafe.net/f9/antonio-valencia-232419/index2.html#post5740044
 
Brwned said:
He's far exceeded my expectations though, I'd be surprised if anyone expected more from him in his first season.

.
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I expected more trickery from him. I am not disappointed in what he brings but, I thought he could beat a man not just with pace and quickness but some skills.
I am not complaining at all, just saying I was expecting more in some departments.
 
Ekeke said:
Probably the same people who said Rooney isnt a particularly good header of the ball last season.

They'd have been right, but players can improve on certains skills. Just dont tell Scholesy that.
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The thing is Valencias crossing has been perfectly acceptable all season, i can remember a similiar assist against his namesake team Valencia in a pre season match at Old trafford much the same as his delivery for Rooneys second tonight, hence why so many people have found your criticism of his crossing rather bizzare, hes been delivering balls of great quality all season.

As for Rooney, Alan Shearer would be proud.
 
It's pretty obvious the lad is starting to settle down now and find his play on the field he's brilliant.
 
The only winger in the league with the pace and strength to run over fullbacks. Spector today literally bounced off of him.
 
Allforone said:
The thing is Valencias crossing has been perfectly acceptable all season, i can remember a similiar assist against his namesake team Valencia in a pre season match at Old trafford much the same as his delivery for Rooneys second tonight, hence why so many people have found your criticism of his crossing rather bizzare, hes been delivering balls of great quality all season.

As for Rooney, Alan Shearer would be proud.
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Valencia has a talent for sticking wide, beating his man and putting in a high number of crosses. Until the Milan game the vast majority of them weren't beating the first defender. Forget the bollocks about his left foot, the one thing that was going to make Valencia a much better player was more quality from his "dugout" crosses (because when he passed the ball into the box it was always good). Obviously while Nani had his run in the side, Valencia wasnt sitting around doing nothing because since he came on in the Milan match hardly any of his crosses have been easily dealt with by the first defender. Quite simply, he's improved. I made a note of it right from the Milan match and it wasnt a one off - credit where its due, he's looked at an area he could improve his game and he's done it. I'd have absolutely no qualms with him starting on the right when he's putting in quality like the past few games. I think Nani's crossing is still better but its not as consistant and it could rightly be argued that the rest of Valencia's game is better than Nani's.
 
Allforone said:
The thing is Valencias crossing has been perfectly acceptable all season, i can remember a similiar assist against his namesake team Valencia in a pre season match at Old trafford much the same as his delivery for Rooneys second tonight, hence why so many people have found your criticism of his crossing rather bizzare, hes been delivering balls of great quality all season.

As for Rooney, Alan Shearer would be proud.
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He was playing against a fullback that Valencia allowed to leave on a free transfer this season after a loan spell in the second division. He absolutely raped him but who wouldnt? He got raped every game I saw him play for Valencia, which was all of them. As for the cross, he wasnt under the same pressure he was for the second today.
 
Kraftwerker said:
Valencia raised the bar long before Nani had his little spell. If anyone has to meet the challenge it's Nani, not Valencia. Valencia has been producing consistently all season, with assists and goals. Could hardly ask for more.
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As long as Ekeke dislikes a player, the player will always rank lower than the ones he loves. No matter the situation.
 
Brwned said:
Erm...I've just said I didn't expect him to be this good, I'm not really sure why you quoted me.

Did you think Valencia would be this good this season?
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I didn't. I was wrong about him. I didnt think he'd improve much from the past few months when he was scoring goals, but he's already improved his final ball. If he keeps up the same rate of development he could be an almost perfect traditional winger. He's clearly a hard worker and a very solid signing at £15 million. Though I didnt think we were overpaying for him.
 
Brwned said:
Erm...I've just said I didn't expect him to be this good, I'm not really sure why you quoted me.

Did you think Valencia would be this good this season?
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Of course I did, and so did a lot of other people. There was no reason to slate the lad if you had seen him play for Wigan, he was just as good. Many of you were saying he's worse version of Park.
 
Nistelrooy10 said:
Of course I did, and so did a lot of other people. There was no reason to slate the lad if you had seen him play for Wigan, he was just as good. Many of you were saying he's worse version of Park.
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I think if you asked Valencia himself he'd say he's a much better player than when he was at Wigan, he was never this good for them.
 
Brwned said:
I think if you asked Valencia himself he'd say he's a much better player than when he was at Wigan, he was never this good for them.
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He's improved his crossing, even compared to his crossing in the first half of the season. Everything else, he was just as good at Wigan. I remember him dribbling more and beating players like Championo said. He was freer at Wigan, and plays more constrained for us
 
Nistelrooy10 said:
He's improved his crossing, even compared to his crossing in the first half of the season. Everything else, he was just as good at Wigan. I remember him dribbling more and beating players like Championo said. He was freer at Wigan, and plays more constrained for us
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He's also improved his goalscoring. So basically he's improved his end product which wasnt brilliant at Wigan and a big part of the demands of playing for a top club.
 
Nistelrooy10 said:
He's improved his crossing, even compared to his crossing in the first half of the season. Everything else, he was just as good at Wigan. I remember him dribbling more and beating players like Championo said. He was freer at Wigan, and plays more constrained for us
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Paradoxically, I think the pressure on him at Wigan may have been greater, because apart from being their best player, if he got the ball in a good position, he would be thinking this is one of only a few chances he has to make something happen.

At United he finds himself being played into great positions on numerous occasions, and probably feels a bit less pressure, knowing he's surrounded by great players who will play him in time and time again, and get on the end of his balls.
 
Valencia is a top quality signing, never had any doubts.. and once he masters cutting inside, he'll be immense.
 
That's now

10 Assists and 7 goals in all comps this season (to my knowledge), surely the most productive winger playing in England?

Had it not been for Nani's recent run in the team Valencia may have even been able to improve upon that.

He's only going to get better as well :cool:
 
From here:

valenciah.jpg


That's impressive, however you look at it. He created 70 chances in his final season at Wigan, so it's not as if this is new to him, and that's why I couldn't understand some of the reservations. A player that is technically proficient, lightening quick, powerful, athletic, and direct, will cause any team problems.

And I have no doubt that over the next few years he will add more subtlety to his game, also, because he will improve immeasurably while training and playing alongside better players. Even if we were to find an even better player over the next few seasons, he would still be a brilliant squad player who can stretch teams coming off the bench.

His price tag wasn't insignificant, but when you have just sold Ronaldo for £80m, it looks like a bargain, in my opinion.

Edit: I should add that he is third overall, behind Lampard and Fabregas.
 
Never comes inside. Can't cross. Unproductive. Not United quality.

Up is down. Black is white...
 
I expected a lot less from him this season, brilliant signing and he's developing into a top winger.
 
Nistelrooy10 said:
He's improved his crossing, even compared to his crossing in the first half of the season. Everything else, he was just as good at Wigan. I remember him dribbling more and beating players like Championo said. He was freer at Wigan, and plays more constrained for us
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Spot on. I believe he has been also more restricted because he was afraid of making errors. He is gainiging in confidence to be freer with his game thankfully.
 
He puts in a few decent crosses every game he plays. If that is the minimum he achieves, it's still more productive than Nani.

I don't know the answer, but I wonder how many of Rooney's goals have come from our left wing area (i.e. the non-Valencia side)?
 
manusteve said:
He puts in a few decent crosses every game he plays. If that is the minimum he achieves, it's still more productive than Nani.

I don't know the answer, but I wonder how many of Rooney's goals have come from our left wing area (i.e. the non-Valencia side)?
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'More productive than Nani' ?

Did you watch any of Nani's recent performances before the sending off?

PS: We all know where the left is. You don't need to remind us;)
 
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