Antonio Valencia - Am I missing something?

As for the above poster asking why Bale receives more attention then Valencia and saying it was because of what he does on the 'green thing', i would say it was more to do with nationality then anything else. But ey, i'll laugh with you

Tbf, he did score three unanswered goals at the San Siro, as well as had several great individual efforts in the PL. You have to give him that. The fact that much of what he does ends up in highlight reel just makes it easy to hype him. Obviously, nationality plays a part too.

What?! Bale's Welsh and Valencia's Ecuadorian. They're both foreigners.

... and lets take that one step further for those who didn't pick it up the first time, one is British and one is South American. Need i say more in terms of why one receives more recognition in the British press then the other?

And what more does Bale have to his game than Valencia? Are you serious?

Well go on, answer it then? As i said, Bale was played through the middle at time last season and was completley ineffective.

Why? Because he is a limited player who is suited to doing a job outwide on the wing.

I honestly have no idea where you are coming from or what you are trying to dispute in my comparisson, considering you are yet to etablish your view what so ever... You 'nutter'

Sorry what more does Bale have to this game?

He's better at almost everything and is 4 years younger. He's more productive even though he supplies far inferior strikers, he's got more variety to his game, he's a better finisher, long range shooter and isn't afraid of using his weaker foot.

There are several reasons why he didn't work through the middle. First off Spurs' form went downhill before the experimentation began so the whole team was crap. Not only was he deprived of service (with him being the primary outlet and being moved up top) but Lennon was also injured. Harry the genius Redknapp also decided to play Modric, their best midfielder, out wide at the same time.

Also the free roaming role was new to him. Just because it didn't work out at that particular time it doesn't mean he's limited.

Sorry what more does Bale have to this game?

He's better at almost everything and is 4 years younger. He's more productive even though he supplies far inferior strikers, he's got more variety to his game, he's a better finisher, long range shooter and isn't afraid of using his weaker foot.

There are several reasons why he didn't work through the middle. First off Spurs' form went downhill before the experimentation began so the whole team was crap. Not only was he deprived of service (with him being the primary outlet and being moved up top) but Lennon was also injured. Harry the genius Redknapp also decided to play Modric, their best midfielder, out wide at the same time.

Also the free roaming role was new to him. Just because it didn't work out at that particular time it doesn't mean he's limited.

Bales strength is playing outwide where hiis speed allows him to run at players, hit the byline, whip in crosses and get up and down the flank all day.

He does this no better then what Valencia does for United on a weekly basis.

I disagree. Bale can cut in from the left, shoot with either foot and change his game up from time to time. Valencia on the other hand always, and I mean always goes outside the defender even when the fullback tries to force him to use his left and cut inside. He always gets to the byline and puts in a good delivery.

I'd rip my hair out if we played with a wide man like Valencia. It works well for United because their whole success is built on overloading the box and whipping the ball in.

@Cudanutter

You are simply WRONG when you say the only reason Bale gets more recognition is because he's British. That's easy to say, but impossible to prove, especially when Bale is out-perfoming, scoring and doing everything else better on a regular basis. Call our press pro-English, but don't think that applies to the Scots and the Welsh, pal. That's a misconception.

Must I use the example of our brilliant French players taking all the headlines in the past? FRENCH?!

Pace: Bale
Goals: Bale
Freekicks: Bale
Crossing: Bale

Valencia is yet to hit anything like the height Bale has hit so far, and if they were sold tomorrow, they'd be at least £20m difference in fee at a guess.

You crab Bale for failing down the middle (disputable, as he had scored goals with a free role), and yet Valencia is confined to the wing because he only has one leg?

Who has more to their game again?

@Cudanutter

You are simply WRONG when you say the only reason Bale gets more recognition is because he's British. That's easy to say, but impossible to prove, especially when Bale is out-perfoming, scoring and doing everything else better on a regular basis. Call our press pro-English, but don't think that applies to the Scots and the Welsh, pal. That's a misconception.

Must I use the example of our brilliant French players taking all the headlines in the past? FRENCH?!

Pace: Bale
Goals: Bale
Freekicks: Bale
Crossing: Bale

Valencia is yet to hit anything like the height Bale has hit so far, and if they were sold tomorrow, they'd be at least £20m difference in fee at a guess.

You crab Bale for failing down the middle (disputable, as he had scored goals with a free role), and yet Valencia is confined to the wing because he only has one leg?

Who has more to their game again?

Before we take this furhter, is Bale two footed now is he?

Lets hold it against Valencia that he does the job for United that his manager asks him do. The way United play means that it is vital that he hugs the line, protects their weak right back and gets balls into the box to break down the opposition. Valencia does this to a tee, yet we ought to hold it against him because he doesn't drift inside, doesn't try his luck from distance and is disciplined in his approach?

There is a reason that Valencia is rated above the likes of Nani in the United team and it is more then him having 'one leg' and an 'overated' final ball.

No one was talking about Nani, though, it was Bale vs. Valencia.

No one was talking about Nani, though, it was Bale vs. Valencia.

Way to do what you do best, comment on one line of a post and take it out of context.

Right, check my post history and you'll see that is complete horse ****. I was enjoying the debate, but the debate is very much Valencia vs. Bale, no one was talking about Nani.

No one was talking about Nani, though, it was Bale vs. Valencia.

Way to do what you do best, comment on one line of a post and take it out of context.

United fans consider him one of the top wingers in the world.

I think he's quite good at his job, which is essentially to be a pure winger. He's a decent dribbler, and surprisingly strong and quick. However, his crossing is erratic, and he doesn't score many goals at all.

I definitely don't think he's one of the top in the world, but he's quite competent and really excels in the right set-up.

Of course they do. Manure fans think that if someone plays for them it means they are world class. Unless its Carrick and then they hate him most of the time.

Valencia is another useful one trick pony, nothing wrong with labelling him world class when so many other players of his kind are getting labeled the same.

He won't produce you some wonder goal, but his crosses are one of the reasons manure strikers reach double digits, 2 gifs of poor crosses aren't solid evidence against that.

He also opens space for himself a lot better than Nani, and can sacrifice himself playing as a defender with reasonable success, for a team with no midfield that kind of versatility is gold.

He also opens space for himself a lot better than Nani, and can sacrifice himself playing as a defender with reasonable success, for a team with no midfield that kind of versatility is gold.

He was absolute dog **** when he played RB, Man Utd became incredibly weak out there when he played it.

As I said before, he's playing in a system that fits him which makes him look good. That doesn't mean he isn't one-dimensional, predictable or average, it just means that what he's good at is the stuff he's expected to do most of the time, nothing else.

Compare him to someone like Hazard, who can play all across the RW/AM/LW positions, and it's no contest. Same goes for guys like Mata, Cazorla, prime Arshavin and so on.

It is no contest. Valencia looks good because he plays in the perfect system for his skillset. It's the same reason why Andy Carroll looks like a joke for Liverpool but looked/looks like a future star for Newcastle and now West Ham.

The fact is Valencia is pumping crosses into one of the most well drilled, effective attacks in the world. The way Man Utd fill the box is world class, it's how they get by with no much creativity and how they get so many "lucky" goals. They've always done this. Any half-decent winger will get a fair few assists by playing for them. It's the same way any striker playing in for Spain will score a good amount of goals.

Try putting Valencia into your starting XI and see how he does. He wouldn't fit. I seriously can't name a single top team where I could see Valencia starting.

The best team I could see him starting in would be Tottenham instead of Lennon. At least in the Prem.

2 gifs of poor crosses aren't solid evidence against that.

Proving anything with those gifs wasn't my intention. It was more poking fun at their fans wetting themselves over run-of-the-mill wing play.....with a sh!t final ball to boot!

Some of you are being ridiculous. He isn't world class, but he isn't horrible like some people are making out. The guy is a good player.

Some of you are being ridiculous. He isn't world class, but he isn't horrible like some people are making out. The guy is a good player.

no, you simply are not allowed to be in the middle ground. How dare you?!

Valencia's in that tier of players that are good in non-top clubs but barely good enough in a club like Man Utd. Other Man Utd players (former or current) like him:
Tim Howard, Anderson, Kieran Richardson, Darren Fletcher, John O'Shea, Johnathan Evans, Louis Saha, Roy Carroll, Quinton Fortune


Then there's an even lower tier for players like Bébé and Dong Fangzhuo.

Flops for them like Diego Forlan and Veron are in a separate tier.

Yes OP, you are definitely missing something.

He may be predictable and as one-footed as they come, but he's effective. And that's what you need in a wide-player. He's quick, strong, works extremely hard and can cross it very well. He can also play RB admirably too.

Fletcher would walk into the Arsenal team, make no mistake (same as diaby, unlucky with injuries, but extremely useful when he's playing)

wow I just found out Bale is two footed even tho I've never seen him use his right foot in thousands of mins I've watched him play.


only on AM


Bale is a left footed Valencia. Both completely one footed and both pace merchants. Run down the line and cross. One trick pony.

Valencia is like Beckham, lots of people don't rate Beckham too but it's clear Utd were missing his crosses when he left them, before the rise of CRonaldo. He's not world class and would be a flop in a setup like ours, but he has tremedous value for Utd.

Don't rate him that highly, but he does his job for ManUre and is an effective player for them, despite his flaws (as others have listed above).

Proof once again, that it's tough to simply rate a player based on pure ability, you've also got to take the setup and role he's playing in into equation.

Congrats RWA.

I think he is the best crosser in the league and he is extremely efficient in United's set-up. Valencia is their most consistent winger. A striker like Giroud would love playing alongside him.

cant believe some of the valencia hate.

i actually think there is no better RM in the world if youre playing 4 in the middle.

people arent being fair to his crossing ability. sure he didnt put in many good ones against galatasaray, but by the same token, it doesnt mean messi isnt good finisher because he didnt score against chelsea last year.

remember when rooney hit 9 or 10 goals from headers 2 years ago, well that was down to valencia's crossing. if he hadnt of gotten injured last year im sure he'd have owned the assist table.

strong, quick, hard-working, decent dribbler but great crosser, pops up with a few goals and is never as poor or ineffective as gerv, theo have been for us. even when things arent going his way he drags the defence out wide and helps out defensively.

never mind bale, hes more like a right sided podolski, substituting goals for assists.

Bale is the most overrated player in the world. Podolski and Valencia are both better.

He's excellent for United's style of play. Quick winger who can beat his man and put in a good cross. That's all they need really and he provides that very well you have to say. He'd be a dud in our system though.

For what Man Utd look for their wingers to do (get up and down the flank, gain a yard and whip in the cross all day long) he is very effective

However they aren't ever going to win things like the Champions League for example with players like that because I believe that more direct style only really works in our league. That's why I believe since Utd decided to go for more of a direct style they're performances in Europe have suffered a bit

cant believe some of the valencia hate.

There's no 'hate' anywhere in this thread.

Valencia is like Beckham

Insofar as they're both right footed and like to cross the ball, because that's where the similarities end. Actually, I'm like Beckham in that sense too.

wow I just found out Bale is two footed even tho I've never seen him use his right foot in thousands of mins I've watched him play.

Who said he was two-footed? One thing's for sure, though - he's a damn sight more so than Valencia, who malfunctions and cant get rid of the ball quick enough as soon as he gets forced that way. At least Bale is willing.

he is perfect for the style of football united play.