Antonio Valencia – About to rise again?

Antonio Valencia was brought to Manchester United in the summer of 2009, assigned the near impossible task of replacing Madrid-bound Cristiano Ronaldo’s exploits on the right wing. As the recently named FIFA World Player of the Year jettted off to Real for a quality reflecting £80 million, Valencia arrived at Old Trafford from lowly Wigan, for a comparitevely meagre £16 million.

The transfer raised eyebrows all over the world. We all knew Valencia was a decent Premier League player, but for Wigan Athletic where the expectations are on a different, much smaller planet. Could the Ecuadorian fill Ronaldo’s boots?  How would he go about it? Would he try to mimic Cristiano, or be his own man and bring his own style to the United team? The questions were endless.

Not that it bothered Antonio.  Valencia seemed totally uninterested in all the hullabaloo of replacing Ronaldo, as he cut a placid, focused figure in his debut season, setting up a countless number of Wayne Rooney’s 34 goals with accurate crosses, and hardly celebrating 7 of his own, as if he believed they were no more than his duty to the team. Valencia hadn’t filled Ronaldo’s boots, but he’d still done a bloody good job, and the truth was – nobody could. Ferguson bought Valencia with the objective of re-shaping the side for the post-Ronaldo era, with a general focus on building the team around the new main man, Rooney, who’s appreciation and chemistry with Valencia couldn’t be underestimated.

Valencia's powerful runs prove key to United

United fans took to Valencia, too. He embraced a no-nonsense approach, consistently over-powering his defensive opponent and using his explosive pace to get himself to the by-line to set up his team mates. Not only that, but he didn’t shirk his defensive responsibilities, unlike Ronaldo he always tracked back to assist his full-back. Something that laid the foundations for a competent stint at right-back himself this season, when United picked up a number of defensive injuries.

All of these qualities are what made the broken ankle he suffered against Rangers in September 2010 such a shame. United had lost one of their most important attacking players for the best part of 7 months. Not only that, but as with all serious injuries, it begged the question, would he ever be the same again? An even more prominent question for a player that relies on sheer pace and power as much as Antonio does. Some players would go into their shell, scared of entering any further physical challenges in fear of exacerbating the previous injury.

Once again, not Antonio. Showing the same strength of character that allowed him to so competently step into the right-wing role following Ronaldo’s departure, Valencia came back for the final months of the season, almost instantly hitting top gear. His re-emergence must of been like a new signing for Sir Alex Ferguson, and it gave the team an important boost in securing the record breaking 19th league title.  The one performance that will stay in my memory was his near faultless execution of Ashley Cole at Old Trafford, in May,  that 3-1 victory against Chelsea practically securing the title. The victory was due in no small part to Valencia’s dominance. Cole, for a full-back who loves to get forward, was pushed back extremely deep by Valencia’s attacking display, as he got past him again and again, nutmegged him, pushed him to the floor, sheer embarrassed him. Valencia was back.

As is typical of Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson’s era, the dust had barely settled on their record breaking success, before the planning had started for the next campaign. Planning that brought with it yet another challenge for United’s persistent Ecuadorian. Ashley Young arrived from Villa Park, adding another body to the fierce battle for the two wing spots. Nani, Young, Valencia, Park, and sometimes Ryan Giggs, composing one of the strongest, if not the strongest wing contingents in world football.

Fans were already jumping to conclusions. Being that Ashley Young would take Valencia’s spot, confining him to the bench and a bit-part role. That hypothesis was only proved more likely when Young hit the floor running with some stunning early season displays, none more so than in the 8-2 dismantling of Arsenal. By contrast, Valencia had a poor start to 2011/2012. It seemed that the predicted loss of confidence following his injury was just beginning to affect him now. He seemed incapable of beating his man, be it either  a physical or mental issue. People were questioning whether he had lost a yard of pace.

However, we are in the midst of seeing Valencia do what he has done so many times before, rise stronger in the face of adversity. Following some mediocre displays from Ashley Young, and some niggly injuries to boot, Valencia was given an opportunity to re-affirm his place in the side. United were shaking having come off an uncharacteristic early exit from the Champions League, and the fans demanded a strong response from their team on Saturday against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Valencia started wide right, and excelled throughout, grabbing himself two assists in the 4-1 victory, but more importantly putting in the kind of performance that saw him become so highly rated at Old Trafford. The shackles were off, his confidence was back, and he was attacking his full back like no tomorrow, completely taking them aback with his stunning power and willingness to get to the by-line.

Much has been made of Wayne Rooney’s patchy form, but it seems like whenever Valencia fires, Rooney fires, which is further proved considering Wayne broke his goal-drought to grab a double against Wolves. A firing United needs Rooney and Valencia on form, and Antonio’s resurgance could well be the key to adding a more positive tone to a season that was fast unravelling. United fans will be in unison with crossed fingers, hoping Valencia can continue this form of old.

Aston Villa vs Manchester United : The Fans’ Demands.

Manchester United travel to Villa Park on Saturday evening on the back of an utterly disappointing loss to Crystal Palace, which saw us crash out of the League Cup, and while it wasn’t a line-up that was reflective of the ‘proper’ Manchester United side, the poorness of the performance will ensure a necessary response regardless.

Tuesday night angered Ferguson enough for him to apologise to the fans, a rarity throughout his 25 year tenure. Nonetheless, it was appropriate after what was a clueless performance, from fringe players who should have been eager to put in a display that would catch the eye of the manager and United’s global audience.

Having pulled an all-nighter to watch that crap, I was as angry as anybody with what we saw, and am expecting much better on Saturday. But what do the fans want to see? I’ve got a few ideas.

However, lets start off nice and simple, despite all the talk about the luxury of a good performance, I’m sure you’d agree with me in saying I’d take the 3 points in any manner if they were offered to us now. City are just looking too good for us to slip up any further, and we need to continue to put as much pressure on them as possible. Furthermore, Villa Park isn’t an easy place to go to, as our comeback 2-2 draw last term proved, and a win there wouldn’t be a shabby result by any means.

Ideally though, we’d like to see an entertaining match, and a convincing victory. For that has been a rarity in recent times, ever since that City game seems to have put us into a state of shock-ridden anxiety. Last weekend against Newcastle was good, yes, but unfortunately god knows how, but we didn’t end up winning.

I’d like to see Rooney get his early season mojo back, as this is crucial for any free-flowing performances we desire. The fact is, when Wayne is sharp in front of goal, we look a billion times better than when he’s going through a dry patch, but his range of passing is still an extremely valuable cog in the machine.  As would be, the return to form of Ashley Young, who after an extremely promising start to life at Old Trafford appears to have stagnated, not helped by some niggly injuries.

And what a time to do it for Ashley? His first time returning to the stadium in which he developed into the player that Fergie saw fit to splash out upwards of 17 million pounds on. Undoubtedly he will be jeered, but this should provide a valuable insight into his character, and hopefully he will relish on that and destroy his former employers.

This next one is bound to cause clashes of opinion, but I’d like to see Ravel Morrison on the bench, at least. He was the one bright spot on an otherwise depressing evening on Tuesday. He looked composed, eager, and always made himself available for the ball. The most important thing was, he didn’t look overawed by the first team experience. And at at time when the United team seems to be lacking a bit of excitement and inspiration, a fearless, endlessness talented youngster like Ravel, could easily provide that.

But what I’d really like to see is a ‘Manchester United performance’ . Don’t ask me to define what that is in perfect terms, because I won’t be able to. All I know is that Sir Alex Ferguson said what we saw on Tuesday night wasn’t one of these, and I don’t think you’ll find many who’ll disagree. A couple of years ago you’d really look forward to watching United play, knowing you would be treated to some crazily entertaining football, and although we saw that in the early moments of this campaign, we were defensively solid at the same time back then. Right now it seems we can have one or the other, defensive solidarity and an uninspiring 1-0 victory, or be defensively all over the place and win 8-5 in a thriller. We need to find middle ground, and we need to do it quick.

It’s been too long since we’ve had a ‘Manchester United performance’, and here’s hoping it comes at Villa Park.

mufcviews.

Swansea City vs Manchester United : Five Things We Learnt

Manchester United racked up another crucial three points and a fourth successive clean sheet in their hard-fought 1-0 victory over Swansea City, at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.  The only goal of the game came from serial poacher, Javier Hernandez, in the 10th minute, and I’ve come up with the five most potent and interesting factors of the victory. Enjoy.

1) United are the masters of controlling football matches

No, don’t get me wrong, I’m aware that this game wasn’t plain sailing for United, far from it in fact. I am instead pointing to United’s competence at carrying out a game-plan to a tee. In this particular instance, given the magnitude of the occasion for the Swans, it is clear that Ferguson ordered his team to silence the crowd with an early goal, take the sting out of the match and use their experience to see out the result. This was, as usual executed to perfection, and although cynics will suggest it doesn’t make for gripping viewing, it ensures a 3 points which may well prove vital come May.

2) Michael Carrick needs to maintain top form

Carrick was simply faultless tonight. He may not receive too many headlines for his performance, as is usually the case, but he produced an ultra-efficient performance that was crucial in picking up the three points. Much has been made of United’s deficiencies in central midfield, and even an in form Carrick does not solve the issue completely, but it certainly goes a long way. His numerous interceptions, clever passing and fantastic decision making ensured United remained in control throughout, even in a match in which Swansea had a fair amount of possession. Carrick’s performance earned praise from his manager afterwards, with Ferguson labelling him ‘magnificent’, and one thing’s for sure, until cash is splashed in midfield, such continued form  from Carrick will prove a more than adequate stop-gap.

3) Phil Jones is the real deal

At just 19 years of age, any new Manchester United addition would be understood for having a slow start to life in Manchester. Not Phil Jones. He’s stamped his authority on the team already with a confidence way beyond his years. Having played twice for England in midfield during the international break, Jones underlined his versatility by slotting seamlessly into the right back position and turning in another superb performance. He kept Scott Sinclair – one of the Premier League’s in-form players so far this season – well and truly in his pocket with some superb tackling, and was thoroughly unfortunate not to open his account when he hit the post following a typical powerful drive from defence late on. My man of the match alongside Carrick.

4) A settled back four reaps rewards

It’s hard to believe that this Manchester United side conceded 6 against City just a few weeks ago. This is now their 4th clean sheet in a row – something that can be owed to a settled back four, as well as a more cautious game plan. The defensive line of Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra was largely competent in keeping chances for Swansea to a minimum, and looked like the United of recent seasons in terms of their defensive solidarity. In a team that has had countless defensive combinations already this season, it’s clear that a more settled approach is favorable and Ferguson may well have found his first choice defensive line-up.

5) Away days hoodoo cracked

Today’s victory saw United pick up their fourth away victory already this season, which is probably not quite so remarkable unless you consider they only racked up 5 in the entire of last season. Whereas last season United relied heavily on faultless home form to guarantee a record breaking 19th title, this year they may well be able to count on more points away from home, something likely to have been stressed vehemently by Ferguson to his squad. Not many teams will go to the Liberty Stadium and win this season one would think, which makes today’s result all the more impressive, and may well prove crucial in a title race which may well require more points than usual due to the superb form of Manchester City. Points which United can now rely on coming at Old Trafford, and beyond.

Not so Clever-ley?

Following the much dreaded retirement of midfield maestro Paul Scholes at the end of last season, a lot of expectation has fallen onto the youthful shoulders of Tom Cleverley. The ginger prince had been such an ever-present in the United team for the duration of the Premier League era that it was hard to imagine life without him, and with his shy personality and tendency to avoid the spotlight it was easy to take what he brought to the table for granted.

For the last 15 years controlling games came with ease – largely due to the effortless playmaking qualities of Scholes – who could quite literally put the ball wherever he wanted to.  That, coupled with his awareness of the position of his team-mates, and opponents , as well as his extraordinary vision was enough for Zinedine Zidane to label him ‘undoubtedly the best midfielder of his generation’.  Just eleven rounds into the 2011/2012 season and its abundantly clear that United are missing one of their favourite sons. The midfield play has become laboured, and restricted, its inefficency perhaps best illustrated by the fact that Sir Alex Ferguson has found it neccessary to employ the teams best striker as a stop-gap solution.

United fans were taken on a transfer rollercoaster throughout the summer, as it became clear that one day we were signing Wesley Sneijder, then the next we were definetely signing him, before we actually didn’t. Our inactivity concerning the filling of the gap left by Scholes frustrating the fans who were clearly not convinced by the current status quo of opinion splitting Michael Carrick, chronic virus sufferer Darren Fletcher, and Anderson, who looks increasingly unlikely to reach the potential that saw him compared with Ronaldinho following his arrival from Porto in 2007.

However, there was one bright point in the midfield conundrum. The return from a series of succesful loan stints of Tom Cleverley, a player held in high esteem by Fergie who once claimed that he was ‘the most likely to reach the level of Beckham, Scholes and Giggs’. Cleverley’s return didn’t generate much publicity or excitement initially though, such was the realistic lack of expectation on a player who at 22 years old still hadn’t made his debut for Manchester United, despite being a first team player since 2009.

Ferguson saw something that a number of fans did not though, and thrust Cleverley straight into the action. It was his timely intervention at half-time in the Community Shield which saw United pull off the most unlikely, yet most brilliant of comebacks to defeat local rivals Manchester City 3-2 at Wembley, despite trailing 2-0 before Cleverley was introduced. Such a performance ensured that the 22 year old was a nailed on starter for the Premier League campaign, and his good form continued. He impressed alongside Anderson as United showed a fearless attitude in their early season fixtures, which culiminated in the 8-2 victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford . Cleverley’s fast one touch play clearly excited the United faithful, as well as apparently bringing out the best in the much maligned Brazilian Anderson, who appeared to benefit from the almost samba style brought to the team by Cleverley.

A poor tackle from Kevin Davies (surprise, surprise) slowed this progression significantly though, initiating a series of niggly injuries for Cleverley, which perhaps unsurprisingly coincided with United’s problems surfacing in central midfield. Anderson’s form almost immediately dropped, with Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick without a creative influence like a Scholes or Cleverley next to them, proving unable to provide the impetus needed in the middle of the park. Wayne Rooney and Phil Jones have had a go also, but it’s clear that their interests lie better placed elsewhere, and should not be resorted to if it means ignoring the problem facing Ferguson.

Now, the question is, has Ferguson’s reluctance to break the bank to secure Sneijder came back to bite him where the sun doesn’t shine? The early signs indicate that Tom Cleverley has become far more important to this midfield than anybody would of imagined at the start of the season, including himself. Is it unfair to expect him to carry this United midfield, in a season where he really should be being slowly nurtured into the team – ideally with a Sneijder quality player easing the pressure on him as he finds his feet at the club. And then there’s the injuries, which even the most optimistic of United fans must admit force them to have doubts as to whether Cleverley can stay fit for a prolonged period of time.

Unless something dramatic changes in this United team, Ferguson will look to Cleverley to provide the kind of spark provided by Scholes so brilliantly over the years. At least until he realises the need to break his stubborness, and the bank to sign a suitable replacement for Scholes.  Can Cleverley keep the team ticking over for now though? Lets hope so.