"Kick, Run, Cross"

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No one laughing at Manchester United's Antonio Valencia now

Published 23:00 16/12/09 By David Anderson


After being sniggered at when he was bought to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, Antonio Valencia is the one laughing now.

There were more than a few funny looks when Sir Alex Ferguson chose the Ecuadorean to fill the chasm left at Manchester United by the departure of the world's best player.

But after chalking up his sixth goal with a great strike against Wolves, Valencia is proving he can fill Ronaldo's goalscoring boots.

The £16million winger has already equalled his best-ever goals haul for Wigan and is United's third-top scorer.

Ferguson set Valencia a target of 10 goals at the start of the campaign and believes he can be prolific for United.

"That's six goals for Antonio," said the United boss. "We're happy with that. We've always thought that's one area he can improve on.

"He is improving and his improvement is tremendous and this is an example of that. From the day he came he was a quiet young man, but he is expressing himself well. We like to see the young players come here and develop."

Valencia, 24, is slowly bedding in at Old Trafford and the champions have a 76 per cent win rate with him, compared to 60 per cent when he hasn't started.

He is pleased with his start to his United career and has promised fans he can keep improving.

"I only scored seven times at Wigan - and that probably included all the training sessions!" he joked.

"I'm happy with my form, sure. But I'm definitely not settling for what I've done so far. I want to improve, keep learning and achieve a lot more. Fans will see a lot more from me as we progress through the season."

Valencia's four league goals have helped United rack up 37 in their first 17 games - which is nine more than this stage last season - and Ferguson is delighted his players are answering his call to be more ruthless.

He had become alarmed by United's decreasing goals total since they banged in 83 in winning the title in 2007.

"Our scoring rate is well up on last season when we only managed 68 goals," he said. "It was enough to win the title, but we hardly blew the opposition out of the water.

"Runners-up Liverpool scored nine more, while Chelsea and Arsenal matched us with the same total.

"It's a far cry from when we won the league at the turn of the century with a tally of 97 goals, with Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke scoring prolifically.

"Normally, we are in the high 70s and I was certainly surprised last season when we dropped so low, especially when you consider one player, Cristiano Ronaldo, scored more than a quarter of them with 18.

"A few weeks ago, I asked the players to start being more decisive with their chances, especially in the early part of a match, instead of appearing to take the relaxed view that, like buses, there will be another along in a minute.

"It seems they took my plea on board because we have been finishing a lot better lately and it brought us two good away league wins - 4-1 at Portsmouth and 4-0 at West Ham. And these have been difficult places for us in the past."

Ferguson is delighted United are breathing down Chelsea's neck and wants to be tucked in nicely in the title race when he celebrates his 68th birthday on New Year's Eve.

"It's important that we keep scoring goals because goals invariably mean points and I am anxious we make our mark this month," he said. "December is usually a rich time for us and I'm hoping this year won't be an exception.

"I would be quite content to reach New Year's Eve simply in touch with the leaders because I know we can handle a run-in

I still chuckle from time to time tbh.

Originally Posted by dunk

I still chuckle from time to time tbh.

Interesting about how much better we are from a goalscoring point of view from last season.

Anyway, turns out the boy from Wigan is a hell of a player.

Steve Bower called it his 5th of the season too on motd last night, -1000 top red points

The goal return has certainly been a welcome surprise and encouraging from Velencia's point of view. I still cant help but not really be impressed with what ive seen of him so far though.

That said - if you keep scoring then you're getting a pretty big fundamental right.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Interesting about how much better we are from a goalscoring point of view from last season.

Anyway, turns out the boy from Wigan is a hell of a player.

He's doing very well, I am impressed with him.

Still, seems £#%&!ing ridiculous when you just think about the players, reputations and transfer fees.

Originally Posted by Stickman

Steve Bower called it his 5th of the season too on motd last night, -1000 top red points

The goal return has certainly been a welcome surprise and encouraging from Velencia's point of view. I still cant help but not really be impressed with what ive seen of him so far though.

That said - if you keep scoring then you're getting a pretty big fundamental right.

:shakehead: I dunno what more you want in a first season tbh.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Interesting about how much better we are from a goalscoring point of view from last season.

Anyway, turns out the boy from Wigan is a hell of a player.

Anyone who watched Wigan last year knew he was a good player. It's just a shame we have to watch him instead of Ronaldo rather than with him. With him down the right, and Ronaldo down the left, we'd have won the lot.

Ho hum.

Originally Posted by dunk

He's doing very well, I am impressed with him.

Still, seems £#%&!ing ridiculous when you just think about the players, reputations and transfer fees.

Not quite sure what you are getting at tbh?

Originally Posted by Lok

Anyone who watched Wigan last year knew he was a good player. It's just a shame we have to watch him instead of Ronaldo rather than with him. With him down the right, and Ronaldo down the left, we'd have won the lot.

Ho hum.

Yup, remember the torture, no not that kind, he inflicted on O' Shea last year, was embarrased for him tbh. Good that he's added goals to all the other qualities he brings.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Yup, remember the torture, no not that kind, he inflicted on O' Shea last year, was embarrased for him tbh. Good that he's added goals to all the other qualities he brings.

I know, I sometimes wonder what some people are watching.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Not quite sure what you are getting at tbh?

If Liverpool were to sell Torres for £75m and replace him with Jason Scotland for £10m, what would you think? Not looking at performances?

Originally Posted by dunk

If Liverpool were to sell Torres for £75m and replace him with Jason Scotland for £10m, what would you think? Not looking at performances?

Oh i see. Tbh, it's irrelevant to me. There wasn't another Ronaldo out there, or anything like it so Fergie it seems went out the best player he could to play on that right side, seems he did rather well too.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Oh i see. Tbh, it's irrelevant to me. There wasn't another Ronaldo out there, or anything like it so Fergie it seems went out the best player he could to play on that right side, seems he did rather well too.

Definitely. But when you just think of it in simple terms, it still seems quite funny and a bit ridiculous. If you were told that we were going to sell Ronaldo and replace him with Valencia this time last year you would have laughed your #@&%! off and expressed grave reservations.

He's doing well though, or should I say, he has done well against the mid table mediocre shite we have played in recent weeks. I've not see n the Villa game, so can't comment. Plenty of big games coming up next year, so we shall see.

Originally Posted by dunk

Definitely. But when you just think of it in simple terms, it still seems quite funny and a bit ridiculous. If you were told that we were going to sell Ronaldo and replace him with Valencia this time last year you would have laughed your #@&%! off and expressed grave reservations.

He's doing well though, or should I say, he has done well against the mid table mediocre shite we have played in recent weeks. I've not see n the Villa game, so can't comment. Plenty of big games coming up next year, so we shall see.

He was also superb against Chelsea and was maybe our biggest threat in a poor performance at Anfield.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

:shakehead: I dunno what more you want in a first season tbh.

Flashes of a quality footballer. Like when a certain player signed he was anything but a goal threat but you could tell the qualities were there* Im not getting into knocking him because I think it would be unfair and I like to give all new signings a chance. I also think he lacks in confidence. Needs to use that pace as more of a weapon than he does.

*I know he's not a 'Ronaldo replacement' thats just an example.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

He was also superb against Chelsea and was maybe our biggest threat in a poor performance at Anfield.

He was alright at Chelsea, his main contribution mainly being getting in Ashley Cole's way, but it worked for the team and I was quite happy with that. As for Liverpool, nah, not for me. Aside from one shot 2nd half, he looked scared and stiff on the ball and indecisive in the main, I wouldn't hold it against him though, as most were that day, and he was still settling in.

As I said, looked very good in recent weeks, but was a bit up and down in the early weeks, understandably, I'm slightly reserving judgement until a full season has passed and he has been through the full rigours of a United season, big games, high pressure situations the lot.

His improvement so far is very encouraging though.

It was never in doubt that Valencia would be a top player for United

There were some people who scoffed at United signing him

But then some people are idiots


Oh and dunk, wtf are you talking about? Comparing Valencia with Jason Scotland? One is a decent journeyman striker with a good touch and plenty of power. The other is a thoroughbred international attacking wide man.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

It was never in doubt that Valencia would be a top player for United

There were some people who scoffed at United signing him

But then some people are idiots


Oh and dunk, wtf are you talking about? Comparing Valencia with Jason Scotland? One is a decent journeyman striker with a good touch and plenty of power. The other is a thoroughbred international attacking wide man.

I wasn't comparing them as players, just the situation.

Jason Scotland is a decent player FWIW. Could do with a goal though.

Originally Posted by dunk

I wasn't comparing them as players, just the situation.

Jason Scotland is a decent player FWIW. Could do with a goal though.

If the vermin sold Torres and replaced him with say Jermaine Defoe or even Rodallego I doubt they'd be worse off over the course of an entire season tbh

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

If the vermin sold Torres and replaced him with say Jermaine Defoe or even Rodallego I doubt they'd be worse off over the course of an entire season tbh

It'd still be funny that they had lost their hero and replaced him with somebody way below that status though.