Why the emergence of Adnan Januzaj has pushed one-dimensional Antonio Valencia into the dark

Antonio Valencia under pressure

Manchester United’s poor start to the season has seen questions raised over the performances of a number of players at Old Trafford. Amongst them is Antonio Valencia, the Ecuador international has been in and out of David Moyes’ side this season and the emergence of fellow winger Adnan Januzaj has heaped further pressure on his fight for a starting place.

Valencia made a name for himself as a powerful and pacey winger at Wigan before Sir Alex Ferguson shelled out £16 million for the South American. After a troubled start to life in Manchester due to injury and the pressure of filling the boots of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, Valencia eventually settled in at Old Trafford and won the fans’ and players’ player of the year awards at the end of 2011/12 campaign.

However, the 28-year-old has since struggled to recreate his form of two seasons ago and after an indifferent year Valencia now finds himself fighting to earn a place in Moyes’ starting line-up.

The problem for the Ecuadorian is that his game hasn’t evolved since his time at Wigan and as a result he has become predictable. And if there’s one thing defenders enjoy, it’s predictability.

A look at Valencia’s Action Heat Map against Manchester City shows that he spends the majority of the game on the right hand side of the pitch, as you would expect for a right-winger. However, he is reluctant to cut inside onto his weaker left foot, meaning that he is often forced wide. The Heat Map also shows that City stopped Valencia further up the pitch, preventing him from getting to the byline and crossing the ball.

With his unwillingness to cut inside and Aleksandar Kolarov halting his forward movement, Valencia’s main attacking threat was contained.

In contrast, a look at Januzaj’s heat map from United’s 1-1 draw with Southampton shows that the teenager is much more willing to cut inside and move across the pitch rather than sticking to the touchline.

Valencia’s refusal to come inside onto his left foot also means that his shooting opportunities are limited. The 28-year-old has had just one shot off target in his seven Premier League appearances so far. He only managed seven shots and scored just a single goal in 30 league appearances last season.

In the past, Valencia was able to use his pace to beat defenders before delivering the ball into the box, but his turn of speed is now compensated for by any defender who has done his homework, and with it Valencia’s crossing ability is diminished. He has found a team-mate on just three occasions out of his 21 attempted crosses so far this season.

With defenders now wise to his reluctance to use his left foot too and his repeated failure to find his man from crosses, Valencia’s contribution to United is in question. By stopping his crosses, or by preventing him getting into a crossing position, you can nullify the threat that he was posed.

Valencia’s predictability has seen his form decline while the unpredictability of Januzaj has seen him quickly become a favourite of both Moyes and the United fans. If the Ecuadorian is to stake a claim as a first team starter at Old Trafford he must reinvent himself or risk being left behind.