Before we get in to this, the comparison between Cristiano Ronaldo and Antonio Valencia isn’t supposed to prove who is the better player. Ronaldo was bought for £80m the same summer Valencia was bought for £16m, it’s all to obvious who the better player is.
However, it is interesting to see how Valencia is getting on at filling Ronaldo’s boots, a task the media said would be impossible. Given that he had a scoring record of just 7 goals in 89 games at Wigan, it seemed beyond comprehension that he would be able to leave any mark on what Ronaldo had achieved with the club (just as it was unimaginable that United could challenge for the title without CR9).
In Cristiano Ronaldo’s first 26 games last season, he scored 10 goals.
Goals in the league:
2 against Stoke – 12th
2 against Hull – 17th
2 against West Ham – 9th
1 against West Brom – 20th
1 against Bolton – 13th (penalty)
Average position: 14th
Assists in the league: 2
Goals in the League Cup:
1 against Boro – 19th
1 against Derby – 18th in the Championship
In Antonio Valencia’s first 26 games, he’s scored 7 goals.
Goals in the league:
1 against Bolton – 18th
1 against Everton – 11th
1 against West Ham – 17th
1 against Wolves – 16th
1 against Wigan – 15th
Average position: 15th
Assists in the league: 5
Goals in the Champions League:
2 against CSKA Moscow
When you consider that Ronaldo had much more freedom in where he played, straying centrally for much of the season, Valencia hasn’t done too badly at all. You have to remember that this is his first season at the club after making a big step up from Wigan, and that he strictly plays on the right.
There are areas of his game that he can improve but he’s younger than Ronaldo and joined the Premier League three years later. So far, so good.
To get some perspective… Frank Lampard has scored 1 more league goal than Valencia this season, but 5 of his 6 goals have been penalties. Steven Gerrard has scored as many leage goals as Valencia this season, but 2 of his 5 have been penalties. Benayoun, Anelka and Kevin Doyle have scored as many goals as Valencia. Milner, Ashley Young, Lennon, Wright-Phillips, Duff, Deco, Steven Ireland and Ballack have all scored 2 goals or more less than Valencia.
Pretty good for a player that was written off at the start of the season.
“Most of the media looked at us losing Ronaldo and viewed it as being crucial and that we wouldn’t be nearly as good but there is only one point difference from last season,” Ferguson said before our 5-0 win over Wigan. “Cristiano was an unbelievable player. It was inevitable at some point he was going to leave. We have adjusted to it. Antonio has done well and his development has been good. The good thing about him is that he is as tough as boots and has great stamina and speed. He’s a quiet and shy boy and I don’t think with his personality he would be interested in trying to outmatch Cristiano. He has been unaffected by the position he is playing in. He enjoys that position. He can play other positions but we have not tested that yet. I know he can play centre midfield because I watched him play there and we know he can play through the middle and I have also seen that. But we think he is important to us the way we play. We like to have width in the team and he is doing that very well.”
Man Utd News 24/7
I think we’r a better tean without Ronaldo
Great stats Scott. Im glad though that you pointed out at the very start that there cannot be any comparison between the two players. Personally, I think Valencia has grown magnificently in to his role, and the Right Wing is all his. His change of pace is devastating, there is still room for his crossing to improve. Sometimes, he tends to hesitate and that split second costs him. What has impressed me the most though has been his finishing. Given his record at Wigan, I wasn’t expecting too many goals from the lad, but he has been top class. And he takes his goals well too. I was looking at all the goals he has scored his season, and almost all have been fantastic finishes.
Money well spent by Sir Alex!
Scott, you’ve once again hit the nail on the head. Valencia was brought in to do a job and so far seems to be doing it well. If he keeps scoring at this rate he will have had an excellent first season for the REDS.
I do believe that he will get better with experience though and should increase his scoring and assists. All in all a very good buy.
Happy birthday Sir Alex and a happy New Year to all REDS.
I love to see how everyone are involve in the setup. The passes, possession, positioning and the ball movement are wonderful against wigan.
Yes, Ronaldo is missed, much for his solo performance and the ability to single handedly win a match. But what we have not is as good as that. Keep it up and we will make history !!
Lovely post. Unfortunately we cannot quantify the special quality that makes Ronaldo worth 5x as much as Valencia (no Not marketability). Ronaldo could break down defenses in tough game and create holes and opportunities for us. Valencia doesn’t seem to have half the tricks or ability to do this against quality opposition.
Still… Not too shabby eh.
Good piece Scott, although I think he has scored 7 goals this season. We had a debate about that last night, but I think Uefa has awarded the equalising goal against CSKA to him.
Anyway, I have been pleased with Valencia’s overall presence. Recently, I thought that his crossing had become worse, but I think that Fergie has worked on other aspects of his game in training. Mainly the finishing. I believe that the Antonio Valencia of 5 months ago wouldn’t have converted that 5th goal yesterday. So the lad has a very good attitude and looks to improve all the time. I think that in 12 months time he will be a much better player. Oh and lets not be harsh on him regarding his left foot. He has shot with it before! Against Valencia at Old Trafford.
I think the biggest difference with last season is the fact that we are a team now. We will always miss players like Ronny, but I like that we have 62 goals in 30 games and that they are spread all over the squad.
I’ve said this before, but last season is never a season we should be looking up to for comparison. We scampered across the finish line last year. I’d like a comparison with Ronaldo the season before last.
Valencia has settled in very well at OT, and I have warmed to what he has to offer. But to me it stops right there. We still lack that creative spark, and I want to hope it was our own strength and not a dire Wigan that contributed to our 5-0 romp.
Hope for a great 2010.
the fact tht Valencia doesn’t have a penalty in the stats and the fact that he puts a better shift at defence than ronaldo and doesnt dive and make us feel daft makes it even better.. :p!
The same will happen when one day Sir Alex retires, the next manager will be constantly compared to SAF’s record. The fact being though it would be impossible to compare.
I feel for Valencia as he come in after Ronaldo and inevitably the media jumped all over it, I think SAF was very clever in giving Owen the number 7 shirt to take away that element from Valencia.
Are we a better team without Ronaldo? I would have to say no, the lad is irresplacable! However we are also not a worse team having lost him, this is a season for our other players to step up to the plate! Rooney is benefitting by being the main man at OT, Flecther has been a different class, Valencia and Park has made our full backs time a lot easier by offering a lot more support.
But would I still love to see Ronaldo running down the flank though or just being the arrogant player living up to his billing as the best player in the world? Absolutely – Manchester United love our history and flair players, Best, Law, Charlton, Edwards, Cantona, I would put Ronaldo in there now if it was not for his media stupidity after Moscow.
He was always going to move on but I am certanly glad I watched him live for six years!
@Red Ranter:
I see what you mean, but I think that even Cristiano himself can’t compare to the season he had in 07-08 anymore. It was a one off in my opinion. I know that he already has 13 goals for Real, but I doubt he will ever have another season like that.
Last season was all about the defence. That’s why our goals tally wasn’t the best. Because our main focus was keeping a clean sheet and leave it to Ronaldo(primarily), Rooney, Berba and Tevez to work their magic up front. Valencia is more of team player so his contribution is different.
Not the best of news for O’Shea:
http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soccer/2009/1231/1224261497832.html
Ive just realised that Valencia has scored more league goals than Twatez did last season. Happy days. Things are on the up, defenders coming back, Midfield looking solid and attack playing with pace and flair. Roll on 2010.
Are we a better team without Ronaldo?My answer is No.Are we a worse team without Ronaldo,my answer is still No.Thanks giggs11gerrard0
according to uefa did Valencia score in both cska matches
http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/fixturesresults/round=2000028/match=2000382/index.html
So he has 7 goals in the first 26 games
I dont give a f#@& what the media say about valencia capability. all my concerns is what SAF thinks and how to use valencia to play in United system. if he can deliver what he is asked for that’s good enough for me. though i was a bit doubt about him in the first few game but he proved me wrong when the season goes on.
i believe in 2 seasons he will develop well as a player and his overall game will be much better.
I was talking with my best friend who is a Liverpool fan and he said something that I found interesting because it came from a rival. He feels that Ronaldo’s absence isn’t felt in our team as much as it is on opposing teams. It’s the fear factor. Teams were scared of Ronaldo. Especially at OT.
But it’s nothing that can’t be fixed again. We just have to start becoming menacing again. Yesterday was a great start. And whilst Ronaldo was intimidating for the opposition, I don’t see why the Wayne Rooney we have seen in the last two games can’t do the same.
Finally, I will add what I said afte the Fulham game. We don’t miss the Ronaldo of 06-09 as much as we are missing the defensive stability of that era. Just look at how assured the team was last night with Wes and Vida back.
Didnt valencia get the last minute deflected goal against CSKA and the one in Russia? That would mean 2.
3 assists only, I can remember 2 last night and a cross for wayne against wigan at JJB but there must be more!
Interesting Scott and you are right. But you are also right in saying lets not compare them too much because there is only going to be one winner overall. Valencia has said time and time again he does not wish to be compared to Ronaldo (with good reason. Only Messi would) and SAF has sald also said they are completely different players.
Interesting point about being central as well. Look where Valencia was positioned when he scored some of his goals. Wasn’t exactly on the wing was it
No Taehr. It went down as an own goal
@spencer
Uefa has awarded it to Valencia. Our website did as well.
Spencer, apparantly Uefa counted it…
Think he looks lots better when rafael plays behind him. Think he’s good enough defensively to be able to have an attackin full back. Thought they were both very good last night. But like mentioned before, still think we need more goin forward, left winger and a centre forward. The gaffer looks more and more like he doesn’t fancy owen, otherwise he would have started or at very least come on last night.
In terms of comparing Ronny and Valencia, using stats from Ronnys first season as a regular firs teamer would make more sense. Alternatively, compare Valencia’s stats after 6 years at the club. That said, it is refreshing to see Scott putting some perspective on the whole Valencia debate. He is showing a very steady improvement and does look like he will play a major role in our future success. Keep it up fella.
@scott – sorry but it is a stupid stat to do when ronaldo clearly was unhappy last year and he looked a yard slower compared to this season. look at ronaldo this season he is on fire he has scored as many as rooney. dont forget ronaldo is scoring at will from free kicks and he is making madrids attack tick.
- valencia for me is still to one dimensional and against strong defences he has no idea how to make something out of nothing, he is a good player but compare valencia to ronaldo this season and ronaldo is miles better.
Valencia is at the right club under the tutelage of the best manager ever to grace the earth.i’m fully confident that within 2-3 yrs we shall see a different player from what we have now.jusk look at the transformation Fergie gave to the relatively unknown Ronaldo.he came in as a nobody & left as the Worlds best player.it’s premature to compare a raw talent(valencia) with a finished product(ronaldo).as a matter of fact we should compare Antonio’s first season with Christiano’s first season at Old Trafford.i’m surprised at the fans who claim not to be sattisfied witq Antonio’s contribution so far.For me he has excelled.Imagine he scored just 7 goals in 89 appearances for Wigan & has already scored 7 goals in 26 appearances for United!! I call that PROGRESS.i call that potential.given that he is young, full of stamina & most importantly has a quiet personality; i cant see why he wont achieve all that Ronaldo did & more.i have to salute SAF for not giving him that No.7 shirt coz it took thd pressure off him & he has been able to play his game without trying to emulate Christiano.Basing on that & the fact thd SAF is the best man-manager in the business,i can only see one direction for Antonio-UPWARDS!!!
for me if united can get a world class no 9 striker the goals will flow, especially when things dont go our way and in the big games also.
well another stat is we can say tevez is playing far better than berbatov and his goal scoring record this season is much higher with tevez 12 goals compared to berbatovs pethetic 6. still the likes of berbatov and nani are just not up to scratch and united do need investment in those areas to help rooney out.
Valencia could get 15 goals this season.
Who knows what Wayne could get, 30-35?
Berbatov really could get 20. Seems ridiculous as he’s got just 6 at New Years day but the positions he takes up are brilliant. He has to concentrate and keep being motivated and he will get and create goals. Maybe 15 is a realistic target.
Fletch could get us 7 from midfield, Same with Carrick.
Giggsy with 6.
Just with those players, if they meet those targets that would be at least 81 just from them players excluding defenders.
Last point, Valencia is much better playing with Rafael on the right. As is Rafael with Valencia.
as for me i would go with red ranter ronaldo of last season was a want-away ronnie so valencia may have an edge over there all the same great stats scott
@mikekelly12:
Good point although it’s hard to find a Ronaldo season and compare it fairly with Valencia’s. In his first 2 seasons, he was used sporadically and he was a 19 year old kid living in England for the first time. And after that, he became a regular. Valencia is also a regular but he became one straight away and that can be more difficult for any player because you don’t get to see what progress he has made. So by default, we end up comparing Valencia’s first season to Ronaldo’s last. I think the best thing we can do is rate United in general between the 2 seasons.
stretford972 made an excellent point about Rafael. They do seem to compliment each other very well.
Valencia has been brilliant this season. He needs to be consistent crossing wise, against hull his crosses were woeful, but yesterday they were great. His positioning is also excellent, gets into the right places at the right time. He tracks back, has a powerful shot, lightening pace. A fantastic buy, Sir Alex. I don’t think we’ve done too bad since Ronaldo’s departure, we have scored many more goals than last season and different players are scoring in every match.
@Bangladeshi Red
We are not a better team without Ronaldo
we are a different team without Ronaldo
would we love a 26 year old cantona in our side every week a 27 year old keane a 25 year old ruud a 20 year old best a 22 year old charlton yes but its not gonna happen this team has changed with the times remembering that once we went down. United regroup. they get on with a loss of an on field talent and that what makes this team manchester united. Rour best player now Gir the start of the season when Giinjuriede to the do a liverpool and roll over and die when one of there (2) big players is out. no . there is no big players at the side there are players that are better than some but that takes nothing away from the way Man united play. just look at Valencia at wigan and valencia playing in a team that plays like a team for United
You can’t compare Valencia’s first season with Ronaldo’s first because Valencia has played in the premier league for 3 years before coming here, whereas Ronaldo just started playing in the league.
GHTT- Spot on.
played his best game against wigan,still young and improving and moving to a club like utd when your that shy must be hard to adapt which he seems to be doing well, so overall its a good signing with alot more to come,i’m not going to compare, ronaldo on his game is the best in the world,but i think we should all be pleased with the valencia signing
Fze123- These stats are comparing Ronaldo’s last season here to Valencia’s first.
@ brio the kenyan red
spot on mate but i would disagree with the suggestion of comparing ronaldo of six years ago to valencia of today.
It’s unfair to put ronnie the trick pony straight from the portugese league in the same league with valencia who have had a massive premier league experience under his belt…..It clearly shows who was superior from the start
@theboogeyman – Read my post again, it was regarding the people who said you can’t compare Valencia with a finished product, Ronaldo, and that we should compare Valencia’s first season with Ron’s first season at Utd. But it’s not ideal because Antonio played in the premier league before whereas Ron didn’t.
manunitedslagger is STILL on this site masquerading as another user. Surprised nobody spotted him. Its not hard. As for the post it looks like a few haven’t read it. Scott says Valencia has SIX in the league and ONE in Europe. Also the stat isn’t Ronaldo’s first season but last season.
I would love to see him through the middle, reckon he could be devastating. Give him 12 months and he will be a great player for United.
FZE123 – Alright mate. It isn’t Ronaldo’s FIRST season but LAST season.
Who’s Ronaldo?
Apparently David Beckham nearly cried when he heard AC Milan were drawn against us in the CL. He says he misses being a man utd player, miss the club, misses the fans…Sounds like regret to me.
I have always rated Valencia. He was a stand out player for Wigan and his strength and pace always caused us problems. I’m pleased we signed him and I think he will get better as the season goes on. Don’t forget, his debut season is going better than that of Ronaldo’s when he first joined the club, with regards to his goals output and assists. He looks more confident now than he did earlier in the season, but that was to be expected as he was adjusting to the system and trying to develop and understanding.
Can’t wait to see how diouf does. As for antonio, his personality alone is classy. Should hargo(capable of playing right wing) come back, there’ll be times he’ll be switching positions with valencia, n i bet you, at man united valencia through the middle means more goals. He’s got great power in his shots too. Up, Up, Antonio.
One thing I did notice last night is that Amos was the second keeper. Foster not in squad again. Gone in January?
Also great to see the team spirit the lads have. Every single one of them.. Unlike the fake team spirit the rentboys show with their pathetic huddles. By all accounts the one against Fulham was Drogba telling them to make sure they keep top spot. Bet they ain’t too happy this morning knowing the red machine is gathering pace. Just think when we get everyone back.
King Eric- I have had the same suspicion mate, but I didn’t say anything for fear of wrongly accusing someone.
A hint: Last time he came, he had a great player’s name in his username, and the entire thing had four words.
His current name is along the same lines re: Great player’s name and 4 words.
@King Eric:
Hi mate. The post says that he has 5 league goals(which is true) and 6 in general which I disagreed with because he got 2 against CSKA.
Other than that, well said. I am not going to lie and say I don’t miss what Ronaldo brought to the table, but at the end of the day Man United goes on. And compared to what certain “experts” were predicting about us this summer, we have done quite well. If we are not in a better league position, it’s because for a while we were missing most of our defenders. United don’t necessarily need a Ronaldo to win the league. Look at the 03-04 season. We had lost Beckham who was talismatic for us, yet we were still comfortable in the league until Rio got banned.
theboogeyman – Spot on.
Costas – Sorry mate, I read it wrong.
RED ARMY
Yu havin a laugh berbslob get 20 goals i dont think so the guys utter rubbish biggest waste of money £30 million for that heap. we will be lucky to get half that when he goes in the summer. Also lads we ned to calm down we only beat hull and wigan and they are not exactly world beaters.
“berbaslob”. Grow up.
Also have ronaldo any day the guys class just like cantona. He is in a league of his own. I think valencia will get better over time.
Aren’t you the one who said he and Fletch and a couple of others should be “stabbed” or summat? Mug.
just when i thought manutdslagger was long gone………..:p
I was just thinking watching last night’s game that when on the rare occasion that our manager picks the first team, we are more than a match for any team in the world, and have a fantastic bench – what more can you ask for?
Seriously, what more can you ask for?
king eric yes i did i was at the hull game and we were sloppy fletch kept on givin the ball away. I was there last nite aswell.
Also you call yourself king eric i bet you only jumped on the united bandwagon when we started winning titles i bet your bout 20 years old. Your the mug who sits on here all day with nothing better to do. saddo
i supported united since i was 5 yrs old 30 years supporting the best team in the land i was there when scousers taunted us for not wining the title for 26 years but stuck witht them.
King Eric:
Yeah no problem. Since last night there has been a big debate about his goal tally. To be honest, Uefa were a bit generous when they awarded to Antonio the goal against CSKA.
Sam:
The boogeyman said that his username has 4 words, so I am guessing it’s you! Just kidding mate!
You are a prick mate. You don’t go the games if you did you would not be slagging off Fletch and wishing him dead. I am 35 pal and been following United since 1982. If you are gonna make accuastions get your facts right .
MCprap or whatever you call yourself who the hell are you to judge any one with the period he/she has followed united ?
And besides who gives a damn about your age any way?
Its only today that i heard anyone whop hasnt supported united for over 30 years isn’t a real red
You are a prick mate. You don’t go the games if you did you would not be slagging off Fletch and wishing him dead. I am 35 pal and been following United since 1982. If you are gonna make accusations get your facts right .
@Tony Starks:
Good point. And don’t forget that we were missing Giggs, Rio and Edwin. But other than that, it was our best first XI and it was the first time Fergie played them in 2 consecutive games this season. I think the way the team clicked was a result of that.
Costas
LOL
ME ? Hahahahahahahahaha
Valencia has done well but we comparing him to Ronaldo would be unfair on him. He will never be able to match Cristiano and he wasnt bought to do that. his wing play has been good but crossing and performanes have been inconsistent. He does not cut in, does not use both feet which Ronny did.If he does that more he will be even more lethal.
A player like Ronaldo comes once in 10 years and we were extremely fortunate he was played for us.Valecia will improve no doubt but he should never be compared to Ronaldo because no one in the league can be compared to ronaldo
King Eric:
Since 1982? What a glory hunter you are! You obviously could see the future back then and knew all about a certain Scot arriving at the club 4 years later and leading us to the promised land 7 years after that! Just kidding mate.
United fans shouldn’t get judged by their age anyway. Anyone who is a United fan and is under 25 has started follwing United in our glory years. Nothing wrong with that.
@ Tony Starks – Totally agree mate, minor a few places due to injury, Rio, Giggs, VDS, I would say that was our best starting 11.
Carrick has took his fair share of stick in the last six months but that lad has been class during our injury crisis! He was glad to get on the pitch at West Ham and was not arsed about playing centre half.
My preferred midfield at present would be Giggs, Carrick, Fletch, Valencia!
@ King Eric, I cant believe you only started supporting United when you was 6! What sort of fan are you
How would anyone want any United player dead? God I even still sing for poor old Ralphy Milne!
@costas ~my username has four words.i’m I the one the boogeyman was reffering to? Do my posts strike you as a United slagger?i need clarrification.
serious things are happening here scott one moment costas jokes am the manutdslagger08 and on my next post am put under moderation…
thats not the best way to end your year
@ brio the kenyan red
it cant be you mate and besides costas wasnt reffering to you and even if he was it must have been one of his jokes
@SAM @THE BOOGEYMAN @ COSTAS @ SCOTT :what the hell is going on?someone needs to say something!FAST!
The Ronaldo comparison is a non-starter – Valencia is ball-and-chained to the right wing; CR had the licence to roam and did so to great effect.
So, a rather more interesting topic would be “how good would this team be with Ronaldo playing #9″ ? He has the goal-greed, the courage, the desire, the speed, the strength, the jump, and everything else to have been truly-legendary in that role. Too bad he threw that away to follow his “dream”.
Brio The kenyan Red.
Its not you for sure mate. Read all the names that have posted and you will get the answer. Its definitely not you.dont worry
@AIG & SAM:thanx guys for the clarrification.i now do have the answer.i’m a red through & through & despite my son being only 5yrs,he knows that being a real devil is not a choise; it’s a calling.
Brio and Sam:
No guys. You are definitely not slagging United. I was just joking with Sam. I am in the mood today.
And I am sure boogeyman wasn’t refering to you too either.
It must be AIG! Lol, kidding again.
Valencia is no Ronaldo and we all knew that but he is a good player who is improving and will become really very good in the coming years.The goals comparisions dont really have that much difference but Ronaldo had qualities that very few wingers have. Deadly free kick,great runs in the box and was great with both feet.However last season was his worst in the last 3 title winning seasons and that too he scored 26 despite not having his mind fully focused and scored very important goals against Porto, Arsenal and Inter Milan.
Valencia lacks quite a lot of those things but works very hard and tracks back whenever the team needs it.He is more of a team player compared to ronaldo.Valencia also has to make an impact in the big games.Ronaldo did well in the big games in the last 2 years.
Hope Valencia does well. He has been good at times but has lacked consistency and his crossing has been poor at times.Just needs to be consistent.
Off topic, but I heard Seba Veron was voted as player of the year in South America. I am glad to hear he is doing fine. Things might not have worked out for him at United, but the guy conducted himself very well while he was here and showed class all throughout.
okay brio let me brief you a little bit………
once upon a time in a village known as THE REPUBLIK OF MANCUNIA, where the worshipres of the manchester united religion would gather to worship peacefully,it happened to be one false “follower” of the religion and apparantely as it would come to be known, he was an undercover of yet another religion popularly known as the facists.
his main objective was to try and destroy the red empire the task he would latter come to realise was a mission impossibble. the worshippers there knew all his moves and reported him to the lord of the branch and he was expelled from the church from that day on they lived and worshiped happily ……untill one day he emerged this time on a diffrent face and name……
Sam, lol. You should think about writing fairy tales!
By the way… am I the only person who actually rates Park? I think he makes our game more fluent wth his movement infield, he and his best mate Evra work well on the left… Also it’s nice to have a proper right back in the side, the attacking full backs are so important when trying to break small teams down..
Mcarticlep, get off this site you silly little ABU prat.
@costas
i was just sorting my friend there and you should think about writting jokes yourself mate.
only if scott will introduce a fairy tales section
Tony, there’s no denying Park is a bit limited but I’ve always liked him. His performance last night was good and I feel much more confident with Park on the left than Obertan. Park has a very good understanding with Rooney, which is a big advantage. I actually think Fergie has been too quick to write off Nani but it looks like his ship has sailed, unfortunately.
@Tony starks
Thought the same thing myself.park looked good yesterday and when he came on against hull.maybe his injury was worrying him .now that he is gettin more games he is gettin better.
Even now that Ronnie has gone we still have so much to say about him,in my limited opinion,we look more solid,but we also seem rigid and stiff which we didn’t have when Ronnie was aroundHis trickery and skill meant that teams were always on the backfoot,on top of that they had Rooney,Berba and Tevez to worry about.Was Ronnie a great…in my opinion,yes.He had that arrogance about him that only a true red has,forget the diving and all that shit…remember the goals against Fulham,Arsenal,Porto,Tottenham and Chelsea to name a few…in life footballers come and go,if they’re lucky they’ll leave a few good goals that we will remember them by..but just now and then one will come along and when he goes will leave a part of his spirit with the team..Ronnie is one of those players…Giggs is another.We’re fucking lucky to have had them both.
Fuck.SAF has said o shea could be out for 2 more months.thats bad news.
@SAM: your version of the FBI/CID thing mixed with that improvised fairy tale approach is top drawer.it makes it easier to identify who the MOLE is ! I think i should recomend you to my bosses so that you can put your talent to good use teaching Literature to kids.what say you,Sam?
@Tony Starks – I rate old three lungs aswell – I didnt expect too much from him after eating a Roast dog and all the trimmings only a few days ago.
It is worth having him on just to hear him and Evra taking the piss out of each other after the match.
“Ji – Ne touche pas mon chien”
“So solly Pat – I only stloke him “
The very first post said it: We ARE a better team without Ronaldo. Especially when it comes to Rooney.
Sam:
You think? I am only in the mood for jokes whenever United score 4 or more.
Had to read through alot of crap, but nowhere did I see anyone correct scott on the fact its 5 assists for Valencia so far.
Check the official prem league site for the stats. He got 2 assists last night for f*cks sake!
He has a player’s name in his username, remember that.
Valencia has 5 assists after last night.
Doesnt the fact the Ronaldo was injured for the best part of 2 months at the beginning of last season count? What I will say tho is Valencia is doing a damn good job so far, and if we could get him to work on his left foot he would be frightening….
there is no doubt about it, wayne rooney is the new cantona…
fletch and carrick are the key as well, when they play well, it helps our defence and offense get in their rhythm. I thought vidic and brown shut down rodallega so fast that wigan gave up after a while. I really do hope all the vidic rumors are false, because his strength was evident in the match and he is today’s version of Keane in how he does not back down and pushes the opposition to the limit.
Valencia was outstanding and classy!
Best way to compare Ronaldo and Valencia is to say thank god we had Ronaldo for 6 years and won all the titles, and thank god we have the entire team scoring freely now and are only 2 pts behind chelsea with so many injuries!
wow he can play in the middle?! never imagined that. He is too quick for a CM lol
I just think it is very unfair to compare valencia and ronaldo when many have said it is a stupid to compare the both it is actually crazy.
Sam and Brio – No its not you lads.
Costas and giggs11gerrard0 – Yeah I am such a glory fan. lol My dad has always been a United fan and when I was a kid he used to say “who is your favourite player” and I had to answer Stuart Pearson. Even in the eighties under big Ron we had some FA Cup success. One of my earliest memories is seeing Robbo score for Ingerlund against France in 82 after 26 seconds. From that day on I loved him.
One question. Robbo or Keano? For me it is Robson. A proper captain marvel. Keane was surrounded by much better players. Don’t get me wrong I love Keano but for me it is Bryan. He was my boyhood idol not Stuart Pearson. Can’;t even remember much of Pearson. If Robbo didn’t play United didn’t play.
King Eric – well I could call myself a glory hunter because I supported the side about late 93, but the reality is it is not about being a glory hunter it is timing of when united fans became united fans that makes it seem like gorly hunters, another thing I bet most liverpool fans today are glory hunters who are in their late 30s if they say united fans are glory hunters.
Tony Starks – No I like Park as well mate.
Fred – The sad thing is mate Mcarticlep ain’t an ABU. He is actually a UNited “fan”.
Costas – well on wiki valencia is on 8 that is more than ashley young and yes people will be in shock valencia has more goals than steven gerrard, that means stevie me is a declining force in terms of scoring 20 goals a season.
ashley young 6 goals
steven gerrard 5 goals
antonia valencia 8 goals
My only contribution to the Valencia-Ronaldo debate is a non-stat—Man of the Match: skysports and telegraph gave it to Valencia, Manutd gave it to Rooney, and the premierleague gave it to Fabio. This has happened consistently throughout the season. Did that happen last season?
Valencia is my favorite player. It is, however, premature to compare him to Ronaldo. There might never actually be a comparison among the two, but I do think the team is more solid as a whole.
Lads,
Im back from my Christmas Hols with the folks.
What we all have to remember is that Ronaldo was something special, By fat the most Amazing Tallented Footballer i have ever watched play for united live!
It is extremly unfair to compare Valencia with Ronaldo, Not because of Tallent but because of the formation and the tactics last year.
Last year the team was set around ronaldo, The tactics where to provide him with Chances and it certainly did that.
For me Valencia with grow and grow, dont think he ever will be at ronaldos level but he will be incredible for us!
Unless a team has Ronaldo or Messi it is more of a team game. Valencia has all qualities to provide us with Goals, Assists & Defensive cover for a good few years!
For me a very very good buy!
@rooney the new king :
8 goals? I am cnfused now, lol. Maybe they are counting the one he scored in the friendly?
*My mistake. They gave it to Rafael, not Fabio. I still get them confused
.
Happy new year all
RTNK – MANUTD CHAMPIONS08.
willierednut – Yes mate
Thought so king eric.
willierednut- Hey, you got it!
Things change. Ronnie will find hamburgers and VD at some point and won’t be up there forever. We have to remember that Real Madrid is the place where most promising careers go to die. Benzema is feeling that right now.
I like our shy little Michael Jackson winger. He’s tough, unassuming and I’m sure when he comes into his own self-confidence very much like how Patrice Evra has, you mark my words, Real will come running to us with more bags of their filthy drug money.
Jst dont kill him off with d ronaldo comparison, bcos in as much as valencia wil b a great player like becks, kanchelskis he wont match what ronaldo, Only Wazza can do jst dat if he is consistent(ROO For world player). Then 20 goals frm berba is not a reality. We must accept dat he is a huge flop and it sucks 2 see him play 4 man utd 6 goals is a poor return 4 a 30mil striker. He jst scored jst 20 competitive goals in one and half season. Dat is too poor 4 someone playin 4 united as a striker. Wish he goes in the summer not mindin d amount.
Ronaldo wanted to leave. His performances were too often laclustre (people kept talking about his body language all the time, remember?). Comparing Ronaldo with Valencia by his final year at Utd may not be the best. How about this: compare them now. They are the same age, they both had to adapt to a new club and city (in Ronaldo’s case, a new Country and La Liga’s football), how do they stand against each other?
Also, a game against Wigan at Old Trafford might not be the best benchmark, outstanding a performance by Valencia as it was.
Valencia needs experience in big games then he shall be a true great for us. Encouraging run thus far.
King Eric – I got to ask who is this username u go on about just asking
willierednut – and I am offended you are assuming I am someone you and many hated
Its you admit it.
willierednut – admit what dont accuse me of someone I am not got it. and to say I am a united basher is pethetic
willierednut – and I think you need to owe me an apology for even thinking I am a united basher
Where did i say you’re a united basher.
willierednut – well over the past phew weeks this username was nicknamed a united basher, this is the only username I have used rooney the new king no other name. I have only have been commenting on this site for a month.
Is the enemy of my enemy my friend, or my enemy? answers on a postcard please.
rooney the new king – Alright. I may well be wrong and if I am I apologise but your spelling , choice of words and comments are very similar to someone who used to parade on here as Michael, manunitedchampions2008 and theres only one keano. He used to dislike Berba and Park as well. As I say I may be wrong. For what it is worth you make some good comments.
By the way that was not a dig at your spelling. But both you and the other person we are talking about spelt the word “few” as “phew”. A bit of a giveaway.
*spelled*
King Eric – I will say this my spelling is not great it is actually shocking gramma I will not deny that so when I do comment my spelling will be really bad.
and second (what I said about berbatov when I saw him at spurs he looked amazing player I thought hey we have a quality player). I have just been dissapointed in him at united, and on park I like him a hard worker he may not be a great player but a good squad player.
all I will say is I dont know who this username is because it is not me because I have only been commenting on the site for nearly a month. remember I called united 07/08 squad an overated side.
King Eric – I hope this whole dumb debate has been cleared up, like I said my spelling will be really bad when I comment
rooney the new king – Of course it is cleared up mate. Apologies.
King Eric – glad that was and just to make sure when I do comment it will be all over the place, the spelling will be bad it just annoyed me some think I am a united basher when I have not even said anything bad about the club.
- well the glazers and some players I have been a critic of, but when I think about it back when we lost to fulham 3 0 I was way ott sorry about that but no defence and out of form attack result disaster.
@King Eric – I am with you on Robbo but for me I would have to say Keano, I guess because I was only young watching Robbo but at 29 I saw Keano properly at games through it all. I just wish he would left on a better note, the fans deserved better!
Reading Darren Flecther in United we Stand was a great article on how we watched Keano prepare for a game! He was a clear leader in a time when we had plenty of world class talent yet the young Irish lad bought from Forest was without question our leader.