The Old Trafford fielded a pale look on Saturday as Sean Dyche’s newly promoted Burnley side managed to hold the Red Devils in the 10th game of the domestic league for both sides. Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera saw red while Zlatan Ibrahimovic was wasteful as both teams shared a point each on a night where United dominated that game in every aspect. There were a few changes that Mourinho made to the squad that might have affected the game and one such change that was forced upon him was the right-back position. Italian full-back Matteo Darmian was given the nod ahead of Antonio Valencia, after the Ecuadorian picked up an injury on his arm that is set tot keep him out of the game for a while.
The 31-year old who has been at the club since 2009 has cemented a regular place in the starting XI under Jose Mourinho and though there are sections of the fan base that are not thrilled about his returns to the squad, he is a player who is one of the most consistent for the Red Devils this season. With 184 league appearances under his belt, the Ecuador international is one of the most experienced players in the back-line for United this season and there are more reasons than one as to why he should receive more praise from the fans.
Having started every game for the club in the league before this weekend, Valencia has put in some superb performances for the side at the start of the season. He is yet to score a goal or pick up an assist for his side this season but his consistency at the back and also in the final third make him a useful player for United. Stats show that Valencia has now made 12 accurate crosses which is 3 more than any other defender in the league this season but the fact that he is yet to pick up an assist points out the problems the club has had in front of goal. He averages more than 1 accurate cross a game this season and those are numbers of top quality.
FANTASY FOOTBALL: We look at Antonio Valencia & 3 other players you should be adding to your #FPL teams this week https://t.co/wBN6NqjZbK pic.twitter.com/9CLi9R6kDi
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) October 28, 2016
He has the 3rd most touches per game for United this season with a passing accuracy of 87.3% which is on the high side, showing the quality he has with the ball at his feet. However, his biggest contributions to the side come at the back. Having more than half of his duels with his opponents, Valencia is a strong defender who does not give space and time on the ball to any of his opponents. Unarguably, he is one of the fastest player around and is generally very good at keeping quick players at bay. He makes close to 2 interceptions per game and averages just one foul per game, which is incredible for a defender.
After the millions that United spent in the summer, the fans expect their team to be filled with stars and it does not come as a surprise that not many United fans feel that way about Valencia. However, his contributions to the team are priceless and he deserves more praise than he has got in recent times from the fans and the manager.
Do you think Valencia will be missed in the next few games by United?