For the past two months, Antonio Valencia and Gareth Bale have been simply unplayable. Today's fixtures in the Barclay's Premier League played host to two more marvelous performances from these men; Valencia's was against Stoke City, and led to two (converted) penalties for Manchester United as well as one woefully spurned chance by Dimitar Berbatov as the game died out. Gareth Bale put in a fantastic shift for Tottenham, scoring two fine goals against a hapless Wigan side. For the past 12 months, the Welshman in particular has been hailed as the one of the world's most devastating players; a man who, on his day, cannot be contained by even the best outside-backs the Premiership has to offer. Recently, however, there have been suggestions that Valencia, rather than Bale, may be the best out-and-out winger in England when on his favored right flank. In any case, what strikes me about both of these men is how similarly they play when in full flight, and how different their shared approach to the game is from the increasingly numerous, modern-day pseudo-wingers currently playing for top-flight sides (i.e. City's Adam Johnson). This increasingly popular type of outside midfielder embraces playing on the side of the field opposite their strong foot, and attacking towards the center of the pitch with the ball on their dominant side. Such play suffocates open space on the pitch and furthermore eliminates room for creativity. Valencia and Bale, however, embrace the notion that the field is indeed 75 yards in width, and they are willing to use every inch of it to their benefit...
