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...
While watching today's match between United and Stoke, I found myself in awe of the stature of 26 year old Antonio Valencia (in addition to being amazed by his merciless torment of Stoke's left back Marc Wilson). According to Wikipedia Valencia stands 5 foot 11 inches, but when I watch him on the pitch I am in continual disbelief that he isn't over 6 foot. Perhaps this is due to the winger being quite broad across the chest; Valencia as strong of body as he is both quick in acceleration, and blindingly fast at top speed. Many fans of United expected Nani and Ashley Young to patrol the wings this season, but Valencia's play (as well as nagging injuries to the pair just mentioned) has overshadowed all others wearing the red of United this campaign.
In my opinion, the play of Valencia helps to explain how a once maligned Michael Carrick and the formerly retired Paul Scholes are both in fantastic runs of form at the moment. As previously stated, whereas many outside midfielders in the modern choose to play on the side of the pitch opposite their strong foot (allowing them to hypothetically cut in and have a shot), Valencia is all too pleased with standing quite literally on the touchline as the ball is switched out to his side. By doing so, Valencia gives United tremendous width in their build-up play, as well as affording Scholes and Carrick as much room as possible when in possesion of the ball (a luxury both need given that they are both bereft of pace). Not only does Valencia hug the touchline, but he almost always beats his man by dropping his left shoulder and pushing the ball with his right foot down the sideline. His speed, combined with an often inch-perfect crossing ability, means that when Valencia beats his man, United almost always create a decent scoring chance. Furthermore, because Antonio never seems to want to go to his left, when he finally does go left, he generally leaves his ill-positioned opponents for dead. That he has recently combined this formidable one-on-one ability with powerful, accurate shots at full speed means that Valencia now scores more goals per-game than he did in his Wigan and early United days. This is absolutely essential for the players' progression, seeing as many pundits once saw the fleet footed South American as a man who could only contribute assists to United's cause.
(He also is more than adept at filling in at right back...more on that in another blog perhaps)
Turning to Sir Gareth Bale, for quite some time now most pundits from across the pond have been waxing lyrically about the Welshman's transformation into the most devasating left-sided player in recent memory. This season, though, Bale has truly become a world-class player. With another two goals this afternoon, Bale has now scored 9 goals in 22 Premier League appearances, eclipsing his tally from last season with a further 15 games remaining. Having always possesed immense pace and physicality (Bale stands 6 foot 1 inch, but similar to Valencia seems even taller), Bale has now worked on his touch and positioning to the point where he has been given a free-role by Spurs' Manager Harry Redknapp. Despite this, Bale still performs at his very best when positioned with his heels along the left touchline, and given the ball with space in front of him. Defenders have become so wary of Bale's devastating speed that they seem to be affording him even more space than in previous years. This tactic clearly suits Bale, as even when the winger chooses to have a footrace against an outside back with a five yard headstart, he often still glides past them. Exhibit A:
Some might argue that Bale's recent forays into the midfield, moreso than his progression as a winger, have allowed him to become such a fantastic player. However I must contend that Spurs benefit far more when Bale provides width out on the left; both Luka Modric and Scott Parker have an innate ability to find him in space when placed in such a position.
What truly allows Bale and Valencia to shine on the biggest of stages, though, might just be how incredibly and utterly one-footed each man plays. Surely, Bale can be seen every so often spraying a decent ball right footed across the pitch, but by and large he takes almost every touch he can with his majestic left boot. Valencia is an even worse offender of foot-bias; in today's match I counted TWO off-footed touches by the Ecuadorian, which seems like absolute lunacy for a world-class footballer. My father, while watching United play over the Christmas break, noted Valencia's one-footedness, and made a comment similar to the following; "Imagine what he'd be like if he could go left". My dad, highly intelligent though he may be, doesn't understand that it is precisely because Valencia incessantly goes to his right that he is so good. I've watched enough of United's games in the past three years to know that Valencia has a decent left foot; I recall him scoring a great lefty goal in the not so distant past, however the exact game in which this occured escapes me. It is by choice, rather than necessity, that he keeps attempting to best his while dribbling to his strong side. His play begs the question, why go left if no one can stop you going right? For Bale, the same seemingly obvious question also pertains, but of course to his opposite foot.
We live in an era of the game where players have become so fit and athletic that space on the pitch is extremely hard to come by. This, coupled with stubborn wingers who continually drift towards midfield, has drained futbol of the flowing beauty of the 1970's and 80's, when the game was slower and the play more creative. Gareth Bale and Antonio Valencia are not only the two best true wingers at this point in time, but they also provide the antidote for frustrating modern matches where play sometimes becomes slowed and error-ripe due to lack of space on the field. The duos' willingness to provide their respective sides with tremendous width is refreshing, and more often than not allows matches involving these stars to be more free-flowing, and generally more satisfying.
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