Antonio Valencia – CaughtOffside

Photo: Man United Legends scandalous decision to play with three ringers

Joe Dempsey — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 20:06:08 +0000

The ‘Legends’ tours that routinely take place across the world these days allows football fans from all corners of the planet to delight in watching their heroes from yesteryear one more time, however, supporters of Man United could’ve been forgiven for being a little confused when watching their recent Legends match against a World XI.

A photo published after the match on Antonio Valencia’s Instagram page showed a happy enough looking squad, despite the fact they’d just been beaten 8-3 according to talkSPORT.

In amongst the actual Man United Legends, however, were former Leicester City captain, Wes Morgan, legendary Internazionale keeper, Julio Cesar, and Nathan Dyer, none of whom have ever played for Man United at any stage of their careers.

For the Red Devils to have to bring a few ringers into the team to make up the numbers is more than a little embarrassing.

Picture courtesy of Antonio Valencia Instagram

Although going to watch a Legends match nowadays is generally considerably cheaper than going to watch current stars, patrons will still want to get value for money.

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Anyone watching that particular game might’ve felt a little short changed, and it would be interesting to see who at the club sanctioned such a decision.

The last thing the club need now is even more bad PR.

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Former Manchester United star slams Cristiano Ronaldo for “embarrassing” interview with Piers Morgan

Matthew Smith — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 10:27:43 +0000

Former Manchester United star Antonio Valencia has slammed Cristiano Ronaldo for his “embarrassing” interview with Piers Morgan.

Ronaldo was recently interviewed by Piers Morgan, where he didn’t hold back in his criticism of multiple members of the Manchester United hierarchy.

Shortly after, Manchester United announced that Ronaldo’s contract had been terminated and he will now be free to find himself a new club.

The Portuguese veteran was struggling to play regularly this season under Erik ten Hag, so offloading a player who was badmouthing the club seemed a no-brainer.

Now, former Manchester United man Valencia has slammed Ronaldo for his “embarrassing” interview.

“It’s a shame that Cristiano Ronaldo has left Manchester United the way he did. A player like him should have left with a full stadium applauding him. The fans adored him. The interview he gave was embarrassing. You will have your reasons for saying what you said, but I felt very bad about the way you left. It hurts. I hope all goes well for you at your new club. Wish you all the best,” said Valencia, in an interview with Diario AS.

Valencia of course wished the former Manchester United forward all the best in his next venture, but he was quick to criticise Ronaldo for his actions.

Having played for Manchester United for a number of years, Valencia knows the values of the club and has shown a lot of respect in the past, so he’s clearly not very understanding of why Ronaldo chose to do what he did.

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‘This is a horrendous look’ – These Manchester United fans react to shirt number for marquee signing Jadon Sancho

Lorenzo Martín — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 15:10:37 +0000

Some Manchester United fans have taken to social media to vent their frustration after it was officially announced that marquee summer signing Jadon Sancho will wear the No.25 for the Red Devils.

It’s clear that supporters expected the tricky attacker to be handed the iconic No.7 shirt, but Sancho will have to wait at least a season before that with the legendary number currently held by Edinson Cavani.

Instead, Sancho will sport the No.25, which was last held by boyhood fan and loanee Odion Ighalo, with the last notable holder of 25 in recent time being former captain Antonio Valencia.

Sancho will become the 10th player to represent United with the 25 also worn by Gary Walsh, Kevin Pilkington, Jordi Cruyff, Quinton Fortune, David Jones, Danny Simpson and Nick Powell in the past.

BBC Sport report that the deal to take the 21-year-old from Dortmund to Old Trafford is worth £73m.

See More: Cryptic social media message from Paul Pogba hints at impending Man United exit

New digits for @Sanchooo10 ??

? 2??5??#MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 23, 2021

Here is how some of the United faithful have reacted to the reveal:

This is a horrendous look. How do you not just make Cavani give the man the 7…?

— Andrew Southwick (@RedBeardedRed) July 23, 2021

You’re joking right?????

— ? (@ManLikeAnthony1) July 23, 2021

Is this a joke

— A.J. Al-Thani (@AJAlThani) July 23, 2021

Sancho 25? unpredictable.

— vrezanurf (@rezanurfanza) July 23, 2021

Glad it’s not 7?? but 25..?

— Farnaz (@Nazzzzzz1000) July 23, 2021

2+5 = 7 pic.twitter.com/AOfU2iwCHM

— ManUnitedMedia (@ManUnitedMedia) July 23, 2021

same vibes pic.twitter.com/QCzFu3uRPs

— DyI (@Dyliinho) July 23, 2021

There seems to be a childish fuss made about the number ordeal amongst some fans on social media.

It would be incredibly disrespectful to force Cavani to hand over the No.7 to Sancho after an impressive debut season, just for the sake of marketing and business reasons – things that fans have particularly expressed discontent with in relation to the club’s hierarchy.

It’s not the end of the world either, 25 is still a special number for Sancho, it is the date of his birth (March 25, 2000), whilst other fans have pointed out that two and five add up to seven anyway.

The post ‘This is a horrendous look’ – These Manchester United fans react to shirt number for marquee signing Jadon Sancho appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Manchester United captain announces his retirement from football

Eduardo Razo — Wed, 12 May 2021 19:58:39 +0000

A former Manchester United defender is calling it a career after nearly 20 years in professional football.

Antonio Valencia announced on Twitter his retirement from professional football. The Ecuador international spent a significant portion of his career with The Red Devils, but the 35-year-old is ready to hang up his boots and move to the next phase of his life.

“I was able to travel to Europe, which I would never have dreamed of. I played for Villarreal and Recreativo de Huelva, and then my second home: England. Wigan was a unique experience, and God allowed me to come to Manchester United and be their captain,” Valencia said.

Potential move for wonderkid came after former Man United favourite recommended him to the club

Tom McNeil — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 16:00:32 +0000

Most clubs will have scouts who look to cover every part of the world, but sometimes it can pay off to have a player from another country who still enjoys close relations.

Man United signed Facundo Pellistri from Penarol after he was managed by Diego Forlan for a while so you have to think that connection helped there, while it also looks like Antonio Valencia could have played a role in United’s interest in Moises Caicedo.

The Ecuadorian midfielder has been impressive back in his homeland and he’s even forced his way into the national team, while our friends at Stretty News have looked further into the situation.

Why Odion Ighalo picked No.25 shirt as ex-Man Utd ace sends classy message

Ron Carne — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 14:08:20 +0000

Man Utd striker Odion Ighalo has revealed why he decided to pick the No.25 shirt while he has been sent a wonderful message from Antonio Valencia.

As noted by BBC Sport, the 30-year-old has joined the Red Devils on loan for the rest of this season as he looks to provide Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a much-needed boost up top.

SEE MORE: Manchester United coach tells wonderkid how he can break into the first-team

Particularly after Marcus Rashford’s injury blow last month, United are lacking in experience and depth in attack, and so they will be hoping that the former Watford star can give them a helping hand in the coming months.

Speaking in an interview on the club’s official site, Ighalo has now explained his decision to wear the No.25 shirt, and it’s arguably fair to say that it’s not quite as personal or sentimental as many would think.

“Well, I think that number and number 19 were available,” he said.

“When I was at Watford I wore the number 24 and it was not available.

“In Shanghai I had number nine and that was not available. So I said to myself that 24 plus one is 25, so I said ‘okay let me go with the number 25 instead of 19’.

The No.25 shirt was of course available after Valencia left Old Trafford last year, and the former Man Utd stalwart was on hand to post a classy message to Ighalo on his Instagram account as seen below.

His caption read: “I always saw the number 25 as an opportunity to work beyond my dreams. It has been my inspiration and became my amulet. I wish you all the success now with this shirt brother!”

Time will tell whether or not Ighalo’s arrival will give Man Utd the boost that they’re looking for in the final third, as he could now make his debut against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on February 17.

United have managed just 36 goals in 25 league games so far this season, giving them the second lowest tally of the top seven sides in the standings.

Further, with Rashford now sidelined too, they needed to bring in another striker and they decided that Ighalo was the man for the job. Whether or not he can prove they were right remains to be seen…

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Manchester United team of the decade: Heavy reliance on Sir Alex Ferguson’s signings and no Paul Pogba

Tom McNeil — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 10:00:04 +0000

It’s probably a bit much to try and coin a new cliche of “a decade of two halves” but it’s certainly clear that the past ten years were split between Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign and then everything that followed.

There might be signs that things are turning round now, but the David Moyes disaster set the team back several years so it was always going to take a while to recover.

When constructing this team it seemed important to ignore a lot of players who played and had their best years between 2000 and 2009, but it actually looks like the tail end of some careers were still better than the prime years of some of the current squad.

There’s a heavy reliance on the Sir Alex Ferguson signings in this team, but it’s difficult to make an argument for most of the current players.

GK – David de Gea

It does feel like it’s either feast or famine in the Manchester United goal. We’ve seen greats like de Gea, Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar alongside players like Ben Foster, Tomasz Kuszczak and Roy Carroll over the years.

De Gea might have tailed off a bit in the past year, but he’s still one of the best goalkeepers in the world and you could argue the club might have been in an even worse state if it wasn’t for his saves. There’s been times when it’s felt like the Spaniard has had single handedly won games for United and he’s come a long way from the mistake-prone and weak looking keeper that first arrived from Atletico Madrid.

He might still be suspect from crosses at times, but there’s a legitimate case to be made for de Gea being United’s best player of the decade.

Where would they be without him?

Right Back – Antonio Valencia

The evolution of Valencia over the years has been interesting to watch. When he first arrived he was lightning quick and would take players on for fun, that trait disappeared over the years as he would often just stand in front of a defender and hope they might move out of the way and let him get a cross in.

His pace and sheer determination led to him having a successful rebirth as a full back. He clearly worked on his positioning and defensive awareness as the years went on, but his aggression and quickness allowed him to make up for any defensive deficiencies that he had.

He’s not good enough to go down as an all time great, he played a lot of games and will be fondly remembered, but his constant presence is a big sign of how far the club dropped off over the years. Aaron Wan-Bissaka looks like an obvious upgrade and if he can improve his attacking skills, then he might end up as a genuinely top class option.

Centre back – Nemanja Vidic

There’s no doubt that the turn of the decade saw the Serbian start to decline, but as long as he wasn’t facing Fernando Torres he still seems like a better option than the likes of Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Chris Smalling or anyone else who has featured.

At his best he was utterly dominant in the air and his snarling aggression would scare the life out of his opponent as he gave them no room to do anything. Injuries and age did start to catch up with him, but he still had some great years in this decade and the competition for this position is pretty low.

An incredible duo

Centre Back – Rio Ferdinand

Similarly to the inclusion of Vidic, these weren’t Ferdinand’s best years but he’s still miles ahead of those who came after him. His pace did start to fade but he notably improved his positioning and his concentration got better as the years went on. It’s possible that he was forced to pay more attention as he couldn’t rely on his quickness to bail him out anymore.

The inclusion of Ferdinand and Vidic in here is a damning indictment of all the players that came after them, as the tail end of their careers still looks better than other players who were supposedly playing at their best. The defence has been poor for a while and only the presence of David de Gea allowed the team to hand around the Champions League spots after Ferguson left.

Left Back – Patrice Evra

It’s highly likely that this place would’ve gone to Luke Shaw if he didn’t suffer that horrendous injury against PSV. There were times where Shaw looked unstoppable and was probably the main attacking threat in the team, but he’s not got anywhere near those standards since the injury.

Patrice Evra is a fine example of a player who got better as he got older. He wasn’t tall but was surprisingly effective in the air and his presence as a leader and a likeable character with the fans will see him go down as one of the most fondly remembered players in recent years.

He was virtually ever-present until he left to join Juventus in 2014 and probably wasn’t fully appreciated until after he left. Solid defensively and a threat going forward, he’s probably the pick of the back line.

Central midfield – Michael Carrick

Another player who it’s much easier to appreciate after he’s gone. It’s fair to say that this current United side would pay a lot of money to get someone like Michael Carrick in his prime just now. He was outstanding at linking the defence and the midfield and always kept the ball moving, but also had the ability to ping a penetrating pass from deep.

He’s the type of elegant player who might have been more appreciated if he played abroad, but his presence and contribution wasn’t lost on the United fans. He also had the ability to fill in at centre back, and should go down as one of the greatest Premier League midfielders in recent times.

Underappreciated?

Central Midfield – Ander Herrera

This place should belong to Paul Pogba when you consider how much talent he has, his tendency to go missing when it matters and putting himself over the team at vital moments – those penalty run ups are the perfect example – demonstrate why he isn’t the team player that United need.

I’ll move on before this turns into a Graeme Souness style rant, so the other central spot goes to Ander Herrera. Criminally under rated and another perfect example of not knowing what you have until it’s gone.

He was billed as an elegant number 10 when he came from Bilbao, but he proved he can be the complete midfielder. He could control the game if he needed to, would run around and cover the whole pitch when required and would doggedly mark the opposition’s star player out of the game when given that task.

He’s the closest thing to the complete midfielder that United have had in the past few years, and seems like the kind of player that Sir Alex would’ve used to his maximum potential if he had him in his prime.

Right wing – Nani

It’s been a long time since United had an outstanding right winger, so this shouldn’t be seen as a ringing endorsement for Nani. We’ve seen Juan Mata played as a kind of wide play maker, Jesse Lingard could be stuck on the right if needed while Daniel James might prove to be the long term solution, but it’s not been a strong point for a while.

Nani was unbelievably frustrating as a player, but did have an outstanding couple of seasons at the start of the decade. He was great with the ball at his feet and always kept the defenders guessing, unfortunately he often kept his teammates guessing as nobody knew what he would attempt to do next.

He could’ve been an elite talent if he stayed fit and found more consistency, but he still produced some great moments.

Number 10 – Wayne Rooney

Finally we can start to get to some of the genuinely excellent players from the past ten years. His legacy might be slightly tainted by staying around too long and he became a liability in the end , but at his peak he was unstoppable and carried the team through games.

The 2011-2012 season was the particular highlight, he scored 34 goals and suddenly started to score headers in every game, that was widely credited to the fantastic deliveries from Antonio Valencia also in this team, but he was genuinely fantastic and kept them in the Champions League final defeat to the great Barcelona team.

An all-time England and Manchester United great, his last couple of seasons weren’t his best but probably the best player in the team when he was on form.

An all-time great

Left Wing – Marcus Rashford

The past few weeks have played a big part in this inclusion, but it’s well deserved. He represents what Manchester United stand for as a club, he came through the academy and plays with pace and ambition. When he’s on form he’s exciting to watch and he’s shown he can carry a poor team to victory this season.

He probably suffered under Jose Mourinho as he loves to try and shackle the talented and unpredictable players, but he’s finally broken out and already has the most goals in a single season this year and there’s still months to go.

He looks like he should be a megastar for the club over the next few years, but is well worth his inclusion in this team.

Striker – Robin van Persie

It showed just how much Arsenal had fallen away when they allowed van Persie to join United in 2012. In hindsight it looks like Sir Alex Ferguson bought him as one final weapon to use in his final year, but he was utterly devastating that season and led United to an easy title victory.

He scored 58 goals in 105 games and looked like the perfect striker for the team. He could finish when slotted through on goal, could produce something in a crowded box or if all else fails you could just thump a long diagonal that he would volley in from distance. Exciting to watch and incredibly clinical, at his best he was one of the best strikers in world football.

Still a sore one for Arsenal fans

Manager – Sir Alex Ferguson –

It’s not even up for discussion, David Moyes was a shambles, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho sucked the joy out of Old Trafford and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is starting to turn things round, but it’s not even close.

Notable mentions/subs

Scott McTominay – This is a clear case of the Scottish bias coming in, but he’s starting to become invaluable to the team and it’s always great to see a youth player come through. Relentless energy, up for a scrap and capable of grabbing the odd decisive goal, he’s not good enough for the squad at this point but is a shining light of recent years.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – He ran van Persie close and did manage 28 goals in his first season, but the injury ruined him and he never looked like getting back into the team. He shut up every doubter who claimed he couldn’t do it in the Premier League and will be fondly remembered at Old Trafford.

Paul Scholes – A wonderful player who came back from retirement to ensure another title win,, he was still brilliant but his legs had gone at that point. One for the best team of all time, but still had some nice moments in this decade.

The real story this decade for United has been the players who played so much despite being nowhere near the standard required. People like Phil Jones, Ashley Young, Chris Smalling and Fellaini all played a lot of games despite being nowhere near the standard required for a Champions League team.

The signs of recovery are there, hopefully this time in ten years we will see a team full of players at their prime who were among the best in the world.

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Solskjaer planned radical Man Utd clear-out after succeeding Mourinho in hot seat

James Westwood — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 18:53:51 +0000

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted to offload nine first-team players when he first took the managerial reigns at Old Trafford.

The Norwegian was drafted in to replace Jose Mourinho on an interim basis back in January and managed to oversee a huge turnaround in results initially, with United picking up 15 wins from his first 17 matches across all competitions.

Solskjaer was rewarded with a three-year contract in March, but United’s form took a huge dive thereafter, culminating in a disappointing sixth-place Premier League finish.

The Red Devils have started the 2019-20 campaign in a similar fashion, picking up just nine points from a possible 24 to hover just above the relegation zone.

Solskjaer sold Romelu Lukaku and Mateo Darmian during the summer transfer window, while also allowing Ander Herrera and Antonio Valencia to leave the club at the end of their contracts.

Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling were sent out on loan, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Daniel James and Harry Maguire the only incomings at Old Trafford ahead of the new season.

Solskjaer has come under intense pressure at the start of the season

According to BBC Sport, Solskjaer planned a radical clear-out at United after succeeding Mourinho in the hot seat, which is still not quite complete.

The report states that he wanted to get rid of nine players in total, which means he might still be aiming to sell three more senior stars when the market reopens in January.

The Red Devils were widely criticised for failing to sign replacements for the likes of Lukaku and Herrera, with Solskjaer now severely lacking options in midfield and upfront.

United are short on depth at the moment, which means the 46-year-old might have to change his stance on transfers in 2020 and focus on bringing in extra reinforcements while keeping the spine of his current squad intact.

‘We’re moving in the right direction’ – Man Utd ace praises Solskjaer for his bold approach at Old Trafford

James Westwood — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 15:54:56 +0000

Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira has credited Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for bringing through the younger members of his squad this summer.

The Red Devils finished sixth in the Premier League last season, missing out on a place in the Champions League while also failing to land a single piece of silverware.

Solskjaer’s rigorous pre-season schedule ensured that the players improved their fitness levels significantly while winning all six of their friendly matches on tours of Australia, the United States and Asia.

MORE: Star gives classy response to recent transfer away from Manchester United

The Norwegian boss also set about lowering the average age of his squad, with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Ander Herrera, Matteo Darmian, Antonio Valencia and Chris Smalling all shipped away from Old Trafford.

United have only won one of their first four matches at the start of the 2019-20 campaign, but Pereira insists they are finally “heading in the right direction” after a difficult transitional period.

The Brazilian ace has praised Solskjaer for his bold approach when it comes to promoting younger players at Old Trafford and he is hoping to repay his faith over the next 11 months.

Pereira told the Independent: “For me, it has been massive.

“It’s very important to me that he speaks highly about me and I just want to do my best on the pitch to show the faith back to him.

Andreas Pereira in action for Man United

“It’s very important for the young players to be given this confidence and then, if you have the chance, you have to take it with both hands.”

The Red Devils opened the season with an impressive 4-0 win over Chelsea at home, before earning a draw away at Wolves a week later.

However, a shocking home defeat against Crystal Palace on August 24 dampened the optimism around Old Trafford and Solskjaer’s side followed up that result by dropping another two points away at Southampton.

Solskjaer played major role in 29-year-old ace’s decision to secure transfer away from Man Utd

James Westwood — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 05:48:07 +0000

Matteo Darmian left Manchester United to join Italian side Parma on deadline day after crunch talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

According to BBC Sport, Darmian signed a four-year deal at Parma on Monday, bringing to an end his four-season stay at Old Trafford.

After being brought in by Louis van Gaal back in 2015, the 29-year-old never quite managed to earn a regular spot in United’s starting XI, falling down the pecking order under the Dutchman before also falling out of favour with his successors Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer.

The Italian ace had yet to feature for the Red Devils at the start of the new season and amid rumours of a possible return to his homeland, Solskjaer made his stance on the full-back’s future clear.

The Daily Star reports that the Norwegian boss played a major role in Darmian’s decision to secure a transfer away from Old Trafford, informing the defender that he was not in his plans for the 2019-20 campaign during a one-to-one meeting.

Darmian left Man United to join Parma on Monday

Solskjaer has been ruthless when it comes to axing players this summer, with Darmian following Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku, Chris Smalling, Ander Herrera and Antonio Valencia out of the United exit door.

The Italy international will surely rediscover his best form at Parma, where he is likely to be granted first-team football, week in, week out.

At Old Trafford, he would have been forced to spend another year on the fringes of the action, which is why the move was ultimately best for both parties.

That being said, Darmian’s versatility made him a great extra option for United and as the season progresses they might end up missing his presence if injuries and suspensions come into play.

The Red Devils have started the new season with just one win in four despite Solskjaer’s bold transfer policy, which may well be called into question even further if results don’t pick up quickly over the next couple of months.