Player Review

So, I had the luck to pack Valencia as an untradeable object in a pack I got from the Golden Upgrade Challenge. With a value of 40k, he is one of the more expensive RBs and I decided to use him in my first squad. Therefore, I sold my old team and build a new one around him as his stats really impressed me.

Pace:

87 pace combined with 85 physics make Valencia absolutely amazing. He is really rapid, though not that fast as Kyle Walker, but with his PHY stats (85 strength) he doesn't let any defender past him. Also the 87 pace makes him catch attackers that would have been gone with slower fullbacks. I didn't even use Anchor or Shadow to further boost this stat as it is not really needed thanks to his physical stats.

Attacking (Passing, Dribbling):

First of all, the formation I used was a 4-3-3 (4) with Mkhtaryan and Herrera infront of him and Rüdiger besides him in the CB. I have to state that I think that this formation or at least any formation with wingers suits him very well or can maybe be even the best option for him. And I'll tell you why. With a winger infront of him you can easily do a one-two and get behind the back for on the wings in order to cross it into the middle. With a crossing rating of 85 he is one of the best Crossers in his position. I even used the Chemistry Style Backbone on him, which made him have 95! crossing. His passing is decent as well (especially with Backbone) and he does not make mistakes. 77 Short Passing is about right for a RB. I honestly prefer fullbacks that have a higher passing as my playing style concentrates on keeping possession and passing often. This is why I decided to boost his passing stats even more and I can say that it was worth it.

With respect to shooting i can barely say anything as I did not shoot with him at all. However, I think there are worse options for an RB if you want him to score goals.

Of course his 1* Weak Foot is clearly a con. However, with him being a RB it is not that fatal as he doesn't get to use his weak foot quite often. When you run down the wing, you can easily cross it into the middle with his strong foot and it is mostly accurate. I would suggest a taller striker, who is capable of winning headers. This way it is easy to score a lot of goals. I myself used Jesus IF, who was superb but not big enough to score a lot of headers. Nevertheless, with a bit of training you can improve your crossing ability and play to ball to the right spot and you will even score some goals with smaller players.

Also, his dribbling is great for a RB! He has 86 reactions which is a clear con and almost every stat above 80 and you can clearly see that in game. His dribbling is more like a CM than a RB and I think that is one of the bigger advantages of him over Kyle Walker as well as his crossing ability.

Defending:

He has 78 Defending which is quite good for a RB as well. Interceptions as well as standing tackles both are above 80 and I think that these are the most important defensive stats of that category. Further, he is 180cm (5'10'') of height which is a pro as well. He wins most headers against the wingers even when crosses come in. Especially this FIFA is very important and he really did not struggle to win the headers. But also his marking and sliding tackle stats are good enough. I would suggest to use any Chemistry Style that improves his defensive stats and I promise you, there is no way getting past him. Which leads us to the next point...

Physics:

One Word: Pure Class. He is an absolute beast as I already said in the title. With 85 PHY overall you will already have noticed that he is really a monster. He pushes every attacker away, especially those that are really weak don't stand a chance. 85 Strength (95 if you use Backbone on him) make him insuperable and his stamina (90) is insane. He can easily run 120 minutes and won't even breathe heavily. This is one of the big advantages of Valencia as he won't get slower late in the game. Rather, he gets better when you consider that wingers loose their stamina.

Conclusion:

I totally recommend you to buy Antonio Valencia. Even though 40k seems to be a bit expensive for a RB (still cheaper than Walker) he is totally worth the money. Of course you could argue that there are several good RBs that do not cost that much, but you haven't used Valencia so far then. I haven't used any better fullback yet (Carvajal, Juanfran, Semedo, Alaba, Filipe Luis) and I probably never will for this amount of money until the TOTS will launch. Further, with the high number of good United players, Valencia can be linked quite easily in hybrids. I would say that the combination of 87 Pace, 85 PHY and 78 DEF make him a perfect defender. His dribbling and crossing abilities are also a huge con which give you more attacking options. The only con I see is his 1* weak foot. But with respect to his position you can be certain that it does not have an impact on the game.