It's taken seven years, but finally someone has noticed.
Time to retire from the Caf, I think.
Luis Nani | 2012/13 Performances
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran are here to talk about a frustrating 2 points dropped at Crystal Palace. They then discuss the regeneration of Old Trafford. Finally, Nik is joined by special guest Michael Statham from the Football Oranje podcast - who gives us a more in depth look at our EL opposition FC Twente, and then runs through the (many) Dutch connections currently at United.
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It's taken seven years, but finally someone has noticed.
Time to retire from the Caf, I think.
You're just being a tad hypocritical though, it's hardly fair to say that those of us who think Nani is a very good player is purely because we are mesmerized by his tricks and flair, is it?
From what I've read, the most fanatical Nani supporters (yourself and Top, for example) are much more impressed by his ability to cross the ball and beat a man rather than tricks.
As much as the lad frustrates the hell out of me I can't help but feel that letting this lad go would be a huge mistake, and one that would probably come back and bite us on the arse. I hope that whatever has happened behind the scenes get sorted sharpish and a contract is signed soon.
It certainly doesn't help Nani's situation when he punches team mates in the face though.
It certainly doesn't help Nani's situation when he punches team mates in the face though.
I'm an idiot though who knows feck all about football so don't get carried away. And a nani fanboy
Yeah, I don't mind his tricks, they can get the crowd going and such, but I don't particularly care about them either cause they can be needless (like his backheel against Chelsea). The idea of taking his flair away baffles me a little though. He can put crosses into the box that other wingers can only dream of, and when on form he doesn't even need to use his pace to beat defenders, he just makes fools of them.
Put it this way, if he was told to take that aspect out of his game and be more like Valencia (get a yard of space, drill in a cross), he wouldn't be as good as Valencia at that, because he's not as quick and his crossing isn't as consistent.
I wouldn't even characterise Nani as a player who does a lot of tricks, it's all about clever footwork with him. Someone like Di Maria seems more reliant on tricks for one.
An overly aggressive statement, and I apologize. I guess I went along with the tone of the thread, which wasn't the right way to go.
The point I was trying to make was its easy to get enchanted by those tricks, they look brilliant when they come good and make us all jump from our seats but it's doing the easy things right, and consistently, that makes a great player. When fans are discussing Nani on forums, me included, we often tend to take sides, seemingly on opposite sides of the spectrum, when it is possible to criticize a player constructively. Everyone wants one of their own players to succeed, and would be proud if he is counted as one of the best in the business. No hates their own players, not the ones with a modicum of sanity anyways.
Fair enough mate, for the record, I don't get the impression that you actually dislike him, unlike others.
Talking about style rather than actual quality (before everyone gets pissy), Nani's dribbling style is much closer to Messi's than Ronaldo's. He has faster feet, better control and a quicker brain than his opponent, and he simply finds the route between the attempted tackles.
The view that dribbling is his only talent annoys me though. On form he's a wonderful crosser and a brilliant passer too. He's pulled off passes like this (below) a few times for us. Technically, in my experience, it is the most difficult long pass in football, and he executes it perfectly here under pressure and running at full speed. I'm confident Scholes wouldn't have been able to pull this off in the same circumstances.
The view that dribbling is his only talent annoys me though. On form he's a wonderful crosser and a brilliant passer too. He's pulled off passes like this (below) a few times for us. Technically, in my experience, it is the most difficult long pass in football, and he executes it perfectly here under pressure and running at full speed. I'm confident Scholes wouldn't have been able to pull this off in the same circumstances.
That chipped goal on Wednesday wasn't half sublime, he's done that over & over again too.
Something Rooney's been trying to do for 2 years & hasn't got one right yet.
Something Rooney's been trying to do for 2 years & hasn't got one right yet.
He's now done it against Spurs, City, Arsenal and now Chelsea. Not bad
He also had one identical pass against Milan few years ago, when we beat them 4-0, it was for Rooney's second goal if I remember well.
Rooney has chipped many keepers.
Different type of chip anyway. Nani's chip is his one-on-one shot of choice, and is the most effective if you're a skilful enough player to get them right consistently (Messi almost always opts for it too). Rooney's chips, which do seem to have failed quite a bit recently, are long-distance 'goalie off his line' shots, more ambitious.
Am a huge fan of his but i wouldnt go as far as calling him a brilliant passer. Also, you have no way of knowing whether Scholes would have been able to pull off that pass. In any case, Nani can only dream of passing a football like Scholes. No slight on him ofcourse but it was strange to say confidently that Scholes couldnt have pulled it out.
Problem with that chip was that it gave some people the impression that "only he could have made that goal" when I think most of our players could played a one two and finished that one but not in such an extravagant fashion.
Rooney has dinked over the keeper in a one on one, too?
Cina said that and in fairness to him, he was talking about the entire play right from Nani dinking it over a player in our half to the goal.
Really thought we had our confident 'cocky' Nani back last Wednesday...he looked really bright and took the goal so well. Strangely, instead of pushing on after scoring he seemed to disappear into his shell again culminating in 'that' loss of possession.
So frustrating because everything is there for him to shine.
So frustrating because everything is there for him to shine.
Probably, yes. But it isn't his signature finish like Nani. He prefers to slot it past, which is also very effective.
Varun_Utd said:
Well of course Scholes is the better passer, he's the best passer of his generation. But Nani, on form, is a brilliant passer. As good a passer as a dribbler. The consistency with which he engineers counter-attacks - which almost always involve the most challenging passes because you have to pick out one player on your team amongst everyone they have back very quickly and often at a full sprint or under heavy pressure - proves that much.
I maintain that Scholes (Scholes now, not a younger Scholes who was more mobile and less specialised) couldn't and wouldn't have produced that pass. I don't think I've ever seen him do that type of pass, for one thing (trivela, banana, outside-of-the-foot-curler, whatever you want to call it). His passing is often ambitious, but never at the expense of care. That pass by Nani could not have been careful, it was always a massive gamble.
Scholes couldn't do that pass?! That's absolutely ridiculous.
Alright, you seem to rate his passing higher than me. I think Nani's a good passer but brilliant is something i reserve for few. Never mind.
Regarding the 2nd paragraph, i dont agree at all. 60 yard cross field passes over the top of a full back to a running winger isnt a careful pass by a long stretch and Scholes produces it week in week out, we take it for granted because its Scholes attempting them. There's a massive gamble involved which is why you see so few players trying it out.
He's done it in each of his last two games, letting it roll across his body and then effortlessly clipping it out to Valencia with the outside of his boot, pin-point. At least one of them will be on the MOTD highlights I'm sure. He certainly wouldn't have tried that pass though, you're right, because it needed to be absolutely perfect. He would've just cut back inside, chipped it over the top and given Song no chance of intercepting it.
I do agree Nani's passing ability does get somewhat understated though, IMO it's been the biggest improvement in his game since he's been here. It wouldn't surprise me if Nani is more capable of playing that particular kind of pass because Scholes has never excelled at putting curl on the ball (if he did he probably would've taken free kicks given how good his shooting is). Few centre mids do excel at doing that actually, Pirlo's one of the only ones who does it consistently.
Nani is capable of brilliant passes and through balls, like his little dink to RVP against Cluj last week (I think?), and his amazing one for Ronaldo in the Euros. He's probably one of the best in our squad at link up play too, one-twos and such.
His overall passing percentage is never that great (usually around 80%) so it's clear that he does have short comings, usually with simpler passes, which I guess sums him up at times.
His overall passing percentage is never that great (usually around 80%) so it's clear that he does have short comings, usually with simpler passes, which I guess sums him up at times.
Do you ever...I mean ever, contribute anything that actully makes any sense??
Agreed. The goal was sublime and he is capable of causing problems.
Nani's passing is certainly something that gets overlooked when talking about his abilities. He is known for beating his man, with a bit of skill and great technical ability but his clever footwork and quick passing is probably his greatest asset I feel. He's shown on enough occasions that he has the speed of mind to be able to play a free-flowing style of play, such as the goal vs City in the Charity Shield, or the chance created for RvP against Cluj.
He also looks like one of those players who could really gel with Kagawa, due to his ability to roam the pitch and be equally strong with both feet, as Kagawa is (I think?)
I'd bet that a reason that Kagawa hasn't had the effect on the team that some have expected is due to Nani not being there. Valencia doesn't have the ambidextrous ability to bring the best out of Kagawa, whereas I think Nani would do. It'd be a real shame to lose Nani regardless of Kagawa, but personally I think it'd be a really stupid move to get rid of him as he could potentially form a deadly relationship with our new acquisition.
He also looks like one of those players who could really gel with Kagawa, due to his ability to roam the pitch and be equally strong with both feet, as Kagawa is (I think?)
I'd bet that a reason that Kagawa hasn't had the effect on the team that some have expected is due to Nani not being there. Valencia doesn't have the ambidextrous ability to bring the best out of Kagawa, whereas I think Nani would do. It'd be a real shame to lose Nani regardless of Kagawa, but personally I think it'd be a really stupid move to get rid of him as he could potentially form a deadly relationship with our new acquisition.
All from the Gala game. Nobody seems to agree with me but I thought he was very good in it, bar the shit penalty.
He's a bit too in love with the football though. Everytime he gets it, he has to give it a little cuddle.
Apart from the penalty he was great Cina. I'm glad somebody else agrees with me, at the time I was in the newbies and most of them slated him for his performance, probably due to the penalty miss. It was a game where he really shone, as did Evra who is involved in the 2/3 of the clips above.
Was it that game where he played Hernandez through and almost scored? If you look at gif 1, if Kagawa scored from that shot the Caf would have erupted saying that Nani is vital to Kagawa's influence to the team. As it is, he didn't score and I bet that that incident has been forgotten by most.
Was it that game where he played Hernandez through and almost scored? If you look at gif 1, if Kagawa scored from that shot the Caf would have erupted saying that Nani is vital to Kagawa's influence to the team. As it is, he didn't score and I bet that that incident has been forgotten by most.
I'm with you. Said so at the time and got shouted down (I was probably still in the Newbs at that point though.) Really the only game when a form Kagawa and Nani both played and they looked very good indeed together.
Snap. And twice, actually. Both should have been scored, and one was an absolute sitter which Hernandez embarrassingly scuffed. Nani could easily have ended up with four assists in that game if our strikers hadn't been misfiring and luck had gone our way a bit. And yet people came out ranting about him. Bizarre.
Nani can be frustrating, but i think he has got the lot, and i will be very disappointed if he goes. I will view it as a failure on the part of SAF to have given up on a player who imo he has failed to get the best out of.
Maybe we should try a different role for Nani as a wide forward in a front 3. That could be his best position for me, closer to the edge of the box, where he can be at his most dangerous. He can go on either foot and just as we saw on Wed, in that type of area he is near impossible to stop.
Cmon SAF, get it to work. If you don't like him as a winger, then give him a go as a wide forward like he plays for Portugal. this guy should be a world beater, and imo the only reason he isn't, is because i believe he is not as comfortable on the touchline, as he is closer to the box.
Maybe we should try a different role for Nani as a wide forward in a front 3. That could be his best position for me, closer to the edge of the box, where he can be at his most dangerous. He can go on either foot and just as we saw on Wed, in that type of area he is near impossible to stop.
Cmon SAF, get it to work. If you don't like him as a winger, then give him a go as a wide forward like he plays for Portugal. this guy should be a world beater, and imo the only reason he isn't, is because i believe he is not as comfortable on the touchline, as he is closer to the box.
Was hoping he would get a bit more than 10 minutes today. After the sending off for Wilshere we looked a bit flat and could have done with a change. Didn't have much time to prove himself, but he did track back well a few times which is something that seems to go unnoticed a lot with the whole myth that he doesn't put in a shift defensively.
Expect him to start on wednesday. A game in Portugal could be good for his confidence. Really hoping he can turn this whole situation around.
Expect him to start on wednesday. A game in Portugal could be good for his confidence. Really hoping he can turn this whole situation around.
I expected to see Nani storming against the defenders trying one thing and then the next trying to impress. However, thankfully he is mature enough to play the ball simple. I miss watching him take on his defender - it's so much fun - remember him versus Clichy?
Watched a bit of Hazard this season and he's a very good player and I know he is younger and he's still settling but he hasn't done anything to make me think he is any better than Nani. That's not be derogatory towards Hazard but they did pay £30m+.
I couldn't wait for him to come on! Watching Valencia yesterday was very frustrating! If Nani had had performed like Valencia he would have been hauled off at halftime and been trending on twitter about how crap he is!
Valencia was up against the worst left back in the league and was woeful!
Valencia was up against the worst left back in the league and was woeful!
Valencia wasn't woeful yesterday, what game did you watch cacs?
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