Spot on he wouldn't fit into their system. That's why I was a tad curious when Guiseppe Marotta came out publicly for him. Maybe Conte wants a more attacking approach to Lichsteiner who's a defender by trade but he has been one of their best performers so why change that. Who knows ? Though I found it a little strange that Nani replaced his Jorge Mendes with Federico Pastorello. IMO We made a big mistake not offloading him to Zenit earlier when they were reportedly offering 23 million. The best best we can hope or now is 12-15 million.
Luis Nani | 2013/14 Performances
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Spot on he wouldn't fit into their system. That's why I was a tad curious when Guiseppe Marotta came out publicly for him. Maybe Conte wants a more attacking approach to Lichsteiner who's a defender by trade but he has been one of their best performers so why change that. Who knows ? Though I found it a little strange that Nani replaced his Jorge Mendes with Federico Pastorello. IMO We made a big mistake not offloading him to Zenit earlier when they were reportedly offering 23 million. The best best we can hope or now is 12-15 million.
Why would Nani have wanted to go to Zenit
€€€ mate. They're owned by Gazprom. That's the same reason why Hulk went there, or Axel Witsel, or Lombaerts, or Danny, or Domenico Criscito; or Yann M'Villa at Rubin; or Eto'o, Carlos and Samba at Anzhi.
He signed a new contract at the beginning of the season. He's been injured all season, hence he hasn't played. It's not rocket science.
You think we were the same as Porto, Liege, etc?
He won medals in a top league instead
I want to see him given a run of games. He hasn't been given that in the last 2 years due to injuries and selection. He's one of our most unpredictable players and can create something out of nothing, he can beat his man cutting in or on the outside, he can cross, use either foot and his passing is good at times.
I think we all recognise his problems in terms of inconsistency but he can put runs together where he's incredible for 8-10 games. If we were to play him for a full season, I have no doubt he would reach double figures in terms of goals and assists.
I think we all recognise his problems in terms of inconsistency but he can put runs together where he's incredible for 8-10 games. If we were to play him for a full season, I have no doubt he would reach double figures in terms of goals and assists.
If we give him a decent run in the team and he doesnt respond and produce some of his better football I think everyone would accept its not going to happen here for him.
Averaging 40+ games up until last season. 21 last season. 11 so far in 2013/14.
This is in the context of Valencia and Young struggling desperately for form and Kagawa failing to hold down a place. If anything, he should have been racking up more appearances than ever before.
There's only three possible explanations for this.
1. His level of performance has declined (possibly mental fragility after the Carragher assault?) .
2. He's unable to stay fit.
3. Fergie suddenly took an intense personal dislike to him and Moyes never rated him either - despite making him the first player to sign a new contract during his reign.
1 or 2 (or a combination of both) is by far the most likely explanation. If he can stay fit for an extended period he might turn things round. The ball is in his court though.
This is in the context of Valencia and Young struggling desperately for form and Kagawa failing to hold down a place. If anything, he should have been racking up more appearances than ever before.
There's only three possible explanations for this.
1. His level of performance has declined (possibly mental fragility after the Carragher assault?) .
2. He's unable to stay fit.
3. Fergie suddenly took an intense personal dislike to him and Moyes never rated him either - despite making him the first player to sign a new contract during his reign.
1 or 2 (or a combination of both) is by far the most likely explanation. If he can stay fit for an extended period he might turn things round. The ball is in his court though.
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If he went to Juve, he would be back up to Tevez or used as a plan B in the Champions League, where Conte sometimes tried a 4-3-3 this year.
I may be wrong, but I remember reading that Conte wants to shift and was interested in playing 4-4-2 going forward. Nani can be a useful player if that is in the plans.
I'm not in anyway suggesting that we're like Porto or Liege mate. I think I made a mistake in putting forth my point. What I meant to say is that Nani has been a very inconsistent player for long. If we wanted to get rid we should have sold him to Zenit. And his motivation for moving there could have been a lot of money. I don't mean to say that he would like playing for an inferior team but money can be a deciding factor for some players especially when they're not a part of their current team's future plans. Ofc I don't know the ground realities and it's all speculation. Maybe DM sees him as a vital part of the squad evinced by the 5 year contract.
I dont think theres any way he moves to Zenit and forgoes another premier league medal. A club in a top league who will also win meaningful trophies? Then theres a chance he takes the money instead of the success.
Zenit wouldnt have been an option. As mentioned, the players Zenit got because they paid a lot of money for came from lesser leagues and didnt give up winning things in top leagues. Zenit also have a problem with racism among their fans
Mate will all due respect I'm not saying he would've 100 % moved to Zenit but as long as there's even a .001 % chance we can't dismiss the possibility. We can never fathom what's going on in Nani's mind. Maybe (can't put a number on the chances it's all conjecture) he feels that he's won enough, maybe winning titles is not his first priority any longer. A professional footballer's window is short and some go all out for money when they feel there's more to football than winning trophies. We can't discount that possibility. Otherwise the the likes of Samuel Eto'o wouldn't have moved moved to Anzhi having recently won the Champion's League. Money was a big factor in that transfer and Inter got good money for him, all the parties were happy. We can't negate any possibilities because all we're doing is purely speculating. None of us can tell for sure what goes on behind the scenes.
Would you give up a premier league medal you're likely to get at the end of the season to go mid season to Zenit where they'll abuse you racially, for a few extra bob?
It's not about me or you giving up championship mate. It's about what Nani wants, have I not reiterated it enough ? Do you have the keys to his mind and can you say for sure Nani would absolutely 110 % give up the lure of ridiculous money to win another medal ? If that's the case then I concede, you win the arguments, I have nothing more to say.
Anyone who doesnt want to go and live in Russia is probably gay.
I was indeed surprised that Moyes signed him for another five years. Although the cynical part of me thinks the boards sanctioned that so that he could be sold at a higher price later...but we shall see.
Unless we can get him fit & playing again, then he won't be worth that much however long his contract is. If we can get him fit and regularly playing, then I doubt we would want to sell him anyway.
What kind of injury has he got btw? He seems to be out injured for ages? Is his injury for real as there seems to be no expected back date. Isn't this strange?
A hamstring injury - either it's been horrendous one, unusual but not unheard of, or there is something personality wise. The latter would be hard to believe because we would have unloaded him if it had got that bad in January.
Not too sure about that. Hamstring injuries can be tricky. He's had a few of them already and seems to get them after a couple of matches. Perhaps Moyes is just making sure that he is fully healed.
I think I can agree with this, also about your definition of world class, and I too would put him in the bracket just below (at his best that is). The thing is, there weren't many better wingers at that time.
You are definitely well stocked in that area. I think Schürrle has been a bit disappointing. I heard that he was the fastest in the Bundesliga but was outpaced by an ageing Evra. Willian looks like a good prospect and will probably have a really good second season for you. Hazard is in that class that you just described above - just below world class, and I'm sad to say that I see no reason why he will not progress - he's a short way from world class that lad. You probably have the strongest squad in the league, bar top class strikers.
When is he returning to fitness?
If?
We've been saying this for 7 years
If
Yes, for those two years where he was amongst the best players in the league, and for a whole season was the best player in the league, that is exactly what we were saying.
Bloody hell. So the caf is back to the 'Nani is the answer' section of the boom-bust cycle.
Quality response there, bravo.
Well, you claimed we've been saying 'if' for seven years. If you'd kinda go and find me some examples of that from the last time Nani actually had a decent run in the first team I'd be much obliged.
How long he had the hamstring strain? Was that mild? I don't remember the last time he played.
Is this some sort of career threatening hamstring strain?
He'd need to a) stay fit and b) play well when picked to get this decent run he apparently needs to perform. The last time he did both those things, hey presto, he was one of the first names on every team sheet for 18 months or so. People are putting the cart before the horse here.
Re his hamstring. A really bad tear can mean months out. Sometimes even surgery. Mickey Owen ripped the shite out of one of his hammies once and almost missed an entire season.
It's the same as waiting for Anderson and Cleverley to recapture the form they showed in the CS win over City. Nani hasn't performed for years now, and it's time to move on.
Nani takes a lot of criticism from our fans but one thing he always brings to the team is a threat. Even in a terrible match he will create one or two big chances. I remember a Champions League game last season when everyone on the Caf slated him, granted he had played poorly, yet but for some abysmal finishing by the strikers he'd have come away from the game with 3 assists. You don't get get that from Young/Valencia, when they're poor they create nothing, they're a hindrance more than anything when not playing well.
The fitness or otherwise of Nani is the least of our problems at the moment.
Does it really matter when he comes back? Moyes will pick both young and Valencia over him anyway.
Doesnt really matter whether he is fit or injured. Doesnt really make much difference. He is very talented for sure but not reached his potential and will never reach it.
Being here so long but still a disappointment for me.
Being here so long but still a disappointment for me.
Apart from the games this season when he didn't, obviously.
Moyes dropped Nani as soon as he had a bad game where as Young and especially Valencia keep getting rewarded for incompetence.
Like yesterday I guess.
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