Luis Nani | 2013/14 Performances

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There's a reason why he gets little criticism on here compared to others that under perform and it's not because we're all fanboys. The lad really does have tremendous ability, unlike Anderson who was never amazing to begin with. I'd love him to get one more chance under Van Gaal.
 
There's a reason why he gets little criticism on here compared to others that under perform and it's not because we're all fanboys. The lad really does have tremendous ability, unlike Anderson who was never amazing to begin with. I'd love him to get one more chance under Van Gaal.
To be fair he used to get plenty of criticism back in the days when he played regularly. I remember because I used to criticise him. But you are partly right, I think, in the sense that he got a lot of criticism even when he played relatively well, because he set his own standards so high. Lesser players wouldnt have frustrated people so much because nobody would think they were capable of more anyway.
 
He really is a superb player when it all comes together. Still think a move is best for all parties though. He's had a good career with us but I can't see him becoming the player he once was and we need some fresh legs in there.
His legs are as fresh as they come considering how little he has played within the last 2 seasons.
He has the ability to destroy any defense but my concern is what happens when he has or is perceived to have a bad game, will the fans boo him again?
To be honest as much as I love Utd I don't think I could ever recover from being booed by my own fans.
Nani must be mentally stronger than I thought. Maybe his ego allows him to block all negativity, remember this man had a statue of himself in his foyer and he now has an 'N' styled in his hair.
If he can handle future abuse I hope he stays. When fit he is a definite starter for a top 5 national team no other player can say that.
 
LVG obviously rates him - he was awesome against Bayern in the CL when Nani ending up playing as a number 9

didnt he block a move for Nani to Juve as well.....

I think he deserves another chance - if we are trimming the squad Young should go first
 
To be fair he used to get plenty of criticism back in the days when he played regularly. I remember because I used to criticise him. But you are partly right, I think, in the sense that he got a lot of criticism even when he played relatively well, because he set his own standards so high. Lesser players wouldnt have frustrated people so much because nobody would think they were capable of more anyway.

That's a good point.
 
His legs are as fresh as they come considering how little he has played within the last 2 seasons.
He has the ability to destroy any defense but my concern is what happens when he has or is perceived to have a bad game, will the fans boo him again?
To be honest as much as I love Utd I don't think I could ever recover from being booed by my own fans.
Nani must be mentally stronger than I thought. Maybe his ego allows him to block all negativity, remember this man had a statue of himself in his foyer and he now has an 'N' styled in his hair.
If he can handle future abuse I hope he stays. When fit he is a definite starter for a top 5 national team no other player can say that.
Some fans in other European countries can be a lot harsher than ours to be fair. If that is the reason he is leaving he might find in 12 months time he's taken one step forward and two steps back.
 
That's a good point.
C'mon we all know the reason why he is so heavliy criticised. Its not because of he "high standards he has set for himself".
The English media hardly ever gives him any praise for the same reason.
 
Will be very interesting to see how our Nani does at the World Cup, I wouldn't be surprised if he puts in some really good performances for Portugal.

Some fans in other European countries can be a lot harsher than ours to be fair. If that is the reason he is leaving he might find in 12 months time he's taken one step forward and two steps back.

Adebisi man, you postin' up here? I thought you made Kareem Saïd stab you, and all the blood and all meant you were enjoying African after life. So it's a bit surprising to see you here. (I'm sorry I really couldn't help myself, I started binge watching Oz last week and last night was the episode where you, er... got hurt. Ridiculously good show)
 
It is depressing, especially when you see what Nani's capable of, at his best.

It's fairly obvious that the reason Nani didn't get games wasn't just down to some weird blind spot or bias from two consecutive managers. Especially when Fergie's got a track record of having Nani as one of the first names on his team-sheet over an extended period of time. Neither Fergie or Moyes are stupid and wouldn't have persisted with underwhelming performers like Young and Valencia ahead of Nani without very good reasons.

Feck knows exactly why Nani stayed stuck down the pecking order for so long but the onus is obviously on him to force his way into the manager's plans. A good WC would be the perfect platform for him to make his case in front of Van Gaal.

Moyes is stupid and he had no clue what he was doing at all. Its interesting with Fergie though. For the biggest game of the season in 12/13, which winger did he pick? Nani.
 
His legs are as fresh as they come considering how little he has played within the last 2 seasons.
He has the ability to destroy any defense but my concern is what happens when he has or is perceived to have a bad game, will the fans boo him again?
To be honest as much as I love Utd I don't think I could ever recover from being booed by my own fans.
Nani must be mentally stronger than I thought. Maybe his ego allows him to block all negativity, remember this man had a statue of himself in his foyer and he now has an 'N' styled in his hair.
If he can handle future abuse I hope he stays. When fit he is a definite starter for a top 5 national team no other player can say that.
I'd say there's quite a few who could say that.
 
The ability is there, but I think he has become a bit injury prone, for the past 2 seasons he hasn't seen much playing time because he's been injured more often than not. I think there's a strong chance he'll flourish under Louis Van Gaal, because of the way he'll set up the team. His style is more suited to a European style inside forward, rather than an out and out/touchline hugging winger expected to get in crosses, British style :). But for anything good to happen for him, he has to stay fit and he hasn't managed to do that for the best past of 2 years.
 
When was the last time you can recall a Utd player being booed by his own fans? In that game he was not even that bad.
Its not some Machiavellian plot just apply simple logic.
 
When was the last time you can recall a Utd player being booed by his own fans? In that game he was not even that bad.
Its not some Machiavellian plot just apply simple logic.
He was booed for walking off slowly when we were losing. I'm amazed that people still can't get their heads around the idea there is a problem with Nani himself. Do we think that more than one manager deliberately handicapped themselves and chose to play supposedly inferior players? Why would they do that?
 
None can say that. he is the only one who actually does start for a top 5 national team.
I'd say at least 55 players start for a top 5 national team. Unless you're just talking about wingers playing for United in which case you'd need to be clearer on that. Portugal are a top 5 nation? They didn't even win their own group.
 
I'd say at least 55 players start for a top 5 national team. Unless you're just talking about wingers playing for United in which case you'd need to be clearer on that. Portugal are a top 5 nation? They didn't even win their own group.
No other UTD player starts for a FIFA ranked top 5 national team. Portugal has been top 5-10 for quite a while now. England only recently has cracked the top 10
 
No other UTD player starts for a FIFA ranked top 5 national team. Portugal has been top 5-10 for quite a while now. England only recently has cracked the top 10
FIFA rankings mean feck all and there are a number of Utd players more than good enough to play for several of the official top 5.
 
When was the last time you can recall a Utd player being booed by his own fans? In that game he was not even that bad.
Its not some Machiavellian plot just apply simple logic.

Stop beating round the bush ffs...

You've said that United fans are quick to boo him, the English media are reluctant to praise him and successive managers have been mysteriously biased against him.

Please share your "simple logic" with the rest of us. In your opinion, why has all of the above happened?

My own version of logic deduces that this is because he's an inconsistent performer who can be incredibly frustrating to watch. Be interested to hear whatever conspiracy theory you've got up your sleeve though...
 
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FIFA rankings mean feck all and there are a number of Utd players more than good enough to play for several of the official top 5.
I am not sure about that. The top 5 are Spain, Germany, Brazil, Portugal and Argentina. Even so that would only be conjecture on your part. The fact is Nani is the only Utd player starting for one of those teams.
 
Stop beating round the bush ffs...

You've said that United fans are quick to boo him, the English media are always on his case and successive managers have been mysteriously biased against him.

Please share your "simple logic" with the rest of us. In your opinion, why has all of the above happened?
I wasnt joking, Ive had this conversation with him before in another thread. Its because Rooney berates him.

You know the old saying, when you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail?

When you are @markhrad, every problem looks like Wayne Rooney.
 
Nani has always been a confidence player. At United he's always just one bad game away from not just being dropped, but also receiving abuse from the fans and Rooney, and whenever that has happened he has invariably lost confidence and form. He can never be consistent under those conditions in my opinion. He's better off at another club outside England.

This...
 
Not this 'Rooney the bully' nonsense again. :lol:
That was an excellent goal, and an excellent performance. Hopefully he continues it throughout the World Cup and when he comes back.
 
I wasnt joking, Ive had this conversation with him before in another thread. Its because Rooney berates him.

You know the old saying, when you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail?

When you are @markhrad, every problem looks like Wayne Rooney.
Nani's relatively poor performances are met with excessive abuse from certain fans. Why such an over the top response?
Many of us here agree that Rooney's abuse of Nani is also over the top.
Rooney being a fan favourite may have influenced fans behavior towards Nani.
Why is this not reasonable to assume? What are the logical alternatives? The "high standard" argument does not hold water.
 
If he leaves and Young/Valencia stay I think my head will explode. Our last two managers have fancied Valencia over him due to his defensive abilities, but he's an attacking winger for christ sake, he shouldn't have to be constantly thinking about tracking back and helping out Rafael or whoever. He's had numerous good performances over the past few seasons, only to be dropped for the next game in favour of someone more solid. I really hope he gets a good chance under Van Gaal.
 
Nani's relatively poor performances are met with excessive abuse from certain fans. Why such an over the top response?
Many of us here agree that Rooney's abuse of Nani is also over the top.
Rooney being a fan favourite may have influenced fans behavior towards Nani.
Why is this not reasonable to assume? What are the logical alternatives? The "high standard" argument does not hold water.
It holds as much water as what youre saying to be fair. In fact it holds a lot of water. You see a player who on his day is absolutely top notch, completely running the show. And then a week or so later he is running up blind alleys, not seeing obvious passes when his team mates are in space, skying shots into the stands, and it is all the more frustrating because you know this player is so much better than he is showing.

As Pogue said, this is probably why Rooney is having a go at him, because he knows he can do it.

I can honestly say, Rooney berating player x or y has zero impact on my perception of that player. So whether your theory is right for others or not, I cant say, but for me it is a complete red herring.
 
His legs are as fresh as they come considering how little he has played within the last 2 seasons.
He has the ability to destroy any defense but my concern is what happens when he has or is perceived to have a bad game, will the fans boo him again?
To be honest as much as I love Utd I don't think I could ever recover from being booed by my own fans.
Nani must be mentally stronger than I thought. Maybe his ego allows him to block all negativity, remember this man had a statue of himself in his foyer and he now has an 'N' styled in his hair.
If he can handle future abuse I hope he stays. When fit he is a definite starter for a top 5 national team no other player can say that.

When was the last time you can recall a Utd player being booed by his own fans? In that game he was not even that bad.
Its not some Machiavellian plot just apply simple logic.

He was booed for walking off slowly when we were losing. I'm amazed that people still can't get their heads around the idea there is a problem with Nani himself. Do we think that more than one manager deliberately handicapped themselves and chose to play supposedly inferior players? Why would they do that?

The last post is pure fiction - he was booed because he was playing poorly and it was an absolute embarrassment. It might have been exacerbated by him walking off slowly but it started long before that, before he'd even been substituted after a couple of wasted chances. It wasn't a one off incident, as Young, Cleverley and Fellaini got the same treatment this season. It's always a minority with just as many calling those doing it cnuts but it's always audible.

I think it's a massive shame. Regardless of those players undoubtably playing poorly, The twats who do it can't seem to get it into their thick heads that it serves no purpose. It batters the confidence of a player already clearly struggling and only makes matters worse. Sure, you've payed your money and you're entitled to an opinion, but if you do it, be prepared to accept that everyone around you will think you're a complete cnut. It really, really winds me up.

It doesn't happen at United as much as other clubs, but it's inescapable with a big crowd that you'll inevitably get some utter tits. We've never had anything like what you see at other clubs, notably Arsenal where you have the majority crowd booing a player and thinking nothing of it. With us it's always a ridiculed minority, but it's not like it never happens. I've had my ST for 8 years and my old man has had his for over 20 and while it's rare it definitely happens. Obviously we've been privileged with the level of player we've had but there's always a couple, even the top players, that seem to get abuse. Giggs had it every now and then in the lull in the middle of his career, Berba had it a couple of times, Carrick likewise. Rooney and Rio got it but they were based on a contract disputes, pathetic nonetheless but at least vaguely understandable.

Most players get over it, particularly the top ones, and often make those that do it look stupid when they're cheering their names a few months later. But not all of them do and there's nothing more demoralising than working your balls off through a period of poor form and walking off to the sound off boos from your own fans. Pathetic on their part and embarrassing for the rest of us. This definitely isn't the first rant I've had over this so apologies, but it really does my nut in.
 
No other UTD player starts for a FIFA ranked top 5 national team. Portugal has been top 5-10 for quite a while now. England only recently has cracked the top 10
Portugal's ranking is massively skewed by the sheer brilliance of Ronaldo. That isn't an issue per se but the rest of Portugal's side is decent rather than anything special and thus it's much easier for Nani to keep his place. I'd say it's a similar level to England when you take away the top player - obviously with the top player Portugal are a better side but Nani would probably be less likely to get in the England side.

Your point stands based on the rankings but the genuine test would be playing regularly for one of the very top sides. Nani wouldn't get close to the squad for Spain or Germany, likewise Brazil or Argentina. Portugal are a level or two below that.
 
The last post is pure fiction - he was booed because he was playing poorly and it was an absolute embarrassment. It might have been exacerbated by him walking off slowly but it started long before that, before he'd even been substituted after a couple of wasted chances. It wasn't a one off incident, as Young, Cleverley and Fellaini got the same treatment this season. It's always a minority with just as many calling those doing it cnuts but it's always audible.

I think it's a massive shame. Regardless of those players undoubtably playing poorly, The twats who do it can't seem to get it into their thick heads that it serves no purpose. It batters the confidence of a player already clearly struggling and only makes matters worse. Sure, you've payed your money and you're entitled to an opinion, but if you do it, be prepared to accept that everyone around you will think you're a complete cnut. It really, really winds me up.

It doesn't happen at United as much as other clubs, but it's inescapable with a big crowd that you'll inevitably get some utter tits. We've never had anything like what you see at other clubs, notably Arsenal where you have the majority crowd booing a player and thinking nothing of it. With us it's always a ridiculed minority, but it's not like it never happens. I've had my ST for 8 years and my old man has had his for over 20 and while it's rare it definitely happens. Obviously we've been privileged with the level of player we've had but there's always a couple, even the top players, that seem to get abuse. Giggs had it every now and then in the lull in the middle of his career, Berba had it a couple of times, Carrick likewise. Rooney and Rio got it but they were based on a contract disputes, pathetic nonetheless but at least vaguely understandable.

Most players get over it, particularly the top ones, and often make those that do it look stupid when they're cheering their names a few months later. But not all of them do and there's nothing more demoralising than working your balls off through a period of poor form and walking off to the sound off boos from your own fans. Pathetic on their part and embarrassing for the rest of us. This definitely isn't the first rant I've had over this so apologies, but it really does my nut in.

Don't disagree with the main gist of your rant but the booing clearly escalated in that game when Nani chose to slowly stroll off the pitch. Dunno if it was a reaction to grief he was already getting from the fans (it probably was) but he definitely didn't endear himself to the fans with his actions and I would be almost certain that at least some fans started to boo him at that point who hadn't beforehand.

It winds me up too when fans abuse their own players. It's always for one of two reasons though (off the field antics - usually stalling on a new contract) or being a frustrating footballer to watch. The latter category can probably also be broken down again. Being perceived as not working hard enough (Berbatov, Fellaini, Carrick) or not playing as well as they are capable of. Giggs got his share of stick from the stands in his more frustrating early years for this latter reason. I think Nani divides fans for the same reason.

Of course, if someone is frustratingly inconsistent but still very obviously working their bollocks off they are likely to have a get out of jail free card (aka the "Rooney clause" in the fan-player contract) When Nani's not playing well he doesn't work as hard as the likes of Rooney or Valencia so is much more likely to get stick.

So yeah, he's not the most popular player amongst United fans but there are reasons for this which are entirely football-related - rather than this bizarre idea that we all hate him because Rooney shouts at him, or consecutive managers don't rate him because he has an annoying face, or whatever
 
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This booing and confidence issue doesn´t make sense. As a Sporting fan and season ticket owner, i can tell you that the same thing happened when Nani played for us. Nani was a great player for us and most of the Sporting fans miss him now but i clearly remember him being one of the most booed players. I don´t think it affects him. What affects him is form and a decent run of games, manager trust and things going his way at the beginning of the match.

When Nani gets going, he was one of the best players in our history but since he is a winger and an avid dribbler, he is capable of infuriating even the most patient fan when things aren´t going his way. Nani´s decision making was also a problem at Sporting (he has evolved at United) although he was the player with the most assists. Fans notice his flaws instantly because he was always on the ball and trying to create something.

People were pleased when we did the 25 million deal, the problem is that we only noticed how good and influencial he was for us when he was gone and there was no one left as dangerous and productive to create. Sporting fans also had the same Love/hate relationship with Nani. I clearly remember the epic Nani threads on our forum. Same thing will happen if he moves to Juventus or any other club.
 
Portugal's ranking is massively skewed by the sheer brilliance of Ronaldo. That isn't an issue per se but the rest of Portugal's side is decent rather than anything special and thus it's much easier for Nani to keep his place. I'd say it's a similar level to England when you take away the top player - obviously with the top player Portugal are a better side but Nani would probably be less likely to get in the England side.

Your point stands based on the rankings but the genuine test would be playing regularly for one of the very top sides. Nani wouldn't get close to the squad for Spain or Germany, likewise Brazil or Argentina. Portugal are a level or two below that.
What? I'd say most Portugal fans would laugh at that comment. Ronaldo only scored one goal in the qualifiers and people like Arruda on here get pissed off by the idea that he single handedly got them to the world cup based purely on the Sweden games. IIRC, other than his goals against Holland and the Czech(I think?) in Euro 12, he wasn't great overall and was really poor against Spain, whereas most of Portugal voted Nani as their best overall performer in the tournament. Nani has always been one of Portugal's better players, even when in his worst form here. That's why he gets into the team.
 
Does anyone know if he's a guaranteed starter for Portugal? Or is he likely to be on the bench like last night?

Hes a guaranteed starter. For two reasons, his a very productive and somewhat consistent player for our national team and Paulo Bento (our manager) was the person who "launched" Nani´s career so he has complete trust on him. If he doesn´t have any injury woes, Nani is "undroppable" in our national team. He didn´t start last night because he played many minutes in all the friendlies and Paulo Bento is taking it slow considering his United sub par year.
 
What? I'd say most Portugal fans would laugh at that comment. Ronaldo only scored one goal in the qualifiers and people like Arruda on here get pissed off by the idea that he single handedly got them to the world cup based purely on the Sweden games. IIRC, other than his goals against Holland and the Czech(I think?), he wasn't great overall and was really poor against Spain, whereas most of Portugal voted Nani as their best overall performer in the tournament. Nani has always been one of Portugal's better players, even when in his worst form here. That's why he gets into the team.

Agree to some extent, disagree with other points. Ronaldo wasn´t brilliant but he also wasn´t poor against Spain like you said. Oh and Portugal´s best player wasn´t Nani. Best players in the tournament were Moutinho, Coentrão, Pepe, Ronaldo and then Nani. Some revisionism there mate.
 
Agree to some extent, disagree with other points. Ronaldo wasn´t brilliant but he also wasn´t poor against Spain like you said. Oh and Portugal´s best player wasn´t Nani. Best players in the tournament were Moutinho, Coentrão, Pepe, Ronaldo and then Nani. Some revisionism there mate.
I don't think he was your best player (I thought Coentrao and Moutinho were, at the time), I'm just going by what a well informed Portugese poster on here said, that he was voted it in something, that's all. I remember Ronaldo being pretty poor against Spain and missing a few chances, but maybe it'd need a rewatch.
 
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