Nani will reignite our charge to the title

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I think both he and Valencia partially struggled due to the fact that we didnt really have a target for them to aim for with the crossing. Berbatov was playing so deep or so wide that we rarely had anyone in the box for the crosses.

That said, I dont think Nani was playing to an acceptable standard at all during tonights game. Granted he got better over time, but he was never really on his game, which has happened too many times. I dont think we can play Nani on the left without Rooney playing.
 
I just wished he had gone outside Zubar a few times as he had him beat, then kept checking inside. Him and Berbatov don't seem to have the same understanding that Berbatov and Valencia have which didn't help.
 
He created a few openings and our only attacks bar 1 came from the left in the first 30 minutes of the game. That 1 was the 1 where Berbatov pulled wide right and put in a cross. Valencia came into the game after that. All in all it wasnt a great game from Nani nor was it a great game for any of the front 3. And I'd put that mostly down to our midfield struggling to give them the ball in good areas and a lack of targets in the box.
 
Him and Berbatov don't seem to like playing together.
 
datura said:
I just wished he had gone outside Zubar a few times as he had him beat, then kept checking inside. Him and Berbatov don't seem to have the same understanding that Berbatov and Valencia have which didn't help.
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How could anyone have an understanding with someone who fails to get past his man or manage to pick out a player. He could learn a lot from watching how Valencia plays.
 
Brwned said:
Him and Berbatov don't seem to like playing together.
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Berbatov was great today, Nani was poor...as he is in 90% of the matches he has played for us.

Can't think of one player that likes playing with Nani! He's got no pattern to his game, it's just a mix of a little brilliant and a whole lot of bad judgment.
 
Berba was good today.

One thing I have noticed is that when Nani is on, he will, now and then, move into the middle or onto the right for a while...but then go back to the left. The switching of wings we say with Nani, Ronaldo, Giggs and Park doesn't take place now.

Also, when Park came on, he had more of a free license in that he was running here, there, and everywhere (and was excellent).

So - why aren't Nani and Valencia switching more? I know Valencia has one foot, but I'm sure swapping now and then would add some more spice to our attack, and make it less predictable.
 
mungy said:
Berbatov was great today, Nani was poor...as he is in 90% of the matches he has played for us.

Can't think of one player that likes playing with Nani! He's got no pattern to his game, it's just a mix of a little brilliant and a whole lot of bad judgment.
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Evra. In the past few seasons Nani linked up with him on the left better than any of our other wingers.
 
Tibs said:
Berba was good today.

One thing I have noticed is that when Nani is on, he will, now and then, move into the middle or onto the right for a while...but then go back to the left. The switching of wings we say with Nani, Ronaldo, Giggs and Park doesn't take place now.

Also, when Park came on, he had more of a free license in that he was running here, there, and everywhere (and was excellent).

So - why aren't Nani and Valencia switching more? I know Valencia has one foot, but I'm sure swapping now and then would add some more spice to our attack, and make it less predictable.
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Our left winger comes into the middle and drifts creating space for Evra to play in. Thats just how we play whether Nani, Giggs or Park are playing. A feature of our play. We keep it more straight forward on the right hand side with Valencia sticking wide on the flank but you'll notice our right fullback doesnt get forward as much. Thats because Valencia is in the space the fullback would be running into. Thats why our left sided player plays inside.
 
Valencia's one footedness and Berbatovs deep play do not help Nani's game - he would do best when given some freedom to drift and swap wing more regularly, and to have a central striker making forward runs and providing a target in the box.

As it is, Nani is in a more restricted role and didnt have a striker playing ahead of him today to link up with.
 
Ekeke said:
Evra. In the past few seasons Nani linked up with him on the left better than any of our other wingers.
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Bollox. Ronaldo linked up with Evra brilliantly. As does Giggs. Ditto Park. Even Darren Fletcher enjoyed his stint on Evra's flank (v Milan)

Evra is a world class attacking full-back. If a Nani struggles to link up with him, it's blatantly not Evra who is at fault.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Bollox. Ronaldo linked up with Evra brilliantly. As does Giggs. Ditto Park. Even Darren Fletcher enjoyed his stint on Evra's flank (v Milan)

Evra is a world class attacking full-back. If a Nani struggles to link up with him, it's blatantly not Evra who is at fault.
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The mind boggles at how completely off base you are.

I didnt say Nani doesnt play well with Evra. I said in recent seasons Nani has linked up well with him. And anyone who could be objective and has some kind of long term memory would know that. I'm not surprised you dont.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Valencia had a good game.

Our central midfield did not, apart from Scholes. That's no excuse for Nani though. He had a poor game, simple as that.
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Valencia had a fairly good game considering he had no target in the box other than Nani, from 30 mins onwards. For the first 30 minutes our only attack that come from the right was Berbatov running the channel and crossing into the box.
 
Ekeke said:
The mind boggles at how completely off base you are.

I didnt say Nani doesnt play well with Evra. I said in recent seasons Nani has linked up well with him. And anyone who could be objective and has some kind of long term memory would know that. I'm not surprised you dont.
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You're such a weirdo. Why do you lie all the time? It just makes you look thick.

You said Nani links up with Evra better than any other winger over the last few seasons.

This is - obviously - bullshit.

Mcfeckwit.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
You're such a weirdo. Why do you lie all the time? It just makes you look thick.

You said Nani links up with Evra better than any other winger over the last few seasons.

This is - obviously - bullshit.

Mcfeckwit.
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You're just trying to downplay it because you dont like the player. Its a bit sad. Even last season Evra was attacking best with Nani in the side. But I dont need you to agree because I realise how silly you are, so I'll just put your silly comments to one side and move on.
 
He needs to be playing more on the right side 'and not strangely enough, where he's played his best football for us this season'.... Valencia needs to work on his left foot so that both can interchange. Nani is coming back from a suspension and thus will be rusty but putting him on his worst side straight out of the box wouldn't help that much.
 
Do people really except him to magically turn good just if he gets played on the right? Yes he had like three good games on the right but that doesnt mean he's suddenly gonna continue in the same fashion, he's played on the right before those games and has had shockers there as well. Besides there's no reason for him to play there since Valencia is the superior player atm and rightfully claims that spot.

Left wing is his natural position and there's no reason for him not put in similiar good performances there in the future. We shouldn't change our formation just because it doesn't suit Nani.
 
marchi-91 said:
He needs to be playing more on the right side 'and not strangely enough, where he's played his best football for us this season'.... Valencia needs to work on his left foot so that both can interchange. Nani is coming back from a suspension and thus will be rusty but putting him on his worst side straight out of the box wouldn't help that much.
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He probably wouldn't have played there if he wasn't so crap against Milan.
 
marchi-91 said:
He needs to be playing more on the right side 'and not strangely enough, where he's played his best football for us this season'.... Valencia needs to work on his left foot so that both can interchange. Nani is coming back from a suspension and thus will be rusty but putting him on his worst side straight out of the box wouldn't help that much.
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What crap is that about Valencia needs to work on his left foot? Why does he?

He is a right-winger, although plays centre for Ecuador as well. Nani prefers the right as well. Valencia is more effective than Nani, so Valencia is our main man on the right. Why do they need to interchange? So that Nani can get a game on the right?

Yeah, Nani was very good at the Emirates but that does not outweigh two seasons of moderate performances. This is Valencia's FIRST season and he has been very good.
 
R.Nilsson7 said:
Do people really except him to magically turn good just if he gets played on the right? Yes he had like three good games on the right but that doesnt mean he's suddenly gonna continue in the same fashion, he's played on the right before those games and has had shockers there as well.
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Nani has always been more consistent on the right. Yes, he's had his shockers on the right and his great matches on the left, but overall he's simply more consistent when played on the right hand side.

Even Fergie mentioned something about it a few weeks ago.
 
marchi-91 said:
He needs to be playing more on the right side 'and not strangely enough, where he's played his best football for us this season'.... Valencia needs to work on his left foot so that both can interchange. Nani is coming back from a suspension and thus will be rusty but putting him on his worst side straight out of the box wouldn't help that much.
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The interchange is important as it breaks the pattern and makes it harder for defenders to mark tightly. It is no surprise that though Nani was poor for most of the game, he created the chance for the goal when he was on the right. No worries. He at least gives us options. Come on Nani. Find your form again.:devil:
 
Just a shame he got the red at Villa, seemed to have dented his confidence again. Playing on the left really doesn't help him, it seems to me that he isn't confident using his left foot and whenever he beats his man out wide he always has to come back onto his right which gives the defender time to recover. Different story on the right where when he beats his man he can whip it in straight off with his right.

I've seen him make excellent crosses with his left foot so his preference to cross with his right is a little confusing. Wasn't a great game last night, but it wasn't bad either. People seem to gloss over the good 30-40 minutes that he had and just look at his bad opening 20minutes.

I didn't think Valencia was all that much either and the no shots on goal Berbatov somehow gets MoM, yes at points he showed quality but he's simply not a goal threat.

We need a more mobile Striker if we play with Nani/Valencia (and someone who can actually head the ball). i.e. Not Berbatov.
 
Playing Nani on the left is like playing Fletcher in the defence.
 
Poor game by all means from him yesterday.
On par with Carrick's and Gibson's performance.
 
RedRonaldo said:
Playing Nani on the left is like playing Fletcher in the defence.
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Actually, it's like playing a right-footed winger on the left. So no, it's not remotely like playing Fletcher in defence.

If continues to under-perform every time he plays on the left wing we've got a real problem.

It means one of two things. Either he's not as talented as the likes of Ji Sung Park, Joe Cole, Lennon, Downing and Ashley Young - who all regularly play on the 'wrong' wing - or the side he plays on is irrelevant and we can continue to expect 4 or 5 woeful displays for every 3 or 3 good ones, no matter which side he plays on.

The fact he was pretty awful on the right wing against MIlan makes me think the latter is the most likely explanation. He is young and he will hopefully get more consistent in the next couple of years but if he doesn't then Fergie will have to get rid.
 
The commentators were ridiculous regarding Nani and Valencia. When Nani played a ball into space that didn't reach the intended target it was his fault, but when Valencia played one into space it was Nani's fault for not being there :rolleyes:
 
Playing on our left wing is more complicated and less direct than playing on our right wing. Whoever plays on the left comes inside and floats about to create space for Evra. The player on the right just gets the ball and crosses it in. Both Valencia and Nani are better at the 'easier' more direct role on the right whereas Park and Giggs are very comfortable with the more tactical task of playing on the left. Nani and Valencia could learn to play the left role but it'll take more time than the role on the right and sometimes our supporters lack patience.
 
I'm not entirely sure where this definitive conclusion that Nani is better on the right comes from?

If my memory serves me right, he has played more often on the left and even this season he has had 2 really good games on the left (Chelsea and Wigan) and 2 on the right (Hull and Arsenal).

Most of his goals have come from the left sided position too.
 
datura said:
I'm not entirely sure where this definitive conclusion that Nani is better on the right comes from?

If my memory serves me right, he has played more often on the left and even this season he has had 2 really good games on the left (Chelsea and Wigan) and 2 on the right (Hull and Arsenal).

Most of his goals have come from the left sided position too.
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Another good game on the right came against City but yeah, pretty much the same amount of good games on each flank.
 
datura said:
I'm not entirely sure where this definitive conclusion that Nani is better on the right comes from?

If my memory serves me right, he has played more often on the left and even this season he has had 2 really good games on the left (Chelsea and Wigan) and 2 on the right (Hull and Arsenal).

Most of his goals have come from the left sided position too.
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He has had some good performances on the left, but his great performances came on the right and in a couple of back to back big matches (Arsenal and City).

The people who hate Nani cannot slate him for his great matches. But his good ones they can claim they weren't very good. Hence they dont want him on the left at all.

He's clearly better on the right where he can use his crossing to its full potential, but he can play well on the left too. Just not as well, yet.
 
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