Thats a pass. A good one and you're right Berbatov should have scored that. Not sure it was easier than Rooney's from Nani's cross though. Afterall Berbatov had a player in front of him he had to avoid as well and Rooney just had to stick it past the keeper. Still Berbatov should have done better with that pass from Valencia.
Nani will reignite our charge to the title
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Thats a pass. A good one and you're right Berbatov should have scored that. Not sure it was easier than Rooney's from Nani's cross though. Afterall Berbatov had a player in front of him he had to avoid as well and Rooney just had to stick it past the keeper. Still Berbatov should have done better with that pass from Valencia.
Valencia had far more space mainly due to Burnleys right midfielder pushing up further, they knew Neville wasn't going to push high or look for many overlaps today. Nani had Burnley's left midfielder tracking back more due to the more threatening combo of him with Evra on the overlap.
So how does that equate to Nani playing well exactly?
I think the main difference is that Van der Sar was playing.
I'd put their counterattacks down to Evans and Evra not defending very well. Evans in particular made some pretty bad mistakes today but got away with it thankfully otherwise the result could have been very different!
I will defend Valencias ability though, I think he will be a top class player for us. But today imo he was pretty rubbish and he really needs to work on his end product because his crossing was in large pants. If thats what he can do when he has acres of space then I dare not think what he'd do when he's closely marked. But i'm sure it was just an off day on his part.
Nani obviousally looked a bit jaded in the last 20 minutes or so and I'd like to see him take on a few more players 1 on 1. Giggs when on form is probably still the better player, but Nani has the ability as shown today to claim the left wing. He just needs time and confidence. Hopefully this will be the start of having 2 inform wingers tearing teams apart again!
So people don't think Nani played well?
Best cross of the day was arguably Valencia to Diouf, when he headed just wide. Nani's cross to Rooney was very good but it was a low ball into the box, which is much easier to execute. Valencia put half a dozen decent low balls into the box.
He was also the only winger to get an assist, with a fantastic ball to Diouf in the last minute.
So basically, your memory is being selective in favour of a player you rate and against one you don't. Same old same old.
I think it's more to do with him being selective with his wording really. 'Valencia's not a good crosser, he just passes it from the wing very well'.
Things like that. He knows his stuff, he just chooses to apply it in an unusual way. He's seemingly always thinking how one criticism of Valencia can be turned into praise for Nani.
Same old same old still.
Is that meant to be a sarcastic jibe at yourself Pogue?
Obviously not. He's allowed to do it as long as he makes sure nobody else does.
This is a silly thread to be honest.
We have two wingers today who did well. One is just returning from injury while the other has been a major contributor so far this year. Both had their moments of good play, and both could have played better. Both will also be important for us if they find(Nani) or keep (Valenica) their form.
I don't see why we should be bothered arguing who was better or who put in the better cross.
We have two wingers today who did well. One is just returning from injury while the other has been a major contributor so far this year. Both had their moments of good play, and both could have played better. Both will also be important for us if they find(Nani) or keep (Valenica) their form.
I don't see why we should be bothered arguing who was better or who put in the better cross.
I thought he did well in that game. You have to understand he's been injured for some time and its not easy to be thrown straight back into the first 11 especially when they havent been playing well. The wings were very productive against Burnley but its a shame we couldnt finish those chances.
This is an opportunity for him to be earn a run of games and remind us why he should be playing for the club. That was clearly not the best performance he can produce but still he possesses that natural creative ability, comfort on either wing and a definitive goal threat. I would like to see him play with a bit more speed and urgency at times to really stretch a defence.
He should definitely be involved against Man City.
This is an opportunity for him to be earn a run of games and remind us why he should be playing for the club. That was clearly not the best performance he can produce but still he possesses that natural creative ability, comfort on either wing and a definitive goal threat. I would like to see him play with a bit more speed and urgency at times to really stretch a defence.
He should definitely be involved against Man City.
Are you kidding? By his recent standards today was Earth shattering. An actually good game from him
I completely agree with this post, but the Nani bashers won't stop bitching around until he is sold it seems, Sad but true
This is all that needs to be said.
Are you kidding? By his recent standards today was Earth shattering. An actually good game from him
HIs recent standards? Beeing injured and not playing? Is that a standard? I don't know... Or getting an assist in his last game for us with an encouriging performance against Wolfsburg...Sometimes it really looks like people see what they want to see.
It is a RedCafe tradition!
To be fair to him, he did his chances at a consistent first team run no harm at all today. Was very, very good, which is amusing considering that Lou Macari spent most of the match slagging him off. He even went so far as to say he was having a "nightmare"! 
This is the caf mate.
Are you kidding? By his recent standards today was Earth shattering. An actually good game from him
On it's own merits it wasn't a great performance but yeah, it was very encouraging.
IMO the best bit - and the reason he stayed on for the full 90 - was that he didn't concede possession cheaply at any point. In fact, I don't remember him dribbling up a blind alley or doing one of his trademark misplaced short passes once. SAF will be pleased and it might be enough to get him a start in our next game.
Nani will be pleased he finished the game too. A badly needed confidence boost. Hopefully it's onwards and upwards from here.
Doesnt exactly equate to him being rubbish either does it?
I thought he was good today
Weird post. You're almost making it out as if I've been saying Valencia wasnt good today. When in actual fact I've said he was probably about as good as Nani was today. Both players did things well today and other things not so well. Its only because someone refuses to admit Nani played about as well that I'm bothering to actually go into it.
Valencia's crossing isnt very good. Its a different technique from a push pass, which he uses much better, not just from wide of the box but also when he drops deep and links up with team mates.
He is a decent passer and doesnt give the ball away very often. And therefore its no surprise when Valencia decides he's served better with passing the ball back to a team mate in a good position instead of crossing the ball. Unfortunately the more he did it today, the more Burnley cut it out. Obviously when you know someone is going to do something you're going to have more success defending against it.
Indeed. & it's not just him that should be pleased. We should all be pleased. We've badly needed him to return to decent form. May this be the beginning of it.
Oh yes he did!
Some of his passing first half in particular was very sloppy, he perfectly managed to bisect Berbatov and Rooney who were no more than 10 yards apart in the first half!
Apart from that it was an encouraging display, I thought he was a threat, a few decent efforts and crosses, especially given that it was his first game back from injury. More of the same and he may turn around some doubters.
Damn right Chief.
I'd call putting the ball in from the wing into the box a cross, regardless of the pace.
But then that's just me.
And some other people, which would imply that telling everyone what does and doesn't constitute a cross is futile if it's not clear.
Some call it a cross some call it a pass, I don't think it's right to constantly correct others on their definition of a cross.
Come off the bullshit mate. It's beyond dumb to attempt to paint things like I was remotely talking about his time when he was out injured. Nani was not playing well before he got injured. By any stretch of the imagination. In fact his Wolfsburg game was his best since our first Wigan game.
& don't give me this bullshit that I'm biased against him. I'm a very big fan of his.
Nor did he reignite our title challenge, which was my point. I thought he was average in all honesty, his crossing was good at times but most of the time he was just the same frustrating player that he has been during his career with us.
That's not to say that he can't make a difference this season though. Fergie's decision to keep him on for the whole 90 minutes today makes me think that he will be getting much more playing time in the coming months, something which he can only respond well to. It's not beyond his ability to get maybe five goals and twice as many assists from now until May if he does get his arse into gear.
My stream was buggered in the first half, must have cut out when he did that. Oh well.
Mixed bag from him, but an encouraging display i thought. Let's hope he can build on it.
Lou's a fecking idiot. We all know that.To be fair to him, he did his chances at a consistent first team run no harm at all today. Was very, very good, which is amusing considering that Lou Macari spent most of the match slagging him off. He even went so far as to say he was having a "nightmare"!
The team needs Nani.
He provides the team with pace, someone willing to have posession and even if his decision-making as usual was fecking woeful especially in the second half where he hit lots of bad crosses.. just his presence gives the team a nice balance and we just look more 'United-like'.
He will be a crucial figure this season and I would start him in most games.
He provides the team with pace, someone willing to have posession and even if his decision-making as usual was fecking woeful especially in the second half where he hit lots of bad crosses.. just his presence gives the team a nice balance and we just look more 'United-like'.
He will be a crucial figure this season and I would start him in most games.
Nani has 4 assists (all comps) which makes him the 5th highest assister at United. If he raises that above 10, then that would in my book be signs that he's had a large helping hand in changing around our fortunes.
I thought we looked far more balanced today than we have in a long time. I haven't seen so many crosses into the box since the 90's. If we had Rafael at RB i'm sure we'd have played even better.
Still a long way off for Nani to make a big impact on the season. I have faith that he'll do it too.
I'm glad he seems to have done well today. Hopefully this will be a turning point for the boy. An in-form Nani gives us an unpredictability that we are otherwise a bit short on.
Well I agree with most of what you said in this thread and I was deliberatly "painting things like you were talking about his time when he was out injured" because you mentioned by his recent standard he played brilliantly today, because he wasnt and because he has no recent standard. He was good against Wolfsburg and did better than what most probably expected after coming back from injury and that looked like a cheap shot at him to me... Probably too much hairsplitting from my side I must admit but this thread always gets me going when I read through all the posts.
For me if Nani's game can be like it was today the rest of the season. He will be a deadly weapon once match fit.
It obviously has nothing to do with the pace of it
Its a completely different technique, plain and simple. If you pass the ball sideways you are pushing the ball to a team mate. If you are crossing the ball from the wing you are digging under it and flying it into the box. Even if its a lower ball like the one to Rooney its still dug up. The only different one would be a drive along the floor. Thats something in between and most of the time the person doing it doesnt know whether they intended to shoot or cross in the first place.
Because these are different techniques, its obvious some players are going to be better at one than another. In Valencia's case his crossing isnt very good, but his passing is. When he can pass the ball to a team mate he generally does a good job of it. When he has to dig out a cross from the wing, not so good. But its a pass in other area of the pitch, why would it be called anything else just because he's standing parrallel to the penalty area? Would it then be a cross if Gary Neville passed the ball to Jonny Evans across his own area? Passing the ball is passing the ball.
Agreed. Although Berbatov and Rooney need heading lessons from Diouf. He'll sort em out.
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