Nani's movement

This is why for me Nani >>>>>>>>>>> Valencia.

Nani can drift all across the forward line, and has the ability to cross and shoot from anywhere, not to mention, his quick feet can create space and great passing angles.

Hopefully next season, Fergie will experiment at times, and let him 'play in the hole' in games where we start Rooney up top by himself.
 
Nani is one of my favourite players and what I've always liked about him (one of the things) is that he probably is one of the fastest players in the PL yet most of the time never uses it. He will often move slower or glide about in all directions, stop or use tricks etc. Whereas your British wingers in the main like Bale, Lennon, Walcott, Downing, Young even are more about their pace. Bale is an awesome player but if you took his pace away you just get a nice left foot, its like Downing but better.

Its a shame he's been out injured as on his day he has many qualities. Shame also that England don't develop more skillful players like that as opposed to knock and run or just good dribblers. That skill he did past two Arsenal players ages ago you just couldn't imagine any of our wingers doing. He played really well today and a cracking team goal that he finished off.
 
Nice to have him match fit once more, when he's on it he definitely elevates our attack to a different level and we'll need him against City. It's great to have such great and varied wide options, we just need a bit of luck for them all to stay fit for a sustained period.

Defensively he was a little disappointing given how good that part of his game has been this season, but that's a minor personal criticism given how good and effective his attacking play was.
 
gbgary said:
he made such a difference. too bad he was out that long stretch. it might not be as close as it is now.
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Not really, he was fit for the first half of the season, then he got injured and missed most of the games since february but we have won all but 2 I think, the game vs Wigan and today. So realistically he probably would have only made a difference in that one game, but I think our goal difference would be better had he been fit. Still a great player, but we were on a really good run of form that made his absence seem less important.
 
Neutral said:
This is why for me Nani >>>>>>>>>>> Valencia.

Nani can drift all across the forward line, and has the ability to cross and shoot from anywhere, not to mention, his quick feet can create space and great passing angles.

Hopefully next season, Fergie will experiment at times, and let him 'play in the hole' in games where we start Rooney up top by himself.
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This has its bonuses but I feel that sometimes Nani can be too unpredictable. Chances and assists can be spurned as the other players simply don't know what he is going to do.

What I did notice yesterday however is that he was crossing quite early in the piece. He'd beat someone stand them up then cross. Rather than do it 3 or 4 times and then cross when the defense had re set.

This benefits Hernandez type of play. A couple of crosses in behind that were very dangerous. I think if Valencia can learn to control how direct he is he will be an even better winger. But even from day one TAV's bread and butter was beat on the outside and cross. A target man forward would be devastating. Hopefully Danny can get more skilled in his poaching.

Nani was outstanding yesterday. Quick feet for his goal too.
 
Nani was tracking back just fine, he's very underrated at it. Is he as good as Young at it? Maybe not, but it's not his fault Evra has become defensively inept.

Valencia is our best winger defensively and he couldn't do anything to prevent Rafael being rubbish.
 
Cina said:
Nani was tracking back just fine, he's very underrated at it. Is he as good as Young at it? Maybe not, but it's not his fault Evra has become defensively inept.

Valencia is our best winger defensively and he couldn't do anything to prevent Rafael being rubbish.
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I thought Nani was offensively brilliant yesterday, but his defending was atrocious! He never once came close to blocking a cross or getting close to his defender.

That said, I'm very impressed by him yesterday. He properly outpaced Hibbert, who is actually no slouch himself. His crossing was very impressive and he hardly ever loses the ball (unlike Rooney).
 
Nani was absolutely brilliant going forward yesterday. I thought he was class.

However, I think he was poor for Everton's first two goals. He made little or no effort to stop the crosses coming in, and he definitely could have stopped both. After doing do well to get back, he could have prevented both goals.

Brilliant up the other end though.
 
He was having to compensate for that fact that Evra had no interest in going back at times after running forward. I agree his closing down wasn't great, but he's not a full back, we can't expect him to be doing these things correctly all the time, especially when he doesn't have his full back there to help him!

I think he's so much better defensively than he used to be, and he will learn from mistakes like that.
 
Nani could have prevented both goals? :lol: Jesus, of course he could, lets just forget about what happened after the cross came in. While Nani tracks back Evra lingers around doing god knows what. No way should he be getting the blame whilst Evra doesn't even attempt to track a runner. Most goals we concede come from that side and it's no coincidence either.
 
Cina said:
He was having to compensate for that fact that Evra had no interest in going back at times after running forward. I agree his closing down wasn't great, but he's not a full back, we can't expect him to be doing these things correctly all the time, especially when he doesn't have his full back there to help him!

I think he's so much better defensively than he used to be, and he will learn from mistakes like that.
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Yeah, he is better defensively. Evra's lack of defensive awareness yesterday cost us. Nani did the hard work and tracked his man, Hibbert, but then let him get two easy crosses in. He did 90% of the work but then he didn't finish it off. He probably isn't used to it though and if we are going to continue to play him on the left, then I'm sure the coaching staff will have it drilled into him sooner rather than later. Valencia does it particularly well on the other side. He is a lot better and stopping crosses coming in than Rafael, for example.

For the record, I highly doubt if Evra was in the same position, he would have stopped those crosses either. However, they should be stopped, especially the first one. Hibbert had much more room for the second one.
 
Orton said:
Nani could have prevented both goals? :lol: Jesus, of course he could, lets just forget about what happened after the cross came in. While Nani tracks back Evra lingers around doing god knows what. No way should he be getting the blame whilst Evra doesn't even attempt to track a runner. Most goals we concede come from that side and it's no coincidence either.
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There are lots of things that go wrong for every goal. Just because one player doesn't do one thing, it doesn't exempt another player from doing his job either. Nani did well and tracked back Hibbert's runs (which is his job) which he did well all day. Hibbert is Nani's man by the way. Evra was "lingering" in no man's land. But to be fair, Nani shouldn't have let Hibbert get crosses in without a challenge. He was close enough to get a challenge in for the first one, and for the second he jogged across but if he had of sprinted he would have probably got there. After that, for the second goal, one of Ferdinand or Evans should have been marking Fellaini.

There are usually a collection of things that result in a goal, not one single act. The fact that Evra didn't track a right back was not the only reason the goals went in. They can be prevented at different points.
 
Name Changed said:
You may want to reread the post.
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I have, and it's still ridiculous, you can't stop every cross coming into the box, especially crossed that come from the touchline. The first cross was pretty much impossible to stop, from the touch line, with loads of height and played to about 1.5 yards from the byline.

Name Changed said:
However, I think he was poor for Everton's first two goals. He made little or no effort to stop the crosses coming in, and he definitely could have stopped both. After doing do well to get back, he could have prevented both goals.
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Name Changed said:
He was close enough to get a challenge in for the first one, and for the second he jogged across but if he had of sprinted he would have probably got there.
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There's a reason players hardly ever SPRINT out to prevent a cross.... it's because it's so fecking simple for the attacking player to throw in a dummy and leave you dead on your arse.
 
Guybrush Threepwood said:
I have, and it's still ridiculous, you can't stop every cross coming into the box, especially crossed that come from the touchline. The first cross was pretty much impossible to stop, from the touch line, with loads of height and played to about 1.5 yards from the byline.
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Nani is just one of a number of players who could have prevented the goals. I didn't blame him for either goal, nor did I say he was the most culpable.

The first goal was not impossible to stop at all. Nani was 4-5 yards at most away from Hibbert when he got the cross in. Even Gary Neville or Graeme Souness (I can't remember which one) said he should have got across.

If you think that cross was impossible to stop, then maybe you should watch the goal again.

As I said in my original post, I thought Nani was class yesterday.
 
Guybrush Threepwood said:
There's a reason players hardly ever SPRINT out to prevent a cross.... it's because it's so fecking simple for the attacking player to throw in a dummy and leave you dead on your arse.
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Have you ever played football? I was taught when defending to close down the space as quick as possible, and then stop beforehand eliminating the chance of a dummy. You don't sprint into the player. You close down the space and then reassess what to do. Valencia does it extremely well. He closes down the space quickly which gives him the opportunity to stop so many crosses. He is probably the best around at it.
 
Guybrush Threepwood said:
No, but you said he could've prevented both goals, and that to me is pure nonsense. You simply cannot stop every cross.
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You cannot prevent every cross, obviously. But you can prevent some. And they could have been prevented. The first one was easy to prevent. Even putting pressure on the crosser could prevent him from getting such a good cross in. Nobody said you can prevent every cross.
 
Name Changed said:
You cannot prevent every cross, obviously. But you can prevent some. And they could have been prevented. The first one was easy to prevent. Even putting pressure on the crosser could prevent him from getting such a good cross in. Nobody said you can prevent every cross.
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But it's just bloody nitpicking. Had Nani sprinted and got sold a dummy and then Hibbert picks out a beauty he's at fault there too. Nani did what I personally would expect of my winger from that position, he blocked the angle of the cross so that hibbert HAD to play something deep and close to the byline, something you'd then expect your defenders or keeper to deal with. Unfortunately for us it was a TOP DRAWER header and placed into probably the only spot in the net where a goal was possible.
 
Guybrush Threepwood said:
Seriously, do I need to do this again?

Yes, at conference level.
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I don't know what you have to do again, I don't study your posts.

Are you seriously saying then that when in a defensive situation, you don't put any pressure whatsoever on the crosser getting the cross in?

Look, I know it's a minor thing, but minor things can save goals. Every one of those goals yesterday could and should have been stopped, and from numerous players. You could probably pick 4 or 5 different points in each goal that could have been defended better. I already said I thought Nani was brilliant and I didn't think he was the main culprit for either goal, I just said he should have done better. I know you can't say anything negative about any player without people getting on their high horses, but for you do say that the first cross in particular was impossible to stop, then frankly I think that is ridiculous.
 
Guybrush Threepwood said:
But it's just bloody nitpicking. Had Nani sprinted and got sold a dummy and then Hibbert picks out a beauty he's at fault there too. Nani did what I personally would expect of my winger from that position, he blocked the angle of the cross so that hibbert HAD to play something deep and close to the byline, something you'd then expect your defenders or keeper to deal with. Unfortunately for us it was a TOP DRAWER header and placed into probably the only spot in the net where a goal was possible.
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Again, I'll reiterate that I did not state that Nani should sprint all the way to Hibbert.

Unless Hibbert has improved drastically or is much better than I actually think, he has not got the ability to put in too many brilliant crosses when under pressure. He would not have been able to get the quality of those crosses in had he been closed down better. Simple.

What is better by the way? Closing down the angle so a player will have a harder cross, or simply moving two yards closer and making it virtually impossible for any kind of cross?
 
See my post above.

Sometimes you simply block the angle of a cross and expect your defenders to defend and hope a striker doesn't find a finish as exquisite at the first goal at the weekend.

Why on Earth do you think we see full-back week in, week out letting crosses come in rather than sprinting their asses off to stop them?
 
Name Changed said:
I don't know what you have to do again, I don't study your posts.

Are you seriously saying then that when in a defensive situation, you don't put any pressure whatsoever on the crosser getting the cross in?

Look, I know it's a minor thing, but minor things can save goals. Every one of those goals yesterday could and should have been stopped, and from numerous players. You could probably pick 4 or 5 different points in each goal that could have been defended better. I already said I thought Nani was brilliant and I didn't think he was the main culprit for either goal, I just said he should have done better. I know you can't say anything negative about any player without people getting on their high horses, but for you do say that the first cross in particular was impossible to stop, then frankly I think that is ridiculous.
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I'm convinced every coach and manager at every team will be saying the same thing this morning.

For the record, the first cross was preventable if the covering player gets closer to the full back, not a question of diving in, just restrict his options
 
Name Changed said:
What is better by the way? Closing down the angle so a player will have a harder cross, or simply moving two yards closer and making it virtually impossible for any kind of cross?
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As I said, it's just bloody nitpicking. It was an amazing header, 9 times out of 10 that goal isn't scored.
 
Guybrush Threepwood said:
See my post above.

Sometimes you simply block the angle of a cross and expect your defenders to defend and hope a striker doesn't find a finish as exquisite at the first goal at the weekend.

Why on Earth do you think we see full-back week in, week out letting crosses come in rather than sprinting their asses off to stop them?
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You're on about this sprinting thing again. I already explained it, so why do you keep harping on about it?

Full backs do prevent crosses by the way. I have never heard of a full back being told to simply "block the angle of a cross" as a preference to "block the cross". Surely blocking the cross is the priority, and if that is not possible, then block the angle. You do not give someone a free cross when it's as easy not to.
 
Inigo Montoya said:
I'm convinced every coach and manager at every team will be saying the same thing this morning.

For the record, the first cross was preventable if the covering player gets closer to the full back, not a question of diving in, just restrict his options
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Exactly. The second one was far less preventable, because of the distance he would have to travel. The first was very easily preventable though.

I'll reiterate again, Nani was nowhere close to being the reason those goals went it.
 
Name Changed said:
You're on about this sprinting thing again. I already explained it, so why do you keep harping on about it?

Full backs do prevent crosses by the way. I have never heard of a full back being told to simply "block the angle of a cross" as a preference to "block the cross". Surely blocking the cross is the priority, and if that is not possible, then block the angle. You do not give someone a free cross when it's as easy not to.
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Because if you're not close enough to a player AS he sets himself to cross, you're better off setting yourself so you have more chance to react to block it.
 
Guybrush Threepwood said:
Because if you're not close enough to a player AS he sets himself to cross, you're better off setting yourself so you have more chance to react to block it.
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He was close enough though, that's the point. It was a one of two yard move that would have most likely done the job.

Have a look at the video here so.

http://watchhighlightsonline.blogspot.com/2012/04/video-jelavic-goal-vs-man-united.html

I'm not the only one who obviously thinks he could have done a little better.
 
Guybrush Threepwood said:
The cross was also fecking superb.

There's a reason no-one could stop Beckham in his hay day, "getting 2 yards closer" sounds so simple but it doesn't always help.
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:lol: That isn't David Beckham crossing the ball. That's Tony Hibbert. He hasn't got the ability to get those crosses in when under pressure.
 
Name Changed said:
:lol: That isn't David Beckham crossing the ball. That's Tony Hibbert. He hasn't got the ability to get those crosses in when under pressure.
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Ah yeah it's "only" Tony Hibbert, yeah he's only a Premier League footballer at Everton, he can't do feck all that lad. :lol:

Stil.... he fecked us with that superb cross at the weekend didn't he.
 
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