Luis Nani | 2012/13 Performances

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BBC just tweeted Zenit are in for Nani... 25m. Normally i would scream bullshit but it is the BBC

EDIT: just realised its in their gossip column quoting talksport. So all rubbish i suspect
 
Selling Nani would be the height of stupidity considering he's our only genuinely left sided winger (and no, i don't count Giggs as a winger anymore).
 
Don't think he will be sold now but wont be surprised if we sold him in the Jan window.
 
He could still sign for Zenit, but they wouldn't be allowed to play him in Europe if he did. Also, why the fecking hell would we sell one of our best players? So there's that as well, but the first thing is probably the more convincing point.
 
£25million for one of the world's best wingers is ludicrous, but knowing how we like to let players go for a bargain I'm hardly surprised.

Oh, and he's not going anywhere.
 
not that I feel like he's going anyway, but I find Zenit's offer to be quite insulting for him. I mean if they are willing to cough up 50 million for Hulk and 40 million for Witsel, how the feck can they justify offering only 25 million for Nani?
 
Dargonk said:
Bringing nani on changed the game. Before he came on we were relying on evra to provided all the width down the left and it resulted in the team being stuck going right every time. Nani gave us good width and a threat down the other flank which opened the game up far more.

Hopefully SAF plays nani on the left next week instead of having welbeck as a floating inside left forward. We just look so much more dangerous with two natural wide players out there.
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Hernandez running channels to create space and Scholes exploiting it changed the game, but it did afford Nani some extra space down the flank. Hard not to notice though that he nearly cost us the match giving the ball away just outside our box when it looked like we had a break away on, they ended up with a corner, the look on Muelensteen's face said it all. His decision making at critical moments and situations in games are his downfall, but staunch Nani supporters will "stat attack" you with he got the assist from the corner for our winner so it does'nt matter... It appears to me he is at his most productive when he does'nt have to think about anything, namely just cracking one at goal, if it goes in he looks a superstar, but put him in a situation where he has to decide whether to dribble, cross or cut it back for example and on far far too many occassions the end result is the opposition get the ball back.
 
mattsville said:
Hernandez running channels to create space and Scholes exploiting it changed the game, but it did afford Nani some extra space down the flank. Hard not to notice though that he nearly cost us the match giving the ball away just outside our box when it looked like we had a break away on, they ended up with a corner, the look on Muelensteen's face said it all. His decision making at critical moments and situations in games are his downfall, but staunch Nani supporters will "stat attack" you with he got the assist from the corner for our winner so it does'nt matter... It appears to me he is at his most productive when he does'nt have to think about anything, namely just cracking one at goal, if it goes in he looks a superstar, but put him in a situation where he has to decide whether to dribble, cross or cut it back for example and on far far too many occassions the end result is the opposition get the ball back.
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Funny, seeing as a few years ago people said that was his biggest problem, that he didn't compose himself and make the right decisions and instead just shot randomly and tried stupid things.

Can't win eh?
 
mattsville said:
Hernandez running channels to create space and Scholes exploiting it changed the game, but it did afford Nani some extra space down the flank. Hard not to notice though that he nearly cost us the match giving the ball away just outside our box when it looked like we had a break away on, they ended up with a corner, the look on Muelensteen's face said it all. His decision making at critical moments and situations in games are his downfall, but staunch Nani supporters will "stat attack" you with he got the assist from the corner for our winner so it does'nt matter... It appears to me he is at his most productive when he does'nt have to think about anything, namely just cracking one at goal, if it goes in he looks a superstar, but put him in a situation where he has to decide whether to dribble, cross or cut it back for example and on far far too many occassions the end result is the opposition get the ball back.
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If there's anything I've learnt from sport, it's that any top sportsman, even at a top level for youth players, is great at thinking about their sport.

They may not be able to do algebra, but they will be able to talk about their sport and stuff very very well, and if they can't, the world's talent won't save them. You need to be able to think at a good level, otherwise you'll need Messi + Ronaldo's talent just to become a Rooney.

Instinct etc is all very well, because you respond much faster when you think instinctively, but you are in much more control if you create time to think, or make your sure your instincts are those relating to good choices in the situation.
 
That would leave us with Val (can't play on the left), Young (gets his fair share of little injuries) and Giggs (you know) as our only wingers.

Yep, seems like a good idea.
I'm not even going to debate the price (25 :lol:)
 
Vibhas said:
If there's anything I've learnt from sport, it's that any top sportsman, even at a top level for youth players, is great at thinking about their sport.

They may not be able to do algebra, but they will be able to talk about their sport and stuff very very well, and if they can't, the world's talent won't save them. You need to be able to think at a good level, otherwise you'll need Messi + Ronaldo's talent just to become a Rooney.

Instinct etc is all very well, because you respond much faster when you think instinctively, but you are in much more control if you create time to think, or make your sure your instincts are those relating to good choices in the situation.
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They only thing Paul Scholes does is envisage a tree on the pitch and smack the football at it, and he hasn't exactly done too bad has he?
 
Cina said:
Funny, seeing as a few years ago people said that was his biggest problem, that he didn't compose himself and make the right decisions and instead just shot randomly and tried stupid things.

Can't win eh?
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I think the majority of people - even Nani 'supporters' - have said Nani's at his best when he doesn't have too much to think about. The most common criticism has always been that his decision-making is poor so it goes without saying that less options/decisions to make is better for him. Strange thing to call someone up on when he's far from the only person who's suggested it...this is why some people can't even be bothered to post opinions about Nani if everything they say gets jumped on. And it happens with Nani more than any other player in the squad, which might have something to do with you being one of his most vocal 'fans'. Why do it? I think Top was spot on here:

Top said:
Nani is quite clearly a much better player than Young, anyone who can't see that is clearly just being facetious due to being annoyed with the way some on here like Nani.
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...it's more annoying that anything Nani's done himself. If he wasn't so adored by some then he wouldn't be criticised as much.
 
Brwned said:
I think the majority of people - even Nani 'supporters' - have said Nani's at his best when he doesn't have too much to think about. The most common criticism has always been that his decision-making is poor so it goes without saying that less options/decisions to make is better for him. Strange thing to call someone up on when he's far from the only person who's suggested it...this is why some people can't even be bothered to post opinions about Nani if everything they say gets jumped on. And it happens with Nani more than any other player in the squad, which might have something to do with you being one of his most vocal 'fans'. Why do it?
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Do we? His decision making has improved considerably in the last few years.

Anyway, I didn't 'jump on him' at all, that is what people were saying a few years ago, that he's wreckless and just shoots or tries daft things instead of actually making the right decisions. There's nowhere in that post that I disregard what he's said, merely make an observation.

Anyway, your last line, seems a tad ... hypocritical, given the fact that you're one of the fans who said you don't particularly 'like' him.

EDIT: By the way, it's bullshit to suggest it happens more with him than any other player, and the only reason you could suggest that is because of the fact that so many people come into this thread and talk utter shit about him. "Fans" of Carrick, Rooney, Evans are just as vocal and quick to jump on posters who criticse those players too.
 
No, I mean Ekeke is one of his 'supporters' and he's said before that he thinks Nani's better on the right because on the left he's naturally drifting inside and has a lot more options and tends to overcomplicate things. I don't think everyone believes that, just that it's not just the people who don't love Nani that think it.

You really haven't let that go and you misinterpreted it from day one. I don't dislike Nani at all. I'm delighted to have him here. I just said I never warmed to him in the way I did Valencia...yet somehow you turned that into a "he doesn't like him so he can't see past his bad qualities and how good he is" which is just a bit ridiculous really.
 
Brwned said:
I think the majority of people - even Nani 'supporters' - have said Nani's at his best when he doesn't have too much to think about. The most common criticism has always been that his decision-making is poor so it goes without saying that less options/decisions to make is better for him. Strange thing to call someone up on when he's far from the only person who's suggested it...this is why some people can't even be bothered to post opinions about Nani if everything they say gets jumped on.
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Correct, some posters take criticism to Nani very personal.
 
Cina said:
They only thing Paul Scholes does is envisage a tree on the pitch and smack the football at it, and he hasn't exactly done too bad has he?
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If football were so simple, it wouldn't be that popular.

Trust me, he doesn't dictate the tempo of a match by envisaging a tree, and smack a football at it.

For one, half his passes involve a tree moving into another trees position, many different trees to aim at, and a lot of tactical decisions to be made every match.
 
Brwned said:
No, I mean Ekeke is one of his 'supporters' and he's said before that he thinks Nani's better on the right because on the left he's naturally drifting inside and has a lot more options and tends to overcomplicate things. I don't think everyone believes that, just that it's not just the people who don't love Nani that think it.

You really haven't let that go and you misinterpreted it from day one. I don't dislike Nani at all. I'm delighted to have him here. I just said I never warmed to him in the way I did Valencia...yet somehow you turned that into a "he doesn't like him so he can't see past his bad qualities and how good he is" which is just a bit ridiculous really.
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Fair enough, I'm not quite sure that was the wording though? Too lazy to find the post so I'll take your word on it.

My point is that Nani gets far more stick than someone like Valencia despite being just as productive a player for us, that's why I defend him like I do. I criticise him too when he plays shit, it's when people say daft stuff like Young is as good as him or he's still inconsistent bla bla that I "jump" at them. I think it's nonsense to suggest that people are afraid to post opinions seeing as he gets criticised more than most of our players do on here, therefore obviously I'll defend him.

Anyway, this stemmed from that post I commented on, I didn't criticise the poster at all or jump on what he said, just thought it was a bit funny that posters seem to portray his flaws in such contrasting ways at times.

mungy said:
Correct, some posters take criticism to Nani very personal.
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Yes, it makes me cry at night.
 
Cina said:
Funny, seeing as a few years ago people said that was his biggest problem, that he didn't compose himself and make the right decisions and instead just shot randomly and tried stupid things.

Can't win eh?
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I just don't see him as a winger personally, never have. For me he is a wide forward all day long. All his best attributes are geared more towards scoring goals than creating them. He is almost the opposite to Valencia in that sense imo.

Valencia is a provider and thinks like one, Nani is a goalscorer first and foremost and the fact he is asked to be something he is not is where much of his indecision comes from imo. When he makes space he thinks about having a shot rather than finding someone else.

For me he is a victim of his ability to beat a man. That somehow makes everyone think he is suited to playing on the wing. Whereas for me it just makes him suited to making a yard of space to have a shot with either foot.
If it wasn't for his ability to beat a man, there is little else in his game that would suggest winger.

The closer to the 18yard line he plays the better he is imo. The closer to the touchline he gets the more indecisive and inconsistent he becomes. It seems a case of someone doing something not natural to them, and being uncomfortable doing it. That is how i see it anyway, and i don't think we will ever see the best of Nani until he is played where he feels most comfortable.
 
apotheosis said:
I just don't see him as a winger personally, never have. For me he is a wide forward all day long. All his best attributes are geared more towards scoring goals than creating them. He is almost the opposite to Valencia in that sense imo.

Valencia is a provider and thinks like one, Nani is a goalscorer first and foremost and the fact he is asked to be something he is not is where much of his indecision comes from imo. When he makes space he thinks about having a shot rather than finding someone else.

For me he is a victim of his ability to beat a man. That somehow makes everyone think he is suited to playing on the wing. Whereas for me it just makes him suited to making a yard of space to have a shot with either foot.
If it wasn't for his ability to beat a man, there is little else in his game that would suggest winger.

The closer to the 18yard line he plays the better he is imo. The closer to the touchline he gets the more indecisive and inconsistent he becomes. It seems a case of someone doing something not natural to them, and being uncomfortable doing it. That is how i see it anyway, and i don't think we will ever see the best of Nani until he is played where he feels most comfortable.
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He's always been great as a wide forward in a 4-3-3 formation for us. He's good enough to play 4-4-2 as well. In 2007 and 2008 when we played 4-4-2 Ronaldo played on the right, and I would say he played more like Nani than Valencia. Look how that ended up for us.

Wingers do more than place balls on the head of the strikers, we ran away from that with Ruud.
 
Devilton said:
Selling Nani would be the height of stupidity considering he's our only genuinely left sided winger (and no, i don't count Giggs as a winger anymore).
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Nani is right footed, he's a right winger really. He can just play on the left wing well.
 
Dargonk said:
Bringing nani on changed the game. Before he came on we were relying on evra to provided all the width down the left and it resulted in the team being stuck going right every time. Nani gave us good width and a threat down the other flank which opened the game up far more.

Hopefully SAF plays nani on the left next week instead of having welbeck as a floating inside left forward. We just look so much more dangerous with two natural wide players out there.
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We need to start playing people in their proper positions (allowing for injuries of course). Starting Young ahead of Nani is acceptable. Starting Welbeck instead of Nani is mind boggling.
 
Nani attempts things with a football that most players wouldn't ever try in a top flight football match.

Many times it doesn't come off, but when it does it is magical.

You can't have one without the other, and predictability and safety often play into the hands of opponents who would leave happy with a point.

Nani will always be frustrating because he has been deputized to run at defenders again and again until they fail to contain him. He can shoot five times into the stands, but it only takes one thunderbolt from the edge of the box to decide a football match.

Even when Nani is having a bad match, corners that fizzle and step overs without end product, even then the defenders back off, mesmerized and are dragged to and fro. Nani's presence and threat on the pitch demands close attention by defending teams, and this fact alone opens up space for our other forwards and the likes of Evra to operate.

Nani's weakness is ball retention and safety first. That is why he has been left out of big matches in the past where a more conservative approach is necessary.

But against the Swansea's of the world, he should always start IMO.
 
There's no comparison between Ronaldo and Nani, IMO, he's always been more of a creator than a scorer. This is in his second season at the club:

Brwned said:
Ronaldo
10 Champions League starts
39 League starts
11 FA Cup starts
3 Carling Cup starts

49 league and Champions League starts(in 2 seasons, so 24.5 starts per season)

15 goals and 8 assists

Nani
13 Champions League starts
19 League starts
3 Fa Cup starts
3 Carling Cup starts

32 League and Champions League starts(in 1.5 seasons, so 21 starts per season)

9 goals and 14 assists

So looking at the starts per season in the league and Champions League, it again shows there's not much between them.

The goals and assist stats show the difference between him and Ronaldo too, I think, because even though combined they've scored and created the same amount of goals, Ronaldo's clearly the scorer and Nani's the creator. Which is good, because we need both.
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Brwned said:
There's no comparison between Ronaldo and Nani, IMO, he's always been more of a creator than a scorer. This is in his second season at the club:
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That's in his second season? Interesting...

In 2006/07, Ronaldo got 26 goals and 20 assists in all competitions (off ESPN's website).

My point was that Ronaldo as a pure scorer, could still play on the wing, either in a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3, and that Nani can too. Apotheosis was suggesting the opposite I think.
 
Brwned said:
There's no comparison between Ronaldo and Nani, IMO, he's always been more of a creator than a scorer. This is in his second season at the club:
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39 starts in the league? He really is something :)
 
Get him started against Wigan, blow some of those cobwebs away and get the fecker on the score sheet and terrorizing their back four.

Go on Nani son
 
adexkola said:
That's in his second season? Interesting...

In 2006/07, Ronaldo got 26 goals and 20 assists in all competitions (off ESPN's website).

My point was that Ronaldo as a pure scorer, could still play on the wing, either in a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3, and that Nani can too. Apotheosis was suggesting the opposite I think.
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I made my suggestion about Nani and how i view him. I really don't see any relevance at all to what he does compared to Ronaldo. Ronaldo was given free reign to do what he wanted most of the time. Whereas Nani is considered more as a winger, yet all people do is moan about the consistency of his delivery.

For me assists can come in different forms. You can go outside on the edge of the box and cut balls back, doesn't make you a good crosser from the touchline, and that was my comparison to wingplay between Nani and Valencia.

If we want to compare Ronaldo and Nani, then i don't remember Ronaldo being a particularly fantastic and consistent crosser from the touchline. but he was great at cutting balls back across the box from inside the box.

Maybe there is confusion as to winger and wide forward and that confusion may be mine, but for me wingers cross the ball and wide forwards play closer to the box than the touchline, therefore it becomes more about passing that crossing.

Beckham winger, Ronaldo wide forward. Valencia winger, Nani wide forward. That's how i see it. It doesn't mean wingers cannot do what the wide forwards do, or vice a versa, only they tend to be more effective in their more natural areas. Ronaldo and Nani imo will always be far more effective wide forwards than touchline wingers.
 
On raw talent and ability I can only think of 3 players better - Messi, Ronaldo, and Ibrahimovich.

He is that good. I also think his decision making has improved.

The pass to RVP to draw the penalty was a very good decision under a lot of pressure and at a crucial time in the game.

In years before Nani surely would have tried to cut in and shoot on sight.

I think it's time that Nani assumes more responsibility when the chips are down. He is a match winner.
 
RedDevilCanuck said:
On raw talent and ability I can only think of 3 players better - Messi, Ronaldo, and Ibrahimovich.
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See now it's statements like these that give other posters the impression that fans of Nani are biased idiots.
 
Not actually sure about Rooney. Better player? Yes. On a 'raw' technical level though Nani's potential is higher.

There are plenty more though. Scholes and Giggs for a start.
 
What is RAW potential/talent anyway? I always thought it was a just a way for the media/press to describe every young black player...

He did say Raw talent though, and Rooney has (or had rather) bags of it.
 
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