Nani

Players can develop after 21 you know. Fletcher wasn't a player aspiring to be a "world class" midfielder at 21.


Of course it is. Nani should be able to find the heads of two midgets surrounded by a bunch of 6'2" defenders.. Duh!


Yup, I don't really know where the "no end product" argument came from. The end product has always been there for all to see.


Was going to write the exact same thing. That's what frustrates me the most about Nani, that when he gets past his defender he doesn't get the cross in but twists and turns a couple of times until the defenders re-group and force him to play a backwards pass.

Maybe that is what people mean about end product?
 
Anyone else notice that the one and only time he comprehensively beat his full back and made it to the byline in the entire 90 minutes was when he knocked it past him and ran around him?

Here's hoping he learns from that. All this standing still and trying fancy wee flicks is one of the most stupid ways I've ever seen of trying to beat his man. It didn't even work for Ronaldo and he's Ronaldo.
 
Anyone else notice that the one and only time he comprehensively beat his full back and made it to the byline in the entire 90 minutes was when he knocked it past him and ran around him?

He beat him several times, though mostly by using a cheeky turn and pace.
 
He beat him several times, though mostly by using a cheeky turn and pace.

Actually he did beat him around the half-way line a few times but never got clean away from him. Which means that Nani isn't quite as quick as we think or that "big, immobile" full-back is much quicker than people are giving him credit for (my money's on the latter)

He only beat him comprehensively once, that was when he knocked it past him on the edge of the box. All the other times yer man got back at him before he could put in a decent cross (for which Nani is at least partly to blame due to him putting the brakes on so often and trying to beat the same player two or three times).
 
Nani's pace is certainly overrated in my opinion, I always notice how when there is alot of space for him to run into, he always has to slow it down because defenders catch up with him. He is not as rapid as everyone seems to think he is.
 
Actually he did beat him around the half-way line a few times but never got clean away from him. Which means that Nani isn't quite as quick as we think or that "big, immobile" full-back is much quicker than people are giving him credit for (my money's on the latter)

He showed how fast he was at one point in the first half where he ran away from 3 players or so - including Elokobi.

The fact Elokobi had to kick him showed how much Nani had taken the piss.

Like I said last night; had Nani just once decided to pass the ball backwards to Owen instead of trying to find someone under the goal, then he would have had an assist, and this thread wouldn't exist.

Anyway, I'm out of this thread, the fact that most people have Welbeck as MOTM after he did absolutely nothing other than the goal shows how fickle some are.
 
He let the opposition get to him yesterday. He started with a lot of promise and some glimpses of brilliance, then he got kicked, then he lost a header and wanted a free kick for it, then he got an arm in his throat. I suppose it's a good sign that defenders feel they must kick him Ronaldo-style (the first kick was one of those), but Nani needs to get up and keep humiliating them rather than whinging and sobbing. Ronaldo, despite his dives, was (or is, I suppose he's not dead) usually incredibly brave in that regard, Nani should learn some of that.
 
Boss, I think you are right, that is probably why he has got it into his head he needs to keep twisting and turning, it is probably quite effective when he is playing at a lower standard, where people are faster than him but nobody has anything like as much skill. Now he is playing at the highest level it just doesnt translate. But he def doesnt look massively quick.
 
Anyone else notice that the one and only time he comprehensively beat his full back and made it to the byline in the entire 90 minutes was when he knocked it past him and ran around him?

Here's hoping he learns from that. All this standing still and trying fancy wee flicks is one of the most stupid ways I've ever seen of trying to beat his man. It didn't even work for Ronaldo and he's Ronaldo.

And I use this as an example of where I think he can improve. He obviously has the ability to beat his man but his total concentration seems to be focused on that one task; beating his man. After he came round the defender he completely failed to connect the cross to a teammate (Owen?) that had cleared the defender in the box. This was with no one between him and said teammate.

It seems to me that if he can improve his decision making and realize that his job isn't finished because he beat a defender or two then we might see him fulfill the potential some of us see in him.
 
Boss, I think you are right, that is probably why he has got it into his head he needs to keep twisting and turning, it is probably quite effective when he is playing at a lower standard, where people are faster than him but nobody has anything like as much skill. Now he is playing at the highest level it just doesnt translate. But he def doesnt look massively quick.

He might be one of those players who is very quick over 5-10 yards but who doesn't have a great top speed?

I think he's plenty quick enough though. He's miles quicker than Park for example. He just needs to learn how to use his pace and his power more effectively than he does.

One thing I've notice he very rarely does is angle his run in front of the players chasing him down so his body is between them and the ball. Ronaldo use to do this all the time and even a relative slow-coach like Berbatov uses it to great effect. It leaves the defender no choice but to concede a foul or try to get at the ball by taking the long route running around him.
 
He might be one of those players who is very quick over 5-10 yards but who doesn't have a great top speed?

I think he's plenty quick enough though. He's miles quicker than Park for example. He just needs to learn how to use his pace and his power more effectively than he does.

One thing I've notice he very rarely does is angle his run in front of the players chasing him down so his body is between them and the ball. Ronaldo use to do this all the time and even a relative slow-coach like Berbatov uses it to great effect.

Yeah he does seem to have decent acceleration. But not a great top speed - though like you say, he isnt completely pedestrian.

Like a top of the range electric car.
 
He might be one of those players who is very quick over 5-10 yards but who doesn't have a great top speed?

I think he's plenty quick enough though. He's miles quicker than Park for example. He just needs to learn how to use his pace and his power more effectively than he does.

One thing I've notice he very rarely does is angle his run in front of the players chasing him down so his body is between them and the ball. Ronaldo use to do this all the time and even a relative slow-coach like Berbatov uses it to great effect. It leaves the defender no choice but to concede a foul or try to get at the ball by taking the long route running around him.

Giggs does that aswell with great effect, especially when hes playing through the middle
 
How about starting with getting at least 1 cross past the first defender?

I must admit to being utterly gobsmacked by some of the reactions here, probably even the majority of opinions. For me, Nani's performance last night was no better than an average SWP / Lennon / Pennant performance. Plenty of speed, even some trickery, but absolutely no final product whatsoever. It wasn't that his crossing was erratic, it was totally non-existent, so many crosses just hit the first defender. Its all well and good finding the space and running into it, but if there is no final product what is the point?

1 match. 1 single match. His crossing is usually the best part of what he brings to the team. So to make a big deal of one match where it isnt to its usual standard is pretty shocking.

Next we'll have threads about Rooney's end product so far this season when he has a match where he doesnt actually score.

And if a winger having a game where their delivery is poor is a topic worth starting a thread for, then we're going to have a lot of Valencia and Park threads this season.

Something tells me its only unacceptable for Nani though. For everyone else its just one dissappointing game.
 
Something tells me its only unacceptable for Nani though. For everyone else its just one dissappointing game.
That's surely because it's expected big things from Nani, moreso than from Park and probably Valencia. Not that I'm defending the kneejerkism.
 
I really think he's like Ronaldo was about aged 18 but not as good and far more annoyong which much less brains.

Occaisonally he will play a moment of brilliance but it is often far outweighed by the moments when he will feck up a 2ft pass.
 
The Anti-Nani brigade will be happy to see he was subbed off for giggs. He had some good movement, a good whack at goal but again his decision making let him down. A few other players had some poor touches and decisions aswell however the game was running through nani and rightly so, taking on Robert Huth who is a clunky Centrehalf, not a RFB.

I still think he has alot to offer us, he needs to get a run of games like the preseason to get his confidence up. Remember ronaldo played like piss for an early start of his season, due to injury(or lack of caring to some) but after a few games began to find his feet. Fergie should keep the faith though it will be hard with giggs in superb form.
 
I was talking about the "another" part, gimptard.

He's had as many good games as bad ones so far this season - the Stoke game counting on the bad side.

Though I fail to see the point behind your post if you haven't even watched him today.
 
I was talking about the "another" part, gimptard.

He's had as many good games as bad ones so far this season - the Stoke game counting on the bad side.

Though I fail to see the point behind your post if you haven't even watched him today.

is it just me that thinks hes lacking in confidence? Nanis game is all about taking players on and when he came up against roberth huth, you would think his eyes would light up. However he lost control of the ball more than usual and didnt run at anyone, especially huth on a yellow card.
 
Yes, but this is Valencia's debut season. I've been disappointed with him too but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt considering he's been here a couple of months.
 
I am getting worried for Nani really. I am one of his vociferous defenders, but I have to keep quiet for a while.
 
Unlucky not to get a goal, great save. He played poorly like Valencia but not that bad to warrant the drop. Remember this is a lad that spent most of the 2nd half of last season on the bench. Let him get his groove. Valenica will be the same.
 
If Obertan shows a bit more composure than Nani, how do you rate Nani's chances here? Remember Ljajic is coming as well and from all indications, he has the "it" factor.

And does anyone else the disgust on SAF's face when Nani messes up? Is Nani playing too rigid to feel relaxed?
 
Shit game from him today.. Rooney looked somewhat unhappy with him
 
If Obertan shows a bit more composure than Nani, how do you rate Nani's chances here? Remember Ljajic is coming as well and from all indications, he has the "it" factor.

Ljajic is more of an attacking midfielder though isn't he ?

I think Nani just needs to sort his fecking football brain out a bit. The wheel is there but theres no hamster turning it. As soon as he starts reading the game better, the sooner we'll be seeing a more dangerous player.

With Nani we just need patience, United's the perfect club to get the best out of him.

And lets judge Obertan after we've seen a couple of times. Hype on a young player is never good.
 
'it factor'? can you translate that into footballing terms please ;)
 
Needs to be given time, very frustrating game today but we know what he is capable of that's why it's so disappointing he fecks up chance after chance, the doing the O'Shea was the final straw.

Should be given some time to get his form back though, but I think he has lost the trust of Fergie to some extent