How great would it be that after the Real second leg, there is a portuguese winger who can play on the left and right that the crowd are singing about - that isnt named Ronaldo 
Luis Nani | 2012/13 Performances
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Are we signing another winger?
Viva Bébé?
In terms of getting more starts, while it's obvious we have a rotation policy that every player must accept, it's fair to say that we have a select group who are close to "guaranteed starters". in De Gea, Evra, Carrick, Rooney and Van Persie. Nani must be looking at Valencia, Young and Giggs as his rivals for either the left or right wing and be thinking "Well, how come I can't be offered more assurance of games?".
http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/onthemove/id/5479?cc=5901
Apparently Sun are running a story that Nani has been told to accept a 90k a week salary and that his demand for 130k a week won't be met. Strangely they are also saying he will need to take a paycut to stay with the club.
How would he be taking a paycut if they are offering him a 90k a week?
Apparently Sun are running a story that Nani has been told to accept a 90k a week salary and that his demand for 130k a week won't be met. Strangely they are also saying he will need to take a paycut to stay with the club.
How would he be taking a paycut if they are offering him a 90k a week?
You started with.... Appartently, Sun... That ruined it there.
As far as Nani goes, hope we don't seem him on the weekend as I want a start against RM please
As far as Nani goes, hope we don't seem him on the weekend as I want a start against RM please
I'd like to see him play one half or so against Norwich and then start against Madrid. But I find it very hard to predict how we're going to set up against Madrid though.You started with.... Appartently, Sun... That ruined it there.
As far as Nani goes, hope we don't seem him on the weekend as I want a start against RM please
That looks like a rehashed old story from 3 months ago.
Well, if Young is on the reported 110k, he couldn't possibly earn 90k.
Does anybody think that he has a case to start vs Madrid? I'd love to see it, but I'm not confident that it will happen.
Imagine a Bayern 2nd leg 2010 type performance from him.
Imagine a Bayern 2nd leg 2010 type performance from him.
After the last 2 games, of course he has a case.Does anybody think that he has a case to start vs Madrid? I'd love to see it, but I'm not confident that it will happen.
Imagine a Bayern 2nd leg 2010 type performance from him.
Whether or not SAF thinks it's a strong enough case though... well I guess we won't find that out until the game.
He has a case IMHO and the Norwich match being the last one before the CL clash, he still has another opportunity to give SAF a big headache over the selection.Tbh he should start vs, he deserves it just on the basis that his direct competition (Young, Kagawa) for places aren't performing well
For me, it's a lock Nani will start v Real. There's ZERO chance we'll keep a clean sheet and there's a more than decent chance Ronaldo will score twice on us. If I'm right about that we're going to need a lot of offensive firepower and that means Nani has to get the start...either over Young (squad player), Valencia (middling form, at best) or Kagawa (an intriguing possibility but not yet proven to be more lethal than Nani).Does anybody think that he has a case to start vs Madrid? I'd love to see it, but I'm not confident that it will happen.
Imagine a Bayern 2nd leg 2010 type performance from him.
Whatever happens, it's going to be an incredible sporting spectacle. I'd love to see Nani get the match winner but I won't complain if it's Rafael who bags it for us.
I'm not so sure about that. After all, they only managed one goal at their place and I'm sure that we'll have Vidic for this one.
Some serious nonsense here. They scored only one at their stadium, and Ronaldo scored just one and had another one good chance (not clear, but good). Why they will be so better in OT?
I won't complain whoever wins it for us.
The fact we don't have a better right sided winger at the club and he has played well in the last 2 games gives him a very strong case, If SAF agrees is another matter.Does anybody think that he has a case to start vs Madrid? I'd love to see it, but I'm not confident that it will happen.
Imagine a Bayern 2nd leg 2010 type performance from him.
I think it depends on who starts against Norwich. If he starts then he might not start against Madrid but if he is rested for Norwich, then there is a strong possibility he is going to start against Madrid.Does anybody think that he has a case to start vs Madrid? I'd love to see it, but I'm not confident that it will happen.
Imagine a Bayern 2nd leg 2010 type performance from him.
I don't think that was his question.
Fine. He definitely has a case but again it depends on who starts against Norwich.
I'd put him in against Madrid, currently he's our best winger. I think Ferguson will opt for Kagawa again though, even though Nani's dribbling will unsettle the feck out of Madrid's defence. Ramos and the likes won't like it, the beauty of Nani is that you can close him and he could skip past you on either foot, you stand off him and he can rattle one into the top corner.
It will be one between Nani and Welbeck. Will be surprised if Kagawa starts wide.
Rooney wide with Kagawa behind van Persie, just like the first leg.
Kagawa is such a smart player with the ball, he rarely gives it away. That's why I think Ferguson will opt with him again, he's the kind of player you need in the final third against a team like Madrid, clinical in his passing.
Kagawa is such a smart player with the ball, he rarely gives it away. That's why I think Ferguson will opt with him again, he's the kind of player you need in the final third against a team like Madrid, clinical in his passing.
I think Kagawa and Nani linking together either from the left or the right could potentially represent our best chance of getting at a backline of Arbeloa-Pepe-Varane-Ramos in the 2nd leg. It would genuinely occupy their midfield in the defensive end and with the intelligence of movement of the aforementioned two along with Rooney, again from wide, and RVP, I think we could find a lot of success.
I'm a tad more concerned however, in how we are going to handle Di Maria, Ronaldo and Ozil :-/
I'm a tad more concerned however, in how we are going to handle Di Maria, Ronaldo and Ozil :-/
I agree with this. Kagawa looked really well in the first half against Real, despite us being bullied. Imagine how good he can be when we actually try to attack!
Given Real's supremacy on the counter, we probably won't try to go out and attack. It will be measured like the 2nd half. I'd go with Rooney out wide with Welbeck off Van Persie like the 2nd half of the first leg. Danny did a great job on Alonso which would be good to repeat. I'd play Nani out wide to link up with Wayne, Van Persie and Welbeck when we counter.
Interesting stat on football365. Since August 2009 Nani has the most assists out of any player in the league with 32. I didn't realize how productive he's been for us. I'd give him a start over Valencia and Young for Madrid. Him on the right and Kagawa or Rooney om the left. I think he's more likely to create chances or score himself than either Young or Valencia. I don't think either Young or Valencia have done enough to warrant starting against Madrid and I personally think we are going to need to score to progress through (I can't see us keeping a clean sheet against Madrid), we' be better served going with Nani.
Is Coentrão suspended for the 2nd leg?
It's Rooney or kagawa in my eyes, not both.
Neither are fully comfortable in that position and their talents are waisted.
Let young / nani / welbeck do the doggies on the wing. They have the stamina to complete the job and still be effective.
That can't be true, he shit, inconsistent and frustrating, and he doesn't have the caf's famous "football brain"! Surely Rooney and the like have more assists?!
Won't be long before Mata takes that achievement I think. Good stat though.
Mata has 28 so you could be right, depending on Nani's playing time going forward.
In fact, Mata has 45 assists across all club competitions in the last two seasons. Wow.
In fact, Mata has 45 assists across all club competitions in the last two seasons. Wow.
I can see Mata overtaking Nani if he doesn't play. But I don't see why Nani should be left out of the side now he's fully fit again. For me, he's just a better player than Young and better than the out-of-form Valencia. He's already notched up a few assists against QPR and Reading, he deserves the opportunity to start more regularly now.
I think part of the reason that he's got so many assists is that he's got that x-factor that Valencia and Young lack. He can be not playing well yet still manage to be a threat and players like that are rare. And against Madrid we're going to need to score at OT to progress and to give us the best chance of doing that Nani IMO needs to start. Granted he's a frustrating player and has his flaws, but I just think he offers more at this stage than Young/Valencia.
I couldn't agree more with my friend from the land of Oz. Short of injury problems between now and next week, Nani has to get the start. On any given day the man can be a world beater. He's underrated as a defensive asset and we all know he can create chances and score. There are legitimate shots to take at him but this is a game we're going to have win because I see zero chance of us keeping us a clean sheet on Real. We need the right personnel for the job and I just don't see anything in the CV of Young or Valencia to justify giving either of them the start over Nani.
The only logic I can see Fergie grasping in giving Young or Valencia the start over Nani is the prospect that we could go into the 30 minutes of extra time. Nani's fresh legs in the 70th minute -- as well as his success rate in taking pk's (seems good to me, but I have no numbers at my disposal to back it up) is a pretty good reason to bring him on late. But I'd much rather secure the win in normal time than roll the dice in added time. Nani is physically able to go a 120, if need be. I'd go with Nani in the starting XI.
We can't expect Sir Alex to acknowledge that by watching them all every day at Carrington. Somebody should inform him about that.
What an original witticism. I've never heard this one on the caf before.
It's not a witticism, mate. Nor sarcasm/irony etc. Just sheer boredom caused by countless 'He's our best winger, we know that so why doesn't Fergie' remarks that have been taking place since a few days before the first leg against Madrid. I wasn't here back then (close to the kick-off) to check what's going on in the matchday thread but I can only imagine the outrage when Welbeck appeared in the line-up (instead of Nani, Valencia). Now I'm asking you, did it go too badly?
Football is not all about summing each player's quality. There are games like Madrid ones when you need to find the balance and choose the right tactics. I'd wager Sir Alex knows better about that than we do. That's why I don't give a flying feck who's gonna play where. If it's Nani, I'm happy, knowing he's got to be the best option if selected. I will be equally happy whether he fields Nani, Valencia or Welbeck. Can't rise above that, can we?
Why? I think they'll both start along with Rooney behind Van Persie. That front four all keep the ball well when closed down, able to beat men one on one, do a defensive shift and are all a goal threat.
Valencia better defensively but doesnt have a goal threat, Young better defensively but struggles to beat a man when closed down quickly (although is normally very good on the counter attack), and kagawa struggles defensively imo (does a shift but very rarely wins the ball back, hence him and welbeck swapping positions in the bernabeu).
Nani is a potential match winner, and I think Fergie will pick him because of it.
Nani has assisted more goals than any other player in the Premier League since August 2009 (32).
So did he not play today because he'll start against Madrid or was it some other reason?
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