Well OBVIOUSLY he is not world class anymore but what I’m saying is he still has world class ability. You don’t just lose thatTaking out the World class, I am glad he is back, one of the few good things during this Season. And sacking P0.
Luis Nani back to Sporting
- Thread starter SportingCP96
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He decision making was atrocious. He just didn't know when to shoot and when to pass. His showboating costed a lot of chances.
CL title is a big ask for any single player to make a difference. If we had CR do you think we'd be guaranteed a CL title? It's a nonsensical argument.
Rio-Vidic partnership would improve us way more than Nani. Even Rio alone would do that. And that's beyond question, imo.
I don’t think any Portuguese person cares tbhIn Euro 2016 he played the opposite of what he usually did in his best years, no brilliance or creativity but just worked a lot and showed up in one big moment after another. It was obvious that was his last tournament and that he was done at a really top level (which the portuguese league isn't). Lots of heroics but not a lot of quality.
It was the same for Ronaldo, Pepe or Moutinho in 2016 too, they were all twice as good in 2012 which is when we should have actually won it. Now instead of going down in history as the team that overthrew Spain's dominance with Ronaldo, Pepe, Nani, Moutinho and Coentrão in their primes playing somewhat entertaining counterattacking football we'll go down as the team who won it with most of these players past their best years playing boring football. The 2016 team was our worst performing team at the Euros since 1996
we are the champions a few years too late but the point is we did it.He's always been a confidence player, that's why coming back here has been so good for him.
Watching him play at Lazio a few years ago was torture, he looked like a retired player strolling around constantly losing the ball.
Watching him play at Lazio a few years ago was torture, he looked like a retired player strolling around constantly losing the ball.
Massive revisionism on here.
He was an incredible talent no doubt and on his day was near unplayable but never consistent or reliable enough and in the end became extremely one dimensional as well.
Compared to a proper top quality wide player like robben, Sans or Bale he was a good tier bellow them for most of his career.
He could take your breath away with skill but then would make the most stupid decisions ever.
He was an incredible talent no doubt and on his day was near unplayable but never consistent or reliable enough and in the end became extremely one dimensional as well.
Compared to a proper top quality wide player like robben, Sans or Bale he was a good tier bellow them for most of his career.
He could take your breath away with skill but then would make the most stupid decisions ever.
One player does not make the team but he is more talented ( peak years) then 90% of the current United team.
Yeah your argument was nonsensical because no one player would be leading us to glorious titles. And no, you're not allowed to suddenly add two legendary CBs as opposed to one good player.
Absolutely and sadly that is what made him hit is ceiling. He is a player that needed and needs to feel loved and have that arm around him. Just as you said that’s why his performances have gone up now that he is back home where he belongs.
I wouldn't take him over Martial, Pogba or DDG.
I'd gladly take a peak Rio or Vidic or Rooney over a peak Nani anytime.
Of course. Has anyone offered a contrary view to this, though?
Would glady take him over Martial. Nani could go both ways and had an excellent cross on him. Both frustrating, but huge talents. I'd take Nani anytime
I think you're underestimating just how good Nani was at his peak. If we're taking 2010/11 Nani as his peak. He was averaging a goal/assist a game from the wing. That's up there with anyone in the world and would take us up several levels if he was in our team currently.
He is better than Martial. As for Pogba he is the one outfield player who is more talented than prime Nani. DDG is a keeper so that point is invalid.
That season was far his best season ever. Something Martial hasn't even scratched the surface of. I agree 100%.
Didn’t say we would be better but I’d also be aware he could score goals nobody else in our squad can, he could pick the ball up 25 yards from goal with nothing on and smash it in the top corner on either foot. That’s the type of player he was.....unpredictable. At least it’d provide some excitement.
His crossing was fantastic
I meant we wouldn't win a title with any one of these players being added to our team. It's a team sport and we have team related issues and Nani being unable to fix them doesn't incriminate him.
At his best? I suppose he was. Martial is better than he was at the same age and will go to be a better player outright soon. I think Martial is more talented too as he's a better passer, stronger and finisher. And I say this as someone who had always liked Nani and rated him /his talent highly.
Yes and know I don't think he is a better passer or Crosser then Nani. As for being a better finisher and stronger well yes but he also is more of a striker than a winger. Better at the same age debatable. More talented as a whole ? Don't think so in my opinion but its all subjective because Martial has his whole career ahead of him.
It doesn't really matter but it means they won't end up being romanticized about the same way other national team generations are.I don’t think any Portuguese person cares tbh
Eder.... fecking Eder scoring the winner with a hell of a goal? Ill speak for myself when I say I can romanticize about that as long as I live
So far Martial is the definition of hypster overrated but probably will improve now.
No idea what "hipster overrated" is. He's an excellent young player and most United fans who watched both week in week out would say he seems a better prospect than Nani and has more game intelligence/completeness to his skillset. I'd expect him to end up the better footballer of the two.
I am not comparing just saying he is overrated. 2 different things. Also said he will improve now, so in fact I am saying he is good but overrated. You compared him to Nani I didn"t.
Watching those videos it’s weird seeing a player run down the touch line and keep it in. Nowadays I’m used to the player just dribbling it off the pitch
Completely wrong. He was consistent as his career stats show :
Posters found him frustrating because he would lose the ball with a simple pass sometimes.
Nani's pass accuracy on average throughout his career is actually 1% better than Anthony Martial's. Alongside the fact Nani's average key passes per game over his career is 1.8
The highest key passes for United this season are Pogba and Antonio Valencia averaging 1.5 key passes a match. Anthony Martial's is 1.2 and the average over his career so far is 0.9.
Its better to look at data per 90 mins though so the numbers arent watered down by sub appearances, more on that later.
Nani gave the ball away a little bit more than some of our other players at the time because he was a player trying to find that final pass and create something out of nothing. The results speak for themselves. He created and scored a lot for us. Being Portuguese but not as good as Ronaldo counted against him. But he was very consistently one of our best attacking players until he was frozen out.
Posters mistook not liking his style as a player who tried things that didnt always come off as "inconsistency" but consistency for an attacking player is how many goals you make or score. And he consistently delivered on that front when he was playing regularly. Thats why he was such a good player.
LVG's United was all about keeping the ball, not creating anything. Thats the opposite of Nani. So its not too surprising that he was considered surplus to requirements to a manager who doesn't care for the things he was good at. 11/12 was the last time he was used regularly and made more than 7 league starts for us in a season. He got 10 assists and 8 goals in the league that season.
Now if we take a look at his key passes per 90 mins of his career (so the stats arent watered down by sub appearances where you come on for a few mins) heres the story :
In Nani's entire career he's had 2 league seasons where he created less key passes per 90 mins than the most one of our first team starters has produced this season :
Thats right, in his time on the pitch Sanchez has created far and away the most chances for teammates this season. But like with Nani, posters dont like his style and fans wanted something different. So Martial is the first team starter with the most key passes this season on average with 1.8 over the course of 13 appearances.
Nani had 1 season with 1 single start where he had less than that. So obviously that one doesnt count.
But he also had 1 real season where he played 12 times for United in 10/11 and had 1.3 key passes. Thats the only season where he played a similar amount and created less than Martial has this season.
It just shows how far the club has fallen that the narrative back then was that Nani was inconsistent for consistently creating lots of opportunities for teammates and having just under 80% pass accuracy, but Martial is a top player even though he creates less and his passing accuracy this season is 1% better than that this season.
We wouldnt need a "peak" Nani to improve us. Even Nani in one of his shittiest seasons would add more creativity to this team.
Great post, @Ekeke
I know football is not all about stats, but people misunderstand these type of players a lot, because they have the balls to take risks and loosing the ball is part of that style of play.
I know football is not all about stats, but people misunderstand these type of players a lot, because they have the balls to take risks and loosing the ball is part of that style of play.
Not sure why everyone always underrated Nani's strength, the guy was a fecking monster. Still remember him destroying Ivanovic, who was also a beast. Whilst Martial is strong and my favourite United player at the moment, Nani shouldn't be overlooked.
I agree. Knowing Portugal more easily you will see Mendes receiving a condecoration than Nani a testimonial. Oh wait...
https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/jorge-mendes-condecorado-pelo-governo
Nani only got this reputation as he was ALWAYS compared to the golden boy Cristiano.
It's such a shame as Nani was talented as hell, and probably our best player post Rooney decline. The way he got treated by the fans was very unfair.
It's such a shame as Nani was talented as hell, and probably our best player post Rooney decline. The way he got treated by the fans was very unfair.
He lacked consistency, and took wrong decisions regarding his stay at United and his carrer choices post United were erratic, playing for a different club every season. But you are absolutely right he was always wrongly compared with Cristiano, who of course would always go against him. Don't agree at all his decision making was bad, in fact I think that was one of his main assets.
Well you did start the comparison when you said he was better than nearly our entire team. Not that I disagree with that, but I wouldn't trade those three for Nani. I do think Nani gets a rough treatment and was far better than is given credit for.
I'm not overlooking Nani. I used to defend him plenty here and feel he was appreciated enough. He was someone we could have developed better IMO. As for his strength, again, it depended. When he was confident he was hard to knock off the ball. In his lulls, he tended to be weak and mopey. Martial is a tougher cookie IMO. Albiet it's not like we're comparing Ozil or Drogba. There or thereabouts I suppose.
I don't want to argue with you, but I think you are confusing @SportingCP96 with me. I clearly didn't said it. At all.
Nani was exceptionally talented, technically brilliant with both feet, quick and could manipulate a ball in tight spaces in a way more akin to Messi than Ronaldo. On his day he was unstoppable and easily one of the best players in the league. On off-days he was incredibly frustrating, especially since we knew what he was capable of. No doubt he was inconsistent, he had one season where he was exceptional but generally his purple patches were exactly that - patchy. Whether that was his fault or the fact that he rarely got a run of starts under his belt is up for debate.
I suspect a little of both, haven't watched him much since but he was a confidence player at United, maybe given a run in the team he could have played himself into being one of the first names on the team sheet. He certainly never reached his potential, but I can't blame Fergie for that, SAF's job was to manage in the interests of Manchester United, it's good if the manager can facilitate the development of each and every player under his watch but occasionally the latter is incompatible with the former
I suspect a little of both, haven't watched him much since but he was a confidence player at United, maybe given a run in the team he could have played himself into being one of the first names on the team sheet. He certainly never reached his potential, but I can't blame Fergie for that, SAF's job was to manage in the interests of Manchester United, it's good if the manager can facilitate the development of each and every player under his watch but occasionally the latter is incompatible with the former
Whoops. Apologies !I don't want to argue with you, but I think you are confusing @SportingCP96 with me. I clearly didn't said it. At all.
I remember excitedly watching the Euro u21 tournament as we announced the deal before it, the first u21 tournament I was genuine excited for, turns out he didn't do that well, then he came here as a LW but played better on the right, competing with an in form Valencia.
Shame.
Shame.
Yeah, maybe I was a bit rash there, but I remember that being a big argument at the time, that a fair gust of wind would blow him over. I though one of Fergie's few mistakes was sacrificing Nani for Valencia. For what it's worth, I think prime Nani on the right and Martial on the left would be incredible.