Nani

[AFC NimbleThumb]

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/deta...n-ronaldo-giggs-scholes-messi-and-moscow-2008

Great read. Love reading up on the good old days... they'll return. Right?

On the 4-0 v Arsenal:

Singles out Darren Fletcher for his quality in the article yet ITKs round here dare mention McAverage & Fred in the same breath.

Great read. I particularly like the Arsenal stuff as well; genuinely hate losing to them more than anyone else; by the time Fergie left we’d well & truly put them in there place yet here we are a few weeks ago being mugged off but I digress.

Loved Nani, vastly undervalued when you look at the praise some of the dross we currently employ get on here. Far from the most consistent player but I’d shift the majority of our current squad to have a player of his quality as our RW.

 

[United58]

Loved Nani, vastly undervalued when you look at the praise some of the dross we currently employ get on here. Far from the most consistent player but I’d shift the majority of our current squad to have a player of his quality as our RW.

Nani 2010-2012 was one of the best players in the league, unbelievable player at his best. Pity about the inconsistencies

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

Nani 2010-2012 was one of the best players in the league, unbelievable player at his best. Pity about the inconsistencies

Thing I loved about him was he was a true big game player; he wouldn’t shirk responsibility & would try things against the best teams. Obviously not always a success but the testament is that his best moments came against the likes of Liverpool & Arsenal.

He’s obviously not a typical captain but players with his ability & character are sorely missed in our squad.

 

[Fitchett]

Nani 2010-2012 was one of the best players in the league, unbelievable player at his best. Pity about the inconsistencies

This.

 

[horsechoker]

 

[simplyared]

When on song he was a class act, no doubt about that. Used to love the way he'd cut in from his right wing positition and almost effortless find the net with his left foot. Brilliant technique!

 

[Jeppers7]

Such a good player. Always baffles me that we sacrificed his talent for Valencia. Amad has Nani vibes about him.

 

[Maciej]

What the feck has he got on his head?!

 

[Offside]

Such a good player. Always baffles me that we sacrificed his talent for Valencia. Amad has Nani vibes about him.

Valencia 09-12 was better. The only real period where Nani excelled with any consistency was when Valencia was injured in 10/11 and even then Nani began to drop off before Valencia returned. 11/12 Nani started so well and lost his place to Valencia who was unreal that season. It’s not baffling - one was just much more reliable than the other.

 

[horsechoker]

What the feck has he got on his head?!

Tribute to this

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

He was so frustrating to watch at times but when he was good he was genuinely world-class. Fergie managed him really well, reportedly bollocking the likes of Rooney and Giggs when Nani was below par as the player would not have reacted well to a fiery Glaswegian in his face, and gave him decent latitude to play himself into form and produce moments of quality.

 

[R0nald0]

Would walk into our side today. The thing I loved about Nani was that he wasn't scared to take responsibility. Always tried to create, very rarely a sideways pass!

 

[Jeppers7]

Valencia 09-12 was better. The only real period where Nani excelled with any consistency was when Valencia was injured in 10/11 and even then Nani began to drop off before Valencia returned. 11/12 Nani started so well and lost his place to Valencia who was unreal that season. It’s not baffling - one was just much more reliable than the other.

Nah totally disagree. We had two wingers, one could only play on the right and the other could play both. Nani was better than Valencia, but you couldn’t play Valencia on the left.

The period Valencia got injured and Nani was allowed to play in his best position he was one of the best players in the league. Valencia was never capable of that level of performance.

Valencia was just extremely limited as a winger.

 

[harms]

Valencia 09-12 was better. The only real period where Nani excelled with any consistency was when Valencia was injured in 10/11 and even then Nani began to drop off before Valencia returned. 11/12 Nani started so well and lost his place to Valencia who was unreal that season. It’s not baffling - one was just much more reliable than the other.

Nani was the better player out of the two when he was shoehorned on the left to fit in Valencia. The latter was great as well, but it always felt unfair that Nani was played out of position simply because he could — and Tony was unable to play anywhere else.

 

[Offside]

Nah totally disagree. We had two wingers, one could only play on the right and the other could play both. Nani was better than Valencia, but you couldn’t play Valencia on the left.

The period Valencia got injured and Nani was allowed to play in his best position he was one of the best players in the league. Valencia was never capable of that level of performance.

Valencia was just extremely limited as a winger.

Not sure. Valencia 2011-12 was arguably better than Nani 2010-11. Although I agree in terms of flair and brilliance, but not consistency.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Not sure. Valencia 2011-12 was arguably better than Nani 2010-11. Although I agree in terms of flair and brilliance, but not consistency.

No way. Valencia was great but Nani was probably the best winger in Europe that year. He averaged a goal/assist a game!

 

[AaronRedDevil]

Valencia 09-12 was better. The only real period where Nani excelled with any consistency was when Valencia was injured in 10/11 and even then Nani began to drop off before Valencia returned. 11/12 Nani started so well and lost his place to Valencia who was unreal that season. It’s not baffling - one was just much more reliable than the other.

Besides the first season. Valencia was basically useless in attack. That's why he got put into RB so he didn't have to the main winger, because his crossing was shite and he's never an attacking threat. Probably the easiest player ever to defend against. Fake going left, runs right and crosses it. 80 times a match

 

[2cents]

Besides the first season. Valencia was basically useless in attack

Nah he was excellent in the latter half of 10/11 and especially during 11/12. 12/13 is when his game fell apart for some reason.

Nani had two excellent calendar years in 2010 and 2011. Even so he was still dropped in the latter half of 10/11 and missed the CL final.

 

[Offside]

Besides the first season. Valencia was basically useless in attack. That's why he got put into RB so he didn't have to the main winger, because his crossing was shite and he's never an attacking threat. Probably the easiest player ever to defend against. Fake going left, runs right and crosses it. 80 times a match

Nonsense. Was unplayable for a while in 2012.

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

Valencia’s best season being better than Nani’s best season seems an odd take. Never heard much of that.

Opinions of course, but Valencia had one season of good productivity. Nani had a year where he truly terrorised teams.

 

[charlenefan]

Remember Nani was better than Bale once!!! Valencia can't ever say that!

 

[Rossa]

Nah totally disagree. We had two wingers, one could only play on the right and the other could play both. Nani was better than Valencia, but you couldn’t play Valencia on the left.

The period Valencia got injured and Nani was allowed to play in his best position he was one of the best players in the league. Valencia was never capable of that level of performance.

Valencia was just extremely limited as a winger.

Didn’t Guardiola quote him as the best winger in the world at one point? And I think it was Blackburn who double marked him with the Olsson brothers, and even that failed. Yes he was limited, but his strengths at that time far outweighed it.

 

[Stormrage101MUFC]

One of my top 5 favourite players of that 2008-2013 era/team.

 

[Oranges038]

Best part of this is that hair. Looks like a fake tanned Robbie Savage.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Nah he was excellent in the latter half of 10/11 and especially during 11/12. 12/13 is when his game fell apart for some reason.

Nani had two excellent calendar years in 2010 and 2011. Even so he was still dropped in the latter half of 10/11 and missed the CL final.

He wasn't dropped, he got injured and then Valencia came back in really good form and he couldn't get his place back. He also contributed far more in his substitute appearance in the final than Valencia did and arguably should have started.

 

[Amar__]

Nani was a matchwinner Valencia could never dream to be one. At no point in his career he was even as good as Nani was at his best.

At his best Valencia would assist one or two goals, at his best Nani would score one or two and also assist one or two goals.

 

[Jeppers7]

Didn’t Guardiola quote him as the best winger in the world at one point? And I think it was Blackburn who double marked him with the Olsson brothers, and even that failed. Yes he was limited, but his strengths at that time far outweighed it.

Peps said a lot of strange things, but yeah better than Bale, Ribery and Robben of course

 

[berbatrick]

Dropping Nani for Valencia - Young combination was around when the zombie football thread here became very active, and it's not a coincidence. Nani's productivity for about 2.5 seasons prior was astounding.

 

[stevoc]

Valencia 09-12 was better. The only real period where Nani excelled with any consistency was when Valencia was injured in 10/11 and even then Nani began to drop off before Valencia returned. 11/12 Nani started so well and lost his place to Valencia who was unreal that season. It’s not baffling - one was just much more reliable than the other.

Arguably yes, I don't think he was but Valencia was playing in his best position and Nani was mostly on the left. How would they have fared had Nani played in his best position on the right all the time and Valencia been the one shunted out to the left. As much as I liked Tony V Nani was a better player on pretty much every level.

 

[stevoc]

Not sure. Valencia 2011-12 was arguably better than Nani 2010-11. Although I agree in terms of flair and brilliance, but not consistency.

Mate you must have been watching different matches than i was, Nani was sensational at times in 2011. Valencia was a very good player but never capable of the level of performance Nani was.

 

[Amar__]

Nani was a matchwinner Valencia could never dream of becoming.

He was also more shite than Nani ever was for more than 2 years and was the most consistent player in our first XI just because he was safe option, just like Fabio, Rafael, Gibson, etc. were safer option in the midfield than young Pogba. Or later Darmian ahead of Rafael, Rojo ahead of Evans, etc. Managers make mistakes and make choices, doesn't mean everything they do is right.

Valencia was our worst player in CL final by a mile; he was lost and Nani came on and was our best player in those 20ish minutes.

Valencia was a good winger and very good winger at one point, who played far more than he should have overall, and that's about it. Of course Nani had his problems too.

 

[stevoc]

It's still criminal that Van Gaal shunted Nani out of the club to seal a deal for Marcos fecking Rojo and then complained that he didn't have enough creative players.

Louis really didn't have a clue how to build a team.

 

[MadDogg]

Peps said a lot of strange things, but yeah better than Bale, Ribery and Robben of course

For that season he was. Depending on whether you classed Messi and Ronaldo as wingers at that stage, Nani was the best of the rest (with Di Maria being his main competition that season).

The only time Nani was played consistently on the right he was the best player in the league and was probably the main reason we won the title that season. Unfortunately the rest of his time with us he was generally played on the left, where he was capable of having incredible matches but was never able to show the consistency he did on the right.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

Some of these goals are ridiculous

 

[hubbuh]

VAR does a fantastic job of taking away quite literally all the joy of that goal. It's an abomination.

 

[MadDogg]

VAR does a fantastic job of taking away quite literally all the joy of that goal. It's an abomination.

To be fair, it looks like VAR actually saved the goal this time after the linesman would have wrongly disallowed it.

 

[hubbuh]

To be fair, it looks like VAR actually saved the goal this time after the linesman would have wrongly disallowed it.

Shit, you're totally fecking right I managed to do the opposite of what I was hoping to do with that post.

 

[Giggs' right foot]

Some of these goals are ridiculous

I got sad watching the goal vs. Bayern from 2010. We were 3-0 up ffs...

 

[Raoul]

One of my favorite players. Sad to see him move on so early, probably more down to our coaching carrousel at the time.

 

[Rossa]

Peps said a lot of strange things, but yeah better than Bale, Ribery and Robben of course

That one season, he arguably was. Overall, I preferred Nani, but Valencia at his best struck fear into most defenders. His speed and strength was pretty much unmatched. At one point, he even knew how to cross...