Nani’s reputation amongst the fans has grown over the past few months with his form and attitude starting to make dramatic progress.
Whilst he is often still singled out for criticism, it’s hard to ignore the measured impact he’s had on our games recently, in providing crucial assists and scoring himself (even if his goals against Arsenal and Portsmouth went down as own goals).
The Portuguese winger, who has repeatedly distanced himself from comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo, has today confessed about his previous selfish ways, but now acknowledges what it means to be a Manchester United player.
“When you come to Manchester United, you have to learn about what it means and what it takes to succeed here,” said Nani. “A couple of years ago, I was only thinking about playing for myself and just playing to enjoy my football. But now, I know that I can’t play like that because it is all about winning trophies for the team rather than individual success. At United, you have to play together, you have to think together, you have to do everything together. I have learned a lot about that and that’s why I have changed. This club is good at making players grow up and learn to be a man, to be a player. That happened to me a couple of months ago, when I began to think more about the team and what it means to play for United. Now, I’m feeling very happy and strong.”
Man Utd News 24/7
lets hope he can put one in against liverpool tomorrow as he did 2 seasons ago when we destroyed them 3-0.
Summed it up really well.
Really starting to like the lad now. Seems he has finally got his swede round what being a UNited player is all about. NOT the personal glory but the team ethic. I read the full interview in the telegraph I think it was. I then saw one in the fucking star that has him boasting of winning trebles yet there was nothing like that in the original article. Just the red tops lieing again I hope.
One thing I will say about him as well is he ALWAYS clasps the fans. Love it now when I see his name on the starting 11 rather than thinking “oh no not fucking Nani”. testament to the lads hard work.
Top lad Nani.
king eric
alrite mate, listen i havnt been on this for a while, but how did hargo do the other night?
Nani was superb
Really hope him and park starts tommorow
Ulster red – hello mate. Yeah he did bloody well to be fair. Sounds a cliche saying it looked like he hadn’t been away but it really didn’t. He looked fit and sharp. Was winning the ball, dribbling out of defence, putting balls over the top. Really really promising.
king eriv
cheers, thats really good news, hopefully he plays a few more games for the reserves to get match fit, then have a strong pre season and wham we have a new singing!!
sorry about the mispelt name^^^
It wouldn’t surprise me if Nani started ahead of Antonio tomorrow. We could play the same 5 that played at the Emirates. Nani on the right would destroy Insua.
I’m really pleased with how Nani seems to be turning it round as he’s always had so much promise. Who could forget his tormenting of Arsenal with ball-juggling out of defence in the FA Cup? King Eric says how Nani always claps the fans, which reminds me that after a match at Old Trafford earlier this season my niece was waiting at the players’ entrance with her Ecuadorean husband to meet up with Valencia. They saw Nani come out and, ignoring the fans he swiftly grabbed his girl-friend and rushed off rather desperately, dragging the poor girl along behind him.Maybe he was keen to get home for a spot more ball-juggling…
Sod’s Law he gets sold this Summer after that show of affection
!
Still a bit of growing up to do, but at least he’s realising (albeit slowly but surely). Good luck fella!
When i think about Nani, the only thing I think, is millions we gave for him. So i really want him to play good, becuase true the good games, trophys we need to get those money back. The reason i think that way is that we have this stupid Glazers that dont invest a cent, just sucking money from the club. We need a law that says, you can t buy a club on credit, only cash! So, take it or leave it.
I like him. Hoping for a top drawer performance from him tomorrow. Hope he scores a belter against the vermin like he did two seasons ago.
Lets not get TOOcarried away….Yes his game has improved, but lets wait awhile afore we all praise him….
By the bye if Joe Cole becomes available who would want him in our side instead of Nani / move Nani over to the right?
me thinks that Nani may well be off in the summer following his ill judges outburst against SAF .
Still to be convinced by Nani, but he has improved his performances in the last few weeks. It’s always good to hear players talk like this, but id rather they done their talking on the pitch.
TonyBee,if United really do buy joe cole,then its not imposible 4 him 2 be a substitute,,,,,SAF can rotate the squad in every game…so dont need 2 sell anybody…and i think nani had shown us what he made of,rite?now,i think the best starting 11 must include Nani…
Berbatov Rooney
Nani Carrick Fletcher Valencia
Evra Ferdinand Vidic Rafael
Simple as dat,,
And it is showing in his performances; the selfishness is not there any more. Any other player who knows he plays best on the right but is started on the left would be complaining about to press; but he just gets on with his job, on whatever flank he is playing on. That is what I call commitment and a exemplary attitude.
He is alrite now bt should focus more on his concentration
@TonyBee
if not now, when? he deserves it.
it’s easy waiting for a player to have his off day and then come out saying ‘i told you so’, so give credit where credit is due. =]
TonyBee – Nani won’t be going in the summer mate. He is just starting to show why we bought him. Fergie has done nothing but praise the lad recently. I like Joe Cole but to sell Nani or drop Valencia to accomodate that cockney would be a bad move. Bizarre in fact.
mara – Your post just contradicts itself. All the MILLIONS we spent on him you say then in the next breath say the Glazer’s don’t invest a cent. ??
Scott you wrote athread earlier about how important scholes is . I think nanis attitude and form change comes due only to his attitude change and I really thing the giggs nev scholes factor in the dressing room has alot to do about that. Ryan giggs dererves to be knighted for his services to English football his honors his records and his skill should be awarded at the highest level but how important these men are to the team behind closes doors is priceless. I know sir Alex is amazing but there’s alot more to nani has a poor attitude sir Alex drops him for bear 2 months nani comes Back after learnin his lesson. It’s the dressing room leaders that fill in the gaps and players learn what it is to wear that shirt. And that goodness the penny dropped cause nani has it all I’m just delighted hes at united when heseema to betapping into his gifts . Keep that chin up nani yourfinally doing it for united at not just for yourself
Well said Nani.
Still fancy Tony more though.
This is very good to hear from him. I always knew he had the talent and he was going to unlock it one day, and I have a feeling he’s going to become a very good player for us.
Nani is capable of scoring & let’s hope he does so against the dirty scousers tomorrow.
tonybee sorry but your talking bollocks nani has way more skill than joe cole and is much younger he’s finally getting it, we didn’t pay 17 mill to unload him now he’s finally showing his potential
Maturity really shows up. Rooney in the past lack maturity and being angry so easier and thus getting some yellow and red card. Now he is mature and playing really well. Nani show a lot of maturity when he came back in January and he stop doing extra tricks for himself. He now do something for the team. He seldom do stepover and he looks around for support more. Fergie right about Chelsea, Liverpool and now he is right again!
TonyBee@ 14:41: “By the bye if Joe Cole becomes available who would want him in our side instead of Nani / move Nani over to the right?”
I’m with King Eric on this – Joe Cole is over-rated and not exactly setting the world on fire at 29. He’s had one of those careers that has been very high on promise but not exactly a barn-burner in terms of end-product. Nani, on the other hand, is only now coming into his own at 23/24 and has the prime years of his career ahead of him.
If you’re thinking of adding a left-sided midfielder/winger in the summer then the flavour-of-the-month is Angel di Maria, the Argentine who is now playing for Benfica. He’d be very expensive – and not “tested” by English weather, culture, food, etc.
I think it would make more sense to plunk di Maria’s fee on a more proven player like Hugo Rodellaga of Wigan who has impressed me – he’s young and will be better when he plays with quality players. Another one to keep an eye on also plays for Wigan – this kid ? Moses who they signed from QPR in the transfer window. He’s only 19 but he’s left-footed and really fast.
None of these guys is as good as Arjen Robben but none of them have his “baggage” or injury record but I would think that anyone signed by SAF is going to be a project and not the finished article.
All that said, I’m pretty happy with the way that Nani, Valencia, and Park have played alongside Giggs who seems to be able to go on forever. My own view is that when Giggs plays in front of Patrice Evra then he gets a sip from the fountain of youth and really shines.
TonyBee – Sorry couldn’t agree with you. J. Cole is nowhere good as the past. He lack pace and speed. I couldn’t spend millions to buy him and drop Nani or Valencia. No point. Nani and Valencia is getting better every months and years while Cole is getting weaker as he ages. Trust me. Nani had a lot of attributes that Cole can dream of. Whenever Nani gets the ball, i felt he could do some special. That feeling is the same with Ronaldo in the past. Maturity will aid Nani in the future. I believe he can go on and become greater.
@denton davey – LOL you fancy Rodalliega too. Haven’t thought anyone liked the player.
Agreed on De Maria but i haven’t seen him that much. We need a left winger i suppose.
Belhadj anyone ?
I like Rodallega – excellent for my UT on FIFA 10
You have to respect a person who admits his mistakes and then works hard to make himself a better, topclass from this player
I have respect for Joe Cole too, I always have, but he isn’t on Nani’s level mate, nor Valencia.
In 2010 he’s no where near.
Firstly Nani and Valencia are both the right side of 25, so they’ll only get better, and secondly, Joe Cole doesn’t have their PACE. Nani and Valencia beat men at pace all day long but Joe doesn’t because he isn’t that player anymore, he can’t beat men all day, which is a damn shame because when he played for West Ham and while he was at Chelsea under Mourhino he was a genuine talent, AMAZING even. You don’t get many Englishmen who can play like Cole used to. He had real skill, pace, good delivery and an excellent strike. He was comparable in some ways to Gazza if you ask me. Can’t really think of a English Player with the potential to terrorise players like Ronaldinho in his prime or even Ronaldo now. Lampard and Gerrard are more like typical midfielders, if they take a man on and beat them its an event for the ages. But Joe Cole played like a Classic Brazlian, he was constantly beating his man at pace with amazing skill… all day long.
Its a shame to see how unfullfilled his potential has been, but for my CLUB there is no way I’d ever swap Nani or Valencia for Joe Cole. Funny thing is a few months ago half of this board would have probably agreed and offloaded Nani for Joey in a heartbeat – even funnier than that is the fact that Chelsea would BITE RED FREDS HAND OFF to swap Nani or Valencia for Joe Cole – I think we really do need to value our younger players more. I expect ANDERSON to repeat Nani’s tranformation next season and become a true senior United player. That is of course, after our supporters nail him to a cross at the start of the Season and claim we should sell him for some 29 year old has been in the transfer window (Sorry Joe)
Maybe we could give him a Michael Owen deal? He would be an amazing sub…..
Stick around Mate please, you display out of this World style class and pure finesse. You are not going to crack a Club like United in a year or two recall your countryman it takes time and commitment.
I personally think you are developing and if we (stoopit idea) let you disappear to distant shores you will return to bite us in the bum.
Ps maybe give Antonio a bit of (a) Smack.
Good boy
I think Nani’s performances since the turn of the year have been very positive on the whole. There’s still been the odd frustrating/poor performance, but there has been from other players too. His performances have earned him at least another year, and if he keeps up his form from the last 3 months then he’s a dead cert to stay for many a year!
As for Joe Cole, on a free transfer i would take him. But not as a replacement for Nani or valencia. I think he would be a good player to have in the squad, who can play out wide in a 442 or a 451/433, and can play through the middle, and if he can get his fitness/match sharpness back up to a good level, could be a handy player for us. He’s also quite a different player to anyone else in the squad right now.
fucking hell that put the cat amongst the pigeons didnt it…. i take on board everyone suddenly thinking Nani is the best thing since sliced bread but i still feel that id a decent offer came in for hin SAF will unload in the summer.
wayne: I’m allowed to talk bollocks. Mainly as it is only a hypothetical musing on my behalf….waiting for comments of other posters
@ TONYBEE
Alec wont be “unloading” Nani in the Summer, that would be twatish, and Alec is no Twat. Nani is clearly a player for the future, and as we’ve already seen he has bags of talent. How many players his age can harrass defenders on the left and right side? Im amazed at how unappreciated our younger players are by our own supporters. Alec doesn’t buy young players to sell them. Obertan is clearly one for the future as well. Players like Richardson, Campbell and Eagles couldnt force themselves into our first team so Alec was forced to sell them, but whether you like it or not Nani is first team, and he played well today so lets not talk too much bollcks aye? He’s a RED THROUGH AND THROUGH IS HE NOT????? Ok, so lets support him then. Fuck Joe Cole.