Whilst players like Gareth Bale (7 goals and 1 assist in 23 games) and Samir Nas-er-i (9 goals and 1 assist in 21 games) have been tipped to win the Players of the Year awards, Nani (9 goals and 14 assists in 23 games) has been quietly getting on with helping Manchester United maintain their position at the top of the table.
He has today said he is enjoying his great form and knows the battle we have ahead to bring our trophy home.
“I am under orders to be the leader of this team and I’ve accepted the challenge,” Nani said. “I’m enjoying the best time of my sporting career. I’m scoring goals, creating chances and I’m in my best form since I arrived at United in 2007. So far I’ve been able to help my team a lot – but it’s what I do from now until the end of the season that really counts. It will not be easy to finish top. But we are well in the race.”
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STATS: 10 Most Effective Players In The League
Man Utd News 24/7
keep it up!
It still amazes me that Nani STILL isn’t getting a mention for the PFA poty awards, he’s been sensational this season. Nani pisses on Bale and Nasri.
Class act.
NANI NANI NANI! TITS AND FANNY! ROUND AT ANDERSONS!
Nani is under orders
Love it
He’s past you in a nanosecond!
Nanisecond? No. No. No!
Nani first!
Legend
-ary backflips.
What I find maddening is that numerous times he has made such bad decisions , and imagine how much further ahead both he, and more importantly, United could be.
@ jim
Spot on !!!
Fantastic player who has been a key contributor in every league game he has played in. Love to see him smash one in at the kop end tomorrow.
Jim, that logic is flawed.
Had Nani made different decisions, he would not be in the position to make the ‘bad decisions’ to which you refer. In retrospect, to only chose those decisions that you feel need to have been different , without considering the ‘bad decisions’ that he made immediately prior, and that led him to that position is short-sighted.
Hypothetically (which is the nature of your compaint), had he (sensibly) passed the ball each time, we would be losing 2 -0, not level at 2 all (1 goal, 1 assist came from those ‘bad decisions) To complain that at the end of that (hypothetical) game that Nani failed to make a pass, is missing the point.
Hi,
Just the sort of attitude we need now at this time. Well done Nani.
COME ON YOU MIGHTY REDS……UNITED UNITED UNITED
LUHG
I have been critical of Nani because he doesn’t pass at the right moment, but this has still been a remarkable season for him with 10 goals and 14 assists. We don’t often see a winger have such a good season on both fronts. Here’s hoping he reaches 15 goals and 20 assists at least.
I’d hate to think, where we’d without him. He’s been arguably, along with Berbatov, are most important player. I’d throw Vidic in there as well. Not denying, he can frustrate the life out of any fan.
willierednut, hi mate. Shout out a warning before you throw Vidic in, we don’t want him to flatten Berbatov or Nani!
And just think what we have to look forward to when he improves his decision making ability, which he has come leaps and bounds with already, but he still has so much room to improve in that aspect of his game.
Great player, probably our best this season. It’s a shame he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Anyway, I find it hard seeing him as “the leader of this team” he’s saying he’s under orders to be. We’ve got plenty of characters that strike me as stronger leaders than Nani.
Sell Nani sign Bellion
Wait didn’t we…
Great comment, thedonmassawe!
@Jim, There have been times when I thought Nani could have made a better decision. But to a certain extent, that is always going to be true of any player whose brief includes scoring goals. It’s a fine line, and it has to be determined in a split second, and usually while you are under threat from two or more elite athletes on the other team (even if we are taking about one of the lower PL teams, they are still elite athletes).
There were times a couple of years ago when Nani was seriously becoming a one-trick pony: cut in from the wing, run across the field, let loose with a long-range range stinger. That has changed. He is now truly multi-dimensional. He has also developed into his left foot (non-existent two years ago) into a major weapon (often preferred to his right), making him a genuinely two-footed player. He can play either side as a traditional winger, going deep and wide before crossing with his outside foot. Or he can play either side as an “inverted winger”, cutting back inside and running across (in the way that Messi does), which opens up all sorts of options and wreaks confusion in the defense. Or he can play through the middle.
When he first played on the left, he didn’t have a left foot and he didn’t appear to understand the concept of the “inverted winger”. Then, he mastered the inverted winger thing. Messi is a natural leftie who plays on the right and then cuts inside and runs laterally across the goal, which puts his dominant left foot in a perfect position to attack the goal. So it was that we saw Nani begin to do this from the left, cutting inside and running laterally, which his (then) dominant right foot in the best position. (Think about it: when you side on to something, it’s your far foot that’s best suited to picking the ball in that direction. If th goal is on your left, it’s more natural to use the inside of your right foot, rather than the outside of your left foot. A traditional left winger has the goal to his right, and thus uses his left foot to attack it. And vice versa. But when you run laterally in from the side, the angles change: running in from the left, your right foot becomes more effective against the goal.) But now, lo and behold, we see Nani doing this from both sides: several of his recent goals have come by running in from the right side and shooting with his left!
Thus, we now have a winger who can seriously mix it up: playing in the traditional or “inverted” style from either side of the pitch. Which is something not even Messi can do.
I liked the SAF quote which was posted in another thread. Something about, “We don’t always know what Nani is going to do ourselves. We have learned to take advantage of that, because if we don’t know what he’s going to do, then neither does the opposition.” (Not an exact quote, but close. Can’t be bothered going back to cut-and-paste it!)
When someone has that unpredictability, and the skill to go with it, and the pace, I think we should just let them run with it.
smartalex – No problem mate lol.
SteniS
I think that ‘lead the team’ means take the game by the scruff of the neck and shake the life out of the opposition; other will follow.
Lead by showing the way. Not ‘lead’ by being the General who sits on the sideline (SAF). Not ‘lead’ by shouting instructions or advice, or deciding who takes a penalty (Vidic) but lead as a dancer would lead.
he’s a match winner don’t see him as a leader in the sense of being a captain.
@SteniS … I suspect he doesn’t mean “leader” in that sense. I suspect he means it in the sense of being the fulcrum around which our attack revolves. In the first half against the rent boys, there was a period where I thought to myself “Holy shit, the war machine is back in action!”, and most of that was coming from the threat of Nani down that side. Later, in the second half, the rent boys double-teamed him, and since we didn;t have any other wide options available (both Tony V and Park out), they were able to shut him (and us) out. But hopefully, it was a taste of what is to come (maybe not so much this season, but next season I think we will see it more, as this team develops and we get injured players back).
smartalex … you took the words right out of my mouth … I was still typing when you posted, so I wasn’t meaning to copy! hahaha!
lead: cause (a person or animal) to go with one by holding them by the hand, a halter, a rope, etc., while moving forward.
Not that one!
lead: a heavy, bluish-gray, soft, ductile metal.
Not that one!
lead: be the principal player of (a group of musicians)
Possibly that one.
I’m watching you StatesideAussie! You should switch off your skype camera!
You are making it too easy for this cat to copy!
Goal.com rumours – Shall be taken with truckloads of salt…
http://www.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2011/03/05/2380085/palermo-playmaker-javier-pastores-agent-finalising-a-deal
My posts are unexpectedly short today
Pastore has been playing as part of a front 3, for Palermo. He isn’t what we need. So take that story, with a big pinch of salt. Come on the makems!
MG are you willie playing MG normally your posts are chapters
who would have thought this last season? NOBODY.
Needs to improve on his performance from Chelsea…. Interested to see how he plays against the Scousers/ With Martin Kelly pulling his hamstring – he will be up against either Glen Johnson or Jamie Carragher.
Starting in a few minutes.
arsenal 0:0 Sunderland
0 minutes.
Come on stealth United!
The library is well and truly asleep…
you know a article is bollocks when in one sentence the agent is finalising a deal then the next barcelona are also in the chase?? which is it
No, CedarsDevil, that’s incorrect. Pour yourself a beer, sit down, and log in.
Afternoon fellow reds….
Regarding Nani, at UNITED we make stars, we do not buy them. I agree with most about him here and IMO I believe he has been the most improved player over the past months…..
Ronaldo made a terrible decisions from time to time to, doesn’t mean he wasn’t a beast of a player. Nani is fantastic, will admit I used to love him then hate him and then really hate him but my god has he come good.
wayne
No I’m not playing willierednut
CedarsDevil
Welcome back mate we sought of like missed you yesterday
I have already posted this in another topic, yet because it’s so relevant to this one…i’m reposting it please bare with me, this is what SAF said about nani
“Somtimes you don’t know exactly what he’s going to do. That’s something we’ve learned to use to our advantage – if we don’t always know what he’s going to do then sure as anything the opponent doesn’t!”
- Sir Alex Ferguson
Speak of CedarsDevil? And he appears.
Afternoon MG & thanks mate
How was smartalex talking to me a minute before I posted? Is he a mind reader as well as other great things?
MG and Cedars
yeah the only they were discussing yesterday was about cedars! and crap movies!…it was fun!
the only thing*
Willie
I am a bit confused here, just like I was when you figured out my birthday! lol
How could smartalex post what appears to be a reply to me seconds before I post mine…
I am scared lol
and i’m off to watch, as some of you say stealth united facing the arse
Afternoon CedarsDevil
Hope all is well on your side of the world as ancha said you missed the big movie debate yesterday
smartalex is a double agent you missed it
Seriously i think he is the best naturally gifted winger in England!. However, there are certain aspects of his game that simply frustrates most of the fans. His decision making needs work, he sometimes comes across as been a tad too selfish and self absorbed. When it’s all said and done I can’t imagine where we would be without him!. I bleed ReD!!
and whenever i watch the arse’s games…only one thing that pops up is…”Quality players but shit character”
Cedars – He’s got special powers mate.
MG
Sorry to have misses that, sounds like fun….. Regarding smartalex I guess that makes sense, but who else does he work for?
Nani will become our next number 7 in the summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Right, I am no mathematician yet I keep hearing that the title is in Arsenal’s hands… I f they win all their remaining matches than they will win the league…
Errr does the same formula not apply to UNITED?
Welbeck is on the bench, hope he comes on at some point of time…
Best striker in the world (TM) is playing for le arse.
nani has 15 premierleague assists this season….he wont win the award simply bcos people dont like him…it will be a complete and utter joke if bale or nasri win the award over nani!! if it was awarded now he has to win no question!
Good day and welcome, friendly Cedars Devil! I pre-sense your presence before the present as your presence makes the present pre sent.
In other words, your pleasant aura precedes you.
Willie, Costas, MG & smartalex
Just read through the ‘movie’ thread… Cracked me up lads… Made my day.
smartalex
You do need to tell me how on earth you sensed that I would post… You have had me looking over my shoulder just in case you are looking at my screen! lol
smartalex
Answer received and many thanks for the well written words…. The LOT of you make this place so addictive
@ Jim. Imagine if people like yourself in and out the ground got behind players instead of slagging them off all the time. It would create a better atmosphere for starters. I see Nani’s decision making much like Andy’s Cole chances for United. There may be many and may not end up where we as fans want it to but at least they show up in those predatory positions on a frighteningly regular basis.
CedarsDevil – Relax!
I have no idea how that happened, only that it does.
It is possible that I had the forum page open, and saw you log in (if you did so) but StR can confirm that I was not viewing that page.
More than just a series of 1s and 0s, this internet connection.
smartalex
I was under no conspiracy illusions buddy hahaha…. You know me too well by now not to think that.
Have had posts here appear minutes before or after I actually posted them…
Totally relaxed my friend, with me keep it fun and never serious… Until the trolls come knocking of course!
Now back to the fun
arsenal 0:0 Sunderland
0 minutes.
0 0 Arsenal. Sunderland playing well.
Sunshine, sunshine reggae, let the good vibes get a lot stronger!
Steve Bruce doing it for United at the mo.
Lets take this to the new thread boys……………
Damn I need me a bitter or a dipper here
CedarsDevil. I posted before you did. I was guessing that you would read it, then post.
I hadn’t realized that subliminally I had recognized your presence.
Nice to know I am ‘felt’ here……
@ mancunian.
the next number 7? nope, i dont think he’s fit enough even he’s good
he needs to improve on certain things still, to make him not just a good player, but a great player.
ive got certain points why i say he’s not fit to be 1, and i argued about it time to time, i dont want to repeat the same argument again.
and bale? nasri? who are they? who are they to compared with what we have? nasri and bale is just not up to our standard i’d say.
Where?
smartalex
Was that question to me?
@hammons, remember me – I’m saying now Bebe will start showing what Nani is showing in 2 years time.
But forget it if he gets sold. ;p
Cedarsdevil
I was questioning you!
“You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Then who the hell else are you talking… you talking to me? Well I’m the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to? Oh yeah? OK.”
smartalex you are a genius
I saw your 0-0 write up and then I said right going for a walk with the wife.
I duly put my shirt on and dedicated it to you mate I said to my self I believe it’s going to happen
I have just come back
0 – 0
Today I take my hat off to you
So the plan is you write the future and I go for a stroll with the wife and the future becomes true
I think Costas we have worked out the future formula
CedarsDevil
Thanks mate – it was fun talking about movies though you are either LOTR or Star Wars he he he
We create our own future, MG!
That’s why the bitters have so much pain, sadness and bitterness ever-present in their future.
yeah my future is a blowjob i just created that
Canada dry, but you can drink it.
Teh bitters have no future, and can only look to the past. 35 years (actually )…and counting.
I do find it highly ironic that when trying to take the p!ss out of us they do that stupid tick tock crap. Are they really that dense?
Nasri epitomises the perfect picture of wenger n arse.he has been made to think they r the best having won nothing in the past 6yrs
just how many goals he have scored with his left leg is epic! keep it going lad!!
best left footed player in the world!!
what? by crying?
well he’s out for a couple of games now because of Sir Jamie Carragher!!!