Whilst patience with Nani is something that ran out a long time ago for some United fans, I’m definitely still in his corner and hope that we one day get to see him playing consistently well in our shirt. In 2010-2011 he was voted our best player by his team mates, thanks to the brilliant performances he put in mainly on the right wing.
Since then, injuries, lack of confidence and limited playing time from Sir Alex Ferguson has contributed to poor form.
Our former manager was ready to sell him this summer but retired before he got the chance to do so. David Moyes had a different opinion on Nani though and offered him a new deal to stay at the club long-term.
We haven’t seen the best of Nani this season, or anything like it in fact, and he was even booed off by our fans in a recent game against Stoke. But he looked better against Bayer Leverkusen midweek, the current 2nd best side in Germany, and Moyes is hoping we get to see more of the same from him going forward.
“I think what I’ve seen from Nani is someone who is a talented player, a Portuguese international, and I hope we can try to get him to show that more often,” explained Moyes. “I thought there were moments when he ran the ball well for us in midweek and he scored a really good goal at the end. We’re trying to give him the feeling that he is important and I think it’s something he himself needs – to get back to that consistency which gives him the reason to say: ‘I’m the man. I can do that job regularly’. Look, what I’ve found is he works hard enough at his game. He is happy to do all the leg work and the biggest thing is he has brilliant ability to score. His shooting with both feet is almost as good as anybody I’ve ever seen. He’s incredibly talented with his skills and ability. We need to get him to show that more often.”
------------
The RoM Manchester United 2024-25 season preview is now available. It includes articles from the country's best football writers about our expectations for the season ahead and our brightest talents, as well as proposed transfer business and which youth players to keep an eye out for. All profit goes to The Christie so please support this fantastic cause.