Surely Mr Da Cunha is capable of anything
As Abraham Lincoln said during his legendary Gettysburg address: “Luis Carlos Almeida da Cunha is a supremely talented individual who’s good for at least 10 goals plus 15 assists a season, you’ve just got to take the rough with the smooth.”
While the Great Emancipator may have been a Nani fan, many Reds seem to be turning on the mercurial winger at an alarming rate, so much so that a mate who was at Goodison informs me one “fan” even crossed the line with his abuse of the three-time Premier League winner.
Nani seems to be the preferred whipping boy for many Reds and while I’m usually quick to defend the former Sporting man, I’m beginning to at least empathise, if not totally agree with his detractors. Our number seventeen is yet to truly turn up this season and some of his performances have been completely woeful. On Sunday, I was probably in the minority when I didn’t think Nani was the worst United player on the pitch as judging from the social networks, not to mention Sir Alex Ferguson’s substitution it was the winger who was the most culpable for our awful first-half showing. Flashback a few days earlier and against Galatasaraay, Nani’s performance was the one that had the vast majority of Reds foaming at the mouth.
Against Wigan Nani didn’t exactly cover himself in glory but was lively, had a hand in the first goal and at least began both halves well before all but disappearing. Southampton saw Nani come on as a sub and deliver the match winning corner, although even that good deed saw many United fans simply stating “he should do that more often” rather than praising his excellent cross.
This season Nani has shown more of the bad side of his play than the good, the ‘Nani show’ as I often term it, which involves wayward shooting, amateur dramatics, upsetting team mates and the occasional piece of brilliance has been in full effect, with only the ‘pieces of brilliance’ being generally absent.
With his contract dispute still seemingly lingering on, more than a few United fans have suggested it’s time to part ways with Nani, that we no longer need him and can rely on the likes of Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and maybe even Shinji Kagawa to operate on the wings. There’s also the prospect of getting a decent return for the Portuguese winger and maybe investing it in another player who’s less erratic than our Michael Jackson circa 1984 look-a-like.
Nani’s been fortunate somewhat in his recent flawed performances as with Young out injured, there’s a lack of real competition on the left side of midfield. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nani’s given another start in the game against Spurs to try and put his recent debacles behind him, the question is “how many bad performances can/will Sir Alex Ferguson accept before he loses patience?”
Like Lincoln, Nani’s supporters will point to his assists/goals record which is consistently impressive season in season out. Over the past two years we’ve seen Nani contribute twenty goals and even more assists, so it would be foolish to claim he isn’t effective. The inconsistency of Young also makes me feel that Nani may be given at least until the end of the season to prove he’s worth the contract his theatrical little heart desires.
I like Nani, I always have and am belief he’s worth the frustration he gives me, even if at times it’s hard to defend him. Should he be sold in January or relegated to a mere bit-part role at the club? No, but he’s drastically got to improve his performances if he’s going to stop the United faithful from turning on him in the same manner they have for Patrice Evra.
Nani’s played eight games for club and country in just over five weeks and there’s no doubt he could do with a rest and perhaps even taking out of the firing line. Maybe resting the live wire winger against Spurs could be a start, giving him the chance to have more than a week off and the chance to come back against Cluj next Tuesday and show exactly why he’s still got a future at United.
Is the end nigh for Nani? Does he need to sort it out or am I being melodramatic? Feel free to comment, suggest and abuse below:
Totally the opposite according to red issue, we’re trying to force him out the door when get wants to stay.
& I’ve always found their sources are pretty bloody good over the years.
Yes, can be frustrating as hell, but he can be equally world class.
Doesn’t help saying to play on the left cos of valencia, but must help his confidence even less knowing your clubs desperate to kick you out.
You sure that Nani is a world class player?
Go and watch his performances for Portugal at the euros, he is a world class player.
Manutd have treated him poorly, it was quite clear that they were waiting to complete a deal with Lucas moura and then they were going to offload nani, because they feel he is not worth a similar wage to Rooney (what a joke).
I’m not surprised nani is not performing at his best this season, as he probably feels unwanted and unappreciated, not just by the club, but the fans as well. It’s a disgrace!
I am a die-hard manutd fan and I hope we do whatever it takes to keep hold of nani, and get the best out of him this season, as it will surely help us to reclaim our crown as premier league champions.
If Nani was a player of world class it would not be in the United. Nani is very unstable. And the players of world class are not unstable.
Nobody wants to Nani. The big clubs of Europe do not want to buy Nani. If not already Nani had gone away long ago, how Ronaldo did.
Im far from saying every game, but yes, sometimes he can be.
glad im not the only one who thinks nani is S*** against liverpool he gave the ball away time after time the midweek champs leauge game it was the same and an awfull penalty. a ronaldo reject who is all about himself and not the team
GET RID OF NANI FERGIE!!!!
up man utd
nani needs to watch his tapes from the past games and year ,if he is smart enough to see what his mistakes are ,then he can rise and become better and more calm before he makes a mistake,,,if he can not see he mistakes ,somebody has to explain him,and show him some comparasion to other players in his position ,what they do in similar situations…a good start to recover form is to cut the mistakes and not thinking to do something spectacular,a clever game with as less mistakes per game as possible ,if he can manage this then the rest will come and the confidence will come and the brilliancy also
No real man utd fan wil want nani out,despite his poor performance,4 God sake u need 2 c al his creative passes(assist).
I don’t like nani and against liverpool he just looked like he didnt want to be there.
But against spurs fergie should try buttner and evra on the left side its worth a try.
I want him to go too and I want him to be replaced by a player who’s exceptionally more one dimensional and boring than Ashley and Tony
Nani should stay he is better than Valencia. Nani has that X-factor while Valencia is just run up wing, cross, repeat. The penalty against liverpool really shows valencia’s one sidedness he had two good options (take a shot or pass to RVP), he hesitated and decided to run into the box where he hoped he would get a penalty. Nani also has that special spark where even when he is not playing well he’ll meg a defender or juggle the ball like he is a street performer (granite he usually loses possesion but still it’s entertaining)
Is Nani Playing His Way Out Of United?
Hopefully………..reminds me of kanchelskis
comes onto the scene, we all wanted him to be that player, but now he cant be arsed, upset about his contract, nobody likes him(so he says)
let him go….never mind about his assist rate or his pass rate.
It’s easy to hate than to create.