UW: The Curious Case of Nani
It’s nice to get away every once in awhile. Never underestimate the positive effect of a vacation – a change of scenery can be surprisingly refreshing. For me, the new scenery was California. Last week, I packed up a small suitcase, bid farewell to the below-freezing temperatures of the East coast, and hopped on a plane to San Francisco.
My trip can be summed up pretty easily: sunny weather, friends and family, In-N-Out Burger, and a huge 3-1 win over Arsenal. Vacations don’t get much better than that, do they?
Anyway, on Sunday evening I was walking around in the airport, killing time before my trip back to the colder coast, and the match was still on my mind. Obviously it was a great display from the whole team, with Nani in particular continuing his run of impressive performances.
But as I walked past a Best Buy vending machine and wondered what they would be selling in vending machines by 2020, a thought struck me: are United fans also on vacation? I mean, are we on vacation from the Nani of the last year or so, the guy most people couldn’t wait to get rid of? Or is this new rejuvenated Nani here to stay?
There’s no questioning his potential. We saw that in his debut season at Old Trafford. The talent is there. But the issue is whether or not Nani can truly and consistently realize that raw talent. Last season, his development stalled, and it stalled big-time. In fact, at times it looked like he actually got worse (or, if I may bring the title into this, he Benjamin Button-ed). He could barely break into the starting eleven, and when he did, his performances were all over the place.
This season, with the departure of Ronaldo, Nani had the chance to really take hold of a starting spot in the team. But again, his problem was consistency. He had some decent performances, but a fair share of completely awful ones to go along with them. And then, he seemed to disappear from the first-team frame altogether. Some said it was injury, some said it was a bust-up with Sir Alex, and some said the club had finally just given up and decided to ship him.
But then this other Nani showed up. It’s like he got into a time capsule and matured three years in the span of a month. This new Nani is confident, decisive, and his wits finally seem to have caught up with his technical ability. What happened?
No one really knows except those inside the United team, but I have my theories. I really think the shadow of Ronaldo was just too much for the guy at times. Most people have probably forgotten about the buzz around Nani when he first got to Manchester. Here was this skinny kid who not only had a similar playing style and physical build as Ronaldo, but he also came from the same club. The tricky footwork, the devastating shot, the pace, and yes, the diving – it was literally like we had signed Ronaldo-lite. The resemblance to Ronaldo circa-2005 was pretty unreal. And to top it all off, the guy literally did back-flips on the field. People were excited.
But as fans, when we see a young player with similar qualities as one of the greats, we tend to get a little over-excited (just look at the way Argentina fans are about Lionel Messi). We expect to see the same progress, and eventually, the same amazing player. But the truth is it just doesn’t work that way. Nani isn’t Cristiano Ronaldo II: Reloaded – he’s Nani.
So maybe he loosened up a little bit and realized that he doesn’t have to be the new Ronaldo. He can be himself. He can relax. And it’s no secret that when you’re relaxed, you play better. Those crosses that Nani was shanking a couple months ago are finding their targets now, and his shots are goal-bound rather Section Z, Row 35-bound.
It’s a breath of fresh air for United, too, because the team has been craving some sort of midfield spark all season. A player who can pull off something unexpected and spectacular. A player who brings fans to the edge of their seats the moment he gets the ball. As great as Valencia and Park can be, they’re both pretty one-dimensional. Nani has given us a refreshing new edge over the past few weeks.
So now we just have to wait and see if he can keep this level of performance consistent. If he does, then we’ll have some battle on our hands between Nani and Antonio Valencia for that right wing spot. If not, then we’re probably going to have shop for a new winger this summer (I’m of course assuming that Sir Alex wins the lottery by then and uses that money for transfers, since United don’t seem to have any).
For now, though, the critics have been silenced, and those who have been pleading for patience have been vindicated. As for me, I’m back on the East coast, and it’s just as cold as ever. Now that I’ve had some fun in the sun, I don’t really mind if the temperature drops – I’m just hoping Nani’s form doesn’t.
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About Seena Vali
Seena Vali is a U.S. based writer for World Soccer Reader, having joined the staff in April 2009. He covers the English Premier League and writes WSR's Manchester United blog "United Watch".
I’ve been really high on Nani since he signed with Manchester United. In fact, he is my favorite player and it is his jersey that I can be seen sporting on game days.
I was really frustrated last season and early this season when pundits and “fans” alike called for his head and thought he should be shipped out. The kid obviously has talent and is coming to grips with how monumental it is to play at one of the biggest clubs in the world. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance and glimmers of what he can do, and I think we will see more.
To those who say he has been inconsistent, you’re right, he has been, but not without reason. During the Cristiano era, CR7 took over the team and the entire formation changed and revolved around him (for better or worse). Just look at how it forced Rooney into unnatural roles and caused his scoring proficiency to completely atrophy. When Nani was playing in that setup he wasn’t able to play his style of game; CR7 was constantly roaming into his side of the field and taking over for Nani. Nani’s lack of consistency this past season can be attributed to the number of times he has seen the pitch. He is a player that needs to start to be most effective. While he can come off the bench and make an impact, he is hardly a player who can change a game from the bench. However, when he starts, he can influence the game early for the better, ie Arsenal.
Nani is a bit of a diamond in the rough, and while many will say that Manchester United doesn’t have the time to wait for him to develop, I disagree. As long as Sir Alex plays the boy and grows his confidence, then Nani will continue to shine. And, for those who think he’s a flop, give him some time, the boy is still young.
I may be a bit of a Nani fanboy, but at least I’m realistic about it, unlike all those people waiting for Hargreaves magical return.
Keep up the good stuff, Seena.
Thanks for the feedback Shambles, and I think you bring up some excellent points. One that I didn’t even mention in the article was the way the team itself has changed since Ronaldo’s departure. When Ronaldo was in the side, he was the focus of the attack, and his influence grew with every season at United. Now that he’s gone, the shape of the side is completely different. Rooney’s the main man up front now, and the side is more balanced in my opinion. Whether it’s actually a better side without Ronaldo is another question, but I think the setup we have now is definitely better for Nani.
And I do think that the criticism of Nani has been a little overboard a good deal of the time. At times he has been really bad, but other times, he’s been so-so and he still gets slaughtered by fans. I don’t really get it. I think some people just see the resemblance to Ronaldo, recognize the potential there, and expect him to churn out 20+ goals a season. That’s just not realistic. Create goals, use pace down the wings to create counters, put in good crosses, and score a decent amount of goals – that’s what I’m looking for in a solid winger. And Nani’s checked off all of those boxes in the last few weeks.
Forgot to mention this too – it’s actually really fun browsing the different United messageboards for posts about Nani.
If the post is from a couple months ago, it will go something like: “What a WASTE of a buy, I can’t wait until January rolls around so we can sell him! When he’s in the team it’s like we’re down to ten men!”
If the post is from the last month, it will go something like: “What an amazing player, I knew he had it in him! He’s definitely our best option on the right hand side. Best crosser we have too!”
It’s like they’re talking about two completely different guys. The speed at which opinions change in football always amuses me