Before I go into what will obviously be a criticism of our young Portuguese winger let me just say that I think he has a lot of talent and ability and can develop into a top player for us – however, in my opinion he hasn’t shown this in the early stages of the season. Now, i’m an optimist and I am a firm believer in getting behind our players – however I do feel that where criticism is due it shouldn’t be hidden behind club allegiance. The lad must release the ball quicker in my opinion. I don’t believe he is greedy – he just needs to obtain greater awareness, which is a difficult skill to develop especially at the biggest club in the world.
I’ve read forum posts today that are totally unfair on the boy and I don’t understand how fans can become so fickle sometimes. Nani has a great shot, is skillful and can be capable of putting in some superb crosses. This season though we haven’t seen it, so far. I am confident that Nani will turn into a top footballer, although no where near the class of Ronaldo – which some people still like to compare him to. I’ve never understood the comparison to be honest; both from Portugal and both signed from Sporting Lisbon. The playing styles of either player are completely different – I wouldn’t even say Nani is like Ronaldo when he first joined the club either.
So to the main point of the blog, what should Fergie do with Nani? Should he continue to play him in the knowledge that he is a good player and will produce sooner or later OR do you believe the gaffer should give Park a run in the first team at the expense of Nani? Park has been superb in the last few games and deserves a run considering all of his injuries over the past two seasons.
I spoke about awareness and of course Fergie knows best – he will be able to see if Nani needs to improve on this side of his game. Do you think this is his main problem? The groans I heard on Saturday when a simple pass to Paul Scholes on the edge of the area didn’t come – I don’t know why he takes so long to pass the ball. Of course you should know, as a winger, when the best time is to pass and dribble – there may be times when you need to hold on to the ball but Nani seems to hold on that little too long, does anyone else agree or am I being harsh on him?