Nani back to sporting.

Sporting Lisbon have initiated talks with Manchester United about re-signing Nani on an extended loan spell or arranging a player-plus-cash exchange involving their captain, the attacking midfielder Joao Moutinho.

A delegation led by the Sporting vice-president, Ribeiro Teles, is understood to have visited Manchester on Tuesday, hoping to capitalise on a disappointing season for Nani in which he started only seven Premier League games.

However, the 22-year-old favours a move to Italy and has expressed misgivings about returning to the club that sold him for around £16m two years ago.

A straight cash deal has been ruled out because of Sporting's financial restraints.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...chester-united

Thank god for that.

Moutinho ain't a bad player. Would welcome a swap deal.

Originally Posted by koppas

Thank god for that.

Moutinho ain't a bad player. Would welcome a swap deal.

So would i.

Originally Posted by Sandman

So would i.

That's good then. Everyone is happy.

Personally, I'd rather just sell the £#%&!er. Some mug would be willing to pay £12m for him.

Originally Posted by koppas

That's good then. Everyone is happy.

Personally, I'd rather just sell the £#%&!er. Some mug would be willing to pay £12m for him.

Yeah I agree.

Spurs would take him. No question of that.

citee to bid 30m

sunderland

Nani haters

One bad season, without a decent run in the team, does not maketh a player bad. Of course if our coaching staff have given hope, that's another thing, but at his age, and with his potential, he could go a long way. A season too soon for this story, at least.

Nani has 80% of the skills of Ronaldo but the footballing brain of a sparrow.

I would prefer if he could develop his footballing brain either by a long run in our first team coupled with some excellent guidance, or have a long run in the first team of another top club.

I think selling him cheaply would be a mistake. He's not the finished article, but his potential is enormous.

I don't want to see him go, and i think at his age its ridiculous to write him off as a flop. If Tosic was to come in and start banging in the goals and assists, and claim the left wing as his own, then fair enough we could look to offload Nani.

But if they need the money, Moutinho would be a good signing for 8m.

Originally Posted by Jizza Jazza

Nani has 80% of the skills of Ronaldo but the footballing brain of a sparrow.

I would prefer if he could develop his footballing brain either by a long run in our first team coupled with some excellent guidance, or have a long run in the first team of another top club.

I think selling him cheaply would be a mistake. He's not the finished article, but his potential is enormous.

funny that's become the general opinion of him now. I remember watching him a few times early on in his first season, and thought he looked very intelligent back then. I even thought he could end up as Beardsely type of player, only better. Jinking little runs into the box, sneaky through balls, whipped in crosses (he still is the best crosser at OT IMHO) and a belter of a shot. He has looked lost, though, pretty much all year. Maybe if someone else moves on, he will relish ?

Originally Posted by Teville

funny that's become the general opinion of him now. I remember watching him a few times early on in his first season, and thought he looked very intelligent back then. I even thought he could end up as Beardsely type of player, only better. Jinking little runs into the box, sneaky through balls, whipped in crosses (he still is the best crosser at OT IMHO) and a belter of a shot. He has looked lost, though, pretty much all year. Maybe if someone else moves on, he will relish ?

Maybe, but right now it's like having Forrest Gump in your 4 x 400 relay team. You know he's got the speed to get you a gold medal, but you're always afraid that he'll run the wrong way

i don't think anyone is saying he's a flop but, as jizza says, his tactical awareness is very very poor. when he plays we have real problems down his wing, which means he has to be really exceptional going forward to justify his inclusion - just as with ronnie. unfortunately he's not exceptional, unlike ronnie.

it looks like the coaching staff haven't seen the improvement they were hoping for. i don't think it's anything to do with his performances in individual games, i think it's just they don't see him improving in the areas they want.

i expect, fwiw, that he'll do well at a smaller club where he will be exceptional, relatively speaking, and the club will be willing to carry his defensive weaknesses in return for his attacking threat. at united he's just not good enough for that trade-off.

no doubt if/when he goes to a smaller club and looks good there will be the usual weeping and gnashing of teeth that we let him go, completely ignorant of the way a team has to be structured to accommodate a player like him.


btw, the best crosser of a ball at united imo is still gary neville. always was a very underrated aspect of his game, that. shame the rest of his game has gone

I would say that the loss of Hargreaves and Brown has not helped Nani. As Borsuk states he creates some tactical problems with his defensive awareness and without a stable midfield these become more evident. Park thrived this season simply because Fergie could rely upon him to do his job, simple and limited as it may be. Brown as a very reliable full back allows a more traditional winger ahead. We were never going to see Ronaldo/Evra and Rafael/Nani all in the same game.

If Nani stays he needs a run of games, play well enough to get the crowd off his back and be able to relax into games without feeling the pressure to impress. His appearances were limited this season andI always felt that when he did play he overcomplicated his game, perhaps trying to make an impression.

I would say that Nani's biggest problem is holding on to the ball too long and/or taking the wrong option and so the question mark against him is decision-making, simple as that. maybe he's too instinctive to be reined in by strict patterns of play? maybe United can learn something from his freedom? trust him or you may as well let him go.

In terms of last season, early on Nani put together some excellent contributions and showed what an exciting player he is. but whereas other players (Rooney in particular) can compensate for their often shocking decision-making because their overall performances have earned them the right, the likes of Nani aren't in such a position of confidence with the coaching staff/manager.

Nani gets a hard time from his team-mates for not playing the simple ball quickly enough. Yet his team-mates were queueing up to praise Tevez who was often just as guilty. Ronaldo's team-work was sensational for much of the season which shows that these things can be improved upon. Rooney's decision-making was often very poor, which proves that patience is needed from everyone and that confidence is a fragile thing. Nani can see a pass, he's proved as much. But whereas Giggs and Carrick aren't afraid to try it, maybe Nani is? Then again, look how often Ronaldo and Berbatov had defenders bouncing off them, got forced down blind alleys and still didn't have a pass cus the movement around them was so shit.

fwiw Nani made 24 starts, plus 7 as sub and scored 6 times last season.

here endeth the case for the defence.

Anyway, Tosic is an excellent prospect. Ljajic is supposed to be the next big thing, Valencia would be a good signing etc etc

Originally Posted by Jizza Jazza

Nani has 80% of the skills of Ronaldo but the footballing brain of a sparrow.

I would prefer if he could develop his footballing brain either by a long run in our first team coupled with some excellent guidance, or have a long run in the first team of another top club.

I think selling him cheaply would be a mistake. He's not the finished article, but his #@&%! is enormous.

Originally Posted by koppas

Moutinho ain't a bad player. Would welcome a swap deal.

I'd be honestly disappointed if Nani went because I think, with a run in the side, he'd be a very good player.He's just not going to ge that though.

Moutinho is a quality player.

So, we are losing...

Carlos Tevez
Nani
Cristiano Ronaldo
Darron Gibson
Frasier Campbell
Danny Simpson
Manucho
Chris Eagles (? Not seen him mentioned anywhere)
Tomas Kuzchack

We have as good as lost..

Gary Neville
Paul Scholes
Owen Hargreaves ()

And are going to see a lot less of...

Ryan Giggs
Edwin Van Der Sar

Now, I know there are a few names there that may make little difference but that is a fair few bodies who will be making no or next to no contribution next season.

Could take a hell of a lot of replacing.

It's like 1995 all over again


I wish