I have been watching this kid, he is coming a long well. The guy is so tall, just like a basketball player. The boy has a bright future. Here are his best attributes.
Physically strong
Good dribbler
Aggressive
Very confident in his ability
Has good pace for a person his size
He is a bit raw now, and will make the occasional wrong decision in the final third, but he is learning quick
The West Ham game was disappointing but I am sure the young lads will learn from this. The young lads lost to Coventry in the first round three seasons ago, then went on to win two Carling cups in a row.
The loaness did great over the weekend. Here is a video illustrating their progress over the weekend.
Is Anderson really turning a page? He was not good against West Ham in the Carling Cup and was brilliant against Valencia. Probably he did not play well against West Ham because the players around him were not first team players.
I liked what I saw against Valencia, his industry and energy was awesome. He made good runs into the box which is a good sign, perhaps he can get a couple of goals now.
I really hope he maintains a good level this season. Below is a video of Ando's BEST MOMENTS in a Manchester United shirt and his well taken goal against Valencia.
Do you think Anderson's potential is as good as these RISING STARS?
Watch this space to follow Ando's progress and find out if he will really be part of the RED ARMY for a long time.
Ando's most skillful moments
Manchester United vs Valencia
ANDERSON'S AWESOME PASS COMPLETION AGAINST BLACKBURN
Anderson has been struggling in the past months but today he had one of his best games for MANCHESTER UNITED. The stats are quite astonishing. Check the image below
Cleverley shows Sir. Alex that is ready to carry the mantle in midfield. His understanding of the game is impecable, which will help him get games in the 2011/2012 season.
Cleverley vs Manchester City, his first medal for United
Cleverley vs Barcelona
CLEVERLEY IS BECOMING A MIDFIELD MAESTRO
After a spell on the sidelines, Cleverly has been regaining his form, and helped Wigan get all three points against Birmingham. I can't wait to see Cleverly and Welbeck next season helping Manchester United.
Cleverly goal vs Birmigham City
Tom Cleverly has been playing so well for Wigan in recent weeks and Sir. Alex has to make a decision to call him back this January or let him stay. Right now, I think he should stay to develop further on. Welbeck and Cleverly will be like new signings next Summer, ready to take the red machine to another level next season.
Cleverly scored a great goal against Wolves, and is another player that is surely going to add quality to Manchester United's midfield in the near future. Watch his goal against Wolves in the video below.
Tom Cleverly goal against Wolves
TOM CLEVERLY VS STOKE
Tom Cleverly seems to be on form, I hope he comes back in January. I like his desire for the game. He would surely add some industry to Manchester United's midfield. He scored again for Wigan against Stoke, a vital equalizer. Check out Cleverly's GOAL BELOW and a link to midfielders that can bolster United's midfield. Midfield talents that can help the RED ARMY
Wigan vs Stoke December 4, 2010, CLEVERLY GOAL INCLUDED
Tom Cleverly has a bright future ahead of him. He is a confident boy with an eye for goal. He never seems to disappoint when given a chance. Cleverly has been on loan this season, and has steadily been making progress after an injury earlier in the season. The Wigan fans love his tenacity and drive, they hope Sir.Alex does not call him back in January.
Ryan Giggs has probably been one of the best players of his generation, up there with Zidane and Ronaldo [Brazilian]. It is quite baffling, he has never gone to the FIFA galla or the BALLON D'OR galla. In 1999, I personally think he deserved it, when MANCHESTER UNITED conquered the world.
He is one of the best dribblers in modern football, only Messi can challenge that, and Robben comes close. The number of accolades he has won down the years is astonishing
Great players reflect consistency in the football or soccer world, and Ryan Giggs has been one of the most consistent players over the past twenty or so years.
LISTEN TO THIS SHORT AUDIO CLIP BEFORE WATCHING THE VIDEOS AND ENJOY THE PRESENTATION.
Below are the BEST VIDEOS you will ever see on RYAN GIGGS, A TRUE LEGEND.
QUOTES ABOUT RYAN GIGGS
Del Piero said,"Only two players made me cry when watching football, one was Diego Maradona and the other Ryan Giggs."
>Ryan makes you believe there is a football God - Ron Atkinson
>Eric Cantona is a great player, but he's not as good as Ryan Giggs - Johann Cruyff
>I was almost in tears watching him perform - Alan Smith,Greater Manchester Schools Manager
>Giggs is the detonator,the man who can make Manchester United explode - Jean Tigana
>I think Ryan Giggs must be the best player in England. He is outstanding. Any team in the world would love to have him - John Jensen
>Like Best*, there is a special fantasia about him - Fabio Capello * George Best
>His talent is God-given.He will have wonderful skill even when he's got his bus pass, because that sort of ability never deserts you - Brian Kidd
>He has achieved so much, but he is still years away from his prime, a frightening concept for defenders. - Tommy Docherty
>All of us at Juventus agreed Manchester United were the best side we met in the Champions League. They have so many talented young players and can only get better and better. Giggs is truly world class - Zinedine Zidane
>Beckham and Scholes have shown their talents as goalscorers for England, but Giggs is the best. He was brilliant against us and he will be even better next year - Alessandro Del Piero
>When he's at the top of his game, there's not a team in the world that can handle Giggs' speed and penetration. - Alex Ferguson
WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RECENT ACADEMY GAME. John Cofie and Lingard played well. I actually think John Cofie has a big future ahead of him. He is strong and has an eye for goal. Lingard just needs to grow more, he has drive like Gerrard.
Chico deserves a chant/song now, he has rescued United numerous times this season. Against Valencia, Wolves in the Carling Cup, Stoke and most recently West Brom. He is definately the new Ole Solskjaer.
Javier Hernandez came off the bench to score another winner for Manchester United, to help keep the team at the top of the league in 2011.
“I remember I was near the goalkeeper,” he said. “Wazza crossed the ball, I moved towards it and headed it into the goal. I was very happy to celebrate in front of our brilliant fans.”
The 22-year-old said that this Christmas has been the best he’s ever had.
“It’s been different for me but I’m very happy,” he continued. “This has been the best Christmas – I’m here with all my family and I’m playing with Manchester United. Now it’s important to get three points against Stoke at home.”
I watched him in the first half against Blackburn, and he was magnificent. His touch, work-rate and awareness keep on improving. Welbeck can create a goal by himself, he had a delicate chip that just clipped the top of the bar. I can't wait for him to come and help United next season. WHAT A PLAYER!
Welbeck's technical goal against Blackburn
I think United have a ready made placement for Berbatov. Welbeck has been on awesome form for the last couple of months, and it seems he improves with every game. He is one of the major reasons Sunderland has been flying high of late.
What is fascinating about Welbeck is that he is learning how to be a real striker. I never thought he had poaching instincts, but he is proving me wrong. I can't wait for him to come back next summer, he will boost the first team.
Welbeck has come of age, since coming on as a sub against Tottenham, he has taken his chance and Sir. Alex has praised his recent performances as well.
Sir. Alex talks about Welbeck
'Danny is doing brilliantly,' said Ferguson. 'He had problems by growing too fast. It meant he wasn't strong enough and missed a lot of football.
'He's started to put on muscle now and looks a big lad. He played well against Chelsea and Everton and has shown what he can do in big games.'
Welbeck showing his striking instincts against Bolton
Danny Boy can't stop scoring. The boy is on a mission to come back and make it at Manchester United. Watch his goal against Wolves.
Here are Welbeck's recent MAN OF THE MATCH performances. He has been terrific in the last couple of games.
Danny Welbeck vs Everton
Welbeck scores a brace for England u21s
Danny Welbeck had an awesome game against Everton. He took his goals well. It is encouraging to see that he scored goals, natural scorers like Shearer or Owen would be proud of.
Welbeck was awesome today. Over the last three games he has played great football. Here are the good attributes I have noticed over the last three games (since he came on as sub against Tottenham}
He has showed maturity and patience in the final third
His work ethic has improved tremendously
He plays with passion and desire
One touch play has improved
Stamina levels have improved
First touch has been great
Goal scoring instincts have been good
Personally, I think Steve Bruce is excellent when it comes to developing talented players. Valencia, Palacios, Henderson for example. He even improved Titus Bramble!!!
I am happy for Welbeck, the fans love him in Sunderland. Whenever he does something good with the ball, the fans cheer. The future is bright for the boy, he just needs to continue to work hard and he will have a great chance at UNITED.
Lindegaard sits down for his first Manchester United interview. He speaks good English which is a plus. Hopefully he has a good career.
HERE IS A NEW VIDEO ON LINDEGAARD. I HOPE HE HAS A GREAT CAREER IN MANCHESTER UNITED.
From the video above it shows:
Good leadership skills
Commands the area with good authority and passion
Good shot stopper
Agile and has good handles
Hopefully he has good distribution as well, and we will be talking about the next Peter Schmeichel.
Lindegaard's most recent quotes show that he is very confident. I think the mere fact Manchester United have wasted no time signing him up, speaks volumes of his potential. Here are his recent quotes.
He told VG:
"I am not traveling to Manchester to sit on the bench and I feel that I am brought to the club to fight for a place in the starting XI. "It's obvious that this is a dream. I have followed them since I was a small boy and my father is a big fan. "For Manchester United, it's a long process to buy players and they have been tremendously careful. "I feel they know me better than I do myself."
According to ESPN, Manchester United are set to sign Anders Lindegaard. De Gea seems to also be on the cards. This kinda makes sense because Tomasz Kuszczak has not been getting any games. Ben Amos has even gotten more games. As for Van der Saar age is not on his side.
Manchester United are expected to complete the signing of Aalesunds goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard in the coming days.
AP
Anders Lindegaard could be the man to replace Edwin van der Sar
United are believed to have agreed a fee in the region of £3.5 million for Denmark goalkeeper Lindegaard, 26, after he impressed the club's goalkeeping coach, Eric Steele, over the course of several scouting trips.
Aalesunds chairman Bjarne Haagensen confirmed to TV2 that he has travelled to England along with the club's chief executive, Henrik Hoff, this week to hold talks.
"Henrik and I are in place in Manchester," he said. Asked if a deal was close, he replied: "It is. We are in the middle of it. I can't say more right now. We will send a press release in three or four hours."
Lindegaard added on Sporten.dk: "I don't know if I have played my last match for Aalesunds. My plan is to move on now."
The news follows a report in England that claimed United were also close to a £15 million deal for Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea.
De Gea, 20, has earned praise for his performance over the last year and it was claimed both he and Lindegaard would sign up to replace Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak.
However, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo insists there have been no talks and they have no intention of selling the player.
"Nobody has spoken with us," he said in AS. "Nor do I have any idea (about this matter). We hope that he will be a Rojiblanco player for a long time."
Here is United's future keeper in action. I actually watched this game and he was very good when he came on for the injured Sorensen. Nani scored a wonder goal too.
HEY FANS, I picked the best highlights on the web for the Villa game. Macheda's goal was sweet and Vidic showed the mentality of a real captain. He is having a good season. CMON UNITED!!!!
Macheda is on loan, playing for Sampdoria. He opened his account in the Italian Cup. The goal was very sublime, reminding Sir. Alex of his talent. I hope he continues to progress and becomes a United first team regular.
MACHEDA BEFORE SAMPDORIA LOAN SPELL
MACHEDA can't stop scoring. I think he is going to help the team during this period. He seems to be fit and enjoying his football again. He demolished Turkey in the video below.
MACHEDA is still a teenager but his mentality is outstanding. I think with more experience he will be a serious difference maker. He really added impetus to the game against Aston Villa. Manchester United looked doomed but the MARVEL, KIKO rescued them. WHAT A GOAL BY MACHEDA. The boy is still maturing, so patience is required, but the RED ARMY HAS A REAL GEM!!!!!
A TRIBUTE to the BEST up and coming Italian, who plays for the BEST club in the world, MANCHESTER UNITED. Who needs TORRES when the RED ARMY has the BEST GENERAL [SIR.ALEX] who can turn anyone into the best player in the world. Look at RONALDO, he scores goals for fun now, thanks to SIR.ALEX
Sir. Alex lamented about the lack of chances in the Manchester derby. He said they were only two chances the entire game which is quite staggering. The midfield needs more invention.
I came up with a list of players who can be helpful and possible targets.
Miguel Veloso
He has been linked with United in the past but nothing materialized. I think he would be a perfect replacement for Carrick. They play the same role but Veloso is a much better passer and technically gifted. I remember a game he played for Sporting against Barca last year, and he was outstanding creating and scoring a goal. His set pieces are very good, and he would help United in that department. His attributes include
Great passer and can open up defenses easily. Has a good range of passing
Good dribbler with an immaculate first touch
Physically strong
Good vision
Free-kick specialist
Good at middle shooting
He is not the fastest player but has good awareness. I think with the guidance of Ferguson he can become even better. At this point in his career he is fairly inexpensive and is at a good age. I can imagine him linking up with the Portuguese contingent at United.
Veloso's recent game for Genoa
This video shows his rree-kick prowess and middle shooting, something United needs
Veloso would be a great addition to the midfield, in any case Sporting Lisbon products have really been successful at Manchester United.
Josip Iličič [Jojo]
One of the rising stars in Europe. He has helped Palermo contend for a place in the Champions League in the Serie A. I personally think he would be an excellent addition to Manchester United's midfield. I watched him play earlier in the season against Juventus, and he was outstanding, his desire to win was very evident, an attribute Sir. Alex loves. Abilities include:
Has an eye for goal
Good vision
Great dribbler
Decent pace
Physically strong
Great temperament and awareness
Great video showing Jojo's talent
Jojo vs Roma
Jojo would be perfect for United. He is inexpensive, physically built for the Premiership and very creative. He is a kind of player Sir. Alex can embrace and make a world beater.
Eden Hazard
The boy has been highly coveted in Europe. United would face a lot of competition in trying to sign him up. He is the real deal. Lille currently lead the French Ligue 1 mainly because of him. Attributes include:
Outstanding dribbling
Versatile, can play on either wing or through the middle
Pace
Excellent vision
Great desire for the game
Coach-able and would flourish under Sir. Alex
He is only 19 yrs of age, so he can be inconsistent at times but his talent levels are unquestionable. Check the video below to witness his immense talent.
Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson has been very impressive this season. Steve Bruce believes he is the best up and coming English talent. For some reason, I trust Bruce's judgement. He was not wrong with Valencia or Palacios. Steve Bruce further admitted that Sir. Alex has a close eye on Henderson. Attributes are listed below
Great physique at 6'2
Impressive feet
Cutting edge passes, which he used effectively to destroy Chelsea recently
Good mentality
Has a decent eye for goal
I personally think he would be great because it would not take him long to settle in Old Trafford, being English. Sir. Alex is really interested in him. He would be a good replacement for Carrick. He reminds me a bit of Xavi actually. He also played well against Manchester United recently.
Manchester United are keeping tabs on Nurnberg playmaker Ilkay Gundogan, according to Sky Sports 24.
Gundogan, 20, has earned rave reviews for the Bundesliga side this season and recently orchestrated a 2-1 victory against Steve McLaren's Wolfsburg. Due to his position and Turkish background, the player has been likened to Real Madrid star Mesut Oezil.
Nurnberg are understood to be reluctant to let go of the German youth international and would demand about €9 million. It is not yet known whether United are to follow up reports from club scouts with a bid.
Recently he said that he was flattered to be linked with Manchester United. I think he is a realistic target. Sir. Alex missed out on Ozil so I think he will look into this guy. I saw him play against Bayern last season and he was awesome, as Nuremberg won the local derby. He is also inexpensive and would add a lot to the midfield.
Very technical like most Turks
Great vision
Good dribbler
An eye for goal
Great mentality
Great passer
Plays with maturity and is a willing learner
About 6 feet. So his physique is relatively good for the Premiership.
Ilkay Gundogan said recently on being linked with the REDS:
"I admit it is not that easy to play down seeing yourself linked to Manchester United in newspapers, but I feel I am doing okay with that. "I am focused on doing well in my games for Nurnberg and do not give that much away on which club is actually looking at me. "Playing at Nurnberg is a good thing for me to develop further as a player, but of course, playing for Manchester United would be a great thing to do one day."
Stefan Defour
Stefan Defour has been linked with Manchester United for a longtime. I saw him play against Madrid in the preseason. He looks like a good player but not very flashy. He had the following attributes.
A good passing range
Good vision
Fairly combative
Good leadership skills
Aggressive and having a wicked shot on him.
His stature is also quite good for the premiership
Lewis Holtby
Lewis Holtby is another possible target. He has an English background which might even interest Sir. Alex. I follow the Bundesliga and he has been outstanding this season. He has even been called up for the German National team. Here are his attributes.
Very inventive with his passing. He has been accumulating assists for fun
Good dribbler
Excellent mentality
Has an eye for goal
Full of tenacity and guile
His stature is fairly good for the Premiership
Lewis Holtby can be a great addition and not too expensive.
Xherdan Shaqiri
He plays for Switzeland and scored a cracker against England. I consider him to be going under the radar. The guy has shown exceptional ability in the Champions League. He had an excellent game against Bayern.
Best attributes include:
Pace
Excellent dribbler
Very strong. Do not be deceived by his height
Great passer and creative
Powerful shot
Can use both feet
Good mentality
Shaqiri would be a great addition. I am actually big fan of his. I was really impressed with his Champions League performances.
Dimitri Payet
This rising star was awesome for France in recent qualifiers. He came on as a sub for France when they played Romania. He had an instant impact and changed the game. He has been one of the best players in Ligue 1.
Good dribbler
Pace
Has an outstanding eye for goal
Good mentality
Decent passer
Payet has the potential to become a world-beater under Sir. Alex.
Above are a couple of players that would add invention and guile to the midfield. They are all very young which suits the Manchester United profile.
Give your suggestions please and share your opinions. I will be posting more on other potential targets tomorrow. Thank you for your time.
Nuri Sahin
He was an internet sensation a couple of years ago, and he has justified the hype. Sahin has been outstanding for Dortmund this season. They currently sit on top of the Bundesliga, 12 points ahead of Bayern.
His attributes:
Vision
An eye for goal
Great dribbler
Good leadership skills
Good Mentality
Sahin would be a good addition to the squad and contribute to the final third. He reminds me a bit of Ozil, and would be fairly inexpensive.
Javier Pastore
One of the best players in Europe this season. The boy oozes class. He would be cheap and Barcelona is very interested. I watched him play against Juventus earlier in the season, and he was simply awesome. He single handily destroyed Juventus. Attributes are listed below
Very classy
Inventive
Exceptional close control
Very imposing and excellent stature for the Premier League
Good passer
He has a lot of upside. Sir Alex would make him a legend
Decent eye for a goal and a big game player
Pastore would be a great addition and would improve the team. Getting him would be very difficult, the dude is in high demand.
Ganso
I am a huge fan of Ganso. I think he would be perfect for Manchester United because the team has a good contingent of players of Portuguese heritage. Imagine the Da silva twins, Nani, Bebe, Anderson and Ganso wrecking havoc in Europe.
Outstanding vision
Great dribbler
Classy
Good physique
Great leader
Has a powerful shot
Neymar
Neymar is probably the best young talent in the world. He just needs to work on his behavior. At least he is just a teenager and can mature well. Sir. Alex would be the perfect coach. I hope he bulks up gradually as he becomes an adult. Neymar is really an exciting prospect and would be very expensive.
Outstanding dribbler
Pace
Outstanding goal scorer and would be a good supporting striker
Can player on either wing
Gets crowd into game
A lot of upside. Can become the best player in the world under Sir. Alex
Check out Neymar's outstanding talent below. I personally think this is the best video on Neymar.
Watch this space for more outstanding talents that can rejuvenate the Red machine.
I am really excited about the new Norwegian starlet.
Scout: New Red Devil Daehli will be superstar
A leading European scout has hailed Manchester United’s capture of 15-year-old Norwegian protege Mats Moller Daehli and expects the youngster to become a superstar.
Tor-Kristian Karlsen has described new Red Devil Daehli as the most naturally gifted player to hail from Norway since Steffen Iversen.
Speaking to Goal.com, Karlsen said: "He’s certainly been outstanding at youth level and excelled both at national and international level. He’s been excellent even when playing against kids two or three years his senior.
"He is a natural footballer. Everything he does on the pitch comes naturally to him, as if by instinct.
"In terms of overall potential, I’d say he’s probably the most naturally gifted player to emerge in Norway since Steffen Iversen, whose talent was regrettably hampered by injuries."
Manchester United fans - and English football supporters in general - will remember Iversen, who spent almost seven years at Spurs and a season with Wolves before returning to his native Norway where he still plays with Rosenborg.
Iversen is a Norwegian legend with 73 caps for his country and so the comparison within Norway is huge for the young teenager.
Karlsen has spent the last few years personally scouting Daehli, who plays for FC Lyn in the Norwegian Premier League. But despite attention from a host of top European clubs it seems he was destined for Old Trafford.
He said: "As far as I understand, at a certain point the family decided to politely pay little attention to approaches from other suitors and focus on Manchester United.
"So I didn’t encourage any of the clubs I work with to spend too much time on this case. They’d only be wasting their time.
"As far as I know, he’s been a frequent visitor to the Manchester United academy over the past year."
Once the terms of his switch have been agreed Daehli, who plays in midfield, will officially link up with the Manchester United academy on February 1 2011.
A small player of slight build, Karlsen is convinced Daehli has the qualities to become a regular in Sir Alex Ferguson’s first team.
He said: "Without a doubt, there’s nothing stopping him in terms of God-given talent.
"But let’s not forget that we’re talking about a young boy, he might be looking at making his first team debut in three years’ time at the very earliest.
"A lot can obviously happen between now and then but, when it comes to footballing brain, skill, range of passing, touch and movement – he’s got all the fundamentals to become a top-class footballer." By Dave Peddie
According to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, Manchester United will complete the signing of Stabaek sensation Mats Moller Daehli at the end of the week and the Tippeligaen club’s reserve team coach Morten Tveit, believes Sir Alex Ferguson has successfully negotiated a deal for “one of the best players in Europe in his age group”.
The Red Devils have been tracking the 15-year-old Norwegian for 18-months and having allowed the prodigious youngster to train with the club on five separate occasions during that period, the player yesterday reportedly agreed to move to Old Trafford and will join up with the Premier League club’s academy on the 1st February.
Manchester United allegedly beat a host of suitors to the midfielder’s signature including clubs from the Premier League, and Tveit believes it could prove quite a coup for the Red Devils because the youngster is “the best player I have ever seen at his age” and compares him favourably to Barcelona duo Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez.
Tveit told Goal.com: “We are just happy to send such a good player as Mats to the best club in England.
“Had it been Leeds [United] or Everton it would have been difficult. Man United is a professional, serious club. You have a lot of Norwegians there like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and we believe it is safe for him."
“I think he is going to play for the first team and every coach at Man United thinks he will play for the first team,
“He is one of the best players in Europe in his age group. He is the best player I have ever seen at his age and I have seen a lot of international players at that age.
“He can play right side, left side, maybe off the main striker. He can be a little bit Messi, a little bit Xavi.
“He is outstanding and can be a complete football player. He has the mentality, the technique, his attitude is very good. He has everything.
“If he misses something, it is the physical side. He has to be stronger. But he is 15 and that will come.”
“A lot of other clubs have tried to get him. Bayern Munich, Ajax and a number of Premier League clubs but he made up his mind a long time ago. You can’t go training with every club.”
This guy seems to be a bit special. He reminds me of Iniesta. I like his reaction at the end of the video. It shows passion. The guy must be a winner. Lets hope he gains more weight to handle the rigors of the Premier League. Go UNITED!!!! HAVE YOU SEEN THE AWESOME VIDEO BELOW OF THE POTENTIAL STAR:
For some reason the team has come together and they are grinding out results. It is quite astnoshing that the team is only two points behind Chelsea, after the Rooney saga. It reminds me of the time Van Nistelrooy was not being used and Saha stepped up. In the same season, during the adversity of Scholsey's eye injury and Keano's strife with Ferguson, the team overcame the problems and won the league the following three seasons.
Don't underestimate the influence of Sir. Alex, he is the only one who can pull it off. I mean he said, "Lets put this situation to bed" and the following weeks, the team goes on a winning streak.
I recently came across this article on TEAM TALK, it was well written and analyses Nani well.
TEAMtalk's Jon Holmesbelieves Nani can inspire a season of success for Manchester United - if he stays on his best behaviour.
Nani would hardly be considered one of the Premier League's 'bad boys' - in fact, it's hard to imagine him in a fight, even if his love of Capoeira suggests he might be pretty handy at martial arts. But there is a less attractive side to the Portuguese winger's style, and it manifests itself in the kind of episode which blotted his copybook in Manchester United's recent 2-0 win over Tottenham at Old Trafford. Call it gamesmanship or blatant cheating: no one who truly loves football could encourage the kind of antics which Nani is sometimes guilty of. Yes, many players try to push the limits and see what they can get away with - but Nani often appears a repeat offender.
Yet when he is fully focused on the job in hand - dismantling full-backs with his speed of mind and body, taking part in slick interplay passing which bamboozles opponents or firing home fierce strikes across helpless goalkeepers - you have to just sit back and admire the Cape Verde native. And Nani looked at the peak of his powers against Blackburn on Saturday, reducing Pascal Chimbonda to such a wreck that the defender must have wished he could have whipped a transfer request out of his sock again so he could escape any further embarrassment.
So let's not allow Nani's hat-trick of assists to be completely overshadowed by Dimitar Berbatov's five-goal haul. He now has nine contributions to United goals in the league so far this season, which shows he is emerging from a tough 12 months in which he was expected to fill compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo's boots - a task that came too soon, but which may not yet be completely beyond him. Although Ronaldo is firmly in the 'world class' category, Nani - who recently turned 24 - should be setting his sights on joining the Real Madrid superstar among the game's elite. Secure at United on a deal which ties him to the club until 2014, he now represents good value at the £17.3million Sir Alex Ferguson paid Sporting Lisbon for him just over three years ago. Nani's talent has never been in question - only his application of that ability, and the mentality which makes a skilful player into a genuine inspiration for his team-mates. He's not there yet - but his performance for United on Saturday suggests he can warm the hearts of Red Devils fans this winter, and provide the spark for silverware in spring.
MY VIEWS
Nani has been quite consistent for the Red Army over the last couple of months. I think his performance against Arsenal last season, when he did that marvelous trick to score a sensational goal. opened the flood gates to a string of good performances. Then his showing against Bayern Munich confirmed it, with a well taken brace. That back-heel was sweet!
This season he already has six goals and nine assists in all competitions. He has been Manchester United's most creative player.
I like the fact he is firmly moving away from Ronaldo's shadow. He already switched from Nike to Adidas, and in a recent international he interfered with Ronaldo's great goal. Two years ago, he would stand back and watch the ball enter the net, but these days he is also hungry for goals, so he aggressively run to head the ball, messing up a great goal. He might have messed up a goal and apologized, but I think it comprehensively showed he is trying to make a name for himself, as he said recently that he wants to be one of the best players in the world.
ONE OF NANI'S LATEST VIDEOS
NANI, "RONALDO, I AM SORRY FOR MESSING UP YOUR GOAL, BUT I ALSO WANT TO BE THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD"
I think Nani is on the right track. He needs to continue to work hard and listen to Sir. Alex, if he wants to become one of the best players in the world.
PREVIOUS POST
Nani has stepped up since last season. He is looking like a world beater. He was clearly missed against Wolves on Saturday.
Does Manchester united rely on players? I wonder because the team struggled against Wolves, without Nani, the most decisive player this season.
Here is a video of Nani playing for Portugal. He has improved a lot.
Park is having an excellent season, he has been United's most influential player in the last couple of weeks The coaching staff finally cracked the code, they allow Park to roam around and cause havoc. He has been a revelation this season. His performances have been up there with Vidic, Evra and Nani, so far this season. Here is a tribute to United's flat-footed Asian wonder.
Earlier in Park's career
Park, the nemesis of Arsenal, what a sweet header!
MESSI-LIKE PARK
Ji is finally playing in his best position, an attacking midfielder on the right, with license to roam. It is nice to see he is not glued to the left. He is playing in the same way as he does for his country.