Farewell Nani, Manchester United's brilliantly talented but frustrating enigma

Nani’s career at Manchester United will always be seen as “what could have been”

Recently, it was announced that Nani would join Fenerbahce from Manchester United for the cut-price of £4.25 million. There were distinctly mixed feelings about that among the fans he had thrilled and frustrated in equal measure over the last eight years.

Here is a player who, when he wanted, could turn on the style in more spectacular fashion than any of his team-mates. Here was a player, too, who had the capacity – and audacity – to pull off the most awe-inspiring trickery, score the most outrageous goals and leave the opposition as baffled and bereft of resistance as his superstar compatriot, Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, the one element which seemingly evaded Nani throughout his journey in English football was the very attribute that distinguishes the good players from the great – consistency. That is not to say that Nani did not string together a sequence of quality performances. Rather, he had the tendency to set the bar extremely high for himself, and falter in his attempts to sustain such a level.

Flashes of genius showed his natural ability

Blessed with natural ability in abundance, Nani was the type of mercurial talent who was prone to flickering sporadically in the big games. His quality was never in doubt, but his application and attitude were often questioned by the fans, his peers and even his coaches. That explains why he spent much of the latter stages of his United career warming the bench.

When, in June 2007, Nani arrived at Old Trafford alongside the highly-rated Anderson, there was a tremendous deal of optimism. Both players had established themselves as two of the most exciting talents in their home countries; Nani for Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, Anderson for Gremio in Brazil.

Things started promisingly for the winger, as he scored a couple of lovely goals in United’s pre-season tour of China, against Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Sir Alex Ferguson was content with his progress and how he had adapted into United’s squad following his arrival. However, the Scot knew he was far from the finished article, realising immediately that Nani’s game was in need of development.

His talent was raw; he needed to be refined in order to excel within the extraordinary physical and mental demands of the Premier League. Fergie was never one to back down from a challenge, and thought he could turn him into the player his potential suggested he could be.

Yes, there were flashes of real genius from Nani in his first season. His first ever competitive goal in English football was a 30-yard thunderbolt against Tottenham, while he left the Stretford End drooling in United’s 4-0 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup Fourth Round.

Scoring and assisting a further two, Nani’s confidence rocketed against a beleaguered Gunners side who simply couldn’t deal with the winger’s pace and skill. During the game, he provoked the Arsenal players when he showboated by balancing the ball on his head and chest, publicly taunting a team who were already well and truly beaten and heading out of the cup.

While it was good to see Nani flying with confidence, it was disappointing that he felt the need to show off in the manner that he did. This was the FA Cup against Arsenal, not street football.

While the more ardent United supporters revelled in the excellence of his display, the impartial quarters believed Nani needed to curb the ostentatious nature of his game. After that game, Gilberto Silva claimed that Nani had a “big head.” It was this “big head” that was often Nani’s worst enemy at Old Trafford.

While he showed real steel in stepping up and taking a crucial penalty in the Champions League final penalty shootout against Chelsea, Nani’s first season was dashes of extravagance mixed with some ordinary football. He often left his teammates frustrated by trying one trick too many when a pass was on. In addition, his end product was sometimes erratic and he lacked the vision and panache required from a high-level winger.

When pitted against the remarkable achievements of Ronaldo that season – he netted 42 times in an outstanding campaign that earned him his first Ballon d’Or – it was clear that Nani still had a mountain to climb if he was to emulate the brilliance of his fellow Sporting alumni.

His celebration of goals turned out to be the most consistent facet of his game

Ronaldo’s sale failed to bring out Nani’s best

After his second season at the club came to a close, Nani was presented with his greatest opportunity to impress in a United shirt. Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid and Nani was looked upon to fill the sizeable hole in United’s attack. While it was a wonderful opportunity to shine, it was also a substantial examination of his credentials.

With Ronaldo gone, the expectations on Nani’s shoulders were increased dramatically. Since joining the club in 2007, he had waited for his chance to truly cement his place as an indispensable member of the first-team; this was the time to prove all of his doubters wrong.

A few months into the 2009-10 campaign, Nani risked fracturing his relationship with Ferguson by publicly outlining the manager’s outbursts of anger, while also accusing the veteran of lacking confidence in him as a player. "People expect more from me and it's not easy," he was quoted as telling the Portuguese newspaper 'I'. "I could be doing better, scoring more, but just think, I make a huge game today but the next one, I'm not even sure that I will play. Such a situation breaks the confidence,” he said per The Guardian.

However, Ferguson persisted with installing Nani in the starting line-up. The winger shone, once again, against Arsenal during a 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium, which saw him score a magnificent solo effort; he skipped through three challenges before audaciously chipping Manuel Almunia. “Maturity is why we’re seeing the best of him now, his last three games have been absolutely first-class, but today was his best,” raved Ferguson following the Arsenal game.

Maturity. That was the key ingredient. Such a public display of veneration from his manager should have worked wonders for his progression and self-belief. However, he was sent off for a reckless lunge on Aston Villa’s Stiliyan Petrov which ruled him out of the League Cup final.

This perfectly illustrated the frustrating lack of development in the mental side of his game. In scything down Petrov and being rightly dismissed, Nani passed up the opportunity to shine at Wembley Stadium in a cup final.

One step forward, one step back; that could accurately summarise Nani’s first three seasons at United. But in his fourth season – the 2010-11 campaign – Nani truly began to flourish. Consistently excellent, Nani earned himself the Players’ Player of the Year Award at United (he was also included in the PFA Team of the Year), depicting just how delighted his teammates were to see him prosper in a United shirt.

When Nani scored, he screamed with ecstasy. It was easy to see how much it meant to him, and prompted confusion when you heard doubts regarding his determination to reach the very highest level.

Lack of consistency ultimately led to his downfall

However, from there, Nani’s United career stagnated and he gradually drew more and more cries of exasperation from the thousands who packed in to watch him and his fellow stars inside Old Trafford. In Fergie’s final season in charge, Nani managed only three goals in 21 appearances, and he looked a shadow of the player who ran riot against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinal.

During the David Moyes reign, Nani spent most of his time trying to force through his best form, often with frustratingly underwhelming results. His stock at United fell drastically and he was considered surplus to requirements by the time Moyes’ doomed spell in charge ended.

Nani was one of many players who had performed well below par for too long, and it became increasingly clear that, regardless of manager, he was a lost cause. A once promising and exciting talent had faded into mediocrity and failed to keep up with the competition for places at United.

Now, with Louis van Gaal making it clear that Nani has no future at the club, one is forced to reflect on what might have been. Returning to Portugal, on loan with Sporting, last season was not so much a chance to prove himself once again, as much as a chance to play regular football before the club could find a permanent arrangement for his future. They did, with Fenerbahce the benefactor.

Nani will now play his football in the Turkish Super Lig. Not to belittle that league, but the glimmers of quality shown by him during his enigmatic time with United suggest he should still be playing at the top level.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. United fans will say ‘Farewell Nani, thanks for the memories’, but they should really be crying over the loss of a true superstar – like with Ronaldo. Sadly, however, Nani never quite reached that level.