3. The Best Is Yet To Come
At 26, many consider that Nani is still to enter the prime of his career. He has proven in his time at Old Trafford that he is a player for the big occasion (performances against Arsenal and Chelsea spring to mind) and in his first 100 games for the club his
stats outstripped Ronaldo's. It is difficult not to draw comparisons between the two players, given the similar paths their careers have taken, but initially Nani provided assists for more than double the goals that Ronaldo did. The difference between the two is that whilst Ronaldo has worked on his all round game, and in the process become a complete player, Nani's progress has stalled slightly. Perhaps defenders have worked him out, but to call him a one trick pony would be overly harsh. Nani is a player who excels when given an extended run in the team. In the
2010/11 season he made 31 starts in the Premier League and contributed 9 goals and 14 assists. Compare that to last season when he was very much a squad player; the majority of his appearances coming from the substitutes bench. A player like Nani needs a run of games to give him time to hit a rich vein of form. Towards the end of Ferguson's reign, Nani tended to find himself back on the bench if he didn't turn in a good performance immediately, however judging by Moyes' recent comments it looks as though Nani may get the chance to prove his worth once again and reproduce the sort of form that saw him voted
United's Player's Player of the Season.