Martin Samuel's Debate: Nani's seal act showed Arsenal the respect they deserved

Lack of respect? Falling over in the penalty area when nobody has tripped you: that is a lack of respect. Playing half a team in an FA Cup tie at Old Trafford: that is a lack of respect. But, in the middle of a match, running with the ball while juggling it masterfully between feet, knees and head? If you are good enough, then why not?

Nani did nothing wrong in his little moment of showboating on Saturday and paying fans know it. They want to be entertained, not to have Arsène Wenger put his best players on the bench, or to see Emmanuel Adebayor fall to the ground in a wretched attempt to win a penalty by cheating.

Arsenal surrendered the moral high ground long before they tried to hack down Manchester United’s winger as he performed his little seal act. They are lucky Nani didn’t blow raspberries and stop to make bunny ears as he dribbled around them, really. It was what their performance deserved.

The game is about skill. It is, in its purest form, about trying to do something that places one player beyond the ability of his opponent. That is why it is so terribly depressing to hear a chorus of disapproval greet Nani’s cameo. It was the highlight of a second half that had been rendered redundant by Arsenal’s inability to compete, yet even Sir Alex Ferguson said he would have a word with his player about treating opponents with dignity.

Nani gave Arsenal the respect they deserved. He demonstrated what a good player can do against a team who play without heart. And he showed that, in the heat of battle, he has the wit to keep the ball and shield it in mid-air, while dribbling, a display of dexterity as impressive as any seen this season.

Respect.

Is Nani a showman or a show-off? Vote now and leave your comments below.

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Comments

[Dennis Higgins]

I remember a game so many years ago now the exact date eludes me,It was Wolves in their prime playing Burnley at Molineux who at that time were also in the top flight,Peter Broadbent giving a masterful display leaving four Burnley players sitting on their bums as he dribbled and showboated around them, the game was thrilling we Hammered them I think it was 7-1 Broadbent that day was a master of the dribble,yes lots of so called showboating the whole crowd of forty odd thousand that day clapped continuously throughout the match, every Burnley player shook Broadbent by the hand after the match showing how much they thought of the mans skills,its a pity that some football managers have never seen the game as it was played many years ago pity is it is not present so much more in todays game

[Duncan]

Given the state of our pitch at the moment I would say that Nani was just dribbling the ball the best way he could without losing control. Maybe he was just sending a message to the groundsman. Great skill - I love to see entertainment but if we were 4-0 down and Scholes sent the showboater into the stands with one of his trademark "tackles" I wouldn't be crying. Although I might be appreciating the skill ten years later. Begrudgingly. Football is a tribal game. SAF is only worried about Nani becoming a target for defenders and getting injured.

[plaw999]

Brilliant, and I'm a Liverpool fan.

Have we not been deprived of skill and individuality for long enough ? Honest endeavour gets boring, and remember its only a game.

Nani should be applauded !

[ashton rest]

he was running towards his half with the ball chased by the least skilled of all Arsenal player, Hoyte. It was really pointless and absolutely USELESS because he could have kept the possesion by keeping the ball on his feet or by exchanging passes. If he had made a forward run instead of a backward run it would have been wonderful to watch. And player like henry or ronaldinho can show off because they have earned the right to do so...Nani has'nt!

[Alex]

Typical Arsenal response, if you get hammered at football then try to hammer the opponent's players and break their legs. Let's see:

- one player sent off for studs up in the groin
- one player who should have been sent off for kicking Nani (well I suppose he might get a little credit because he did manage to get his boot to connect with something solid in the game)
- Flamini trying to launch Nani into the hoardings after the incident in question (No worries really, he was playing for Arsenal, so not surprisingly - he missed)
- two players at full back who seemed to already be suffering from broken legs
- one forward who collapsed in the penalty area, but got a yellow card when the ref realized he was one Arsenal player who didn't actually have a broken leg
- one manager who suffered from humiliation - well, he was the Arsenal manager, so no surprise there.

And the net response arising from the most pathetic display seen at Old Trafford in years? "He was disrespectful It's OK to try to break his leg".

I rest my case.

[Andrew]

Why anyone should give a damn is a abit odd and even depressing. Is this the kind of thing people spend their thoughts mulling over? Arsenal were dire was the real story.
Last season, Ronaldo back heel in first minute against Milan away, gives ball away, Utd get hammered...That's when you show the right attitude; a tough, game where it matters. As usual, Ronaldo did nowt on the real stage. Nani, however one looks at it, was involved in a match where there was no opposition. The juggling a very minor detail in match long over.

[Hugo Carreira]

What some people have been calling the "unwritten rules" of the game is nothing more than bruised ego. How can someone defend a player hitting a professional colleague (something usually forgotten) with the argument of it being due to "lack of respect towards other players"? It has nothing to do with "respect" or "proper behavior", it's just a childish response.
Nani's responsibility lies with his employers and club supporters (those who pay his wages). Not with anyone else, and certainly not anyone from Arsenal.
Also, next time England loses a vital match because they couldn't hold the ball and control those last 20 minutes, maybe people should wonder whether this "macho" mentality -- where kids with the muscle and not necessarily the skill survive and get to play -- isn't partially to blame.

[Porlek]

The Arsenal team that played clearly wasn't their best and I'm sure a few of them will be better players in the future because of the defeat (and the manner of it).

As noted, Nani was spectacular and why not show off some skills? As for those people that keep saying it isn't that hard to do - not on a field on your own, or on a pitch on Sunday with a few half hungover beer-bellied blokes for competition, but against Arsenal (even that Arsenal line-up)? It really isn't as easy as you'd think.

I hope Fergie didn't tell Nani to quit it, as it was entertainment and Fergie is the one that keeps going on about entertaining the fans, so you'd think he'd encourage beautiful football.

As for those that seem to think that he deserves to be hacked down for showing skill - you are a dying breed (and thank God for that) as I think more and more people like beautiful football these days and not "slug it up the pitch" stuff.

Arsenal and the Arsenal supporters I actually have respect for, but Gallas and Arsene Wenger I have no respect for.

[Simon T]

Haha, Arsenal and respect... Did Keown, Viera and Cole show Van Nistelrooy respect by goading and hitting him after a penalty miss? Did Ian Wright show respect when he tried to break Schmeicels leg? Did Paddy Viera show respect when he tried to intimidate United players in the tunnel? Arsenal earned their name as cheats a long time ago, and of all the stone throwers in the Premier League, their glass house is biggest. All I know is that Nani earned a roar of approval from me and all around me, (although he was going away from the Stretford End) didn't threaten to end a career and didnt try to unfairly gain an advantage through "simulation". People try to kick the best talent off the ptch, but when they have managed to catch a Ronaldo, Giggs or Cantona- Neville, Vidic, and the legendary Keane would kick them twice as hard.

[Dave]

If you actually look at the incident there was not much else he could do. Getting control of the ball in that situation was difficult. It was really good defending. What else could he do?

The way people are reacting, you'd think he stopped in the middle of the pitch asnd started doing keep ups for 10 minutes.

Moreover, there is a brazilian called kerlon who actually uses the 'seal' all the time to great effect. Such a typlical English attitude to deride true skill. And you wonder why there are no English Messi's, Ronlado's or Pato's!

[Allyn]

remeber Zidane humiliate brazil at 2 world cups? or henry comicaly showing "lack of respect" to anybody taking his knees away? That man maradona humiliated a few in his day...did that dampen our lives? When lionel Messi does the same do we curse him?
The point is nani added a bit of excitement to a dull second half...he lifted arsenal if anything...they tried(even if it was to kick him)a bit rather than just watching United fer the previous 20 minutes of the half!!

[Bill]

My God, a 22 year old young man showing off in a way that does no harm to anyone and entertains millions. Ban him for life, kick him out of the country, and pass me some rotten fruit quickly.

What a sorry bunch of puritanical miserablists we've become.

[Will Fred]

What did Wenger say about that comedy penalty trick that went so badly wrong between Pires and Henry a couple of seasons back?

Were they showing respect to the opposition?

Suck a lemon Wenger.

[moor_fire]

wasn't that big a deal, henry used to do it often (juggling the ball while running) and he would be praised for his skill etc, not criticised for being 'disrespectful'. arsenal were just losing their temper and nani's trickery was obviously going to rile them. Understandably they were angry but they can have no real complaints in hindsight about a legitimate peice of skill. I'm an arsenal fan and i hope they bounce back fast, and then not let traore or hoyte anywhere near old trafford ever again. v embarassing.

[Bruin]

By complaining about the apparent disrespect to his players, Wenger has done an excellent job of deflecting attention from the manner in which they lost. The players disrespected themselves, the club and their supporters by their abject display. Why can't he be as honest as Ferguson was after the City game and admit that they just played badly. But we all know how myopic Wenger is and his legendary ability to miss any point in the game when his team commit a foul.

What worries me more is the number of people that seem to glory in the idea that if Nani continues to do this then he will get a good kicking from the opposition defenders - and that he will deserve it. Doing what Nani did may be showboating, but at least it is legal and fun to watch. What Gallas did was neither.

[jon b]

interesting, ive watched the nani ball juggling on youtube.

it wasnt showboating at all as most have said... the backheeled pass to nani was though. why are people complaining about that sealtrick, that was insulting.

nani was controlling the ball, in the only that was possible. great skill. if an arsenal player had done the same, it would have been great skill

[Stuart Goodwin]

Nani's mockery of Arsenal was brilliant and I really don't feel that the Gooners have any right to complain. In future, if they don't want to be laughed at they shouldn't play like clowns.

[M S M]

Hear hear!! It's nice to see someone finally talking a bit of sense. Lets ignore the fact for a moment that football, as said in the article, is a game of skill - Ronaldinho is regarded as one of the best players in the world for his ability - and highlight the fact that Nani had to keep possession in his defensive third. If a defender had headed it back to the goalkeeper to retain control of the ball for his team, there would be no problem!

As for Sir Alex Ferguson having 'a word' with Nani, I think that conversation may just be, "Do it again in the League game!"

Great article, and Brian - HA! Brilliant.

[James Pickles]

Haha. What was skilfull about what Nani did? Most professional footballers could do that but realise whats the point in juggling the ball to your own area, and think about how they can contribute more to the team. where did it get him? a full on (and legal) tackle from flamini is where. had he done it in and around the arsenal box then he should be praised and admired. as it is he just looked like a fool and woke up with a few bruises!

[John]

The majority of fans will see that what Nani did was an exceptional piece of skill and therefore think that it should be praised.

The majority of professional footballers will also see that what Nani did was an exceptional piece of skill. However in the context of the situation they would also have seen it as disrespectful to the opposition. That is why the Arsenal players reacted the way they did, the reaction is wrong but it is a human emotionally charged reaction to the situation.

On a side note I think in the current climate of players faking injury in attempts to get others booked or sent off, Gallas should be applauded for staying on his feet when Nani put his head to his. How often have we seen players fall down clutching their face to have the aggressor sent off?

[Brian]

How dare a player like Nani exhibit skill in a football match! How dare an even younger player, Anderson, look one way and pass the other on three separate occasions in the same game!Truly, truly deplorable. What we want more of is players trying to win a penalty through diving (badly), attempting to scythe down an opponent who dares to outclass them, or a player who is brave enough to give an honest, if somewhat petulant kick to an opponent whilst the referee is not watching. The fact that Nani did not roll around in agony when Gallas kicked him is a mark of his immaturity and an area of his game he needs to develop.

Excellent article - excellent result!

[Ali Gudgeon]

I think Nani was totally within his rights to "humiliate" Arsenal with his skill. Arsenal were terrible for the whole 90 minutes, completely over run by Manchester United. What I do find disgusting however is the fact that Gilberto took Nani aside (after Galas had had a swipe) and told him not to do it or he will get kicked. These overpaid nancies that we refer to as footballers should learn some humility for a change. If more of them acted as Eduardo did when he received his yellow card, with good grace and without a tirade of abuse at the referee, the game would be all the better. Arsenal should hang their heads in shame after such a dismal performance, NOT revert to throwing their toys and kicking the opposition because they couldn't get the ball. What a bunch of spoiled children!

[Daniel]

What does it matter? What did he achieve with the showboating? Towards his own corner away from any attack. A true classy player would've gone AT the opposition instead of away from them and actually tried to create something as opposed to just taking the piss.

[Brian]

I've read all comments and was wondering when would someone compare Nani's 'showboating' with the great George Best's 'p***taking' of defenders that he loved to do to in the 60's. We loved him for that, we loved him for the entertainment he brought to often otherwise dreary games and similarly dreary opponents. Rejoice in Nani. It's great to see talent entertain us. George coped with the kicks he received for 'taking the ****' but let's hope Nani can do this as well! He'll need to!

[pdxor]

Nani did nothing wrong. He was sprinting back toward his own goal to get the pass, and did a marvelous job of controlling the ball in order to keep possession. It was cheeky, but the Arsenal players just made themselves look foolish in their reaction to it. First one falls, then gets up and tries in vein to catch and/or shove him, and as another player slides in toward Nani's knees, the previous runs right up his back. Two minutes later Gallas takes a cheap shot, for which he could easily have been red carded. Was that kick any less petulant than Beckham's in the 1998 World Cup vs. Argentina? Not in the slightest.

Arsenal should feel humiliated though - at their own performance. They were pitiful.

As much as I respect Wenger and his teams for their ability and style of play, over the last 10 years there's often been something petulant and poor spirited about Arsenal when things go badly for them. Which tends to happen, more often than anywhere else, against United.

[TheoD]

I am an Arsenal fan. I saw Arsenal’s injury list on their web site. There was hardly a player 100% fit, including those on the bench, at the encounter with Man United. I think this was a factor that tilted the odds in favour of United to add to the home advantage. That said, I stand up and applaud United for the massacre they inflicted on my team and readily qualify that we were lucky not to lose by 6 or 7. Football is not about excuses. You should try and not get injured. That also requires a form of skill. This leads to the question if Nani is a showman or showoff. He should be paid a bonus by Sir Alex for the entertainment he provided. Nani posses masses of skills and is not the typical British player that when harassed will kick the ball in the air to nowhere and then see others chase it. The beauty of football, as expressed by Brazilians for generations, is attempting to do something with the ball, when under pressure, that requires skill than simply get rid of it as any non footballer can naturally do. Well done Nani, you were man of the match for me even though you broke my heart.

[pet]

What is the problem with expressing your self on the pitch the way Nani did, let the skills talk, actually he needs courage.

[Dave Candler]

We complain about a lack of ball skills on view in England and then Nani gets slammed like this. Opposing players would love to be able to do this against United. Bring it on.

[mmfy]

Nani did the right thing -as said before you get the ball head height with a thug on your back...he did what he had to do and turned it into a fast break before the 2nd tackle stopped him.

As to fellow fans bemoaning SAF's comment don't you devils know Fergie by now! Of course he was laughing inside, but he had to be politically correct in front of the camera. I can see him patting Nani on the back even now in the dressing room lol!

[Suraj Gangani]

When did the beautiful game start to condemn beauty. Nani had no other way to control the ball, surely what he did was no worse than the odd step over. Great pieces of skill such as Kanchelskis "pause and look on the ball" have made the game so beautiful to watch. Where does one draw the line, are celebrations too much too, as they rub in the fact a team has just scored. I think the gooners need to sit down, shut up and sort out their rather pathetic team. May I also stress that the team that played on Saturday was not the Second XI, Adebayor was never 100% fit but other than that the team was at full strength. If anything, United played a second string of players who seemed to show a lot more passion and skill.

[George]

Wenger - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Mark]

I think it's disgraceful to chastise a player for showing a bit of flair. I'm particularly disappointed with Fergie having a word with Nani. If it winds up the opposition, all the better as they will concentrate less on the game at hand...
I'm surprised Wenger saw it though!

[Dave]

I say Let Nani at it - Wait until he plays against a few more defenders doing that and 6 months sidelined with injury will surely cut it out. Alex had every right to tell him off for it after paying millions for him. Its pointless stuff really and I dont really care if he keeps it up. I will just laugh when he gets taken out big style doing it.

[Harvey Bosworth]

I'm a Liverpool Fc Fan through and through but I watch any football games when they are on t.v.

I think than Nani showed some class. He was simply trying to maintain possession but doing this he showed some pure class which nobody had really seen from him before.

[Mark]

Utter nonsense! The gooners should simply focus on the ineptness of their performance rather than Nani juggling with the ball.
I don't recall Wenger moaning when Henry or indeed Pires did the same. In any case, I hope Gallas gets banned for 5 games - he should know better. I'm a gooner & it would have been more understandable if that had been Hoyte or Traore. I am disappointed the club captain has behaved in such a manner and quite frankly, he should be stripped of the captaincy!

[Marcos Soares]

My Dear English, please remind me: Why would football be called the beautiful game if tantalizing skill is criticized and the skillful and gifted player is branded disrespectful to his opponents and if some had their way player sent to “la guillotine”? ONLY IN ENGLAND, where plonkers and cloggers are adored. Was Zidane disrespectful? Are Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Figo, Messi, and Ibrahimovic disrespectful? Are Brazil or Portugal disrespectful teams because they got skill in abundance?
Was it Capello who said that your national team needs more skill and technique? Do you wonder why you didn't qualify for Euro 2008? With this kind of mentality against talented players, it's no surprise. Let’s applaud Nani and ask for more, let’s ask the referee for protection to be given and let’s ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL GAME.

[Tom]

Re: Claire 2nd comment 4m bottom, that is the most sense spoken on this whole page! He's just tryin to keep possession of the ball, there's no other way. N diving is disrespectful to the game of football which is a bigger crime

[Denpo]

Hilarious a Nani's showboating was, does it not just provide Arsenal with extra motivation (if any were needed) to win the premiership and put one over on United? If I were Fergie I'd have taken strips out of Nani for winding them up like that. United haven't won anything yet - maybe Nani should save the showboating for when he's got a winner's medal around his neck. Still jolly good fun though...

[Paul McCullough]

I disagree with almost everything Martin said, except for the one about football being entertainment. However, Nani's actions were certainly meant to show up Arsenal. I've seen him play two dozen matches and I've never seen him do anything similar to that before. In any case, whether the fans like it or not, all players or former players who watched the game thought the same thing - that he was going to be punished.

Now, about Adebayor. He faked the foul and he got caught and carded. Why say anything more. This reminds me of the criticism that Drogba received last season for faking. Ballack is much worse. Owen in his prime was much worse. What about Torres?

Arsenal played poorly, but with players like Gilberto, Hoyte and Traore are not in match shape. Nor is Lehman. I think another keeper would have stopped the first and last goals.

[Shamefull]

but which i mean the conduct of the two arsenal players! The first one tried to foul twice, the first time fell on his face (he he he), the second he took part of the turf with him! Then came a tackle which can only be described as aggravated attempted assault!! The real shame is that none of these players were even berated, let alone booked. The FA is always talking about protecting players from injury, but imagine the damage if the second tackle on the sideline had connected! Of course, no word from wenger about this, only talking about supposed disrespect. If there was any, it was from the arsenal players !

[Julian Bennett]

I'm a Reds fan, and I have to say that to see Nani doing his juggling act was awesome, I don't believe he set out to humiliate, I mean he did keep the ball from his opponents, and he did this in a way that at the time seemed completely natural to him? I just think it's a bit of sour grapes by the Arsenal who were depressed by their own performance and used Nani as an easy scapegoat... I mean if Arsenal were 4-0 up and Nani had done this, what would they have felt then? Football is about entertainment... Right?! Nuff said!

[Ben]

I'm, a life-long Gooner and have to say that Wenger's comments sound like sour grapes to me. Have to disagree with Mr Samuel's comments re Arsenal showing a lack of respect by fielding 'half a team in an FA Cup tie at Old Trafford'. Man Utd hads several players missing too, just that our's were pants on the night. Traore and Hoyte were awful!

[John Rolfe]

When I watched Rodney Marsh at QPR in the late 60s and early 70s I would have wasted my entrance money if he had NOT juggled the ball under the opposition's noses.

[Timothy Tanner]

Nick Cotter and others do touch onto a point that I hadn't considered. Arsenal by this will severely undermine any complaints they have about future treatment and the excuse that we didn't do it from the start unlike some teams rightly won't wash, it was unacceptable behaviour from those involved and even more so Gallas.

We may be within our rights to protest about the treatment of Reyes by the Neville's (and Mike Riley's performance that day) or the punch from Morgan on Van Persie or Pederson's attempted stamp on Cesc's neck and the press really should have treated Arsene's complaints as more then whining on the last two however things like that will rightly be shown in return and it makes us hypocrites.

[matt ernshaw]

a ridiculous comment from wenger. at what point does demonstrating skill become showboating? a clever flick? a back heel? a couple of stepovers? should players not be indulging in these either? should the game in england only be about kicking, running and heading into touch?

[Nick Cotter]

The fact that he clearly did it for a definite purpose rather than pointless showboating should render this argument even more redundant but I take particular issue with the "Victims" of this entertaing atrocity.

In my opinion, the fact that Arsenal are complaining about this type of behaviour leaves a particularly sour taste. Are they not the team that piously pontificate about their commitment to the expansive, free-flowing football and their love of the beautiful game at every opportunity? Are they not the team that the media eulogise about everytime they put a move together of more than 3 passes? (Question: Are Arsenal the first team to ever experiment with this innovative idea of passing the football to one another?).

Is this also not the same Arsene Wenger that cried, moaned and whinged to anyone that would listen about the shocking treatment that Reyes was subjected to in the "pizzagate" match of 2004?

I personally would rather watch Nani give a masterclass in ball-juggling than watch Adebayor dive around like Grag Louganis,Emmanuele Eboue seeking to injure players(again!)and Gallas kicking people cause he isn't having it all his own way. Arsenal seem to want to have their cake and eat it too. Can they please decide whether they love the beautiful game or hate it?

PS: And before any of you assume I'm a Man-Utd fan gloating, I'm actually a Chelsea fan and despise both clubs involved equally.

[Juan]

I think the request from Sir Alex for Nani not to do something similar again is nothing to do with not embarrasing opponents and more to do with not getting himself hacked down and seriously injured....

[Phil P]

At the time of watching Nani's juggling act i felt gleefully entertained. I didn't at any point feel as though there was any disrespect in his actions. I was absolutely mystified by comments after the game. The fact there is even a debate about this matter depresses me but i'm happy that the vast majority of comments see this "incident" the same way. An excellent article.

[chris]

If he had ended up with one and a half legs, would anyone be saying he deserved it? Is that the excuse the culprit would have used in self-defense?

On another angle, always kick an opponent when he is down (metaphorically speaking). You don't know how long they will be down there, make it as long as possible

[Jack]

Of course it's disrespectful, that's the whole point. Four-nil up, at home, against one of your biggest rivals and you want to rub it in. What's wrong with that?

[Caldy]

I believe football is an entertainment sport therefore this whole argument should be closed now.

[Andy James]

Being a United fan after the soul destroying defeat to City last week do the fans who pay 40 quid every week to watch the team deserve a bit of gratuitous entertainment I think we do. When football becomes a game where protecting a sulking frenchman's ego comes before entertainment that will be the day that crowds start to drop. Im rarely dissapointed with SAF but critising Nani was bad form as for Wenger he was just looking for something else to talk about rather than his teams pathetic performance.

[Simon Dye]

OH MANCHESTER...MANCHESTER UNITED
A BUNCH OF BOUNCING BUSBY BABES,
THEY DESERVERED TO BE KNIGHTED.
WHEN THEYRE PLAYING IN YOUR TOWN
GET YOURSELF TO THAT FOOTBALL GROUND,
TAKE A LESSON & YOU WILL SEE
FOOTBALL TAUGHT BY MATT BUSBY

Nani, Rooney and Anderson are keeping the tradition alive as is Cristiano Ronaldo. Wenger weep.

[Steve Kelly]

I am an Arsenal fan and as much as it hurt me to witness such a defeat against our strongest rival: I saw nothing wrong with nani's showboating. Football is also part of the entertainment business. At 4-0, why not showboat. Arsenal will avenge! Steve kelly, London.

[deano]

More of the same please!

[Madras]

if he tried that on any park pitch on a saturday afternoon he wouldn't finish the match - naive at best. But, as a Gooner I admit we were comprehensively stuffed, and if a young player cannot showboat when beating the Premiership leader 4.0 when can he?

[Rory Baxter]

Arsenal have done this a thousand times and I would like to see more of it. Let's face it, most of the time the skills players show in practice are never seen on the pitch. The point is to get the ball off the player and if he can do 'keepy uppy' without his opponent getting it legally, then that's fine [certainly nobody should be condoning kicking the guy as the only way to stop him]. I applaud Nani and I thought he deserved to have a bit of fun since he played a blinder of a game. Was it at the expense of Arsenal? Did it show disrespect? I don't think so and I think Arsenal had already been humiliated by losing 4-0, Nani's 'showboating' was not a humiliation and I don't think Ferguson would have told off Cantona if he'd done it [which I'm sure he did].

[Pepi,Macedonia]

Nani has outstanding skills, and he proved it again. Feel sorry for Arsenal's player chasing him and then facing the pitch...All that was the reason why we ENJOY soccer!
cheers

[Perica,Macedonia]

Nani's outstanding skills with the ball produced this "dramatic" situation accidentally. He tried to keep the ball in his possession, but in his way of doing it. Arsenal's player is running after him.He was funny at the end face hitting the pitch. All in all, my personal opinion is that Nani didn't want to provoke.

[chris]

Isn't this why people pay to watch premiership football? are players now not allowed to show off their talent in case they hurt people's feelings? better do away with classy freekicks and stepovers while we're at it.

Or we could just go and watch Luton town every Saturday...

[Corey]

He was running toward his own goal, away from the opposing player which is relatively easy as there was no one in front of him, it would have been more impressive if he was heading toward the opposition goal.
Its sort of like running away in a boxing match, which is something else I can well imagine him doing.

[Timothy Tanner]

Was Ade tripped? There was contact on the back of his foot but not enough to justify his swan dive, would have been a very harsh penalty.

Was there a lack of respect in the team selection? No. We played who was fit. Almunia, has virus so Lehman plays which arguably strengthened that area. Sagna's got personal problems (rumour is his brother died) so he can't play without being cruel, Clichy is partly injured so dropped to the bench where the immensely talented Troare gets a game. At cb, Gallas was the only full fit as I think Toure still has that groin injury lurking, Senderos nearly couldn't play against Blackburn while his fellow Swiss defender and Song are injured. So we played as strong a defence as we could in the circumstances. In midfield, Diaby, Mozart, Denilson (and Song), Walcott were all injured while Flamini was carrying an injury while after that performance, I wonder if Cesc had recovered from the cold. Up front, Ade carrying an injury, Van Persie ruled out (plus Walcott) so we played our only two fully fit strikers.

Ok clearly we have midfield squad depth problems though the likes of Vela, Lansburry and others are expected to be promoted next season into first team squad. We played who we had fit, we put on the bench whoever was half fit, unless you wanted Sagna forced to play and Arsene to make the injured walk, the other choices were to gamble on half fit players or really insult the Fa Cup and put out the likes of Gavin Hoyte, Lansburry, Rodgers, Dunne, the youth team and reserves basically.

By the way, I am sorry to hear the likes of Scholes and Tevez are carrying injuries while that Giggs and Ronaldo were clearly unfit to play so the likes of Park and Fletcher had to play. Or was there a lack of respect by Man U by the same standards you applied here? Man U certainly didn't insult the match with their team selection and neither did Arsenal.

Now I agree that Arsenal were a disgrace with the exception of Lehman, who I hope gets another game as he does not deserve to bow out of Arsenal on the end of a 4-0 defeat, while I feel Gilberto did alright as did Dudu and our big Dane. We showed a lack of spirit, a lack of fight, an inability to pass five yards to a team mate even when not under pressure and our defence was so bad that our keeper won more tackles in the first half then they all did the whole of the game. From the likes of Hoyte and Traore, being destroyed is understandable but from Gallas and Toure, it is not the first time (4-1 defeat to Liverpool anyone?) and unforgivable. Man U took full advantage and played brilliantly, good passing, good movement, good finishing, full credit to them.

As for Nani, he had every right to do what he did, it was impressive and I regret not applauding at the time. Too few teams remember that football isn't just about winning in a bore 1-0, it is about entertaining and Nani did that. My only regret was he did it to Hoyte, a loyal rightback who was out of depth but kept trying, rather then to Gallas and Toure. Well done to Nani, I hope we see more of that type of skill again

[Rogue Trader]

Nani wasn't showboating all that much. I've seen Ronaldo do worse eg standing still on the touchline playing keepie uppie - much more grating

Nani seemed to just use all the parts of his body to control the ball while evading the opposition - nothing wrong with that.

[Alex]

If you'd ever played football - you'd know that its not too hard to do 3 headers and a couple of keepy ups. In the clip - look again - he The final tackle that ended his showboating took the ball. If Nani tries that against the likes of Blackburn, the only thing he will be keeping up is a hospital bed.

[KG]

YES YES YES!!! FINALLY some support for poor Nani. I thought I was a nutter when I kept reading wave after wave of disapproval. If Ronaldinho had done something like that would the whole world be on his neck? And Ronaldinho is known for trickery so why can't anyone else who has the skill do it? Is Mancini (Roma) reviled when he does his one million and one stepovers? I don't personally like stepovers but hey he can do it and so can C Rondalo so let them be.
I'm not even goin to venture near the Arsenal are dirty or whatever debate cos that's just another can of worms. I'm a Man Utd supporter and I can candidly say that my club haven't been saints either but that argument is pretty pointless. But I do have to say that with this game Gallas just confirmed exactly why I've never liked him. Such thug behaviour. It's also pretty clear that Arsenal had a lot of injuries so their first XI wasn't available and their second string youngsters are not that great.

[Ricky]

We pay to see guys like Nani show their skill. If it was a tied game or United was holding a 1-0 lead, I'd understand all the hoopla.

But in his area, back to the players behind him, 4-0, late in the game, a round of 16 FA Cup tie, nothing at stake...

Don't we want to see talent like Nani? I remember Ronaldo getting the same type of comments when he first came into the league. Get over it.

[Ezee-t]

My biggest problem is that Sir Alex bemoaned his own player even after Gallas kicked out at him. Nani is probably gonna feel like he's not allowed to fully express himself in fear of frustrating his manager, everyone had a problem when Ronaldo was doing tricks that didn't end with a cross into the middle which is understandable but now Nani with the job done and also having scored a goal can't even juggle a ball. If English football want's to be the best then maybe they are gonna have to loosen up in their unwritten rules a little.

[Aarya]

Who is Wenger and who are Arsenal to speak about sportsmanship and respectful conduct? Was Gallas kick on Nani when the ball was 20 yards away respectful? Was Hoytes attempt to tackle in the same sequence which, had it been successful, would have decapitated Nani, sportsmanship? Was Gilbertos tackle couple of minutes later correct conduct? And anyone analyzing truthfully will see that Nani did not try to be disrespectful, he just used his talents to escape an awkward situation. Is it his fault that that talent just happened to be beautiful? Fantastic article by Martin Samuel.

[Hugo Carreira]

Is Nani a showman or a show-off? It isn't mutually exclusive. Anyway, I'd say what matters is: was it gratuitous, with no other intention than to mock his opponent? Or was it solving a problem with that extra liberty that a 4-0 result concedes? He received the ball on his head, with an opponent right behind him, while running towards his own goal. Could he have just kicked it to the stands? Yes, but why should he? He succeeded in keeping possession. So, he "solved" his problem.
The fact that this gets to be an issue in England, that's perhaps what should be discussed. I find it telling that it's easier for the public to accept a player recurring to violence, than another showing some skill. As for Alex Ferguson's remarks, I am baffled by them. I understand Wenger creating a scapegoat and a distraction to their pathetic performance. But Ferguson agreeing with that?

[Mike]

Incredible skill to keep the ball safe and transform defence to attack - he was attempting a break when an Arsenal player finally tackled / attempted to assault him. I think Wenger was a little confused when he claimed that Nani's skill was humiliating to Arsenal. Humiliation is capitualating against one of your major rivals before half time, and then having to resort to kicking the opposition players to try and bully them out of showing the world how useless you are. Gallas and the rest should hang their heads in shame. Im glad that I do not support Arsenal thats for sure.

[J Chapman]

Samules is spot "on" the fans want to be entertained they loved it even the Arsenal fans, Lack of respect ?? ask Wenger where was his respect for the paying Joe public. I remember George Best doing the same thing in Lisbon the only thing Matt Busby said was I give the team the plan but George was not listening please no political correctness in football...the game needs the Bests Marshes Bowles Coles so that teams like Chelsea Leeds Newcastle can develope players players like Harris Hunter Scholer MacKay Dicks Jones....who the fans love to hate.....

[Egill, Kopavogur, Iceland]

Do players who react to someone showing his skills in the same way the Arsenal players did deserve any respect anyway?

Respect is something you earn. Having a crap game and then trying to injure someone who isn't is not one of the top eight ways to do that.

And being a Man Utd fan I'm surprised at Fergusons remarks, is he now going to tell the rest of the team as well to treat all oponents with dignity? Does that mean we won't see another game like the one against Roma last season?

[tunde taiwo]

I am an Arsenal supporter,honestly Nani did nothing wrong,he was only exhibiting his skills and mastery of the art of ball control,a skill the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and co lack,i am extremely disappointed at Arsene Wenger for saying it is disrespectful,is it respectful to beat a team 7-0?.

The question to ask is?Would Nani have done this if Man U were 2-0 down?Would Arsene Wenger have complained at that point about disrespect,the answer obviously is NO.

[Neil Casey]

If it had been done while United were thrashing Barnsley say, then it would have been bad form. But against the team that has proclaimed itself the best since Brazil 70 it was just hilarious and nothing to be aplologised for.

[Claire]

Fair play to Nani - if you have the skill, why not display it? Its funny that professional footballers get bent out of shape when opponents show a bit of skill, yet on the school playground or amatuer football pitches, such class is encouraged & appreciated. Maybe if Arsenal's players had been as motivated to win as they were to chop down Nani after a bit of ball juggling, they might not have been so outclassed yesterday.

[Logie]

how was this "showing-off"??? Ive watched the clip several times, its clear that he is merely trying to maintain possession. please tell me how else could he achieve this?

[Peter]

I think it has more to do with the fact that the score at the time was 4-0. If he had done it at 0-0 or 1-0, then there might not be as much fuss.