Few things bring me off my seat while watching a game of football the way Luis Nani scoring a goal does. Not only are his goals usually as exquisite as they are unexpected, but him finding the net brings on a certain thrilling anticipation; how will he celebrate? How many flicks before the back-flip?

The Manchester United winger's talent for gymnastics has even given him a reputation for being better at celebrating than scoring. And having recorded only 26 goals in 138 appearances for United, there is some truth to that claim.

Nani has completely failed to fulfill his potential with the champions. In his sixth season at the club he is still struggling to claim a spot in the starting XI, and despite recently signing an improved contract that will keep him in Manchester for another five years, the manager seems reluctant to pick him for the big games, or indeed at all. So why has such a talented player failed to establish himself in the Premier League?

There is no doubt Nani has what it takes to make an impact in the top flight. When he arrived at Manchester United he was quickly compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, and as this was the season after Ronaldo had broken through at a consistent level, the fans where thrilled to have the prospect of a double threat on their hands. Like Ronaldo, Nani has a vicious burst of pace when running at defenders. Like Ronaldo, he has mouth-watering skills and good feet, and strikes the ball well with either foot. Like Ronaldo, he has good strength, and can cross the ball.

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The difference between the two is simply that Ronaldo consistently plays at an extra-terrestrial level, and Nani tends to drift off into mediocrity on a more than consistent basis.

Now 27, the time when the Portuguese was excused for being young and unpredictable is long gone, and Nani must be expected to be reliable should he ever get a run of games under David Moyes. For a player who ticks every box on the skill chart, though, his promise far from matches his performance level. If I was to rate Nani for Football Manager, I would give him a solid run of 20's in the technical and physical sections, and I'd might even throw in a 15 on flair, though that is where my endorsement of his mental attributes end. Because the only possible explanation for Nani's Lada Riva-like inconsistency is that he's in the completely wrong frame of mind to perform on a weekly basis.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Nani acknowledged that his form is below what is expected from him, and blames confidence for his inability to excel.

"The coaches are trying to get my confidence higher to show all the qualities I have got," Nani said.

"They are trying to get me back to my best level."

Could the answer to his issues be that simple? Football is filled with examples of players who seem to lose their very presence once confidence drops, as we have seen with Fernando Torres at Chelsea.

The early season has also been dominated by last year's most laughed at player by far, Aaron Ramsey. We now praise Arsene Wenger for having the vision to stick with the Welshman, despite fans continuously voicing their discontent. Perhaps if Nani was given time to settle in the starting XI there would be a reward waiting for David Moyes in the shape of a completely changed footballer.

The problem is, that reward would be on the other side of a  run of games which would cost United precious points, and even a run at the title. The sort of confidence boost Luis Nani needs does not happen overnight, and the Red Devils must be prepared to drop points along the way should they choose this strategy.

But it does seem like Moyes is more than willing to have a go at reinventing his winger. The five-year contract that was signed in October is surely a result of the manager's long-term thinking rather than Nani's recent performances, and Moyes has had success before with giving players responsibility.

With Nani, perhaps a run of games awards the manager with a good run of form rather than the other way around.

Can Nani turn it around at United?

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