By JAMES ANDREW
Sir Alex Ferguson pushed Nani closer to the Old Trafford exit door after he singled out the Portuguese winger for losing possession at a key moment during Manchester United’s Capital One Cup defeat to Chelsea.
It was from the resulting counter-attack in the final minutes of the game that Chelsea won a penalty – converted by Eden Hazard – and forced the tie into extra time. The Londoners eventually won 5-4.
Nani had earlier scored in the game, but it was the loss of the ball that Ferguson was focusing on after they were knocked out of the competition.
Ferguson said: ‘We gave the ball away for the third goal having been in complete control of the match at that point.
‘All we needed to do was see the game out with good possession.
‘Nani is experienced but he’s a player who wants to beat men and I often discourage him from that.
‘In that situation, if we’d kept the ball at the corner flag, the game’s over.
‘We had a lot of attacks and nothing came of them, and their counter-attack was very good, but if you’re winning 3-2 in the final seconds of the game then you should see it out.
‘We’ve only got ourselves to blame really.
‘They’re at home, you’d expect them to attack and they did.
‘The way we approach games is always wanting to win, so you were always going to get an open game.’
The comments come on the day that it was revealed that the club and the player are miles apart on agreeing a new deal for the forward to stay at United.
The 25-year-old’s current deal runs out in June 2014 and the club and player will agree on his departure in the summer should an agreement not be reached by the end of the season.
A move to Zenit St Petersburg fell through in August with the Russian club instead opting to sign Brazilian forward Hulk after Nani indicated he was not keen on a move to eastern Europe.
Nani, who has fallen well down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season, has been told that he will continue to play a bit-part while his future remains uncertain.
The winger is understood to have become tired of life at United and he is thought to be keen on a move to Italy, where Inter Milan and Juventus are monitoring his situation.
United are likely to demand £12million for the services of a player they paid £17m for back in 2007.
Nani has started just six of United’s 14 games this season and was overlooked in favour of the returning Ashley Young for the 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
