Evra’s Instagram post

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Irwin was anything from "Good" to "MOTM" for a solid 10+ years and it was much the same in his final year despite limited playing time, we were just trying to phase in Silvestre and Neville into the full time LB spot. Evra dropped off massively during his last 2-3 years, started to become an awful habit of his post 2010 WC, would routinely get caught too far up the pitch and then jog back leaving Vidic to cover the spaces he left, we got caught out many times owing to that.

Irwin overrated, he was a good solid player but he’s thought of now as some kind of wizard. He was poor one v one defending. He wasn’t difficult to get past at all. He also had little ability to get past his own man but on the overlap could deliver a decent ball, not Beckham esque but decent.

He was a steady Eddie reliable no nonsense player, could hit a dead ball. But he wasn’t really more than that.
 
Irwin overrated, he was a good solid player but he’s thought of now as some kind of wizard. He was poor one v one defending. He wasn’t difficult to get past at all. He also had little ability to get past his own man but on the overlap could deliver a decent ball, not Beckham esque but decent.

He was a steady Eddie reliable no nonsense player, could hit a dead ball. But he wasn’t really more than that.
I'm assuming there's a sh!tload of white text somewhere but can't see it..
 
Irwin overrated, he was a good solid player but he’s thought of now as some kind of wizard. He was poor one v one defending. He wasn’t difficult to get past at all. He also had little ability to get past his own man but on the overlap could deliver a decent ball, not Beckham esque but decent.

He was a steady Eddie reliable no nonsense player, could hit a dead ball. But he wasn’t really more than that.

We're not allowed L_O_L so i'll have to go with ROFLMAO
 
Irwin overrated, he was a good solid player but he’s thought of now as some kind of wizard. He was poor one v one defending. He wasn’t difficult to get past at all. He also had little ability to get past his own man but on the overlap could deliver a decent ball, not Beckham esque but decent.

He was a steady Eddie reliable no nonsense player, could hit a dead ball. But he wasn’t really more than that.

You cannot be serious..
 
Wow, it really isn't just the fans that need a big ol' reality check. I feel like there should be a ban on employing any ex-players in any capacity until they have proven themselves more-than-competent elsewhere.

In fact, a blanket ban regardless of success is healthier for the club. I know you fancy yourselves as a mini-Madrid nowadays but...
 
By today's standards, Irwin was mediocre offensively while being decent defensively. For what full-backs were in the 90s, Irwin was very good going forward.
 
By today's standards, Irwin was mediocre offensively while being decent defensively. For what full-backs were in the 90s, Irwin was very good going forward.
Consistency was his biggest asset, I believe SAF said he was the first name on his team sheet. He said he never once let him down or had a particularly bad game, that’s impressive imo.

I once called my goldfish Dennis Irwin circa 1994.
 
Consistency was his biggest asset, I believe SAF said he was the first name on his team sheet. He said he never once let him down or had a particularly bad game, that’s impressive imo.

I once called my goldfish Dennis Irwin circa 1994.

That settles it, imo.
 
By today's standards, Irwin was mediocre offensively while being decent defensively. For what full-backs were in the 90s, Irwin was very good going forward.

He wasn't mediocre going forward....90s or otherwise. The offensive game is now more important but Irwin had a good cross on him and could offer composure.
 
He wasn't mediocre going forward....
By today's standards, he was. In fact, he rarely ventured further than the half way line. On the rare occasions he did, he had the propensity to cut inside to have an (usually poor) effort on goal rather than try to influence the play from out wide. When he wasn't shooting, he almost always made the right decision in terms of pass. Very good with free kicks, mind.
 
There was nothing poor or mediocre about anything Denis Irwin did. He was the epitome of a solid all rounder and very rarely made any kind of mistake.
 
By today's standards, he was. In fact, he rarely ventured further than the half way line. On the rare occasions he did, he had the propensity to cut inside to have an (usually poor) effort on goal rather than try to influence the play from out wide. When he wasn't shooting, he almost always made the right decision in terms of pass. Very good with free kicks, mind.


Wtf have today’s standards got to do with it? He didn’t play today.

Johnny Carey was a superstar in his day but Gary Neville was better. Irwin was the best fullback in his day. Anything else is bollox. Utter nonsense to say he rarely crossed the halfway line. A constant threat from the wing. Certainly better, defensively than Evra.

Loved Evra, despite his occasional defensive lapses.

Don’t know what their goal stats were. I suppose Irwin had the edge due to his penalties but probably scored more regardless.
 
Wtf have today’s standards got to do with it? He didn’t play today.

Johnny Carey was a superstar in his day but Gary Neville was better. Irwin was the best fullback in his day. Anything else is bollox. Utter nonsense to say he rarely crossed the halfway line. A constant threat from the wing. Certainly better, defensively than Evra.

Loved Evra, despite his occasional defensive lapses.

Don’t know what their goal stats were. I suppose Irwin had the edge due to his penalties but probably scored more regardless.
Youtube has an absolute multitude of United matches from the 90s - both full and highlights. Please provide evidence of any kind of Irwin's supposed "constant threat from the wing".

Go ahead. I'll wait. And please don't say anything stupid like 'go educate yourself by watching the matches' - I've seen most of them. The full matches, and the highlights.
 
Wow, it really isn't just the fans that need a big ol' reality check. I feel like there should be a ban on employing any ex-players in any capacity until they have proven themselves more-than-competent elsewhere.

In fact, a blanket ban regardless of success is healthier for the club. I know you fancy yourselves as a mini-Madrid nowadays but...
Dont disgaree with the rest but United are too big to be a mini version of any other club.
 
Youtube has an absolute multitude of United matches from the 90s - both full and highlights. Please provide evidence of any kind of Irwin's supposed "constant threat from the wing".

Go ahead. I'll wait. And please don't say anything stupid like 'go educate yourself by watching the matches' - I've seen most of them. The full matches, and the highlights.
Just a compilation of his goals will show you some of the threat he possessed coming forward.
 
I met many United former and present players in my time. Gaz, Phil, Becks, Scholes, Giggs, Van Gouw, Yorke, Pogba, Jesse, Sir Bobby, Best, Robson etc. However Irwin was by far the most intelligent person I've met bar Sir Alex of course. His knowledge about tactics and the attention to detail is astounding. Many of these players tend to rely on the usual cliques during interviews but not Denis. He went into the little details and his argument was coherent, it made absolute sense and it reflected not only great tactical awareness but also an ability to fully comprehend how football has changed since his time. The guy makes the pundits on sky look like tactical dinosaurs.

Its fascinating how this guy has never gone into management or at least coaching.
Impressive list. How did you come about meeting all of these players? Is it relating to your line of work?
 
Impressive list. How did you come about meeting all of these players? Is it relating to your line of work?

Some through work, most through being a member of Manchester United's oldest supporters club in the world.
 
I think Evra was better, he played at a higher level more consistently. Irwin was a very good player thou, but Evra was better.

"People ask you who is your best Man United team, it is absolutely impossible.

You look at the strikers I had, going back to (Brian) McClair, (Mark) Hughes, (Andy) Cole, (Eric) Cantona, (Ruud) van Nistelrooy, (Louis) Saha, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, (Dwight) Yorke, Teddy Sheringham.

Then to the present players, Wayne Rooney, (Robin) van Persie, Chicharito (Xavier Hernandez).

"How do you pick out of that? Cantona and somebody else?

"The midfield was probably a bit easier because you have (Roy) Keane, (Bryan) Robson and (Paul) Scholes, they were fantastic players and (David) Beckham, (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Ryan) Giggs.

"But honestly, I would say Denis Irwin would be the one certainty to get in the team. I called him an eight out of 10.

"At Highbury in one game he had a bad pass back in the last minute and (Dennis) Bergkamp came in and scored.

After the game the press said 'you must be disappointed in that pass back.'

"I said, 'well, one mistake in 10 years isn't bad.' He was an unbelievable player."
 
Like feck he did.

Irwin was a 7 every game minimum.

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Irwin was anything from "Good" to "MOTM" for a solid 10+ years and it was much the same in his final year despite limited playing time, we were just trying to phase in Silvestre and Neville into the full time LB spot. Evra dropped off massively during his last 2-3 years, started to become an awful habit of his post 2010 WC, would routinely get caught too far up the pitch and then jog back leaving Vidic to cover the spaces he left, we got caught out many times owing to that.

Maybe I'm being unfair on Irwin as I am basing my decision on the modern game. I loved Evra's attacking attributes and his defending was good too. Irwin was solid and from a different time. Evra was good for France and overall I believe he won more in his career. Both great players.
 
"People ask you who is your best Man United team, it is absolutely impossible.

You look at the strikers I had, going back to (Brian) McClair, (Mark) Hughes, (Andy) Cole, (Eric) Cantona, (Ruud) van Nistelrooy, (Louis) Saha, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, (Dwight) Yorke, Teddy Sheringham.

Then to the present players, Wayne Rooney, (Robin) van Persie, Chicharito (Xavier Hernandez).

"How do you pick out of that? Cantona and somebody else?

"The midfield was probably a bit easier because you have (Roy) Keane, (Bryan) Robson and (Paul) Scholes, they were fantastic players and (David) Beckham, (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Ryan) Giggs.

"But honestly, I would say Denis Irwin would be the one certainty to get in the team. I called him an eight out of 10.

"At Highbury in one game he had a bad pass back in the last minute and (Dennis) Bergkamp came in and scored.

After the game the press said 'you must be disappointed in that pass back.'

"I said, 'well, one mistake in 10 years isn't bad.' He was an unbelievable player."

Love this.
 
That settles it, imo.

:lol:

Evra at his peak was superb for us, and I have some sympathy with those who would pick that player in their all-time XI, but Irwin's consistently fine performances over many successful years mark him out for me.
 
Evra was a great player but anyone who thinks he was better than Irwin are either too young to have watched Irwin week in week out or they are nuts .
 
I'm not doubting Irwin was a great player for us but the hyperbole about how he always put in a minimum 7/10 performance is ridiculous.
 
Both were great at their best, problem with Evra was how he regressed defensively for us, post 2010 or so, he was getting rinsed by average wingers way too often, but was still effective in attack.

If I had to pick between the two, it would be Irwin, comfortably.
 
By today's standards, Irwin was mediocre offensively while being decent defensively. For what full-backs were in the 90s, Irwin was very good going forward.

Hoofed it out of play far too often for my liking.

You could forever hear Ferguson shouting at him to relax and keep playing football.

Irwin was a great defender but everything he did was no nonsense. If he was defending, the ball would go out for a throw in if there was even a 10% chance he’d turn the ball over. May have played TOO safe for modern football.
 
I seen some mental revisionist history in my time, but downgrading Dennis Irwin as simply a "good hand" is a new one on me.
 
Nobody skinned Irwin. He was a top top player.
I love Irwin, one of my favourite United players and really consistently but, in 93/94(?) against Barca at the Nou Camp Stoichkov absolutely ran him ragged that game, at one point Irwin had 10 yards on him and was going full pelt and Stoichkov made him look like he was running backwards.