I'm glad Jonny Evans is now getting the credit he has deserved for a long while. He has a very bright future at United.
Jonny Evans | 2011/12 Performances
- Thread starter Sir Matt
- Start date
He's ruffled an "I was wrong" card out of me. I wasn't sure he had the mentality to make it at United in the long term when he went through that poor run of form and didn't look like he wanted to take responsability for things...and even last season I was thinking he's basically fourth or fifth choice.
At the moment the rest of the mob are fighting to decide who gets to line up alongside him. He goes looking for the responsability and all of the parts of his game that used to be weak have improved hugely. He still charges in far too often but he's doing everything else so well I don't really care anymore. Even when we've been defending like shite this season, since he's come back I think he's stood out in most games.
Thought he was Vidic-esque last night...plus a bit of old school Ferdinand thrown in with the willingness to bring the ball out from the back and not make a brainless Luiz style mess of it.
At the moment the rest of the mob are fighting to decide who gets to line up alongside him. He goes looking for the responsability and all of the parts of his game that used to be weak have improved hugely. He still charges in far too often but he's doing everything else so well I don't really care anymore. Even when we've been defending like shite this season, since he's come back I think he's stood out in most games.
Thought he was Vidic-esque last night...plus a bit of old school Ferdinand thrown in with the willingness to bring the ball out from the back and not make a brainless Luiz style mess of it.
I think the main thing is he's benefitting from staying fit. It wasnt so long ago that he was picking up as many injuries as the rest of our defence. But now he's usually available while others arent so he gets runs in the team and probably plays in as many or more different combinations at the back as any of our other defenders.
Hopefully Smalling and Jones can have a similar period in the future where they are always fit and available because with our defence they'll get the chance to play games and grow.
Hopefully Smalling and Jones can have a similar period in the future where they are always fit and available because with our defence they'll get the chance to play games and grow.
will evans-smalling be able to nail down the first choice partnership in the future or in the next couple years when rio and/or vidic leave will fergie go out and buy a 30 million-rated CB a la hummels?
After seeing Fergie try Jones as a DM, Evans should not worry about missing out if Rio and Vidic start. He is far more equipped to play the DM role than Jones.
Having someone compete for headers in midfield, would strengthen us against the teams that cause us problems in this area.
If not, I don't want to see him lose his place. He benefits from playing regularly, and can be a bit slow to return to form after a lay-off.
i meant after rio and/or vidic have left or retired from utd.
I'm not sure if smalling-evans will be undisputed first choice centerbacks or if fergie will go out and spend on a rolls royce cb.
I have no clue really, but i have a feeling it'll be one of smalling or evans that nails down a proper first XI centerback spot with a 30 million rated signing next to them and the other will be rotated in. I happen to rate smalling more than evans long term but i have no clue how it'll all pan out.
I just don't think evans has the ceiling to reach vidic (forget about rio) and we've been blessed with having a world class centerback pairing for 7 years now (when everyone is healthy)
Fine summary of how things stand. The last section to me is spot on particularly the influence Rio has had on a once fragile Evans. His progress over the last year has been rapid and he's been at his best when paired with Rio. The encouraging aspect now is that Evans appears to be mentally fierce, and confident enough to take control of the line in Rio's absence.
Next mission Smalling. He could be even better (than Evans) if he develops at the same rate, although the comparisons with Rio are rather lazy on the base of it. Requires games, and plenty of them...let's see where he is in a year.
If you mean the comparisons between Smalling and Rio then I totally agree with you! Smalling if compared to anyone is much more like Vidic than Rio. I reckon Smalling would kill you just for the craic!
Smalling is clearly a combination of both. The only thing he doesnt really have that either player do is Vidic's aggression, but you never know. He might find it. But he's probably too nice for that
Evans seems to have been around forever, but he's still only 24! So, yet to reach his peak.
Jones, Smalling and Evans present an interesting conundrum for SAF. Surely one will have to go.
Jones, Smalling and Evans present an interesting conundrum for SAF. Surely one will have to go.
Whilst I agree with pretty much all your post, I'm pretty sure there was one occasion last night where he tried dribbling out of defence with it and was promptly dispossessed in a dangerous position. Fortunately we had players on had to mop it up
Why? Surely three top class CB's are a minimum requirement for United. Rio may leave if he sees the handwriting on the wall, but if Evans can cut out the errors of the past he won't go anywhere.
Wes Brown stayed with us for the best years of his career while only starting intermittently, and he was an England International and a wonderful defender.
The real question is which of those players has the ability to play in a variety of positions coming off the bench. Unfortunately for Jones' development as a CB, I think he's going to be the one shuttled around. Hopefully this won't hurt his career at United in the way Gary Neville says it hurt his brother Phil.
@OptaJoe: 1 - Jonny Evans has conceded his first foul of the Premier League season, after 11 hours 31 minutes of play. Hatchet.
Not sure if this has been posted just saw it now, can't say it's something I had picked up but that is one hell of a stat for a CB.
Not sure if this has been posted just saw it now, can't say it's something I had picked up but that is one hell of a stat for a CB.
They mentioned it during the West Ham game that he had just committed his first foul of the season. Rio had a similar thing going last season and IIRC his first after that streak was a yellow.
Obviously Evans (and us) has been a bit fortunate on 2 occasions - the non-call against Suarez in the box and the one against Torres.
Either way he has been very good. A season ago, I thought he had it all if he'd just stop giving away needless fouls and perhaps refs not blowing him up for every small thing, he'd be brilliant for us. He's got that going now.
Obviously Evans (and us) has been a bit fortunate on 2 occasions - the non-call against Suarez in the box and the one against Torres.
Either way he has been very good. A season ago, I thought he had it all if he'd just stop giving away needless fouls and perhaps refs not blowing him up for every small thing, he'd be brilliant for us. He's got that going now.
Absolute nonsense.
Huh? Why would any of the 3 need to go considering how many games we play in a year and how many injuries we have on top of that?
Actually, whenever Rio retires, we'd need to buy another CB.
^^ Exactly, given they can all play in more than one role and the injury record of our defense in general over the last few seasons, they should all get plenty of game time.
But they're all, at least potentially, top players. Vidic is barely 31 and if he fully recovers he may still have 3/4 years close to his best.Discounting Rio, that leaves Vidic, Smalling, Evans and Jones competing for two positions (I'm assuming that Rafael has now made right back his exclusive property).
Alright while Smalling and Jones were still developing, but in the next few years they'll surely expect to play. Of course injuries may come to our 'rescue' and make it possible to satisy everybody.
60 games a season. They'll play on average 40 each before even taking injuries into account or the fact that they can each play different positions. That's satisfaction for any player with more than two brain cells. Then you have to consider the benefit of having 3 top CBs when challenging for several trophies, the potential slumps in form of players, or the potential option to choose the best combination versus particular opponents.
But feck all that, let's sell one of them. Presumably to a rival, because if they're that good they'll want to play at another big team. Then one of our rivals can benefit from the work we've put into developing a top player. Makes perfect sense!
I don't think he's hoping we get rid of one of them, just that they'll be too good to sit on our bench for such a long time. You do have to be pretty lucky to have a top player happy to sit on your bench for 60%+ of the season and that is inevitably what happens with centre backs because of the focus on continuity in that position. I have the same concerns personally. Rafael's got the right back position tied up for as long as he wants it so there's not going to be many opportunities there. They'll just be rotation players for injuries and cup games.
Vidic will go to Madrid within two years anyway.
That's a strange interpretation of my post. Did you read it?
To be honest, I don't think I did
Friday night and all.
world class
Indeed! A defensive rock, especially in the air. What would we do without him?
Exactly why I said that I prefer Smalling to start games for us when fit. Evans just does not compare aerially, it is a glaring weakness in his game.
I know lots on here love him but our defensive records has gone to shit since he's been a regular and while today it's been obvious there have been many other games, where if you watch him closely his positioning is awful and he really is poor in the air (under any pressure). I always feel there's a goal against in Evans.
Look like the Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime are back in force after first poor half from him, all this season.
Not much he could have done on the third and I don't think it was his man who scored on the second? Though it was a poor header for the first goal.
Rio meanwhile has managed to go an entire half of football without doing anything useful at all, again.
Rio meanwhile has managed to go an entire half of football without doing anything useful at all, again.
It was Evans's fault for the second goal.
Aye that's one issue too, Rio didn't actually seem to do any defending, third goal Evans lost his footing and couldn't get up in the air.
Not at all, only three goals so far and one penalty. Time for improvement.
Here we go again, shaky half from Evans, it happens.
Yes he's a fecking defender and if he's shaky we concede goals. We're playing Reading. The lads not good enough in the air or in terms of positional sense. He might get there but should he be getting so much game time for Manchester United?
You'd think he gave away a couple of penalties and got sent off going by this reaction. Sure it wasn't best of his games but cruel over-reaction from some people here.
Evans has been all over the place but its true, Ferdinand hasnt done much of anything. The least you'd expect him to do is shout at Evans.
Wank performance so far
I think you're watching him so closely you're seeing things. He's great positionally. Not dominant in the air though.
He never dominates the area aerially, when Smalling plays you remember what it is like to have a player who can do that.
He seemed to be picking up someone else though. Is he meant to be marking two people at once?
...how come the guy who scored the third who he was picking up was a different player?
I'm more pissed with Rio to be honest. Evans is having a bad game, but Rio's doing absolutely feck all despite the team needing him, which has been a recurring theme of late.