Jonny Evans | 2011/12 Performances

I wouldn't put them in the same bracket though. Vidic's best form eclipses that of Kompany's, plus he has been more consistent. Kompany, apart from 11/12 season, hasn't done much since to be labelled as world class IMO. I feel that Kompany's weaknesses are being exposed more often now (see his awkwardness in dealing with mobile strikers and how he's currently adapting to a high defensive line), and I don't believe that there's much between him and Evans this season based on form. Obviously, skill set wise, both differ, but that's a different argument altogether.

Vidic often had problems with mobile strikers too. His presence in the team is massive and I think it's harsh to say he only had one world class season. He had a few injuries last year but you could see how much he was missed. The bottom line is that you'd love either Vida or Kompany in your team- they are both inspirational leaders.
 
Vidic often had problems with mobile strikers too. His presence in the team is massive and I think it's harsh to say he only had one world class season. He had a few injuries last year but you could see how much he was missed. The bottom line is that you'd love either Vida or Kompany in your team- they are both inspirational leaders.


Kompany played most games of Manchester City's games last season. He performed a couple of levels below the standard he set for himself back in 11/12 (many criticised him for last season on Bluemoon). Kompany was 25/26 when he started to become a leader. Evans as now at a similar stage and his performances this season have been fine. He looked like a leader when Vidic went off against Arsenal. He looked like a leader when our most experienced defender was average against Shakhtar. I'm not saying he's as big a leader, but he's shown signs. With the exception of the West Brom game, he's not disappointed me. He's made two mistakes which have led to goals (Southampton and Hull), but his performances in these games weren't poor. It's all about preference I suppose and I respect that.
 
Kompany had 1 season where he was brilliant whereas Vidic has proven it for many years. Needless to say Evans wont be as good a defender as either of them at their best. I dont know why thats a thing. He can be a very good defender for us without being one of the best 2 or 3 in the world. He's never looked like he'll go on to that kind of status.
 
Kompany played most games of Manchester City's games last season. He performed a couple of levels below the standard he set for himself back in 11/12 (many criticised him for last season on Bluemoon). Kompany was 25/26 when he started to become a leader. Evans as now at a similar stage and his performances this season have been fine. He looked like a leader when Vidic went off against Arsenal. He looked like a leader when our most experienced defender was average against Shakhtar. I'm not saying he's as big a leader, but he's shown signs. With the exception of the West Brom game, he's not disappointed me. He's made two mistakes which have led to goals (Southampton and Hull), but his performances in these games weren't poor. It's all about preference I suppose and I respect that.


I don't watch City that often tbf, but he has generally impressed me when I have watched them. He actually seems a decent bloke too. I'd take Vidic at his peak over just about everyone, but then again, I am biased.

Evans is defo a notch or too below both but as Ekeke says, that doesn't mean he isn't a very good player and can get better without perhaps hitting that very top bracket. He doesn't quite seem to have the force of character or be as vocal- he seems more a lead by example type.
 
Kompany is the best defender in the league and without a doubt one of the best centre backs in Europe. It wasn't just 2011-12 when he played well, he had been excellent for a while but turned world class the year before in 2010-11. Last season he had a rough patch of form at the start of the season, particularly in the Champions League, but that is nothing unique and happens to every player.

Anyway, it's unlikely Evans will reach Kompany/Vidic levels because very few defenders do, but I wouldn't put it past him and he certainly has the ability. He always strikes me as having a good head on his shoulders as well. He's started to become more authoritative at the back and is showing signs of developing into a leader. Personally I would have him as the next captain when Vidic leaves or retires.
 
Huge mistake but come on, how often does he make them these days?

Heck even Vidic have a couple of high profile mistakes and has generally looked a level below Evans this season.
 
I always held the opinion that he was defended on here but wow, I was wrong. He's been good this season and it was a single (pretty big) feck up, he can be forgiven..
 
Kompany had 1 season where he was brilliant whereas Vidic has proven it for many years. Needless to say Evans wont be as good a defender as either of them at their best. I dont know why thats a thing. He can be a very good defender for us without being one of the best 2 or 3 in the world. He's never looked like he'll go on to that kind of status.


Agreed. Kompany has only had one great season in England. He is a proper leader, but he's not been better than Evans this season. Both have been just as consistent and one mistake doesn't change history. Evans has been our best CB this season.
 
Agreed. Kompany has only had one great season in England. He is a proper leader, but he's not been better than Evans this season. Both have been just as consistent and one mistake doesn't change history. Evans has been our best CB this season.

Cant agree with that, Kompany had one amazing season but he's still generally better than Evans. Last season Kompany was a bit off kilter.
 
Obviously Kompany is better than Evans, how's that even up for debate? Kompany is amongst the best in the world and Evans isn't. Evans while being really good is nothing more than that. He doesn't have any true outstanding quality so will always be limited to an extent.
 
Kompany had quite a poor match vs Liverpool. Was all over the place against Suarez and it should have led to several goals if not for poor finishing from Sterling/poor officiating.
 
Cant agree with that, Kompany had one amazing season but he's still generally better than Evans. Last season Kompany was a bit off kilter.
I can't do much to change your opinion and vice-versa. There's not been much between them this season, they have been consistently very good, and have made a couple of mistakes. I suppose it's better to judge them at the end of the season.
Obviously Kompany is better than Evans, how's that even up for debate? Kompany is amongst the best in the world and Evans isn't. Evans while being really good is nothing more than that. He doesn't have any true outstanding quality so will always be limited to an extent.

No one's debating that though.
 
Looked good again, one of our better players. Could he have done better in stopping Tottenham's second goal? I haven't had a look at it again.

It looks like Moyes has recognised how good he is at coming out from the back, hence the system change where he uses Carrick/Jones to move away from strikers and move higher up the pitch. He has done this before, but it's clear that we have our midfielders dropping back to allow him to move forward more frequently compared to previous seasons.
 
Evans has done well this season. He has also started to come forward with the ball more often which helps quite a bit. He cant do it as often as he would like though because that means that Carrick has to fill up the space left by him and if we get him on the counter attack, we are stick with Vidic and Carrick as CB's, both of whom get caught out for pace.
 
Was "funny" seeing him as the one trying to thread balls through the middle in the last few minutes. That really shouldn't be his job description.
 
Another solid display but when not given great protection, our back four will always find it tough over 90mins.
 
Wouldn't surprise me if his average position was ahead of Carrick yesterday.
 
How many mistakes has he made in the last month? I think he's done well today, but the mistakes can't be overlooked.
 
Anyone still think he's a dead cert starter for us? He's good but he makes too many mistakes. We need a new centre back.
 
A decent player but is prone to a major mistake a match. Needs to be shielded properly otherwise struggles. One or two mistakes from him today and it has cost us. Personally I think Jones/Smalling should start ahead of him every time.
 
Whenever he plays we leak soft goals. That can't be over looked. Worst CB I've ever seem get regular games for united.
 
Been our best defender this season but how much does that say really? As much as I like him he isn't anywhere near the level Rio and Vidic were at during their peak years. I'm beginning to come around to the idea that we should sign another top CB when Vidic leaves.
 
Been our best defender this season but how much does that say really? As much as I like him he isn't anywhere near the level Rio and Vidic were at during their peak years. I'm beginning to come around to the idea that we should sign another top CB when Vidic leaves.

I commented in the overrated defence thread that he's been error-prone for the last month. Need better from him.
 
Hard to limit it down to one person at the moment, whole backline is all over the place, doesn't matter who is there.
 
Anyone still think he's a dead cert starter for us? He's good but he makes too many mistakes. We need a new centre back.

I think he has been placed as a dead cert, but I've never thought he should be, and I still believe it. He is a good defender but not a great one.
 
He's okay, but not a world beater. Has his good days and bad. If you look around though our league, I don't think he's that much worse than the other top team's 2nd or third choice. Cahill? Demechelis? Vermalaen?

Defending is a bit crap these days, tbh. Unless teams are playing us of course, than they look like Maldini-clones.
 
Anyone still think he's a dead cert starter for us? He's good but he makes too many mistakes. We need a new centre back.

We probably do need one top CB to allow Evans and Smalling to continue to gain experience, I think we should be patience with those two as CBs tend to mature later than other positions.

So that's a top class center back, left back, central midfielder and winger we need...
 
We probably do need one top CB to allow Evans and Smalling to continue to gain experience, I think we should be patience with those two as CBs tend to mature later than other positions.

So that's a top class center back, left back, central midfielder and winger we need...

Evans is 26. He's got well over 100 appearances for the club, not sure how much experience he needs to get. Jones would be playing there more often if we weren't such a bunch of soft arses in centre midfield.
 
Vidic and Ferdinand at their peak at least had a competent midfield offering them protection.
 
He's okay, but not a world beater. Has his good days and bad. If you look around though our league, I don't think he's that much worse than the other top team's 2nd or third choice. Cahill? Demechelis? Vermalaen?

Defending is a bit crap these days, tbh. Unless teams are playing us of course, than they look like Maldini-clones.

Are you joking, Cahill and co are light years ahead of him at defending. If we
are under pressure, he looses all positional sense. Awful defender.
 
Oh look its you again. tiresome.

Try support the jersey for a change.

Do me a favour. I'd support them no matter what but when you can see the most obvious decisions being made poorly at the club you've supported all your life. It's bloody frustrating and Evans is certainly one of the poor decisions.
 
Evans is 26. He's got well over 100 appearances for the club, not sure how much experience he needs to get. Jones would be playing there more often if we weren't such a bunch of soft arses in centre midfield.

I'm tempted to say Evans has gone backwards a bit, but it may be that Vidic and Rio in their prime were able to cover for most of his mistakes. He's certainly had a mistake or two in him most games. It does make me wonder if he can push on from here to become a top class center back. I'd certainly give him 2 years more max, if the signs were there in training.
 
I got slaughtered for saying Evans would never be a world class defender 2 months ago and I was told he was the best young defender in the league.....He makes too many mistakes and is not tough enough against the top teams in the big games....although against teams outside the top 6 i admit he is often a class above
 
I got slaughtered for saying Evans would never be a world class defender 2 months ago and I was told he was the best young defender in the league.....He makes too many mistakes and is not tough enough against the top teams in the big games....although against teams outside the top 6 i admit he is often a class above
He's always been the same put him under and he will make mistakes. If we are cruising he can bring the ball out of defence and do well. The main attribute of a defender is defending and that he can't do.
 
Moyes needs to man up and stick with 2 centre backs, week in and week out. That's the only way we're going to improve. CBs don't even run much in a match, so playing twice a week isn't an issue. If it's Jones and Evans then fine, go with those two. Vidic is suspended, Rio is off selling hats or something and Smalling can practice kicking against a wall until he works out how to play with a football.

The one thing, ONE thing we all expected from Moyes was that we'd be tough to beat. We're probably (literally) the easiest team in the league to play against right now. We don't pressure, we don't hold a line, we don't defend as a unit and we're vulnerable to 3 or 4 individual mistakes every match.