I agree, he’s been far from his best. Injuries, new formation, added pressure have all added to that. I believe our defence don’t have belief in each other now Rio, Vidic and Evra have gone. That’s something for LVG to sort out, and I’m sure he will.
35
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 17
- Clean sheets
- 9
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 1
Evans was one of the very few United players who looked good last season. In the early parts of it anyway. Then he got injured and never really found any form again. I've always thought he was at his best alongside Vidic. They work really well as a partnership. He's obviously not as adaptable as some CBs and can look really atrocious if he's not alongside the right player.
He looks genuinely terrified every time he's under the slightest bit of pressure, you can see it in his face.
Indeed, he started to form a good partnership with Jones last season if I remember correctly, before the inevitable happened and one of them got injured. I would like to see a CB pairing of Jones and Evans, unfortunately I’ve lost all hope of that happening.
Yeah, Jones is the only "alpha male" CB of the three of them. Hence, he could form a good partnership with either Evans or Smalling. Especially now he's going to get a run of games in his preferred position and started the season playing so well. He's been prone to brainfarts of his own but at his best he's a really dominant presence and is at an age where he might step up this year and become a really top CB.
The other two don't have the leadership skills to play alongside young, inexperienced players like Blacket and Keane (or each other) and we're invariably shite when that happens.
Unfortunately, we're at the mercy of Jones fragile body and reckless bravery if we want to build a defence around him. Which is not ideal. Unless Rojo is a like for like replacement?
I’m going to reserve judgement on Rojo until he gets a good run of games in CB. He didn’t have a great game on Sunday and was easily bullied of the ball at times, but it’s not fair to judge when he hasn’t played a minute in his preferred position (in which I’ve never seen him play)
I said in a previous post that if he stays injury free and is half decent he will be first choice by default unless the other three can sort their injury issues out.
So frustrating when the likes of Chelsea seem to be able to play the same back 4 (Ivanovic-Cahill-Terry-Azpilicueta) almost every single league game. Everton also the last few years have always seemed to be able to field Coleman-Jagielka-Distin-Baines.
All the best defensive sides have the most settled personnel. Rafael, Smalling, Jones or Evans never seem to be able to play more than 4 in a row.
At the very least, you'd expect 2 out of 4 to be more or less permanently available if you're going to have a crack at the title. City almost never play second choice fullbacks.
Evra's invulnerability to injury is a huge loss. We've fitness question marks over every single defender in our squad, bar Rojo and Blackett.
Shaw?
I know hes just come back from injury, but wasnt his record at Southampton quite good?
Yeah, I think so. Was going to leave him out but included him on the basis of "fitness" meaning stamina, after Van Gaal's comments.
True, but I suppose thats something that can be worked on. I've no idea how we can go about making the ususal 3 injury free. Saying that we managed to do it with RVP so you never know.
Evans can he a top defender but is prone to injury and glaring lapses in concentration. He needs to smarten up and toughen up or ship out IMO.
He'll never be a top defender, but he is at the level below, he's just out of form.
Evans is never going to be the leader in the defence we need. I wouldn't mind him being sold in the summer. He's 26 now, and he looks out of sorts a lot. Compare him to a 26 y/o Ferdinand or Vidic, that is the standard of defender that should be starting for Manchester United.
I'd go along with that.
What the hell has Shaw done between the World Cup and his first inclusion into training camp to be such in bad shape? Unless you stuff yourself with burgers and beer, I don't see how a player can be deemed that much out of shape between a World Cup and the next club season.
End off-topic.
Evans will be nothing more than a Wes Brown at the most, and even then Wes knew how to make himself useful at some point.
Personally I think we should sell while he's still young. We can squeeze about 8M for him
I'd accept that. He's not as bad as he has been showing.
Out for 4 weeks according to the Mail.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...Gaal-blow-defensive-injury-woes-mount-up.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...Gaal-blow-defensive-injury-woes-mount-up.html
Mr Glass
He's stagnated imo - still looks good as the junior in a pairing with a more senior CB eg Vidic, Rio - hasn't shown enough to prove he can be that senior CB to lead younger lads... the rooney of the CBs!
If Smalling and Jones can stay fit, and Rojo plays well as a CB then I see Evans struggling to get back into the side to be honest.
Which part of the Evans "Out of form, actually just a bit shit, catastrophic performance, Injured, we Evans to come back, he is our best defender, potentially worlds class, still young (26 going on 27) and can be potentially world class if given a run of games" cycle are we at now?
He isn't and won't ever be good enough to be the main man in our defence.
We wouldn't be having this argument if he'd been bought. But since he came through our academy people like to give him leeway. Fed up of him not showing any authority.
We wouldn't be having this argument if he'd been bought. But since he came through our academy people like to give him leeway. Fed up of him not showing any authority.
I'd be quite happy if he performed to the levels he's shown before but he hasn't even come close to that level.
Not so sure. I don't think Jones or Smalling have a thought in their head between them. Yet to be seen if Rojo has a brain. Not one of them is world class, but what I wouldn't give to see any one of them become at least a reliable Steady Eddie.
Yep, it’s more than frustrating, it’s hampered us for 3 seasons now. I’m hoping Rojo can become a constant alongside Shaw and not fall into the 'permanently injured' category. A solid back four would do wonders for us
Agreed. Funny how we all laughed when 'mediocre' Cahill signed for Chelsea.
Indeed, how we could do with him now
He hasn't had a chance to, none of our current CBs have.
Bang on.
It's time for us to acknowledge that a lot of the academy players we have/had aren't/weren't good enough or simply weren't performing.
Evans has had way more of a chance than the other two. We just need to sell this guy and accept that he's not good enough for United. We let Welbeck, O'Shea and Brown go, Evans wouldn't be a loss at all.
Ok, when has he had his chance to get back to his best?
Come on he's had his chances to cement his place with both Ferdinand's and Vidic's poor fitness in their last seasons at United. He's not even at the level both of those players were and he'll never be, isn't that the United standard? Thats why Welbeck was let go. Evans will not be missed. Only United fans rate him very highly anyway, a team like Everton at best is probably his level and thats not an insult. He's been playing in the first team since his teens FFS
I have always been a big fan of Evans' style in the past; an assured, classy-almost luxurious way of football. But recently he looks a complete shadow of his former self. He's too nervous, too weak, too easy to beat. He's always lacked physicality at the best of his game, but now it shows even more. I do agree with the sentiments that - at his best - he is a 'tier below' top, which is enough for a side aiming for top four or even a title challenge if the rest of the team is on song. But, with that said, he hasn't shown that side anywhere near enough recently, and I do feel he's too prone to injury to truly manage it. And it is for these reasons I think we may have to consider his depature - we cannot afford to have three injury prone CB's of whom we are sat twiddling our thumbs waiting to tap their potential. He is the oldest, and whilst most experienced, I feel weakest, and should be aptly replaced for this reason.
This.
He's 26. He'll be 27 come January. Rio joined us at 23? Vidic joined us at 24? They probably started getting the best years out of themselves around the age he is now. If he doesn't pull his finger out his ass soon, he's not going to have many 'good' years left.
I personally think he's done. If he wasn't a home grown player he'd be out the door by now in all honesty. Eyebrows were raised when we sold O'shea but in reality he was past his best. I don't see Evans having a miraculous turnaround, we're just delaying the obvious.
I’m not being funny here but like many others, your mind is playing tricks on you. He has cemented his place over the last two seasons, I think Fergie even said that Vidic and Rio could no longer be considered first choice due to Evans. He was a regular last season ahead of players like Rio and Vidic and he has arguably been our best defender for the last two years.
On form, Evans is a great defender, yes he plays better beside Vidic or Rio but who wouldn’t, and it’s not talent that’s hindering Evans its injuries. He hasn’t had a good run of games this season thanks to injuries, so how on Earth is he going to rediscover his form?
Another thing that annoys me is people are saying he’s not Rio or Vidic, not many players are.
On form, Evans is a great defender, yes he plays better beside Vidic or Rio but who wouldn’t, and it’s not talent that’s hindering Evans its injuries. He hasn’t had a good run of games this season thanks to injuries, so how on Earth is he going to rediscover his form?
Another thing that annoys me is people are saying he’s not Rio or Vidic, not many players are.
Van Gaal basically said Welbeck is not Rooney or RVP and thats the United standard. Whats the difference in saying Evans is not Rio and Vidic? The United standard? The man only played in two games out of 8 against the top four contenders last season. He played Arsenal once and Chelsea once...Ferdinand/Jones/Vidic played all the other big games. Hope we sell him next season.
I actually thought he was having a good game sunday..... until he had to go off,and there in lies the true problem with him, ( and smalling... and jones.... and rafael), if you can't rely on these players for regular games then they unltimately need to be replaced (or at least relegated down to backups once more), we can't just keep waiting forever for them to finally stay fit for longer than 5 matches in a row.
When LvG mentions "We have 7 injuries this week!, we have 9 injuries this week" etc, it's always the usual suspects making up the bulk, not just for this season but honestly the last 3-4 years.
Rafael
Evans
Jones
Smalling
Young
Fletcher
You get the feeling if replaced this lot, our average weekly injury report would drop from 7-9 out to averaging 2-3.
When LvG mentions "We have 7 injuries this week!, we have 9 injuries this week" etc, it's always the usual suspects making up the bulk, not just for this season but honestly the last 3-4 years.
Rafael
Evans
Jones
Smalling
Young
Fletcher
You get the feeling if replaced this lot, our average weekly injury report would drop from 7-9 out to averaging 2-3.
Sorry mate, but our last two seasons were shocking. Even Ferguson's last season, our team was shocking...on the brink of falling apart. Ferguson did extremely well to win the BPL with that team. And the injury proneness is a really bad sign for someone you want to be in control of your back line.
To say he's good enough because he was 'arguably' one of our best defenders in the last two seasons...it's not a positive considering how weak our squad was. And to keep him on because 'his injuries don't allow him to rediscover his form' is wishful thinking. As I said he's 27 in January coming back from injuries. And we need solid defenders, with big egos, urgently in the center.
He's not worth the effort or the risk imo.