Then surely you should know that the standard of player you expect our players to become is going to be close to impossible. Players like Ronny Johnsen and Henning Berg were vital to the Clubs long term success, yet were nowhere near the standard you say is required. Does Rafael have to become as good as or better than Neville, or Luke Shaw as good as Dennis Irwin, what about Blind, Herrera, Mata or Rojo?
LVG has said that just because players have the best name, it doesn’t mean that they are the best for the team, and that’s very true. For years Fergie built team after team and always tried to buy the right type of player, it didn’t matter if he wasn’t World Class as long as he fitted into the team.
I’m not talking about Evans in particular, but I’ve read it many times on here about Evans not being as good as Vidic or Rio, who is? However if that stick is going to be thrown at Evans then surely it has to be thrown at the entire team, and let’s face it, we wouldn’t be left with too many players.
Given that this thread was specifically about Evans, for what it's worth, of the players you cite, I would rate Ronny Johnsen or Henning Berg as better defenders than Evans. They were positive and aggressive where Evans is often seemingly diffident.
Johnsen was far better and an ideal foil for Stam. He was moved on because of a chronic knee problem. Similar to Evans he was not fit and available for selection sufficiently often. Although in Johnsen's case the injury was a chronic one as opposed to a succession of knocks, strains and pulls. Johnsen was also versatile and could play in midfield to good effect if required.
Will Rafael or Shaw be as good as Neville or Irwin? I don't know, however, those are the standards to which they must aspire. Shaw is just 19 so it is far to soon to judge. Rafael 24 and I would say he needs a good season this year.
Extending the argument to the quality of Blind, Herrera, or Rojo doesn't stand close scrutiny, I'm afraid. None of them have been here long enough to make an objective assessment. What I can say is that Blind is, at 24 already a versatile, technically adept footballer able to cover a variety of roles. That very quality gives him a value beyond just being the best in a given position. He is an improvement on what we had. Rojo, also 24 has played in a World Cup final. Once he settles properly and, ideally, has a settled partner in defence I believe he can be of the quality we need and, again, will prove to be in improvement on what we had.
Herrera, in the short time he is been here has already demonstrated his undoubted quality and has surprised me with his physical commitment as well as his technical ability. He is an undoubted improvement on what we had.
So in my view, all of these three bring immediate improvement with the
potential for significant further development.
Mata is a bit of an enigma but is, I believe, worth perseverance.
You're right, of course, in that for years SAF built many great teams, however, look at his finest teams. The double winners in 1994. The treble team. The League and European Cup winning side of 2008. All of them were based on a high quality, solid, settled central defensive axis. Our progress back to that standard is compromised by the current quality of, and continual changes in, defensive personnel. At nearly 27, Evans should, by now, have made a convincing case to be part of the next such defensive partnership. I don't believe he has.