He's shown good form even without Rio or Vidic in the past... 2 or 3 years ago. If he doesn't dramatically improve by the summer he will be gone. At least one of our CBs has to go this summer, and the smart mine has to be on him.
35
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 17
- Clean sheets
- 9
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 1
If anyone is to blame for the goal it's him, he just stood off Benteke and wasn't prepared to make a challenge. I think van Gaal was referring to him partly in his post match press conference that we need to be more aggressive.
This is no 'scapegoat' hob, Evans has been poor for a very long time now, although now he's at his very worst I think. He is a nervous wreck, and our defence lost it's resurgence when he came on for Smalling at St. Mary's.
He has no great qualities any more, and I called it here last week that I was afraid of him coming up against Big Ben this weekend.
#SmallingPlusAnyoneOtherThanEvans
He has no great qualities any more, and I called it here last week that I was afraid of him coming up against Big Ben this weekend.
#SmallingPlusAnyoneOtherThanEvans
Wow, didn't realise he is 27. As you say it was obviously a big help to have Rio or Vidic next to him, but I thought at the time he looked like a good player. He hasn't progressed at all since and should be shipped out.
Seems weak and has lost some of his bite. Needs to hit the gym hard and find a desire to make it at the very top or find his level down the league.
Real shame.
Real shame.
Wonder how much we will get for him if we put him up for sale
I know he was next to Rio/Vidic but on his own at the moment he does not look good(that does not mean he is bad,just i expect higher standard from him).I almost cant believe how he looks awkward with a ball.
Well Villa were gonna pay 8million for Cleverley. As shit as Evans is, he's not that bad, so I'd hope for at least that amount.
So the scrotes have got themselves a new scapegoat then. Yawn.
Its not him being a scapegoat. He's just been a bit shit for a while. Constantly getting bullied by forwards, often times misplacing simple passes and giving away chances, just not defending properly. Its not that it happens for 90 minutes, he can have a decent game but it happens once every single game at least and often times it results in a goal.
Exactly. I will also remind everyone that he made that silly pass that gave Raheem Sterling a glorious chance of cutting our 2-goal lead against Liverpool to just 1 goal... until DDG ended up saving Evans' ass on that one.
The moral of the story: Evans' mistakes very often come at a time when they could take the stuffing out of his teammates, and that's nowhere near what we want from a 27-year-old defender at Manchester United.
He's not even being scapegoated. Don't know why people are coming up with that. The cold hard fact is that he has been absolutely awful. It could be down to him not being able to string games together but still poor nonetheless.
In some respects I see why your annoyed but he is not getting scapegoated IMO he's get criticised for his poor performances and the mistakes he is constantly making. Right now he is at least one goal scoring mistake a game.
Oh should we say "Well done Jonny" if he plays awful in every match???
He has made at least one massive mistake in every match this season.
I didn't see the whole match, but if people are criticising him because he got outmuscled by Benteke, bear in mind what he did to Smalling a couple of years ago (see below). He's a tank. Evans has been poor this season, but then all of our defenders look crap in the 3-5-2 and he's also just coming back from injury. Hardly the time to be making judgements about his long term future, especially when he was probably our most consistent centre back over the prior two seasons.
1) Oh come on he's fit enough since weeks.....he has played 2 1/2 games for the first team and i think 2 games for the U21's.
2) He comes back from injuries 4-5 times in a season....he can't always get that excuse if he comes back from a injury.
He missed about two months from injury, at a time when most footballers tend to be getting their fitness together after pre-season. Probably the bigger issue is the 3-5-2, pretty much everyone except the middle CB looks crap.
Thinking being contrarian makes you cool. Yawn.
Yeah maybe 3-5-2 is a problem for him.
But his 5-6 suicide passes this season can have nothing to do with the system.
LVG will be looking to add one top class CB soon, and one out of Smalling, Jones and Evans will probably be sold to make room for the new signing.
Currently, Evans seems to be the obvious choice to go.
He is the most senior of our CBs, and he has been playing like a newly promoted youngster.
Currently, Evans seems to be the obvious choice to go.
He is the most senior of our CBs, and he has been playing like a newly promoted youngster.
The two major issues with him yesterday:
1. He didn't get outmuscled by Benteke for the goal, he just utterly missed the flight of the ball. That's pretty sad for a 27 year old centre back. That was Villa's first time in our third of the pitch, if he just does the bare minimum of his job, we probably score first and comfortably win the match. His ineptitude completely changed the momentum of the match. (special kudos to Darren Fletcher for getting the wrong side of a midfielder in the centre circle and committing a stupid foul too)
2. His distribution is cowardly and useless. For whatever reason he was the CB who became free in our formation further up the pitch (not Carrick, odd) and got himself in great positions in their half. But his confidence is gone, and he did nothing with the ball. Never played forwards, never took a few more steps to force a defender to leave their man to come to him. He's terrified of making mistakes - yet continually makes them anyway.
Not good enough, and hasn't been for 2 years now. Not sure we can trust he'll make some return to form anymore. Sad as he's a proper United player and all that, but if we had to lose one of the CBs it has to be him.
1. He didn't get outmuscled by Benteke for the goal, he just utterly missed the flight of the ball. That's pretty sad for a 27 year old centre back. That was Villa's first time in our third of the pitch, if he just does the bare minimum of his job, we probably score first and comfortably win the match. His ineptitude completely changed the momentum of the match. (special kudos to Darren Fletcher for getting the wrong side of a midfielder in the centre circle and committing a stupid foul too)
2. His distribution is cowardly and useless. For whatever reason he was the CB who became free in our formation further up the pitch (not Carrick, odd) and got himself in great positions in their half. But his confidence is gone, and he did nothing with the ball. Never played forwards, never took a few more steps to force a defender to leave their man to come to him. He's terrified of making mistakes - yet continually makes them anyway.
Not good enough, and hasn't been for 2 years now. Not sure we can trust he'll make some return to form anymore. Sad as he's a proper United player and all that, but if we had to lose one of the CBs it has to be him.
Not excusing the carelessness in his passing, but the formation does invite an awful lot of backpasses. Mainly because in a back four the fullbacks normally are an easy outlet ball for the centre backs, but in the 3-5-2 the wing backs tend to be marked which means that the centre back either has to pass through midfield, hoof or pass it back a lot, either to the GK or other CBs.
Smallings back in game or two so hopefully it will be the end of Evans.
Its a shame to see what's happened with him tbh, just hasn't kicked on at all there was definitely enough about him when he was younger to think that he had something, he was comfortable on the ball and seemed to read the game well. He was always too timid, though, and he just hasn't grown out of it as you might expect. At 27 he's not a good enough player and doesn't have time on his side to persevere with him.
Its a shame to see what's happened with him tbh, just hasn't kicked on at all there was definitely enough about him when he was younger to think that he had something, he was comfortable on the ball and seemed to read the game well. He was always too timid, though, and he just hasn't grown out of it as you might expect. At 27 he's not a good enough player and doesn't have time on his side to persevere with him.
He plays in a position where it's far more unforgivable to show signs of having been out for a long time.
He's been pretty poor, in all fairness. So I agree with those who claim that this isn't a simple case of spacegoatin'. He's supposed to be our senior defender - and he certainly hasn't looked the part. The fact that others have looked shaky and poor too isn't much of an excuse, although it is hard to assess anyone properly at the moment, given that nobody has really gotten a proper run in the same set-up.
Should have done better for the goal and his passing has been shot since coming back. Same thing happened to Smalling last season. Hopefully Evans can improve with games because he used to be a very good passer.
We dropped points because we couldnt break down a 10 man poor villa side.
We dropped points because we couldnt break down a 10 man poor villa side.
Err..? When did I say that?
Not remotely. I'm sick of our pathetically spoiled fanbase needing someone to blame for every disappointing result. As mentioned above, he's just come back from a long injury lay off so it's hardly a surprise he's rusty. He's been in poor form but some are suggesting he's always been this bad which is pure fiction.
Perhaps this sort of behaviour is more a symptom of the sort who populate this forum rather than our actual matchgoing fanbase, of which there don't seem to be many on here.
Matchgoing fans and TV/stream watchers watch exactly the same bloody match mate.Being a ST holder doesn't automatically qualify you as a "quality" football fans, and vice versa.
Agree that this scapegoating mentality need to be stopped.
Nobody here is spoiled, he is just not good enough. What part of that can't you understand? He gets constantly injured and when he does play, which is very rarely, he constantly makes stupid mistakes. He is also 27 so he should be entering his prime right now. This forum is for expressing our opinions and this is exactly what we have done. Check out the Van Persie, Falcao and other threads and you'll see a lot of people unhappy about them also. That's not scapegoating, that's just expressing our opinions.
IMO, Evans is not good enough and he will never be good enough. I remember 4-5 years ago when he first started entering the team, he was making the same mistakes as he is making now, but there was a large difference in who was partnering him. He should be moved out not only because of his performances, but also because his inability to stay fit. He won't just miraculously become the new Ferdinand and keep himself fit like Evra did. He will always be an average defender who is missing due injuries more times than he is playing. He hasn't progressed from his debut at United and you can even say he has regressed
That's the cold hard truth and you have to accept it.
It's been a horrendous season for defenders. New formation, constantly changing line-up, experimental midfields with varying amounts of cover from just about enough to none whatsoever and a manager who will probably tear strips off anyone who dares divert from his philosophy and hoof clearances into Row Z. This has been reflected by a whole bunch of horrendous midfield performances. Evans can count himself particularly unlucky in that - along with Jones - he's never once had an opportunity to start a game playing a formation he's familiar with. His season has basically involved the early season 352 games where nobody had the faintest clue what they were doing, followed by a young spell out injured, then straight back into the 352 madness as part of a team that still looks uncomfortable in that formation. No great surprise he's floundering.
But yeah, he's been crap. What's annoying is the short memories regarding last season. I know everyone is trying to forget it but Evans is one of very few United players to emerge with any credit. Comfortably our best central defender under Moyes, until injuries derailed his season. Which is why there's absolutely nothing wrong with suggesting people show a bit more patience regarding his poor performances so far.
that last line...But Pogue, you can't blame it all on the new changes. It's not about the formation only, he makes stupid mistakes constantly. You would expect him to at least know how to defend well and pass the ball. He does none of that.
This season? He's been crap, I agree. He's previously shown himself quite capable of defending and passing the ball well ( has arguably been our best central defender on the ball, bar Rio) so it seems obvious to me that the formation (and rustiness post injury) is a huge factor in him looking so inept. If you're not sure where your team mates are going to be at any given moment (which has been a constant theme every time we play the fecking 352) it stands to reason you'll struggle with defending and passing the ball.
We'll see. We can't sell him now anyway so by the end of the season everything should be clear. I personally don't see Evans progressing at all, but I might be wrong.
I think the scapegoating remarks are coming from the biased view that some are taking on Evans, while I agree that his performances haven’t been great they haven’t exactly been as awful as many would have you believe. For some he can do no right, they ignore any positive aspect he brings to the game but highlight any mistake like it’s the worst in the World. It’s like they are waiting for an error so they can prove to the CAF that they were right. The Villa game is a prime example of that, yes he could have done better for the goal, but it was a fantastic goal, the uproar on the match day and JE performance threads was typical, however very little was made of a superb tackle in the first half and possibly match saving blocks in the second.
Further, he didn’t have much of a pre-season and when he did come back from injury he got another injury due to an unfortunate tackle in the Leicester game, he needs games and he will come good, I truly believe that. According to some he’s never been good enough which should be enough to tell you that they are looking at the situation from a certain view. Jones, Smalling, Rojo, McNair, Blackett have all made similar or worse mistakes this season. McNair and Blackett aren’t even close to being considered first team regulars, in fact I’d be surprised if either is the squad come the end of the season, getting rid of any defender at the moment would be beyond stupid given our circumstances.
Evans is not as bad as he is made out to be, either is Jones, Smalling, or Rojo, we as fans tend to write off players when they show a dip in form, this season alone it’s been done to RVP, Mata, Smalling, Jones, Rafael, Falcao and Rooney, last season it was Young, Valencia and Fellaini yet they are amongst the top performers this season.
Personally Id sell Evans if he proves that he can’t stay fit, the same can be said of Jones, Smalling and Rafael.
We are half way through the season and he's been awful since LVG took over, its no longer about having patience with him or being young and talented and needs time to develop ala Cleverley, he's 27 and the most senior defender and the defender who had to step up the most but he hasn't done. Time for him to move on just like Cleverley and be replaced, Hopefully he doesn't get injured in the next or 2 as he usually does and we can see that happen sooner rather than later.
You seem to have missed my point. I'm talking about being patient regarding a dip in form, not waiting for a young player to develop. Two completely different scenarios.
He's still making the same juvenile mistakes that can be forgiven in a 20 year old, but for a defender who should be grasping a real opportunity to be our first choice central defender and leader it's disappointing.
For what it's worth I think he's the defender that needs to make way if we are to sign a top class player. You see players like Cahill who were miles behind him say 4 years ago, who now is ten times the defender.
Maybe it's just a case that the player he was at 22 is the player he'll always be. His concentration levels and positioning haven't improved, his distribution or passing hasn't improved and without a strong leader next to him his weaknesses are exaggerated.
For what it's worth I think he's the defender that needs to make way if we are to sign a top class player. You see players like Cahill who were miles behind him say 4 years ago, who now is ten times the defender.
Maybe it's just a case that the player he was at 22 is the player he'll always be. His concentration levels and positioning haven't improved, his distribution or passing hasn't improved and without a strong leader next to him his weaknesses are exaggerated.
Yeah, played a bit better on Saturday but still seemed very indecisive. Not one that I have a lot of confidence in. Hopefully in January we can get a few more defenders that can do the job.
He's been just plain awful.