Our most consistent player this season imo,his almost like an extra left winger ...his passion and love for the club is obvious and he is also looking like a good,wise guy off the pitch ,and for me he is the best left-back on the world at the moment
What do u guys think of him??

It's between him and Abidal for the best left back at the moment.

Of course I pick, Evra.

The way he has been playing is the same style as Ashley cole circa 2003, only better.

It is silly to regard him as a candidate for the best left-back ... He is a good player with terrific attitude to the game and will to improve but he's a lot way off yet imo. He needs to improve his crossing, and often in europe has been found out a bit.
Still, he has been always been improving, since day one .. Hopefully he becomes a class left-back ..

I think his crossing is spot on. Rather then conventional from the by-line crossing, he gets into great positions to pass the ball across the goal face or cut it back to a player who has dropped off.

As for being found out in Europe, I'd love to know when.

he was terrific against porto and bolton .......

I agree about his style of crossing is good too. The cross for Tevez which he spurned against Bolton was great. But I think we need another dimension to our crossing, a traditional crosser kind of , especially when our wingers are not conventional crossers. Many times Evra loses the ball by a bad conventional cross even when under no pressure. I only hope he improves it, we do need those crosses sometimes in some tight situations. You can compare the impact Neville's traditional crosses have made over the years.

As regards to Europe, defensively he is suspect. You dont have to go too far back .. against the friendly against Inter, his defensive work was poor. Many times he is caught ball-watching, but often makes good recovery. Class players dont let those aberrations happen in the first place.

All in all, I am saying he can be the best left-back in Europe but isnt there yet, needs much improvement. Being a winger originally, he does bring some non-conventional aspects to our team which I relish too.

The game against inter was, as you said, a friendly. It was a pre-season match. Noone was really match-fit

And who are you expecting to get on the end of such a conventional cross?

Tevez or Rooney? Heading just isn't a strong point.
Ronaldo, maybe, but he will get marked out of the game and we will become predictable if we keep aiming for him.
Anderson, Carrick, Hargreaves and Scholes? None of whom are known for heading, Scholes can arrive late but again, who's going to head it down to him?

Our style of play is fast, on the floor and penetrative. Which is exactly why Evra suits us and his style of crossing is perfect for us.

Can't believe he only costed us £5.5 million from Monaco.

I did not say Evra should be firing crosses from the byeline all the time so that Ronaldo will get marked and so forth .. Again a cross is not just meant for being headed towards the goal ... A well delivered cross into a danger area can create shambles in the opposition defence... Anyways Saha and Ronaldo are still there if you want headed goals.. Giggs has scored many many headers over the times ... Others have also scored odd headers , which I am talking about and not about adopting crossing as our strategy of play..

Our style of play is fast, on the floor but not always penetrative. Which is exactly why we need to develop that extra dimension of basic crossing which is basic for any fullback, especially since our wingers dont do that either.


Yes, hes a bargain ... and he has the right attitude and potential to be the best over the time ..

Giggs has probably scored 5 headers in all the years he has been with us and Saha, I can't actually remember scoring a single header.

The point is we just don't have the players, in attack, to score them and therefore we do not just aim crosses into the box. If we did you would be the first to get fraustrated after time and time again the opposition heads the ball clear.

What you are suggesting, we already do. We might not use it as a tactic but we do put crosses towards players occasionally. Look at Tevez's cross to Ronaldo on the back post last night.

He's just magnificent. Can't see anything bad. Oh yes there is: He needs to dress better like Rooney says

Tevez' cross is example of what Evra needs to doing consistently well and from bigger distances : finding free players easily from distances.

Btw, Last years first PL goal was Saha's header ... Against Benfica last year, the final crunch game of CL, Giggs and Saha scored headers .. Sunderland this year .. and so on .. Saha is a good header of the ball with a quality leap and has scored headers for us.. example of Giggs tells the fact that you dont have to be a great header of the ball but if players can take good runs like Giggs does then crosses can be very helpful as an extra dimension which United have time and again shown to lack against better teams ..

Lets leave it mate .. hopefully soon Evra will prove me wrong ..

me a Heinze fan ??!! No way. I would rather walk alone.

Evra just keeps on improving, he did well keeping his patience when Heinze was first place and how he's definitely considered the best left back in Europe if not the best, he's got bursting pace, great still and a great takle on him so hopefully he keeps it up because he's become one of our most consistent players recently.

Attacking wise I think he's the best left-back in the World along with Roberto Carlos (check him out, he's still doing great) in terms of attacking, but defensively he is suspect at times. As he is so skillful, and attack-minded, he has that typical defensive flaw - poor positioning. Its the same with Eboue, rated highly, but because of his poor positioning it can hurt the defense as a whole. The difference is that, bar shooting, Evra is better than Eboue going forward, and without trying to sound unfair, he doesn't have that many quality left-backs to compare himself to. If he was right-footed would he be better than the likes of Alves, Miguel, Maicon, Sagna etc etc? I dunno. Maybe its not fair to use that logic that though.

I personally think that hes the 2nd best LB in the World after Abidal, (probably 3rd after Zambrotta too), but defensively, I think most would prefer Heinze or Clichy.

Evra is miles better defensively than the dirty Judas prick. Evra is better positionally aswell, Heinze used to get caught out so much. I don't think I've seen Evra beaten by a winger or striker unless it's in the air. Great tackler and so much pace. He's actually quicker than almost every winger and striker playing today.

He does get caught out when he bombs forwards and we lose the ball, but that's a minor issue. Hargreaves should be covering for instances like that. The way our full backs attack is a major part of our game and we score more goals through playing like that than we give away by getting getting caught.

The people saying Heinze is better than Evra defensively obviously never saw Heinze last season, was terrible both in defence and attack, his bad defending cost us a goal pretty much every time he played. Evra does get caught out from time to time but not nearly as much as Heinze, also a huge difference is Evra´s pace, when he does get caught out he can usually use his pace to recover, Heinze looked very slow when he came back from his injury.

Heinze has been the same this season for Real, some comedic performances from him. There´s no doubt in my mind that Evra is a much better left back in every way possible.

If Heinze hadn't left under the circumstances he did, or more importantly if his form hadn't dropped drastically in his last season, he could've gone down as one of our best ever left backs. Heinze in his debut season was absolutely brilliant, but unfortunately for him his disgraceful behavior at the end of his United career is what the fans will remember most.

Speaking of our best left back ever, Evra is on his way to surpassing Denis Irwin for that crwon. He's already a superior player, and with the consistency he's shown so far (a quality that Irwin was renowned for) I see no reason why he can't become an all time great if he spends most of his career with us.

Agreed Bretless. I like his 110% commitment to the ball just like Vida's. Loves his tackling.

Heinze was good for 18 months or so then went to pieces. His injury was partly to blame but a lot of it was down to him sulking over not being played as a centre back which is what he thinks he is.

I still think of him buying a 100 grand Porsche to celebrate his move to Liverpool only to sell it back to the dealer a week later after United won the court case

Heck, the most astounding fact about Denis was that he could hold down his position for so long at that fullback position on the left flank despite being only right footed. Doubt that's a risk any manager will ever take with his defenders. That's a feat no one will surpass.

Aye. Hardly ever put a foot wrong in twelve years.

Paolo Maldini was right footed.




Sorry that was a pretty obnoxious post by me.

Well as long as you know...

Haha yea I realized it as I was typing it. All you mancs would probably think 'who's this damn spic coming in here and writing something stupid like that'.

Our Man of the season,if u ask me

I don't know why people think Evra isn't as good at defending, it's very rare that a player get's the better of him down that wing either in their half or ours, a brilliant little player who's probably been one of the most consistent since he's been here.

He's still only relatively young so there's still time to improve, if he does then I do think he will become the best in the world, there's lots of competition out there with Adidal and Zambrotta but I wouldn't swap him for either of those.

I always felt Heinze was overrated by our fans in his first season. Granted he was a real scrapper and worked hard, but his distribution was always poor and his defending was at times irratic, but his attitude and fans favourite status got him excluded from criticism at times IMO.

I was a LONE voice on this forum a year ago or more when I was saying Henize should be dropped for Evra ( i made a whole big thread that most people disagreed with). Now everyone has switched polarity.

he is little but got more heart then 95% of the current players. he is a real man and real man wear united shirt's.

The way he anticpates ,tackles ,avoids oppositon's tackles and keeps his balance and drives forward with the ball is second to none(in fullbacks world)

^^
Yes hes so quick in every aspect of the game, he always seems to be first on the scene when it comesw to defending, and always pops out of nowhere in the attack.

I have noticed he is by far our most fouled player in recent years. Already this season he has had 25 fouls on him. In the history of our full backs, they would only maybe reach that figure by the end of the season. So this proves teams seem to be targetting him for rough treatment, i dont know why. In comparison Tevez and Wes Brown for example, have played the saem games, but only had 15 and 17 fouls suffered.

Evra the best LB in the EPL and top 2 in Europe along with Abidal.

I swear if Giggs had that pace, Evra + Giggs would be the best combo ever. Defences would shit their pants.

Evra has got it all, pace, skill, technique. Bargain at 5 million pounds.

^lol @ 5 mil.

That's how much we paid for him isn't it? £5.5m?

The best attacking LB in the EPL, not the best defensively imo.

But yeah, he and Abidal are the top 2 in the World. Evra's got it all (going forward especially).

he is the best lest winger / defender /striker /crosser / midfiled / and a superman / and a liverpool destroyer

what a man
what a player
superman who ?
evra is the man
lol
i love him

Yep we paid £5.5m for Evra.

I didnt say we didnt pay 5 mil, i was just laughing at how low that price is

Yeah it really was a bargain and he was somewhat of an unknown entity, I knew of him and I knew he had a good rep but I didn't know and obviously not a lot of other teams knew just how good he was or could be. He's come here, we've worked him defensively and bulked him up a bit and he's turned into a world-beater and I wouldn't swap him for anybody considering his age.

Evra: My respect for Fergie

Patrice Evra has revealed his deep admiration for Sir Alex Ferguson - and his continuing awe of Fergie's legendary hairdryer treatment.

Since arriving from Monaco two years ago, the France international has become an integral part of the latest generation of success at Old Trafford and was a key player in last year's titlewinning campaign.

Just one point behind league leaders Arsenal this time round going into the crucial Christmas period, United are favourites to lift the Premier League trophy once again.

And Evra could not imagine a better man at the helm. "When it comes to Alex Ferguson I just want to thank the Lord," said Evra. "Whatever may happen in the future, I have been trained by Alex Ferguson.

When we leave the pitch, he's like everybody's dad. But when it's game time, wow.

"I remember one match we had lost 2-1 to Arsenal in the closing seconds.

"I've had my dad shout at me in the past. But when I saw the boss yelling in the dressing room, it was like nothing I had ever seen.

"Even if you are strong, at heart you're thinking: 'Ouch!' You think he's going to break everything.

"But another good thing is nobody gets special treatment. Whether he has to scream at Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney or me, he screams at us all in the same way.

"The club owes him a lot. When he eventually leaves it will not be easy.

"But that won't happen too soon - he's told us seeing us play makes him feel younger."

For all that Fergie's rages can be fearsome when he feels his players have let him down, it is a belief in enjoying the game which underpins his footballing philosophy and helps him get the most out of his players.

Evra revealed: "When he has his talks before the match he draws on history, tells little anecdotes which make us laugh, which make us calm.

"And then there is his conclusion which is always the same. 'Enjoy your game'. He believes it.

"When he sees you are a bit tense he tells you: 'Hey, play football, enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself!'

"He is tough and relaxed at the same time. And he is a big joker. After France lost to Scotland he sang La Marseillaise to me all week."

After being told he was crazy to move to Old Trafford where he would have to battle past Gabriel Heinze and Mikael Silvestre to break into the first team, Evra is proud of what he has accomplished so far - but knows there is no time to reflect on past achievements.

"I think I've found the right balance for me, the one I have always been looking for between attack and defence," he added.

"One day Ferguson said something really nice about me: 'He is a football player'. Just that.

"I've kept my desire to attack but I have learned to enjoy the battle. Sometimes before the match I will stamp my feet, I want to go shoulder to shoulder with the guy opposite me. I like that. I didn't used to have that mentality.

"My first six months weren't good. I arrived in January from Monte Carlo and wasn't ready. But in time I had the character to find my place - that is my victory.

"Last season I was named the best left-back in England.

"When I think of where I've come from to get to Manchester United I think: 'Not bad, Pat, hats off to you'.

"But I also know I have to carry on. Here, the day when you are happy being good, you lose your place."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...89520-20260989/

hhmm, he definitely wasn't unknown when you signed him. During his time at Monaco most people would've put him with the Top 5 left backs in the World. He's always had amazing ability, and proved it at the highest level, forming a great partnership with Jerome Rothen, which played a massive part in Monaco's journey to the Champions League final. £5.5million was certainly cheap for a player of his calibre though, as he was always going to be one of the best left backs around. I wouldn't say any part of his game has improved that much tbh, he's just as good and productive as in his Monaco days, but is proving it slightly more consistently than before.

I always liked Evra, and thought he was the best left back in the World after that Chelsea guy during his time at Monaco. He's a class player, and probably the best left back around when going forward, but I think Clichy is more adept in defensive situations, and better when one on one with right wingers. But overall only Abidal is better than both I think, has amazing defensive ability as he was a CB for so long, but goes forward brilliantly, because that's what they teach defenders to do abroad. I think Clichy can be better than both though.

again arsenal fans comparing players.

if i'm not mistaking he won a header against crouch last weekend so please stop all the bullshit.

he is the most allround player that we have at the club. abidal and clchy are nowhere near his class specially clichy who just quick and makes alot of mistake's durnning the game always leave's a hole behind him.

Let's not even bring Clichy's name into this, seriously. It's only come up because an Arsenal fan brought it up.

If a neutral was discussing the top 3 left backs in the world they would talk about Adibal, Evra and probably Lahm.

I still believe it's between just Adibal and Evra with Adibal just nicking the defensive battle and Evra winning the offensive battle by the same margin.

Eeerrrm, did I say Evra was bad defensively? Bloody hell.

I'd have to say I would trade. Evra's abilities down the flank would just open up this new dimension for Barcelona that's been missing for a couple of seasons now. Although specialists at cutting through teams down the middle, a major factor was always wingback play. Sylvinho/Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Belletti would bomb on down the wings, allowing our wide men up front to come inside on their preferred foot (Ronaldinho, Messi) which would wreak havoc as opposing fullbacks wouldn't know to do when Ronaldinho and such had the ball, as they could play it down the line to the fullback or cut inside and play those nifty little one twos. I feel Rijkaard has become tactically hesitant to the detriment of the team, and though the defence is solid and the attack still has enough individual ability to break any team down, it takes the cohesion of the former 4-3-3 tactic with wingbacks pushing forward to destabilise the opposition.

Evra, for my money, could be a top class winger if he wanted. He has such a bombarding run and good delivery at pace, and what really sets him apart is his willingness to keep running. Often a wingback (read: Zambrotta) will play the ball to their illustrious partner on the wing (read: Messi) and then hang back more often than not, to ensure that they don't get caught out. Evra will play the ball and then burst through the gap as defenders look to close down Ronaldo and co. which, if the right ball is played, leaves him clear through the gap. It's such a valuable component of offensive play that seems to get overlooked by too many teams, and the truly wonderful attacking sides often have this to some degree. Arsenal with Clichy and Eboue/Sagna, United with Evra and Brown/Neville, Barcelona with Abidal/Sylvinho (moreso) and Zambrotta/Puyol (again, moreso).

Nice post. He was tried on the wing many times though, and it just didn't work out for him. I think it's because he's not used to being marked, it only works when he's marking someone, intercepts the pass or just robs them off the ball, then flies down that left side. He was class for Monaco but I had no idea he would settle in so well here at United.

I think he would fit Barca's system as well, but I think (and hope) he will retire here as a club legend.