It seems that Patrice Evra has been getting written off by the media for a good two years now. Many Manchester United fans also questioned the input of the left-back, after the odd howler in the last couple seasons. Amongst the army of detractors was The Guardian
‘having endured an uneven season, United are looking for the long-term successor‘ May 2012
…and, as far back as 2011, questions were being asked
‘The most worrying thing for United is that the French left-back’s poor form is nothing new and has in fact being ongoing for more than a year‘ Goal.com 20 Nov 2011
Evra certainly had a period where his positional sense seemed blunted and wingers went past him too easily but the critics were incredibly quick to get on is case. There was the decisive goal in the cup last year against Liverpool when he allowed a goal kick from Pepe Reine to bounce straight over him. And this season he was absolutely nowhere when Newcastle scored their second at Old Trafford.
But this is a player that has been as important as any in Manchester United’s recent success.
Described by Sir Alex Ferguson as a ‘warrior’ for his club, Evra has given his all to United in the last 7 years. soccersweep thinks that you would go a long way to find a better left-back anywhere. The more anglocentric believe that Ashley Cole is the best left-back in the world but Evra has all Cole’s qualities plus that extra bit of skill and a cavalier progressiveness that the Englishmen lacks. It’s not just his athleticism, his daring and his technique that has made him such a credit to the squad. Evra has also been a great spokesman for his club and a wonderful influence within the dressing room – he’s clearly one of the most popular characters at Manchester United.
At 31, Evra has once more found his form and can give Manchester United another 3 years of great service. Ferguson has suggested in the past that Evra has played with injuries. It’s easy to imagine now that some of the poor form was a consequence of such problems. Because, with 4 goals and at least a dozen stand out performances for Manchester this season, Evra has answered the doubters with interest.
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