Is Evra The Premiership’s Most Improved Player?
Is Patrice Evra poised to take over Ashley Cole’s mantle as the Premiership’s best left back?
It has been a year now since the French international began earning rave notices for his performances and general improvement. This followed a poor six month beginning to his United career after a £5.5 million transfer from Monaco.
Evra’s start to the campaign has underlined his progress and his importance to United and to France. The fullback offers a winger’s speed, a willingness to get forward, an improving awareness of when to support the attack, wing penetration and defensive reliability. His tackling, notably at Portsmouth last month, has saved the day for United when the team was under the cosh.
Evra rarely looks to be enjoying a game but his emergence as the Premiership’s most improved player is merely a confirmation of Sir Alex’s foresight. Knowing that Gabriel Heinze - his only serious rival - is good enough for Real Madrid but not for United, must be a major confidence boost.
As he prepares for today’s match against Italy and next Wednesday against Scotland, Evra is even swapping jokes with the manager, a far cry from those early days when he admitted to being scared of Sir Alex Furious.
“I had a chat with Sir Alex just before I left for France about the qualifying games,” Evra told the Daily Record.
“He wished me all the best, told me to go out there and do myself proud but then left me with one final message.
“He said, ‘Don’t dare beat Scotland. I don’t want you to come back here if you do.’
“We then had a little joke about the game but I get the feeling I can’t win. If I come back having won the game he won’t be happy but if I lose he will wind me up.”
If Evra is effervescent, Ashley Cole, by contrast, appears to be treading water at Chelsea. The player made his name at Arsenal showing a zest for the fullback’s position. His pace, regular sorties into the opposition’s area and excellent crossing marked him out as a player of real talent. Cole confirmed that and more with stirring performances in the Euro 2004 championships, notably against Cristiano Ronaldo.
Since then, a rancourous transfer, marriage to a pop star and injury have taken some of the shine off his game. The talent surely remains but now Cole is prone to long diagonal centres aimed at Didier Drogba rather than the touchline dances that made his name.
Arsenal’s Gael Clichy is another fast improving candidate worthy of consideration as the Premiership’s best left fullback. In his performances so far this season, the Frenchman is showing again why Wenger could afford to lose Ashley Cole, offering the pace and outlet the Gunners need, particularly when playing at the Emirates Stadium.
Evra edges Clichy because of his greater versatility and experience. His awareness is crucial to United because this season, teams have set out to defend in depth against the champions. United must provoke and destabilise in order to produce the rare openings. Evra has been important to that effort- witness his searching run into Sunderland’s penalty area which resulted in a corner and a goal for Louis Saha.
Spurs’ Gareth Bale may soon emerge as a player of substance at the top level. Everton’s Leighton Baines and Nicky Shorey of Reading will have their champions too but it is Evra who so far is leading the way as the Premiership’s best left back.
(On Sep 8th, 2007 at 10:36 am)
I have to say looking at the present form of Patrice Evra, he does stand out above the likes of Ashley Cole, he just seems to have got that much faster, in the closed season and has worked really hard in the last few matches I have seen him play, always looks like, he could be man of the match, in every game, maybe just maybe,the whole Heinze affair has spurred him on, now out to show the world what he can do, lets just hope he stays free from any bad injuries, we really need his pace and skill right now.
(On Sep 8th, 2007 at 12:37 am)
He’ll never take over that “mantle” whilst our cockney-loving press have a cockney to bestow such overblown rantings upon ie: Ferdinand/TerryLampard etc etc both have been given similar flattering labels. Gary Neville has been the best left back for years but will never be given credit for it by the twats that we have thrust upon us to bring us news and editorial.