Nostaliga is a hell of a drug.
Truth is all those guys were here when we finished 7 and missed out on Europe altogether.
Johnny Evans WBA player of the season
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Truth is all those guys were here when we finished 7 and missed out on Europe altogether.
I don't know why people are citing players like Rojo and Fellaini as if they are the benchmark for the quality of players we want here. They're probably the two worst performers in the current side and will be moved on in the summer, with any luck.
Fletcher was god awful for us at times last season and Evans would've been a squad player at best. I'm happy that they're both doing well for themselves now but neither of them were good enough for the first team here.
Fletcher was god awful for us at times last season and Evans would've been a squad player at best. I'm happy that they're both doing well for themselves now but neither of them were good enough for the first team here.
The question is though why was he so bad for us in his last season, he wasn't before, once upon a time he was very good defender for us, or that's how I remember it anyway.
Evans has played as a DM or a LB in a lot of games I saw. He was very poor the last season. McNair looked better than him last season. He was quite rightly sold.
Fletcher was also really poor as a CM for us. i like him but he had run his course. I'm happy for him and wish him all the best but he wasn't good here.
Fletcher was also really poor as a CM for us. i like him but he had run his course. I'm happy for him and wish him all the best but he wasn't good here.
He panicked when he he was out of his comfort zone. Once SAF had gone and ferdy and Vidic regressed he had to step up and that seemed to scare the shit out of him. Plus injuries.
When we got rid, I thought we'd be bringing in someone better. But we did feck all, he's good enough to start for us with the defenders at the club at the moment.
Happy for them both. I'm proud that they were such a big part of our club and wish them all the best. Both look like great lads.
Let's not make this one of those threads, please. It's just unnecessary and dull.
Let's not make this one of those threads, please. It's just unnecessary and dull.
@Scarecrow both him and Fletcher and blatantly not the quality we need and a number will want to discuss that on here, you can't help that as some will feel the need to defend letting him go. But I agree, this shouldn't be a bashing of the lads and where their mistakes are (and I'd still have Evans over rojo any day)
Instead, imagine how happy/proud he must feel to have made the decision to leave United but regain the confidence he perhaps had lost and is enjoying his football again. (he could have sat on the bench and earned his money doing nothing )
Well done lad!
Instead, imagine how happy/proud he must feel to have made the decision to leave United but regain the confidence he perhaps had lost and is enjoying his football again. (he could have sat on the bench and earned his money doing nothing )
Well done lad!
I'm still wondering why we signed Rojo.
We were low on defenders. We let Rio & Vidic go that summer. Even Smalling was injury prone back then, so were Jones & Evans we clearly needed numbers at the back. He looked like a good signing, could play both CB & LB.
Thanks
It's also true they were all here when we won the League by 11 points the season before.
Having said that it was time for some of them to move on. Fletcher and Kagawa especially, Evans could have stayed considering how short we are on defenders, or at least how short we are on defenders who don't injure themselves getting out of bed in the morning. But he did have a bad season last year.
Wouldn't have minded keeping Hernandez, Nani, and Rafael though.
Agree 100%
So many wanted rid of this "deadwood"
I would say we are half the squad, but thankfully the youngsters coming through makes me feel a bit better about the current squad
If Fergie was still here we would have won the league this season with ease and the likes of Evans would have played 20-30 games in all comps
People would still moan though
he plays at left back in pulis' horrific four centre half and three holding midfielder system
Because he's left footed, same reason Blackett initially broke into the team.
Absolutely chuffed to bits that Fletcher even runs out on match day if I am being honest. The lad is a proper red warrior. Congratulations to Johnny Evans also, I thought he was a little bit harshly treated at the start of this season.
He's gone to a club where he defends by defending and has had an award winning (for WBA) season for himself.
Not really that much weird about it, logically speaking. Van Gaal doesn't do rotation and wanted a ball playing defender. Evans was far from one and couldn't adapt to the role over last season.
He's gone to a club where he defends by defending and has had an award winning (for WBA) season for himself.
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I think more the moral of the story is that letting Evans go was premature.
Well done to him and I'm happy for him and Fletcher. That doesn't mean we made a mistake by getting rid though, neither of them are of the standard we require.
Darren is such a good story. So nice to see him come back playing top division football.
I don't disagree I'm just pointing out £250m later and we have an inferior squad
Well I'm not saying I disagree with you bout we since bought worse
You do know that football does not work that way though right?
Those players that you mentioned in your first post in this thread had given their chances. Most of them failed. Some wanted to leave etc. Some players just perform better in smaller teams for obvious reasons. There is no way to tell a player would fit into the team and perform well for you. If you don't risk or take a chance with players, how else are you going to make your team better or rebuilding your squad?
Coaching staff do NOT have hindsight to work with. They can only work with what they see and do the job accordingly.
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There are only really two or three teams that are in that bracket and I'd be very surprised if Evans didn't start for Everton/West Ham/Southampton. Might not have ended up their player of the year, but he's definitely more than good enough for that level.
Agree with most of that except Martial & Rashford > Hernandez and Welbeck imo.
Happy for the both of them.
This essentially.
The amounts of revisionism and hindsight in these threads always lead the discussions the same way - those who didn't agree with the sale of these players using this as a stick to say "I told you so" and vice versa, if the players weren't performing that well.
When in the end, selling 2 players who, at the time weren't quite showing good enough form and ability was the right call. Hindsight and taking the performance of their replacements into account doesn't change that fact.
And criticizing those responsible for buying/spending £250m on arguably worse players is an entirely different discussion, IMO.
West Ham have some good centre halves tbf but I can't believe Everton weren't in for him. He'd easily be their best.
But Evans didn't play against Holland in the World Cup and impressed Van Gaal in the videos he watched of Argentina.
I've had to watch players I liked leave the club this past couple of years thanks to Van Gaal, and we've nothing to show for it. Struggling to reach top 4, knocked out before the CL knockout phases, playing shit dour football. Bah.
I'd agree all but Kagawa, tbf. As underwhelming as Mata has been Kagawa was far worse. It just didn't work at all.
Hard to disagree with you but we bought Kagawa for half of Matas fee and both have underwhelmed imo.
Rojo is no worse than Evans. Nostalgia is nice and all but Evans was good for at least one big mistake every game. Whether it was pressure or whatever he wasn't up to it.
Rojo may not be either but we didn't know that when we bought him.
Spot on mate
Frustrating thing is that quality aside, some of those players never really seemed to be managed properly over the final part of their time here. Suppose that's what made Ferguson the master in keeping everyone happy even at 2nd or 3rd choice.
And yes hindsight is a wonderful thing but that's what these guys are paid to do.
Some players frozen out or discarded for seemingly reasonable performances and others playing without merit. Save us Frogie
And yes hindsight is a wonderful thing but that's what these guys are paid to do.
Some players frozen out or discarded for seemingly reasonable performances and others playing without merit. Save us Frogie
The revisionism in this thread 
If he'd only been shite last season that would be one thing.
Sadly, he never lived up to what was expected of him here. Happy to see him doing well elsewhere.
If he'd only been shite last season that would be one thing.
Sadly, he never lived up to what was expected of him here. Happy to see him doing well elsewhere.
Fletcher as well. Very good stuff. Evans was always decent apart from last season. I thought Fletch was past it unfortunately so it's great to hear that he is still performing well at prem level.
Jonathan Evans is muck, Fletcher on the other hand could have done a job at United still.
Evans was always far superior to Rojo and Jones, it was a mistake to sell him.
Not last year. When it actually mattered. He was the worst of our defenders. Except Blackett
Highly doubt he'd have done any worse than Rojo this season. Would've marked Morgan better last weekend off the corner which he scored.
That MK Dons match really killed his confidence.
That MK Dons match really killed his confidence.
Evans is better than Rojo imo plus Evans didn't cost us £15m