Jonny Evans’ “squeaky” pass created an opportunity for Bruno Fernandes to score a super goal. But if there wasn’t a storm of injuries in the Man Utd defense, coach Erik ten Hag would never have looked at the 35-year-old midfielder.
After an eight-year absence from the official matches for Manchester United, Evans made a surprising return to the team’s lineup. The 35-year-old midfielder’s comeback shed light on the unfortunate state of affairs at MU. They had once relied heavily on Evans during his prime years, but little did they know that nearly a decade later, they would find themselves dependent on an aging midfielder whose role was limited to warming the bench.
Under normal circumstances, Ten Hag would never have considered Evans for a starting position, especially with the likes of Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, and Harry Maguire in the squad. However, the team’s dire situation forced him to take a gamble and utilize the Northern Irish midfielder, despite the inherent risks. Surprisingly, Evans rose to the occasion and delivered an impressive performance.
He came close to scoring with a powerful header that found the back of Burnley’s net, only to have it disallowed by VAR due to Rasmus Hojlund being in an offside position. Furthermore, Evans showcased his exceptional passing skills, reminiscent of a player like Pirlo, as he lofted the ball over Burnley’s defense and perfectly set up Bruno Fernandes for a favorable shooting opportunity.
Jonny Evans deserved to be the best player in the 1-0 victory at Burnley. In addition to the excellent assist, the 35-year-old midfielder also made 8 successful clearances, becoming a reliable shield in front of Andre Onana in the context of his partner Victor Lindelof’s rather erratic play. On the day when new signing Sofyan Amrabat debuted in the final few minutes, Jonny Evans overshadowed everything with an impressive performance.
For the first time after 5 matches of having to concede a goal, MU kept a clean sheet. This achievement had a significant contribution from Jonny Evans. Happy for the 35-year-old veteran’s form, but that’s really not something worth promising at MU. Because of Evans, he is ultimately just the last choice in defense. Ten Hag clearly understands that Evans’ time is over. A good match against an opponent the size of Burnley does not mean that Evans is capable of shouldering the MU defense. “Martinez is injured, he cannot return yet. We have no choice but to use the remaining defenders in the squad,” the Dutch strategist admitted that he was “forced” to use Jonny Evans.
Jonny Evans can continue to play well in the next match and gain more trust from Ten Hag. But the reality is that with this 35-year-old midfielder, the risks are always greater than expectations. If MU has to rely on Jonny Evans, then accept the situation of walking on a tightrope.