Patrice Evra in decline? Why David Moyes was right to target a new left-back

Patrice Evra

Patrice Evra was a key figure in Manchester United’s title winning campaign last season with the Frenchman turning back the clock and answering his critics with a number of impressive displays that looked to cement his place as the first choice left back at Old Trafford.

However, the 32-year-old found himself on the verge of being replaced in the summer when David Moyes tried to lure Leighton Baines from his former club Everton before a last minute deal for Real Madrid full-back Fabio Coentrao fell through on deadline day.

It’s hard to tell whether or not the threat of being replaced has affected Evra, but what is clear is that his form at the beginning of this season has been far from what we saw from him during last season.

Evra recorded a Performance Score of 383 from Manchester United’s first 10 games of last season, in contrast the French international has recorded a score of 241 for his first 10 games of the current campaign.

Evra’s performance after the first 10 games of 2012/13

Evra’s performance from the first 10 games of 2013/14

The left back also had two goals to his name after the opening 10 games of last season, equalling his Premier League goals tally for United from the previous seven seasons. His two goals came from just five shots, four of which where on target, giving him a shot accuracy of 80%. The former Monaco man has had a similar number of attempts on goal this season with four, but he’s only managed to find the target with two efforts.

Evra’s shooting accuracy last season

A look his passing accuracy from this season shows that it has declined significantly from the same period last season. Evra currently has an average pass accuracy of 79%, which is 11% less than the 90% pass accuracy he recorded after the same number of games last season.

Evra’s shooting accuracy so far this season

So far this season Evra has won 59% of his average duels, which is another significant drop when compared to his first 10 games of last season where he won 70% of his duels. His tackle success rate has declined from 84% to 78% and he has committed six more fouls.

Evra’s duel success in the first 10 games of 2012/13

Evra’s duel success in the first 10 games of 2013/14

Despite being down on a number of stats in comparison to last season, Evra has created more chances during the first 10 games of this season. He has recorded 14 key passes and registered two assists whereas last season he’d made 11 key passes and had a single assist from the same number of matches.

Rumours continue to circulate that Moyes is still searching for a new left back, with Spaniard Alberto Moreno the latest name to be linked with the Premier League champions. If Evra is to convince his new boss that he is the right man for the left back spot, he will need to return to the sort of form that led to him being one of United’s key men last season.