Patrice Evra: Past his prime?

Evra battling with Walters against Stoke City

During Manchester United’s defeat against Stoke City, Patrice Evra’s personal trend of failing to impress stats-wise continued. Over the last six games his performance score has jumped and fallen with every win and defeat, but is he really that pivotal or now merely a passenger at Old Trafford? Starting with United’s 1-0 win over Norwich City on December 28th, the team’s record has been consistent only in its inconsistency: win, loss, win, loss, win and loss. Evra’s Squawka performance score has tracked that trend almost exactly as show in the graph below, with his form seemingly locked in an interchanging state of feast and famine at present.

Evra Performance Score Graph Between Gameweek 19 & 24 – PL 2013/14

The French international is a supposedly more of an auxiliary winger than your typical conservative full-back, bursting up on the overlap to augment attacks and help stretch play. Yet, contrary to what many expect, Evra’s most beneficial contributions of late have come in the defensive phase of United’s play. Even at the Britannia, the wing-back made 10 successful clearances, staving off danger down the left flank and central areas, and helping his team higher up the field with two successful tackles out of three. But as ever, it was his positioning that often undermined his diligence, with his forward surges counting for little and leaving him stranded in the final third without the ball, out of position and with his back line left wide open.

Evra Clearances vs Stoke (A) – PL 2013/14

Evra’s tendency to leave the left side vulnerable to opposing wingers has become a source of constant frustration for United fans over the last few seasons. In the past, his supporters were able to excuse or explain away this defect by virtue of his attacking influence.

But while he may have produced the second most amount of chances for the team this campaign—a running total 28 compared to Wayne Rooney’s leading tally of 42 and Adnan Januzaj’s third-placed haul of 19—he is often wasteful if not downright ineffective.

Evra Crosses Attempted vs Stoke (A) – PL 2013/14

Given the importance full-backs play in David Moyes’ tactical plans, as shown during his time both at Everton and so far with United, Evra doesn’t look to be doing enough to fulfil the duties now required of him. However, he is no Leighton Baines and his crossing has never been the primary weapon within his tool set.

It may be that the new manager’s intense focus on crossing and hitting the byline is ill-suited to the Frenchman’s abilities. After all, his role in previous seasons has been as a more of a dribbler than a long-range delivery platform. More often than not, Rafael and Antonio Valencia on the right were the dominant flank for United’s attacking wing play over the last few years, with Evra focusing instead on short passing combinations and direct runs into the box and channel.

The width of play on United’s left-flank was even sacrificed as the team’s centre of gravity shifted to one side, allowing the right wing the extra space it demanded to flourish. Considering that Evra’s best games of late have come when the wing-back has been able to drive forwards and take on opponents in this fashion, the lack of such interventions in his performance against Stoke was telling.

Having scored highly in the 2-0 win over Swansea City with his six interceptions, and having recorded three out of five successful take ons in the victory against Norwich back in December—another game in which he claimed a relatively high Squawka performance score—he was largely anonymous in this department against Stoke.

His stats sheet for the 2-1 loss read as zero interceptions and one failed take on.

Evra Headed Duels vs Stoke (A) – PL 2013/14

To make matters worse, at just 1.75 metres in height, Evra was bullied in the air against the Potters, losing four of the five aerial duels he attempted on the day. Had he been able to trust in a more physically robust and able defensive midfielder to cover his runs and protect him in defence, he may yet have been able to make a greater impression, but it’s become a tired cliche to blame all of United’s ills on it’s weak midfield.

Instead, if Moyes is determined to play his left-backs in the manner he has asked Evra to try of late, a new enforcer through the middle won’t be the only priority on the club’s shopping list. A younger player, more able to cover a whole flank by himself as the Frenchman used to before age began to expose just how massively overwhelming his job can be at United, will be vital if there is to be no change of heart over the tactics behind his role.

As a popular figure at Old Trafford his departure would be a sad, whimpering end to a fantastic career for the club but increasingly, as shown by his struggles against Stoke, it would be a move borne of necessity rather than choice.