This is the thing about Jonny Evans: he always has a mistake in
him. Ferguson loves to talk him up and his selection, ahead of Phil
Jones, suggests a manager who has full trust in the Irishman. But
the truth is Evans, bar one spell when he first broke through, has
always looked at least one level below the required grade for a
club of United's ambitions. He has improved this season but largely
because he had such a terrible last campaign and, if that sounds
terribly harsh, his red card adds to a long and undistinguished
list of mistakes that can support the theory that when Rio
Ferdinand needs replacing, Evans does not have the credentials to
be that man. In mitigation, he is 23, which is still young enough
to improve, but his next birthday is in January and time is running
out.
