Evans breathing down necks of United regulars Rio and Vidic

zocoss SG

Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, has already warned Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic that Jonny Evans is on the brink of breaking up their central defensive partnership.

Such a thought would have been unthinkable last season, not least when United went 14 league matches without conceding a goal en route to a third successive Barclays Premier League title that owed everything to the most formidable rearguard in Europe.

But while Evans’s progress has clearly given Ferguson much food for thought in the centre of defence, an uncertain start to this season from Vidic will hardly have hindered the Northern Ireland player’s cause.

At his best, Vidic remains a fearsome defender, but a succession of injuries coupled with the humiliation he suffered at the hands of Fernando Torres, the Liverpool striker, during United’s 4-1 defeat at Old Trafford last March appear to have unearthed a previously non-existent chink in the Serb’s armour.

It would be remiss and premature to suggest that Vidic, at 28, has peaked and is on the way down after what may amount to little more than a minor blip. But the player’s statistics this season support the suggestion that there has been a slight drop in his form, typified by an unconvincing display against Wolfsburg in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

Vidic was lucky to escape a second yellow card for a crude challenge on Edin Dzeko, the Wolfsburg striker who caused him problems all through the game, and he has generally looked less steady on his feet. In the air, he is also not as dominant, with an aerial duel success rate of 63 per cent compared with 76 per cent for the entirety of last season.

In Vidic’s defence, his partnership with Ferdinand has been badly disrupted by injury and the pair are too good not to iron out their present difficulties. But Evans, left, who is only 21, will have reason to be optimistic.

One Harmonius Blend SG

One thing i noticed..he's pretty bad tempered, if i am not wrong

AvanteGarde SG

being too harsh on vidic perhaps? its only 7 games into the season & they are alrdy criticizing him -.-

Rooney9 SG

rio should worry for his place. he is quite injury prone these last few years and he is on the wrong side of 30. its a matter of time, I think in a couple of seasons, before evans dislodge him.

monoslayer SG

observed vidic's form on the decline..

can c him struggling against some forwards nowadays.. couldnt get the ball n caught out of position.. end up have to foul them in critical positions..