Manchester United's Patrice Evra has been given the green light by Sir Alex Ferguson to go forward this season, and it has paid some fruitful dividends for the Reds.
Ferguson will look for his players to all compensate for the loss of the departed Cristiano Ronaldo, and he is counting on Evra to add an extra dimension to the United attack.
He has been given him free-reign on the left flank, and Evra has done everything, but disappoint so far this season.
New-Aged
Evra can be described as a winger that can defend. He has the pace, moves to torment opposition defenders, but the most amazing part, is that he is rarely caught out of position.
Standing only 5'8", he is considered undersize for a defender, but his quickness and strength more than make up for what he lacks for in height.
But his best quality is perhaps his fitness, as he is constantly on the move down the left wing providing support and complimenting the attack. It’s hard to believe that he has only registered two goals in his 151 United appearances.
He is always in and around the opponent’s 18-yard box tempting defenders to challenge him, and has won a few penalties, or supplies a tantalizing cross that causes problems for the opposition.
Hated
When he first arrived at United, he had a tough time adapting to the English game, but during his first full season in 2006/07, he displaced the injured Gabriel Heinze in the back four.
Heinze, who was the 2005/06 Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year, suffered an unfortunate cruciate ligament injury, and was seen as a surplus following the sparkling season from Evra.
Other teams know that Evra is an integral part of United's style of play, and they have targeted him with physical, rough treatment to try to disrupt his involvement.
Manchester United will look to compete for honors on all fronts this season, but their success will hinge on the performances of Patrice Evra.
