Manchester United’s surprise transfer could be Erik ten Hag’s dressing room wild card

Erik ten Hag has to find a way to calm the chaos at Man Utd, which is why he made a surprise summer signing.

For those who like to bet on Manchester United games, the odds of the Reds’ central-back duo ending Sunday’s defeat to Arsenal will be high.

It is United’s current bad luck, with Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw sidelined, the departures of Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof leaving Erik ten Hag with no choice but to call on the ministry’s services. The pair played together last time. 5 years ago in Leicester. In addition, one of them was a veteran of King Power Stadium.

The arrival of Jonny Evans alongside Harry Maguire is a sign of a tumultuous period at Old Trafford. The Northern Irishman was an excellent serviceman for United under Sir Alex Ferguson and later the Foxes.

It was a shock when Ten Hag signed Evans before the season, and perhaps even more so when he extended that contract for the whole season on the final day.

Ten Hag would be grateful to have at least one experienced player on the bench when disaster strikes at the Emirates, but the coach will have more than just him in mind when asking Evans signed on the bench. dotted line.

The defender is remembered by many for his debut with United, where he won three Premier League titles, one Champions League and two League Cups. And since he left the club, less favored by Louis van Gaal, a lot has changed.

There have been six leadership changes, with permanent, executive and interim positions filled. The constant rotation of coaches since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure has led to a struggle to forge an identity in the dressing room, with some of the more experienced Premier League pundits leaving the dressing room.

This is one of the main reasons why Ten Hag chose to bring him back. And with over 400 professional appearances in English football, it’s no surprise that the addition of a character like Evans is so beneficial.

This signing can be viewed on the same level as Tom Heaton as Evans is said to look more like a dressing room figure than Premier League minutes.

Maguire and Evans faced criticism on Sunday, with a partnership that flourished in 2018 when they played together at Leicester. Roy Keane was among the critics, noting that he “left the club about five years ago because he was not wanted”.

The signing’s goal was not the one expected of a defender who would play every game, in fifth-choice centre-back. But amid a growing list of injuries, Ten Hag was forced to bring in the 35-year-old defender, which ultimately proved costly, which could allow more focus on the transfer strategy that has taken place.

Nonetheless, having signed Evans, who was able to find success at the Red Devils previously, will undoubtedly be an important player more so at Carrington rather than Old Trafford.

With the centre-back having the expectations from his previous time at the club, he will look to encourage a standard of what it takes to play for Manchester United.

And with Jonny Evans having experience of being a leader at both West Brom and Leicester, there is no doubt that he will be a respected player in the dressing room for the younger United players.