PATRICE EVRA HAS defended Manchester United’s style of play under Jose Mourinho, insisting “this is not the circus”.
The Marseille star returned to Old Trafford, where he played for eight-and-a-half years, for Michael Carrick’s testimonial on Sunday.
Evra, a Champions League winner with United in 2008, spoke of his continuing love for the club after the match and insisted critics should not be too negative about their current team.
Mourinho led United to the Europa League, sealing a return to the Champions League, as well as the EFL Cup in his first season as manager, but still saw his side’s style questioned as they slumped to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League.
“This year they qualified for the Champions League and some people said they did not play good football, but we are not in the circus,” Evra said to MUTV.
“They have been criticised a lot. A lot of people are jealous about Man United so they just keep criticising, even when they win.
“If you want to enjoy football then, yes 2008 was great and different, but people have to forget that and concentrate on this current Manchester United team. That would be my message to the United fans.
“I always say, this is my home and I feel that way. Thanks to all the fans they are all amazing.
“For me it’s just a dream. Like I say I love Man United and I will always love Man United. It is not a fake love.
“We need to be behind Man United always when they win or lose. If you love Man United you should never criticise them, you need to support them. When a player has a bad game, the fans never boo him.”
Evra, 36, heaped praise on Carrick, who is one year his junior and remains a key part of United’s plans.
He also insisted he had no plans to stop playing himself and discussed what it was like to be managed by Alex Ferguson again in the testimonial clash, in which the United 2008 XI drew 2-2 with an All-Stars side.
“I think Michael Carrick is still an important player for Manchester United,” said Evra.
“I remember this season, whenever he was playing, he was always positive. Age is just a number. I hope he will play many more years.
“He will have to keep playing, like me! I still have 24 brothers and sisters to feed, so I can’t stop, I have to run!
“It is amazing to be back, thank you to Michael Carrick for inviting us. We should say thanks to God to have a happy moment like this.
“The manager told us before the game that this team is full of good men, good personalities. (He told us) “I want to say thank you to all of you, but the best thing is you are great human beings and good men and that’s the most important thing.”"
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When Joe Schmidt picked Boss ahead of Reddan or vice versa there seemed to be a strategy or reasoning behind it, and the players could understand it, get behind the idea knew that they would get 20 minutes and keep their form.
When MOC picks Gopperth or Madigan there doesn’t seem to be a strategy or reasoning behind the decision, it seems to just unsettle both players as a result neither player is playing well to the detriment of the team.
I think MOC wants to play Madigan, just his performances prove he can’t be trusted.
I am a huge fan of Madigan but he is a confidence player and I don’t think fighting for his position this year helped him.
But he had to fight against Sexton too and that did him a world of good.
Jackson roasted Madigan two weeks ago in Ravenhill
Silly statement really he may have had a slightly better performance, but neither had a good game, don’t think Jackson will be happy with some of his kicking out of hand on the day or his role in the Leinster try, so it’s unfair to say he roasted Madigan, both players were not at their best that day.
Kieran, the article is about Madigan, focus please.
I’d say Jackson got roasted by Jennings
Let’s call a spade a spade, they were both very average. Last week.
On form, Madigan should not be going to Argentina in June. The form 10′s in Ireland are Keatley and Jackson – as understudies to Sexton. Pick him at 12 or leave him out. I don’t buy “form is temporary, class is permanent”. This time last year he was a no brainer for Ireland and was justified as Ireland’s No. 2 out half on the US tour. He was even a potential Lions bolted. But now, on form, he should not be selected for Ireland this summer.
Perhaps your right, but the question is why has the player gone from possible Lions bolter to you being justified in saying he does not deserve a place on the Argentinian tour ?
My own view of it is shared by others on here, MOC is making a dogs dinner of player management at 10. Both players are effected negatively by it. I had the pleasure of a conversation with MOC at the beginning of the season, MOC perhaps had 2 months with Leinster at the time, this was even before friendlies kicked off, his comment on Madigan still strikes me as odd. When the subject of Madigan came up, his comment was that the lad sure is confident enough to play 10. Its clear to me that, even at this early stage MOC had put Madigan in the cocky young fella bracket, while Gopperth was the real deal, sure, steady and experienced. This is how its panned out, MOC never really put a lot of confidence in Madigan, the irony is his lack of confidence is wreaking both players game. Also the IRFU’s silly policies applied without context have to take some blame, Madigan did what he could on the summer tour to the USA, taking ownership of the 10 jersey. His reward, an IRFU player rest policy that saw him return to Leinster action 2 games before H-Cup KO. He got 1 real game against Munster, did ok, but could you expect much more ? Then got dropped and then Gopperth played in 2 to 3 winning H-Cup games. I IRFU pulled the rug from under him, his momentum and handed Gopperth the jersey on a plate. Now, player management has its place, Darcy’s BOD’S AND poc’S need rest, but does a 23 or 24 young fella who is flying need it. If Joe S was still at Leinster, Madigan would be flying. This ones down to the IRFU and MOC, its not always the players fault.
The subject of Madigan and the Argentinian tour has been raised as has MOC suitability to coach Leinster. I have two comments,
The 1st, I wont be surprised if Madigan is selected to tour with Jackson, but without Sexton. Joe S did not blood / develop as much players as he wanted to during the 6N as the chance to win it materialised. He will look to develop players on the tour, perhaps at the cost of winning. Joe S is a fan of Madigans, and It is not the 1st time and Irish coach has plucked a struggling 10 from his province and built him back up again. I’m no fan of DK, but he did pluck a grumpy and disillusioned Sexton form Leinster and Play him for Ireland in November internationals. If Joe thinks Madigan has it, Madigan has it.
The 2nd , MOC needs a backs coach at Leinster, he needs to look no further than Garvin Dempsey who’s A team are still playing total rugby.
Matt O’Connor should be moved on at the end of the season as he has not produced anything positive in his time with leinster. Madigan’s natural football ability is better than all current Irish 10′s including Sexton(hence why he is the only one who can play out of position). When you have someone with such raw ability you look after it and guide them to use their abilities better-MOC’s conservative rugby is choking both him and Leinster. Joe will give Madigan back his freedom and confidence this summer and hopefully he will come back with restored confidence to a new coach in Leinster who can actually utilise his and the teams abilities.
Madigans an undoubted talent but as clearly a “confidence” player who unless he pulls his finger out will struggle. At the moment he is realistically 4th choice for ireland…lets hope it just a slump.
I’m a Leinster fan myself and there’s not a chance in the world I’d pick him for Ireland right now. Keatley is undoubtedly second choice behind Sexton and Jackson isn’t far behind. Madigan is so out of form that JJ is looking a decent bet to overtake him in the Irish flyhalf rankings.
Madigan is in an odd position now where he’s probably higher in the inside centre and fullback rankings for Ireland than the outhalf rankings. He’ll most likely travel to Argentina as a utility sub, cover 10, 12, and 15 from the bench. Can’t see him starting, unless he pulls out a couple of ridiculous performances in the next 1 or 2 games.
Matt O Conor doesn’t like how Leinster play as in fast play out the back line , that’s why gopperth plays it’s because he is more of a kicking out half , go back to the Leinster way and use the back line !
To be fair to Matt O’Connor, Penney has rotated Keatley and JJ all year and it seems to have driven them both to better performances. Keatley in particular is a changed man with JJ breathing down his neck. There are plenty other examples of dualing out halfs working. I think the problem has much to do with the current system not suiting him, as a result the performances have suffered, as a result losing confidence, as a result worse performances….
Agreed. Jackson has ihumph coming in to drive his performances, which worked well before but is no guarantee. It remains to be seen if MOC and Gopperth can develop Madigans game. If MOC prefers Gopperth would Madigan be better alternating with Jackson at provincial level to improve his form? Is this not the brief of the performance director?
Simply bringing in a second player to drive the other is not the answer in itself, both players need to be man managed, they need to understand what the coach values in them, and why he may go for the other player for a certain game. Confidence is a must at 10. In Leinster Boss always knew he was picked for the more physical, cagey away games, Reddan knew he was valued for facilitating a fast paced attacking game where sharp decisions and quick delivery was valued. Each player had a role and understood it in the context of match day tactics. Is the same true of Madigan and Gopperth ? what are the strengths that are being leveraged in either player ? I’ve been to every Leinster game this season, and 3 h-cup away games including Toulon, I for the life of me can see no logic or pattern to either Gopperths or Madigans selection. What’s the Logic in playing Madigan for 72 mins against Munster a week before the Toulon game, and only giving Gopperth 8 mins when he had already not played for 2 to 3 weeks. Gopperth went up against Toulon, who lost 2 players to France during the 6N with 8 mins of rugby under his belt in a month. Based on that, and Madigans selection against Munster and Ireland performance, Madigan was the only choice to play Toulon. The only choice dictated by the coaches own decision not to play Gopperth against Munster. No logic. If a coach wont set each player up for success, is it the players or coaches fault. Again, I’m saying this one is down to MOC.
That’s different, Keatley is Munster no.1 10. Penny rotates them but JJ is the understudy. Whereas at Leinster neither of the 10′s know where they stand. I think Gopperth is MOC’s choice. I think he signed him and in his mind Gopperth is his starting 10. He hasn’t made it public and if he had both players could understand their roles and work from there. But there has been no actual decision made which has resulted in constant uncertainty and I think Madigan has gone backwards from it.
Joe Schmidt signed Gopperth not MOC. I reckon he signed him as back up to Madigan.
I don’t think so, I think Joe Schmidt becoming Ireland coach was planned out long before it was announced and I think MOC did bring Gopperth in, think it was one of the agreements in MOC coming in. It all happened to quickly and seamlessly he knew him through the premiership and he’s clearly his unofficial 1st choice was at the beginning of the year and now.
hiI agree with larla O’Domhnail. Gopperth is a good out-half, but not European competition level there is absolutely no X-factor to his game. A ten must be able to control the game when in possession and steer his players/rest his forwards.The best part of Gopperth’s game is his kicking and his decision making is suspect at best, a very dull out-half. Madigan, needs game time to develop the ‘control element’ of his game and has the ability to play high risk rugby on the gain line as well as the footwork to make a break in the defensive line or the passing skills to get the ball into space.He defends well, a prerequisite for a 10 these days. He actually plays the exciting rugby like Carlos Spencer did and Leinster could do worse than bring in Spencer, who is available, as backs coach to help him along. O’Connor has not helped Madigan’s confidence and brought in his own choice 10 who deflated the ‘total rugby’ Leinster was playing. A terrible waste of an exciting talent who needs game time, Madigan might consider moving camp ..to Connacht ?…. if O’Connor is not dumped as poor choice coach for Leinster’s style of rugby.
O’Conno has done a terrible job of getting the best out of him .
He’s behind Jackson and keatly now he hasn’t progressed into a 10 that can control a game.
Madrigal wouldn’t make the bench in Munster or ulster
INSIDE CENTRE.
Absolute bollox, Madigan is mediocre! Jackson, Keatley and Hanrahan would run rings around him if they were given more opportunities, the person who wrote this obviously only watches Leinster games
If.
Madigan has not risen to the Gopperth challenge, and has not developed as a player. Paddy Jackson is Ireland No: 2 now, and I think Madigan should leave Leinster if he wants to improve!
Was he not rotated with sexton last year and Kearney was injured so was covering fullback too. His confidence as dipped sure even BOD’s dipped for a while and he came back a different player!
Madigan is completely over rated will be found out very soon/ man wont have a hope of making future Irish squads. Forget about Sexton / Jackson or Madigan. JJ Hanrahan is the man. Sexton will be lucky to hold off JJ in the coming years.
When jj is ahead of Ireland’s 4th choice ( on six nation selection) keatley then maybe sexton might have to worry about him. Until then I think sextons jersey is safe enough.
Jury is still out on JJ, but I maintain Madigan is this generation’s Paddy Wallace. At the age of 30, it’ll dawn on the coaches he should’ve been a 12 all this time…
Keatley for Ireland
If the coaches job is to develop the talent has his coach performed this year?
Angryigan is a great player
“This isn’t a Sexton/O’Gara or Humphreys/O’Gara situation where rivals are pushing each other to a new level; in fact, it appears to be damaging both men.”
Neither are close to the quality of what has gone before. Gopberth has been a more consistent performer and hence he starts games. Madigan is fine when his team are going forward but has no game management and is not the best passer in the country.
You have two fine outhalfs who are misfiring, MOC has handled them wrong neither is playing well, they both look like they are trying to play by the numbers. Jimmy is far more then a kicking outhalf and Madigan is not just a running out half. The template should be how Boss and Reddan were used last season. Instead one or the other sits on the bench for a month.
A note of caution if they keep playing him all around the backline they will end up with another James Hook. A handy fullback instead of the world class outhalf he could have been.
Ireland’s answer to Carlos spencer…rubbish statement
Not sure how Moc can be blamed for Madigans form.Madigan has gotten his chances but Gooperth has been better.Madigans kicking percentages meant that in big game’s Gooperth has been selected.
We lost Johnny one year too early, for Madigan, for a H.cup and a Slam.
Munster probably could have done with a kicking coach/.
If Madigan, Jimmy and Matt hit some form Leinster will be there again.
Why do munster need a kicking coach? Look at the OH’s % for the season….
Er, jj just won the golden boot?
While only playing half the time….