Manchester Unitedai??i??s Corner: Carrick, Evans, De Gea ai??i?? Sacrificial Lambs turn tenacious ferret

Itai??i??s famously said ai???every dog has its dayai??? and ai???one swallowAi??doesn’tAi??make a summerai???, but when the exception becomes the norm its time possibly to re-inspect and perhaps challenge these standards.

Manchester United more often than not get the job done, sometimes through hard work and grind, while more often than not their swagger is too much for the opposition. Critics might argue that in the last season and a half or so the trend has been reversed somewhat. But thatai??i??s another discussion all together and a can of worms best left for another day. Nevertheless, on those rare occasions when the Red Devils donai??i??t really fire on all cylinders the media and even the fans look for candidates to hand in the pink slip. With passing time their mistakes get magnified and contribution tainted with blame, at times the criticism is warranted but quite a few times unmerited.

Everyone loves a scapegoat – one who bears the brunt of the fan ire and the burden of media ridicule as the albatross around the neck is hung. It takes years of hard work to win the fan adulation conversely even naA?vety, sheer bad luck and a run of bad form could mark a player down as the perennial black sheep in the herd.

But what happens when the perpetual sacrificial lamb turns the table and becomes the irreplaceable leader of the pack? Well, itai??i??s time to give the players their well deserved due and hold up our hands and say we got it wrong. Darron Gibson didnai??i??t quite get to prove his critics wrong and perhaps thatai??i??s the best for all the parties concerned. Gibbo, now that he is not a United player can rejoin the ai???twitteratiai??? with little or no fear of abuse, certainly not from United fans after his match winning strike against City while playing for the Toffees.

Yet, there are those who in the recent past have finally recaptured the adulation of the masses and the classes alike while some are well and truly on their way to remedying a trailing cause.

Michael Carrick ai??i?? The Quintessential Unsung Hero

While there were times a couple of seasons ago when Carrick had lost his mojo and looked quite ordinary at times, the amount of criticism directed his way was indeed unjustified and easily well over the top. The Englishmen was portrayed as the single and sole reason for Unitedai??i??s frailties in the centre of the park, with media eyeing an easy target as Carrickai??i??s form hit a rare trough in his six-year United career till date. Fans were vying for blood as his passing abilities were discussed, dissected and ridiculed in forums and media outlets et al.

Carrick(c)newhamrecorder.co.uk — Carrick - Proving a point!

For a period of six months or so, Carrick was admittedly nowhere near his best and his place in the starting XI was in major doubt. But those calls for Fergie to get rid of the Englishman were outrageous to say the least and in hindsight appear laughable at best. Now a year or so down the line Carrick stands as arguably the only player in the whole squad without an equal, not primarily in terms of ability but more significantly to the balance of the starting XI.

Carrick, when fit, has to be the first name on the team sheet for the games that matter. With United being deprived of the services of Darren Fletcher ai??i??a player who could perform a similar-ish role, Carrickai??i??s worth cannot be quantified in words. At the moment Michael Carrick is the balancing wheel driving the United bus forwards. A candidate surely for Man United’s player of the season.

Jonny Evans – Rising Up To The Challenge

Evans’ topsy turvy United career has already seen seismic fluctuations even though the Northern Ireland Center Back is merely 24 years of age. From the dazzling heights of being regarded as one of the best young Center back prospects in the country to being questioned about his future at Old Trafford, Evans has had quite a ride. Back in 2008-09 United were fighting off a resurgent Liverpool for the coveted 18th title and the bed rock of the title defence was an amazing 13 game clean sheet run in the league. Young Jonny Evans was very much an integral part of that perfect defensive unit.

However with Rio and Vidic still ahead in the pecking order and the acquisition of Chris Smalling meant that Evans had to bid his time and wait for his opportunities. A poor run of form coincided with a similarly unfortunate luck with injuries and Evans had lost a bit of confidence and that was evident for one and all to see. With the fans on his back, the presence of the likes of Rio, Vidic, Smalling and the young and exciting Phil Jones looming large Evans suddenly found himself at the back of the queue, a queue he must have once thought he had traversed to the top.

Evans(c)stretford-end.com — Evans - Back to his best!

With the unfortunate injury to Nemanja Vidic ruling him out for the season and Rioai??i??s continued flirtation with the physio room, Evansai??i?? chance for redemption came sooner than he must have anticipated. Itai??i??s fair to say after that moment of imprudence in whatai??i??s came to be referred as the demolition derby, Evans hasnai??i??t put a foot wrong.

The Jonny Evans of today plays with confidence reminiscent of a young Rio Ferdinand, bringing the ball forward from the back with Ai??lan and most importantly removing the errors from his game that had gifted opposition front men their moment in the sun.

Evans who had gotten a tendency to get bullied by strong, physical center forwards is once again going toe to toe with the best in the business like he used to almost 3 seasons ago when a young Jonny Evans completely neutralized the burly Didier Drogba. For the moment Evans is well on the path towards fulfilling his potential which once seemed would go unexploited.

David De Gea ai??i?? Not A Finished Article, But Potentially World Class

Letai??i??s get one thing right from the onset if anyone imagined, thought or even hoped that a 21-year-old Spaniard would seamlessly fill the void created by the retirement of the 40-year-old veteran Flying Dutchman, then perhaps the starting point of the debate is futile. The De Gea media witch hunt has been really cringe-worthy and highly unfair on the former Athletico Madrid man.

There has been so much written and said about him in the press from the doughnut stories to his contacts, that football had almost taken a back seat. From experts questioning his long-range shot stopping prowess based on a mere stat to just about everyone counting him down for the fight, the bearded Spaniard has risen and thrown a few punches back of his own in the last couple of games.

De Gea(c)mufcfollowers.blogspot.com — De Gea - The Flying Spaniard?

After the horrible display at Anfield, De Geaai??i??s confidence must have reached the nadir and possibly his grip on the United number gone for the foreseeable future. However, Lindegaard suffered an injury and was ruled out. Little did we know that will eventually turn into a blessing in disguise for De Gea and even Man United. The double saves off Juan Mata and Gary Cahill in the dying minutes of the game at the Bridge could perhaps turn out to be the making of De Gea, those saves earned United a well-earned point.

Since then, De Gea has made at least one match winning saving save per game and the performance last weekend against Norwich was his best yet. DDG has looked much assured while collecting or punching balls in the area and although he is far from the finished article yet there is once again a wave of optimism surrounding his name in United circles.

Confidence indeed makes a world of difference to a man it seems. De Gea has been visibly more commanding and there could possibly be signs of the Spaniard overcoming the language barrier. Nevertheless, the timeai??i??s surely on his side and even though he is not perfect, the flawed genius that De Gea is at the moment makes for a spectacular viewing, for now all that can be said is well begun is only half done.

Manchester Unitedai??i??s Corner: Carrick, Evans, De Gea ai??i?? Sacrificial Lambs Turn Tenacious Ferret

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