Source: Manchester_EveningNews
Evans: United finding form
IT has taken a while - but Jonny Evans believes the real United are finally ready to show their teeth. Unconvincing wins against Birmingham and Arsenal were accompanied by a stunning defeat to newly-promoted Burnley. But at White Hart Lane last Saturday, United finally looked like the side that is going for a record fourth successive Premier League crown - ending Tottenham's 100 per cent start to the season. That it was done even though Paul Scholes was sent off in the second half only added to arguably United's most impressive performance since their Champions League second leg victory over Arsenal last season. Evans watched from the bench in North London as his team-mates fought back from the blow of going 1-0 down to a Jermain Defoe overhead kick in the first minute to win 3-1. And the Northern Ireland international, who is on standby for Sunday's derby in case Rio Ferdinand fails to return to fitness, believes it was a warning to Mark Hughes' City and anyone else who believes they can take United's title. "City have had a great start, but our performance at Spurs last weekend was outstanding," said Evans. "The lads did brilliantly to come back from losing an early goal and also cope with being down to 10 men when Scholesy got sent off. "I watched from the bench and it's one of the best performances I've seen from us in a long time." Evans is still very much back up to Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic - but given the injury concerns of United's first choice central defensive partnership, he has found opportunities come thick and fast over the past 12 months, including four starts already this season. "I feel very settled among the first team squad now," he said. "I also felt very much part of it last season, but it was kind of a new thing for me." Rio and Vidic are two of the top centre-backs in the world and I'm learning a lot from them. "Wes Brown and myself have got a fight on our hands to get into the team, but I still think both of us will play a lot throughout the season." What is your derby day prediction? Have your say.
