Manchester United legend Patrice Evra was widely optimistic in a recent talk with Bet Fair. The Frenchman, who famously plied his trade at left back, backed the manager Erik Ten Hag in exclusive words supplied to Vavel, as he believes he's seeing more and more similarities to the glory days of old.

Within the interview, Evra discussed the DNA of his former club; the importance of Christian Eriksen and mentioned the arrival of faces old and new.

  • United are slowly getting back to their old selves

Patrice Evra's United career was incredibly successful. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Evra managed to win five Premier League titles, three league cups, four FA Community Shields, and one UEFA Champions League. He knows what a golden era looks like - so it's big praise for him to put that label on this re-developing United side, which looks to be heading in the right direction.

"I'm pleased. I'm happy for all the United fans and for all the players, but I'm most happy for Ten Hag because I think while he won't want to take any credit, that man deserves silverware in his first season.

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"The club needs that, this is the culture, this is the DNA of Man United, winning silverware every season. You know in Ferguson's time we would start the season thinking of winning four trophies every year. That was the goal every year.

"Winning trophies is in United's DNA. So, that's why for me to see them back, I'm pleased because I feel like the club is back where it belongs.

"It doesn't matter if it's the League Cup or FA Cup, we need silverware because that's what United were used to doing for so many years."

For Evra, the key is to get players that want to win involved. This isn't achieved overnight, obviously, yet the man with 273 league appearances for United thinks the new group can learn the old ways.

"It's been a long time that we haven't won a trophy and there are a lot of players that are new to this club and it's really important for them to taste the silverware because when you taste it you want it more.

"Like we say in France: 'ton appetit!' You want to eat more and that's why I think those players deserve the silverware but also Ten Hag will have more credit with his players because they will follow him because he's leading them to trophies."

  • Mixing dreams and reality

Although Evra is a dreamer at heart, he carries an element of reality as United set their sights on new silverware. He reflected on his own experiences as he looked at what could be the next addition to Old Trafford's trophy room.

"(The trophies) That's why I signed for United and that's why I want players to sign for United. Not for the fame, not for the money, but for having that culture of winning trophies.

"Players would sign for Manchester City or Liverpool because they knew they were going to win a trophy, the Champions League or the Premier League. This was what it was like for United back in the day and I just feel like now, step by step we're closing the gap. We're not there yet but if we win I can say it's one step forward and then what's the next trophy?"

"Maybe the next trophy will be the FA Cup after the FA Cup, maybe it will be the Premier League, but we need to start at some point because don't forget Van Gaal won the FA Cup but after he didn't build on that. Mourinho won the Europa League but he didn't build on it. I think Ten Hag will keep United carrying on. In Ten Hag we trust, but we do need to give him time too.

"I don't want to put any pressure on them because I'm really satisfied with the discipline and what I see from United at the moment."

In contrast to the previous segment's element of hope, the recent injury to Christian Eriksen has been a real downer on some top displays of late. Ten Hag's men are going to have to build around the Dane's absence. 

"I've been impressed with Eriksen. When he was still playing for Tottenham I remember he was a player who Ferguson liked so much.

"His cleverness, his technique is just amazing and of course we can't talk about Eriksen without thinking about what happened in the Euros, I thought that would be the end of his career.

"Ending his contract with Inter and coming back in in the Premier League with Brentford and then he comes and plays for Man United at this level, I think we should give him so much credit."

"His injury is a massive blow for United because when I watch United the two creative players are Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes.

"It's definitely going to be tough for United, especially when they want to be in possession of the ball."

  • Faces old and new: Sancho and Sabitzer

Although losing Eriksen is a big blow, it could be combatted with the news of Jadon Sancho returning to the side. It could also be a great opportunity for new signing Marcel Sabitzer. Joining from Bayern on loan, the midfielder became the first Austrian to represent the club when he played against Crystal Palace. Evra had his say on the ex-Leipzig man.

"Marcel Sabitzer's work rate is quite impressive, he's got stamina and what I love about this player, he scores goals from outside of the box.

"He scored some great goals for Leipzig, and of course he's had less playing time at Bayern Munich and that's why we've got him but I'm sure Ten Hag will have studied the player, he'll know the player and sometimes those players need to rebound.

"So, for him to have an opportunity to rebound at a club like United, it's amazing. I don't know if the transfer was accelerated due to the injury of Eriksen, but he's a quality player."

  • "Where's Sancho?"

As mentioned earlier, Jadon Sancho has recently returned to the squad. After a time away from the Premier League to reapply himself, Ten Hag now feels the winger is ready to come back into the fold. 

"It's been quite weird because we feel like Jadon Sancho was out through injury, but it wasn't an injury. I feel the love for him, and the people are so pleased he's coming back. But he's coming back because Ten Hag wanted more discipline for him.

"So credit to him and credit to Ten Hag for putting him back on the right track and that shows you again the work that he's doing. I'm not joking, at one point I was like, ‘did we send Jadon Sancho on loan?’ Instead of Where's Wally I was playing Where's Sancho!"

"I think Ten Hag wasn't happy with where he was at, it shows you again that discipline is important for him and he won't give anyone a free pass, if you're not fit and if he has to drop you for a month, he will do it.

"But again with Sancho, the new signing, Martial - everything I'm seeing right now at United makes me feel positive and gives me hope because we need a big squad and I hope those players will realise we need them, we need the squad."

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