Jonny Evans was not meant to be here. Manchester United spent £175 million on signings this summer and the veteran defender was not part of the plans. Yet, when his perfect ball over the top of the Burnley backline allowed Bruno Fernandes to volley home, everything seemed made to measure.
United required only two perfect touches to send Burnley to their third defeat of the season — and few would have expected a 35-year-old free agent to have provided one of them. Evans’ pass from a holding midfield position was inch-perfect and Fernandes’ strike was equally sumptuous, leaving ‘keeper James Trafford with no chance.
Erik ten Hag knew United’s first victory in four matches was a must and the fact that Evans has been involved in the first step of them steadying the ship surprised many.
Having been a United player from 2006 to 2015, Evans was only back at the club this summer to keep fit while looking for somewhere new after leaving Leicester City. The centre-back ended up staying to make up the numbers for pre-season and a plethora of injuries meant he started his 200th game for the club and the first for eight years.
“That was my 200th game for Man United, I never thought I would ever reach that figure — the best night of my life,” admitted Evans, who might even have managed a goal himself had Rasmus Hojlund not been offside when blocking the ‘keeper’s view of the defender’s header.
“I loved every minute of it. Before the game you get a feeling, I couldn’t wait, just pure excitement. Coming up here on the bus I was buzzing.”
“I wasn’t consciously thinking I would sign [after getting the first call]. When you get to a certain age you start to wind down your career. I got the call and didn’t have another option, so I just took it and tried to do my best in training and take my chance. You then just hope your body sees you through.
“It was never a thought that I would come in and be a starter, I was told that my role would be to provide competition and that is how I have approached it. With a few injuries I then had the chance to start.”
'Evans has a good skill-set'
Evans being around United may prove to be a blessing in disguise. When all of the club’s defenders are fit and available, the 35-year-old would not be in starting XI. Nevertheless Evans’ vast Premier League experience could benefit United and some of his team-mates who are still yet to get to grips with the demands at the much-scrutinised club.
“We have problems and in this moment a lot is against us: injuries, decisions and we have all seen the examples,” Ten Hag said. “We are very happy to have a player like Jonny Evans in the squad.
“He comes in and he is calm, composed, he has character and a good skill-set. Even when you have things against you, you can bounce back and then you have the character in the team to do that.
“In the summer, I heard he was in to train with the under-23s, I said ‘Fletch [technical director Darren Fletcher], come bring him in with the first team. Maybe he can help us’.
“I already saw in pre-season with the schedule, the problems with the numbers in the squad. We decided to sign him because I think he can really contribute and we’ve seen how massively important he can be.”
In truth, the goal on the cusp of half time was United’s only real threat at the Burnley goal. Rather the home team were more dominant. Yet, United simply needed the three points to quieten some of the noise that has engulfed the club in recent weeks.
“We are playing for Man United,” said Diogo Dalot. “We have to be consistent in every game because they will kill you in every direction that they can if you don’t win games.
“And you could see this last couple of weeks, it was another normal killing machine against us, but we fought hard. When we get into Carrington, the noise stays outside and we work hard. And I think we were rewarded with these three points, but we want to keep going.”
A lot of the issues that Ten Hag has had to contend with are not going to go away quickly but the sight of Raphael Varane, out injured for a month, and Sofyan Amrabat, signed in the summer but also out injured, coming off the bench were further positives for the United manager to take.
'Everyone can see the positives we can take'
Meanwhile, Burnley were left to rue another game they put a lot into but took little from. If only Vincent Kompany had a striker to finish the intricate passing moves his team create then they would have more than a solitary point to their name.
Burnley had the youngest average age in the league this season, including the promising Aaron Ramsey and Luca Koleosho, and they will hope results start to mirror their enterprising displays.
“We didn’t come out with three points, but I think that everyone can see a lot of positives that we can take from that, that we can take into the next game,” the 20-year-old Ramsey said after making his first Premier League start.
“Hopefully the three points come soon but in the changing room all of us are taking as many positives as we can from it — and there’s quite a few. It’s Manchester United and I think that we more than competed and hopefully next time we get the three points.”
