Man Utd star's head 'scrambled' by bizarre Ten Hag decision
Tom Weber
- Updated: 14 Nov 2023 10:18 GMT
- 3 min read
Rio Ferdinand believes that Erik ten Hag's decision to drop Raphael Varane for Jonny Evans will have left the Frenchman perplexed.
In recent weeks, Manchester United's backline has looked rather interesting. With Varane yet again injured and Lisandro Martinez still nursing the foot problem that required two surgeries, Evans, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have become mainstays in Ten Hag's defence.
The latter two looked on their way out of Old Trafford at various stages last season, while Evans was initially only brought back to the club in pre-season on a short-term deal that was eventually upgraded to a one-year contract. None of these players were expected to play starring roles this term, but circumstances and the inability of Man Utd to add upgrades in the summer have left Ten Hag with little choice but to rely on them.
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35-year-old Evans has been a particularly surprising face in Man Utd's starting lineups given that he has admitted that he was considering retirement in the summer. The Northern Irishman has featured in eight games so far this season, starting over Varane against Fulham and Copenhagen in recent fixtures, while the French World Cup winner was also left on the bench for the weekend's win over Luton.
What did Ferdinand say?
In light of this, Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Varane's head must be scrambled at seeing the likes of Evans and Lindelof starting over him. "We don’t know," Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. "If he’s on the bench, you think he must be fit."
"In my mind, when you’re on the bench you can play – because you could have to come on in the first minute if someone gets injured. So if you’re fit enough to travel and get on the bench, you’re fit [to play]. So I don’t know what the reason is."
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"But I know that Varane is waking up and his head has got scramblers going off it in, because he’s thinking: 'I’ve banged out five Champions League medals, I’ve played an integral part in all of those, I’ve played with the best players in the world, I’ve come to Man United and Jonny Evans is starting in front of me!'"
"No disrespect. Regardless of what Evans has done, there is no way Jonny Evans was ever in Varane’s mind. He would never have been thinking about Jonny Evans."
