Luckily it was all uphill from there or downhill as the idiom goes

He was probably smoking marijuana but the Englishman had many other excuses. Ultimately he had to serve the full term of the ban and missed all of Euro 2004 and disappointed many United fans. In truth, much of Ferdinand's best years were at Leeds United when he was younger and played with a little more abandon. To be fair, when he arrived at Old Trafford, he filled a much needed gap in central defense vacated by Jaap Staam in 1999.But, like a former English teammate of his, perhaps fame went to his head which contributed to some complacency in the trophy-less seasons which followed.Regardless, Ferdinand has generally always been considered a top ten defender in the world throughout his career, despite being a bit wonkish.. Patty Evra joined United in January 2006 from AS Monaco, with whom he featured in the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final.As the legend goes, upon arriving in Manchester, Evra asked Gary Neville where the nearest church was so he could "thank God he is playing for Manchester United."His first game with the club, however, was his worst game In fact, he looked quite ridiculous.

Luckily, it was all uphill from there (or downhill, as the idiom goes). Prior to the Frenchman's arrival, United started the decade with Dennis Irwin at left-back as his career twinkled away. Phil Neville and Mikael Silvestre each had ample opportunity throughout the first half of the decade to make the position their own; each failed. In 2004, United signed Gabriel Heinze, a natural left-back, from PSG He became a fan favorite. However, Alex Ferguson wasn't satisfied with Heinze's attacking abilities, and, in January 2006, signed Evra.Evra, despite his ragtag, 45-minute debut against Man City, is still a vital, underrated part of United's Championship side He is susceptible in the air, but only against Kevin Davies He also has a tendency to get beat by Aaron Lennon.

Otherwise, he is very willing to get stuck in and tackle tough, while having the pace and skill of a winger going forward.He has become United's most effective and consistent attacker heading into the next decade, rarely finding equal among the opposition, always displaying a great engine and love for the badge.It's no coincidence United broke their title drought after both Evra and a certain "monster" arrived.. Nemanja Vidic transformed Manchester United as a football club when he arrived in January, 2006 with left-back Patty Evra.Sir Alex Ferguson had long sought for a suitable partner for Rio Ferdinand without avail. Wes Brown, O'Shea, Johnsen, and Silvestre were often employed without great effect. Vidic arrived and the rest is history.Three straight Premier League crowns and a European Cup later, the Serbian nicknamed "Monster" is the best central defender in the world.In the air, Vida is absurdly dominant.