Manchester United legend Patrice Evra has launched a stunning attack on his former club in an emotional 20-minute monologue posted on his Instagram account.
In the devastatingly honest social media clip, the Frenchman takes aim at Ed Woodward, chief transfer negotiator Matt Judge and former team-mates ‘too scared to speak up’.
Evra’s plea for the club’s hierarchy to ‘stop being so arrogant’ comes just days after United began their Premier League campaign with a woeful 3-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace.
Patrice Evra has launched a stunning attack on his old club Manchester United on Instagram
Now 39, Evra has gained a reputation for his bizarre, cheerful social media posts but this time around he begins his lengthy monologue by apologising and explaining that he cannot be happy because he is ‘sad, tired and hurt’ by United.
One of the main targets of his rant is chief executive Ed Woodward, who he claims trusts people that he shouldn’t.
‘If I have a problem with Ed Woodward, I won’t talk on social media,’ Evra said. ‘I will just call him or meet him face-to-face about what I think about something.
‘The only problem I would say to Ed is trusting people he should never trust. He even trusts people outside the club that he shouldn’t. That’s what I can say about Ed.
‘Before us, Bobby Charlton, George Best, they make the history of the club. All those people they make the history of the club and we try to respect it, ’99 and us ’08. Just some people they want to blow all this legacy away. For what? Business?’
Transfer negotiator Judge was next in the firing line, as former left back Evra claimed he has had sporting directors of other clubs phone him to pass on a message to the unreachable United chief.
Ed Woodward is one of the main figures Evra takes aim at in his emotional social media clip
Evra also claims that transfer guru Matt Judge (behind Woodward) doesn’t answer his phone
‘When we want a player and they cost say £20m, we end up trying to buy him for £100m. Now those players don’t even want our money anymore,’ Evra said.
‘A sporting director from a top football club called me and asked me to tell Matthew Judge to answer his phone.
‘The club needs to stop being so arrogant. There are certain people at the club right now that don’t even respect Sir Alex Ferguson.’
He also hit out at the club’s general transfer policy, bemoaning the use of lawyers over negotiators with a better football knowledge.
‘People need to understand we [United] send lawyers to talk to players. So when we send lawyers they talk about numbers, they are not people from the football world.
Evra is renowned for cheerful Instagram posts but this one was significantly more downbeat
Evra was in hot water with Sky Sports at the weekend after claims made about Wilfried Zaha
‘At the time, Fergie, David Gill time, we didn’t hear anything in the paper, but Van Persie, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, everything was fast. When Manchester United need a player they go and they talk them face-to-face.’
Although it appears Evra is burning bridges with the hierarchy at Old Trafford, the former France international insisted that he was only speaking out because of his love for the club.
In explaining his thoughts, he also took a swipe at some old team-mates that he claimed are too scared to speak out for fear of never getting a job at the club.
‘I love this club and maybe one day I will work for this club again but I will work with my loyalty and I will never lie to any person who loves this club,’ Evra continued.
The scathing comments come just days after United were beaten by Crystal Palace at home
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side opened their Premier League campaign with a chastening defeat
‘I think some people who work for this club are damaging this club. That’s why we have to tell the truth to the fans.
‘I know some people are scared to speak up about because they may not get a job in the future, I don’t care, I don’t need Manchester United. I love Manchester United.’
Evra’s comments come just days after he landed himself in hot water during punditry duties with Sky Sports.
Speaking ahead of the United-Palace game on Saturday evening, Evra made an unfounded suggestion, live on air, that Wilfried Zaha may have been in a relationship with David Moyes’ daughter while at United.
Sky were forced to apologise later in the programme, confirming that Zaha has never met Moyes’ daughter.