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What has 'leader' Patrice Evra brought to West Ham so far? Can he really help guide West Ham to Premier League survival as the going gets tough?

One observation many fans have made of West Ham in recent times is the lack of leaders on the field.

Mark Noble wears both the armband and his heart on his sleeve and certainly does plenty of shouting and geeing up, but beyond that, the team seems somewhat lacking in leadership.

So to bring in someone who has played at the World Cup, Euros, captined his country and two of the biggest teams in Europe, won the league in two countries and played in five Champions League finals should remedy that problem. And in Patrice Evra, that is what West Ham have got.

But the former Manchester United, Juventus, Marseille and France star is 36 now, so aside from that, what is he bringing to the team?

In the latest edition of Blowing Bubbles , Greg Richardson runs the rule over Evra

“It is safe to say he is probably one of the most decorated players to pull on the West Ham shirt in recent memory. And that experience and winning mentality brings with it other desirable qualities. Behind the smile and joker image on social media is a man who hates to lose. He is a consummate professional.

“His positive outlook, experience and his acute professionalism likewise make him a good role model for our other French left back. Arthur Masuaku, before his ban, was one of the bright sparks of another thus far dull season.

“Under the tutelage of Evra, he could learn to add defensive solidity to his evident attacking qualities and blossom into a player truly worthy of his King Arthur nickname. But then, we have had older players before, whose expertise was meant to help bring on younger players.

“Alvaro Arbeloa, and to a lesser degree Pablo Zabaleta, were signed with half an eye on mentoring and improving Sam Byram. There is little evidence either had any success in doing so. An additional downside to signing a player of such vast experience is the age that comes with the wisdom.

“Evra is 36 years old, and similarly to his fellow full back Pablo Zabaleta – whilst the qualities remain, the pace that is so desperately needed in the modern game is gone. Evra has the further issue of having not played any football for over three months following his ban for an altercation with a fan.”

To find out more about Evra and what he offers West Ham, pick up a copy of the new edition of Blowing Bubbles, out now. In it, you will find exclusive columns from former Irons greats Phil Parkes and George Parris, giving their views on what is passed in the transfer window, what is present, and what lies ahead on the end of season run-in.

There is a look at what the club can do to restore its reputation after the Tony Henry scandal and amid increasingly ill-tempered relations between fans and the board, the Pub Talk team pick over the comings and goings of the transfer window, and in a startlingly honest interview, Kieron Dyer talks about his unfulfilled ambitions after his injury-ravaged four year stint at West Ham – and passes his own verdict on how history will judge him.

All this and so much more in the latest edition of Blowing Bubbles, out now

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