Every football club carries a second life in the minds of those who once wore its shirt, and for the Manchester United of Sir Alex Ferguson's years that life now runs through a phone. Rio Ferdinand has told the story of a WhatsApp group of old teammates, the 'Band of Brothers', that keeps judging the present side while the games are still being played. The unusual detail is that one of its members, Jonny Evans, still belongs to the club he is sitting in judgment on, and he is currently sidelined, waiting to learn when he will be back on the pitch.
Rio Ferdinand says Jonny Evans is in the Man Utd legends WhatsApp group, where the current squad gets 'hammered'
A serving United defender sits in a group that hammers his own side
Mark
So what did Ferdinand actually reveal here?
Mimi
That the former Ferguson-era players have a WhatsApp group called 'Band of Brothers', and that it's busy during matches, with members criticising the current United team as they watch.
Mark
And Jonny Evans is in it?
Mimi
Yes, according to Ferdinand. He's the one member who is still a United player, having come back in 2023 after his first spell at the club.
Luke
Worth saying that this is Ferdinand's own account on his show. We haven't seen messages, and nobody else has confirmed what Evans reads or says in there.
Mark
Fair. Who else is in the group?
Mimi
Rooney, Evra and Nani are named, plus Cleverley, Welbeck and Anderson. Edwin van der Sar has recently joined, and Ferdinand joked he might leave because he doesn't know how to send gifs.
Luke
That's a joke, not a report. Ferdinand only suspects Van der Sar might delete himself.
Mark
And Evra takes the most stick?
Mimi
That's what Ferdinand says, that Evra gets hammered all the time.
Mark
Why does Evans's situation matter now?
Mimi
He's 37, has been out with a muscle problem since December and hasn't been seen in training recently.
Luke
And his return date is unknown. Anything beyond that is guesswork.
Le Pouls
- A WhatsApp group of Ferguson-era legends is constantly active during matches, hammering the current United side in real time.
- Rio Ferdinand has pulled back the curtain on the chat, revealing members from Rooney and Evra to Van der Sar and Anderson.
- Serving defender Jonny Evans sits inside a group that criticises his own team, while he sits out with a muscle injury.
- Evans has not been seen in training recently and no return date is known, as United prepare for the final Europa League group game against FCSB.
Every football club carries a second life in the minds of those who once wore its shirt, and for the Manchester United of Sir Alex Ferguson's years that life now runs through a phone. Rio Ferdinand has told the story of a WhatsApp group of old teammates, the 'Band of Brothers', that keeps judging the present side while the games are still being played. The unusual detail is that one of its members, Jonny Evans, still belongs to the club he is sitting in judgment on, and he is currently sidelined, waiting to learn when he will be back on the pitch.
Somewhere in the middle of a Manchester United match, a phone buzzes with another verdict on the team. Rio Ferdinand has described how a WhatsApp group of former United players, nicknamed 'Band of Brothers', runs a constant commentary on the current side, with its members men who starred under Sir Alex Ferguson in the 2000s and early 2010s. Rooney, Evra, Nani, Cleverley, Welbeck and Anderson are among those he named.
The tone, by Ferdinand's account, is ruthless. 'We hammer each other,' he said, and when it comes to the present team the verdicts are blunt, with comments like 'He's not good enough' flying through the game. He insisted he loves it, because it keeps him close to his old teammates. Evra, he said, takes the heaviest punishment.
The most striking member is Jonny Evans, who is still on United's books after returning to the club in 2023. Ferdinand described him as someone 'currently playing', which means a serving defender sits in a group that regularly criticises his own side. Edwin van der Sar is a newer arrival, and Ferdinand joked that the Dutch keeper might soon delete himself.
Evans, now 37, has been out since a muscle problem in December, has not been seen in training recently, and has no known return date. United face FCSB on Thursday, and he may well be following the chat from the sidelines. Whenever the team next plays, Ferdinand suggests, the group will be busy again.
Somewhere in the middle of a Manchester United match, a phone buzzes with another verdict on the team. According to Rio Ferdinand, that happens constantly in a WhatsApp group of former United players called 'Band of Brothers', where the current side is picked apart as the game unfolds.
Ferdinand described the group while speaking to United Women's forward Ella Toone on his Rio Ferdinand Presents show. The members are players who starred under Sir Alex Ferguson in the 2000s and early 2010s. Among them are Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra and Nani. Ferdinand also named Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck and Anderson as part of the mix, calling Cleverley and Welbeck the younger lads.
The tone, by his account, is ruthless. 'We hammer each other,' he said, describing the chat as active all the time. Rooney, he said, was the most recent person to post. He declined to say what the group's chat contains beyond that, remarking that the rest would not make the cut. Asked about the current team, he said the lads hammer them through the game, with comments such as 'He's not good enough'. He added that he loves it, and that it keeps him connected to his old teammates.
The most unusual member is a man who is still on the books. Jonny Evans played alongside those names during his first spell at Old Trafford and returned to the club in 2023. Ferdinand pointed him out as someone 'currently playing', which means a serving United defender sits in a group that regularly criticises his own side.
A newer arrival is Edwin van der Sar, the Dutch goalkeeper. Ferdinand joked that Van der Sar might delete himself soon because the chat is not for him, adding that he does not think the former keeper knows how to send gifs. As for who takes the most punishment inside the group, Ferdinand named Evra, who he said gets 'mullered' and hammered all the time.
Evans may have time to read the messages. He is 37 and has been out since a muscle problem in December. He has not been seen in training recently, and no return date is known. United face FCSB on Thursday in the final round of Europa League group games, and Evans is presumably free to follow the chat from the sidelines.
Whether he returns soon or not, the group keeps going. Ferdinand's account suggests it will be busy again whenever United next play.
Citations marquantes
We hammer each other. Active... it's active constantly.— Rio Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand Presents
Jonny Evans is in there, who's currently playing.— Rio Ferdinand
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