Evans: Taxi-gate blown out of proportion
ALBION captain Jonny Evans insists events in Barcelona have been ‘sensationalised’.
Evans was one of four players who allegedly stole a taxi from a McDonald’s drive-through after breaking Alan Pardew’s curfew on their mid-season training camp in Spain.
Evans, Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill have been disciplined by the club following ‘taxi- gate’ but the skipper reckons it has all been blown out of proportion.
“Mistakes get made but there was no intent to cause any harm or embarrass ourselves or the club,” said 30-year-old Evans.
“There’s been a lot written about us but, with everything, a lot of things get sensationalised.
“Sometimes things can happen that are taken out of your control. A lot of facts are left out to make the story seem all the more sensational.
“But we’ve all been around for a long time. We know that, in the position we’re in, all eyes are on us. You just have to deal with that and be a man.”
Albion are bottom of the Premier League table, eight points adrift of safety with nine games to go.
Since their return Barcelona, they have from lost three matches on the spin and are staring relegation to the Championship in the face.
“The stuff that came out of the dressing room was another incident blown out of all proportion,’’ added Evans.
“I don’t think there was any malice in what Chris (Brunt) was saying (after the Huddersfield defeat), more frustration at how the situation has been.’’