Our resident Red Devil K’homotho Mokhojane gives us the inside view over at Old Trafford regarding the signing of Ashley Young. As with every high-profile transfer expectation is accompanied by some questions, that is why we needed the word from inside the Manchester United camp…
I think it’s an excellent move for Ashley Young; joining Manchester United is always an excellent move for any player playing for a team outside the top six. For Man United we have signed another top class winger, one that we will give us more options on the wings.
I think it’s an excellent move for Ashley Young; joining Manchester United is always an excellent move for any player playing for a team outside the top six. For Man United we have signed another top class winger, one that we will give us more options on the wings.
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| Man United's newest weapon |
The end for Nani?
I do not believe Young’s arrival necessarily means it is the end for Nani; remember Nani is Man United’s Player of the Year. What it probably means though is that the promising and talented Gabriel Obertan will never get a fair break and may have to go out on loan this year. As for Bebe, he has to be sold.
What Young offers United tactically…
One always has to keep in mind the retirement of Paul Scholes and how Man United plans to replace him. Even though Young is not a direct replacement he is cover for a variety of different situations and he gives us more options when it comes to what we will be able do with our system. You saw towards the end of last season Antonio Valencia playing at rightback… this means the arrival of Young is also a danger to our rightbacks because at some point we can have all three wingers on the field at the same time, with Valencia playing at rightback.
Young I don’t really think offers anything unique tactically, he is more like Nani in terms of his average goals per season and more like Valencia work-rate wise. What we have bought him for is cover. You saw this past season, from around December to January, Nani was out for a little while and Hernandez and Berbatov were the only goal-scoring players in our team. Also, Valencia was injured for a large chunk and only came back towards the end of the season, so basically for two months our first choice wingers were both out simultaneously. Young is therefore cover in that regard.
The United way…
Young mustn’t expect to play every game; he might have sit to on the bench more, like Park Ji-Sung does. Its not that he is a bad player, but he will be better suited for certain teams as Sir Alex will see fit.
We will have to do more work on Young, getting him used to our way of playing, gelling him into the team. At Villa him and Agbonlahor were the stars, at Man United everybody is a star and every player does the dirty work, even Nani does the dirty work.
Have you seen how Rooney marks? He doesn’t say ‘I am a number 10 and I will just wait for the ball at the halfway line’, no, he helps Fletcher, Anderson when need be. It is this the United Mentality that Young has to adapt to.
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| Ashley Young |
If we were to buy any wingers or outfield players this season I would have preferred Charles N’Zogbia and Young. We have got Young, and he can be successful playing 18 matches from the start and 18 matches from the bench this season for United rather than to play 38 for Villa and win nothing. This is what every new United player has to understand. Why do you think Owen, Berbatov, Gibson and Brown don’t want to go to other teams despite limited game-time? Young must adapt to this type of spirit and mentality.
Can Young help Berbatov?
Dimitar gets a lot of criticism but he can be useful in certain games where his build, stature and sheer size come in handy. I believe there will be games when we will have to play balls into the 18-yard box and where we will need someone to knock them down for the likes of Rooney and Hernandez. Sometimes we will have to give Berbatov aerial balls for him to flick onto runners. How many strikers are built like Berbatov that are top, top class? Drogba, Elber, Adriano, Trezeguet. Look at how Spurs use Peter Crouch!
Berbatov has to be more mobile but his touch on the ball is one of the best I have ever seen. Young can perhaps help him thrive because he provides quality service from set-pieces and from open-play and is also a clever team player Berba can link with, maybe like Robbie Keane was at Spurs.
I don’t really know how many chances Berbatov will need though. I believe Berbatov proved his worth this season but he just wasn’t getting enough game-time towards the end of the season. Where in the world do you bench your top goal-scorer for the league run-in and drop him for the Champions League Final? Only at Old Trafford… and Young has to adapt quickly.
Ashley Young’s career statistics
Can Young help Berbatov?
Dimitar gets a lot of criticism but he can be useful in certain games where his build, stature and sheer size come in handy. I believe there will be games when we will have to play balls into the 18-yard box and where we will need someone to knock them down for the likes of Rooney and Hernandez. Sometimes we will have to give Berbatov aerial balls for him to flick onto runners. How many strikers are built like Berbatov that are top, top class? Drogba, Elber, Adriano, Trezeguet. Look at how Spurs use Peter Crouch!
Berbatov has to be more mobile but his touch on the ball is one of the best I have ever seen. Young can perhaps help him thrive because he provides quality service from set-pieces and from open-play and is also a clever team player Berba can link with, maybe like Robbie Keane was at Spurs.
I don’t really know how many chances Berbatov will need though. I believe Berbatov proved his worth this season but he just wasn’t getting enough game-time towards the end of the season. Where in the world do you bench your top goal-scorer for the league run-in and drop him for the Champions League Final? Only at Old Trafford… and Young has to adapt quickly.
Ashley Young’s career statistics
Appearances | Goals | ||
Watford | 2003/04 - 2006/07 | 110 | 22 |
Aston Villa | 2006/07 - 2010/11 | 190 | 38 |
Total | 300 | 62 |
Good player no doubt. But as the article has mentioned united already have Valencia & Nani in that position. Will add to depth I suppose.
ReplyDeleteBut you never know with United.. hes that type of hungry player they always get the best out of. I wouldnt be suprised if he ends up benching Nani. Or United could go gung-ho like people have said and play Rooney in the Scholes role? Especially if they dont sign Modric. Valencia, Nani and Young behind the central striker...
ReplyDeleteU know I also fear that if anyone will get sacrificed it'll be Nani. Don't know why dude gets such a harsh time from fergie.
ReplyDeletelast season he didn't only lead utd in assists but the Premier league as a whole! Not to mention most of those assists where in half a season cos he got benched a lot 2nd half. He also scores quite a few goals.
What more could you ask from the man?
Yeah Kotsinho! Definitely agree with you there. Nani was amazing! Its like people forgot in the second half of the season when Valencia came back and Rooney started going crazy, (people including myself!). But he was special and carried the team at times.
ReplyDeleteI personally think Sir Alex likes to have consistency. As much as people say he likes flair he also wants to be sure of the end product, ie Giggs, Valencia, Beckham. So Nani sometimes is too unpredictable even for his own teammates and the systems Sir Alex wants to play. Young gives you that consistent product. You know what you get. Plus hes also more of a team player and hardworking. Nani could bench, or leave...