Is the Villa winger destined for a starring role next season?
It’s been announced that Manchester United have agreed a fee and personal terms to sign Aston Villa winger Ashley Young for a estimated fee of around 15 million pounds. If your oblivious to the world of Twitter (and I’d recommend for your health you stay far away from it!) then this may have come as a surprise despite the heavy speculation of a possible transfer.
With two top class wingers in Antonio Valencia and Luis Nani, the big match player in Ji-Sung Park, the evergreen Ryan Giggs still going strong and with two starlets who are more then capable deputies to play on the wing in Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck it be hard to reason why we would need another winger, and a right-footed winger at that. However, when you look deeper into the surface it’s a very clever and astute signing. Heres some reason why:
1) Luis Nani hasn’t been as good on the left as he has been on the right: For two and a half seasons Luis Nani was the cause of much frustration among many reds, including myself. He obviously had bundles of potential, but at times he seemed to self-centered and everything he did on the field was for the benefit of himself and not the team. Something that the Portuguese winger echoed himself recently. However, since the turn of 2010 it’s fair to say Nani has been nothing else then sensational. Mainly because he’s been given more games on the right then he was earlier on in his United career. With Valencia out for majority of the season it was up to Nani to step up, and he did it emphatically. He was the top assist maker in the Premier League this season with 18 and he scored 9 goals himself. There was a period in the season where every United goal virtually involved the lad. Unfortunately the horror tackle from Jamie Carragher on Nani back in March has seemed to have dented the boy’s confidence and he hasn’t really been the same player since.
However, another reason I believe that Nani hasn’t been the same is that the week after Nani was carried off on a stretcher at Anfield, Antonio Valencia made his return from injury against Arsenal, and he has been a fixture on the right ever since leaving Nani pushed out onto the left where he has been very ineffective. On the right he is dangerous, explosive and a nightmare to defend against because he can either take his defender to the byline and cross the ball in, or he can cut inside an unleash an effort on goal.
On the left he is limited, frustrated and very predictable because of his reluctance to cross the ball in with his left foot, meaning he has to cut onto his right foot to shoot or cross. This signing doesn’t mean the end of Nani, but as a gauntlet thrown down to the lad to try and better himself even more and make the transition from on the verge of world class to world class.
2) Ashley Young is at his best on the left and is very versatile: One of the main complaints of this transfer from United fans is that he’s another right winger to add to the likes of Valencia, Nani, Park and Obertan. However, Young best form comes from when he is playing on the left. He will prove a valuable squad member as he can fill in the ‘hole’ where Rooney currently plays in, or if ever needed he can play on the right. However, for most of his United career Young should be playing on the left. Given time and space he will cut in and cross the ball or take a shot, however, unlike Nani he is more then willing to charge to the byline and whip the ball in with his left foot. Making him dangerous and unpredictable (sound familiar?). He also proved his worth in the ‘hole’ and if we are ever without Wayne Rooney for a prolonged spell (touchwood) then we have an more then able deputy and won’t have to change from the 4-4-1-1 formation which proved very effective in the final few months of the season.
3) He’ll add some more creativity and is a match-winner: Last season we seemed to be over reliant on Nani for a piece of magic in tight situations and when he was having an off day or wasn’t available the team suffered. As the season wore on the duty fell on Rooney to score or create a goal. In my opinion why we were so poor away from home in the Premiership is we lacked people who could change a game in a blink of an eye, at home with the backing of 70,000 + plus fans it was much different.
The main reason we were so successful and dangerous between 06-09 is because we had an abundance of match winners. Consider the 2008 double winning team, we had the likes of Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney, Nani, Giggs and Scholes all able to win a match on their own. Last season we were much more workman like and had to grind out results on many occasions, something we achieved purely down to the character of the side. Players like Park and Fletcher rather sum up the United squad – effective rather electric – both have been brilliant for United but neither are likely to conjure something out of nothing.With Young in the ranks we have someone who can whip in a fantastic cross, score a goal and something we haven’t had since Ronaldo have the ability to take a deadly set piece.
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Im still not convinced about Ashley Young, I honestly dont think we need him and we’ve got decent academy players who should be coming through the ranks next season. And like u said, we have Park, Valencia etc coming through the ranks now. While i respect the guy, i doubt he’s got that spark of genius we need in the midfield.
If we get Nasri that would be the mother of all signings! His creativity and trickery is exactly the type of thing we need atm.
i think young will be great player for man utd ,he will get a total boost playing with our players,,,,like valencia or chicarito get their boost,,,just trust fergie ,he is a bit experiencet than you are,,
Fergie should buy Alexis Sanchez to cover the right, young for the left, Samir Nasri for CM, Phil Jones for CB and david De Gea for goalkeeper.
Alexis Sanchez – 30 mil
Young – 16mil
Samir Nasri – 15 mil
Phil jones – 16 mil
David De Gea – 18 mil
Total : 105 mil
i think he will be a great signing, but if young comes to united that doesn’t mean that nani or valencia will be left out. SAF loves to change it up and i guarantee that he will play all three of them equally. if we get narsi…man that will be huge because he is the type of person that can feed the ball to the wings and the wings can feed to the strikers, witch is what man u needs.
1.ashley young can’t cross a ball. 2.he is no better than nanni.3.he might not get picked.4.he is a arsenal fan.5.how can he play for the best club in england when liverpool have 5 european cups.6.he might choke at a top 4 team.7.utd were ripped to bits at anfield and phil jones might join the scouse nation for 22m
1.He can’t cross a ball? Most of his assists have come from crossing the ball. 2. I’m not saying he is better than Nani I’m saying he is better then Nani on the left. 3. Ya he mightn’t be first choice but he’ll be a top squad player at least. 4. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was a Liverpool fan and he didn’t do 2 bad did he? 5.Because Liverpool haven’t won shag all in 5 years and haven’t even won a title in about 20 years. 6. Yes but with every signing there comes risk. 7. Ya Liverpool caught United on a bad day, forgetting that United bate them twice last season. Liverpool went out of Europe to fucking BRAGA so there not better then United. Jones will be joining Manchester United his agent has confirmed it.
yeah you just owned a finnigan there ryan….good job! 🙂
throw out players like carrick and oshea.. bring in players like nani who can dribble using both right and left foot.. for eg: nasri, sanchez , hulk..
then we can win any match…
look at barca’s selectiom policy.. all their forwards and midfield players are having good ball control.. not just speed.. especially iniesta, messi,pedro and xavi..
i think in manutd, we have only giggs,nani of that kind.. thats why we are not performing like barca do…
I think saf knows wht he need,i can only wish him d best.i think his arrival is long over due.but we need a creative midfielder to blend all the lads wit good final pass.
The problem a lot of us United fans have with this signing is down to how you described Young – a ‘squad player’. We don’t need any more squad players, we already have more than enough dead wood, we need somebody to come straight into the first eleven and improve on what we have and I can’t believe for a moment that Young IS any better than what we have.
hi,frm uganda.4me nani cant b better than young,why?1″ young thinks fster when with t ball than nani,2″ young s deadly in counterattrk thn nani,3″crossing of the ball from t flanks young s bter,4″ work rate young s bter,5 teamwork young s bter,6″ young s dribbling s more effective,the league can tel u when his playn chelsea,arsenal,spurs,united,livpool,city his a problem 2them.7″ vision of t ball young s bter, 8″ setpice young s bter, coners,freekicks,penalties, 9″who has won more man of t march the whole t seson, young,besidies his playn 4 villa and nani plays 4utd.10″chicharito can blend well wth young thn nani,coz nani most of the times his selfish wth t ball,most of the times he prefers shootin @goal thn passn and most of it goes wide,then wast time dribbling whn strikers r waitin 4 across o pass.thats y fugie prefrs valencia 2nani. for united s prblms r 1 van dar saar s replmnt. left winger. creative midflder. am on facebook opio joe
What I don’t get is why do ppl think that united are in a crisis or something??? Look at what they accomplished the past two years and tell me that they r not a success. Champions league final, won the premier league, and last year they won the fa cup. What makes u ppl think that they r in need of help. The only changes that they need is prolly a good center midfielder and a keeper and that’s it!!! No need to waste money.