Ash Really Is As Good As Messi.....Now He's With United

[DrGonzo]

He had spells with us in which he was nearly unplayable.  The move to United has given him 2 advantages:
1, he is not relied upon to track back as much as he was with us as the centre of United's team is stronger than ours.
2, he is no longer (arguably) the best player on the pitch.  The opposition have to think about doubling up on Nani & Rooney. 

He's reaping the benefit of being able to concentrate on the aspect of the game he likes best without the same defensive attention he's recieved in the last 2 years at Villa.

Best of luck to him.

[gervilla]

Best of luck to him indeed.
At least we won't be  having the "Downing is as good as Messi "thread on here any time soon.

[ktvillan]

He's looked very good for Man Yoo so far, and seems to be doing the things he didn't do often or consistently enough for us.   He was good for us in patches, and always had the talent, but for me he rarely played to his potential, going down too easily when in good positions, wasting possession and his decision making was often poor (when to shoot, when to pass etc).  I reckon Fergie has already been working on all those aspects with him, plus the other good players around him means he probably gets less special attention from defenders.    I wonder if his often appaling dead ball delivery will improve.

Whatever, he'll never be in Messi's league.

[Brend'Watkins]

I thought he drifted in and out during that England game against a team who were nothing but truly atrocious. 

[SoccerHQ]

I don't think it was a surprise he was quiet for England playing a bit more centrally.

At Manure he's been glued to the wings like the good old days here rather than as a second striker which blunted his game last season for us.

[Percy McCarthy]

The biggest difference that will work to Ash's advantage at Man Utd is the tempo they play at, and the way so many of them pour forward. Ash can and will cash in on the chaos this causes on opposing defences.

He's not as good as Messi - no-one is.

[adrenachrome]

The biggest difference that will work to Ash's advantage at Man Utd is the tempo they play at, and the way so many of them pour forward. Ash can and will cash in on the chaos this causes on opposing defences.

He's not as good as Messi - no-one is.

Agreed.

Also, there is no way that opponents can afford to put 2 defenders on him now, unlike when he was playing for us.

[Villanation]

For me Ash, always seemed to take on that one more player than he should, always that extra yard, often finding himself in a dead end before lifting his head and realising just where he was on the park, difference with a player like Messi he is gifted beyond belief in that he can take a player on or just as confident in laying of a defence splitting pass and be right in the right place for the return instantly, Maradona was the same as is Cristiano Ronaldo, Ash for me never learned the simple stuff, never learned how to take the pace of a cross, he could bang one in at a million miles an hour curving and bending and often over the bar and catch a defence out as well as everybody else, but rarely did you see a deft lofted ball in.

Good luck to him, he'll never be up there with the best and although he'll enjoy his first season at Man U i doubt he'll ever achieve greatness at the club, Fergie in time will see the limitations in his game, all that said we got our pound of flesh.

[JJ-AV]

[Matt C]

JJ, I will never ever tire of watching that. Along with Goodison (queue Legion) one of my favourite Villa moments.

[JJ-AV]

Great isn't it :-(

[VillaAlways]

JJ, I will never ever tire of watching that. Along with Goodison (queue Legion) one of my favourite Villa moments.

Extended highlights of that game on AVTV at the moment.That was our 5th(I think) victory on the bounce 2008/9 season

[Toronto Villa]

Great isn't it :-(

He was always happy to be a Villa player and gave everything for the colours. He made a career decision and went to one of the top 3 club sides in the world. He's now showing he does have another gear and as he plays with better players he'll improve further. Lionel Messi he ain't. There are super clubs and there are super players. Messi is on his own in the latter category.

[myf]

I always thought he was class, and he is on a bigger stage now with more pressure.  Lots of ppl on here were critical of him "oh he's so wasteful", "a terrible crosser", "wasteful", "runs down dead ends", blah blah.  What bollocks that turned out to be. 

It seems we aren't content unless we are criticising our own players.  Part of the problem at Villa IMO.

[luke25]

I always thought he was class, and he is on a bigger stage now with more pressure.  Lots of ppl on here were critical of him "oh he's so wasteful", "a terrible crosser", "wasteful", "runs down dead ends", blah blah.  What bollocks that turned out to be. 

It seems we aren't content unless we are criticising our own players.  Part of the problem at Villa IMO.

Just because he's had a good start to the season up there does'nt change the fact that he was extremely wasteful alot of the time for us.