Ashley Young - tell it how you see it

[midnite]

If GED/Monty/You think its a good system I have no issue but I dont, I dont think we are playing our best attacking players Gabby, Downing/Ash/Marc in their best, most natural positions but thats just how I see it and since we have started playing 4 5 1/4 3  3 we have not put a run of results together .

I don't necessarily think our current system is the best we could do. I always think 4-2-3-1 is a bit rigid sometimes, a little bit 'special teams' - i.e. saying "you attack, you defend" instead of the whole team working together. However, that more holistic approach takes time and a lot of intensive training, so I don't mind this at the moment. I don't think he's necessarily getting the best out of our players playing them in the roles he's given them, but I think he's essentially right.

I was very impressed with what he did in the Jan window and as u say he will need time to "mould" things into what he wants.

Fully agreed. We've debated the thing about United's formation and so on, but what's beyond dispute is that their players have trained and played together for a long time now, and certain things about each others' games will now be second nature to them. Same goes for Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea when they clicked last season, our own great side under Saunders - it's all about time and training and building a team unit, and we should give this to Ged.

agree completely with everything you said there

[villa `cross the mersey]

Twice Ashley went over in front of the Villa fans in the second half and he looked to the fans almost begging for support......sorry mate but you are becoming embarassing.

Stay on your feet and you will become a better player. I love his workrate and enthuisiasm but he is becoming a cheat and one  that refs will ignore even when there is a clear cut foul.


At the time I thought the pen was a stone wall one but having seen the MOTD re-run and being more sober I think the ref got it right.

I would love Ash to return to his earlier form however it may just be time to cash in.

[villa1]

Thirdly....... look at the league table how many points are Man Utd ahead

They played 4-5-1 yesterday.

That was one game out of 30+ this season

No it wasn't, they've played it regularly.

No they dont if they have played 4 5 1 how come Berbatov has played 29 games and Rooney has played 21 games this season   

In the games they both played, were they both out and out strikers in a 4 4 2? I think you'll find they weren't. Rooney Played in the same role as Gabby for many of them, and when he didn't he dropped deep, almost as another midfield player.

If the game is as simple as you make out we'd all be great players and fantastic managers ourselves.

From reading the posts on here it seems the majority think he's underperforming, needs to be back out on the wing and many won't be too bothered if he leaves in the summer.

Have I said, he needs to lose that stupid snood?!

[eastie]

It's true thAt once he gets a reputation of a being a diver he will find that even some clear cut decisions will go against him- refs will be aware of it in the way they were with ronaldo- maybe he has taken lessons fron heskey who for a man of his size should be ashamed he hits the floor at the slightest touch- I don't like to see it.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

His crossing has fallen away drastically. He’s a total waste from set pieces of late.

Ditto Stewart Downing. For two such talented players, neither can cross, take a free kick or corner.

[villa1]

It's true thAt once he gets a reputation of a being a diver he will find that even some clear cut decisions will go against him- refs will be aware of it in the way they were with ronaldo- maybe he has taken lessons fron heskey who for a man of his size should be ashamed he hits the floor at the slightest touch- I don't like to see it.

Agreed.

[sfx412]

Norm Crandles was right at the start of the season, if anyone offers a decent pile take their hands off.

Young has talent but he's in that category of players that rarely do it consistently enough. He can, he does, but not often enough.
He'll never be a Giggs, a Cowans, the sort of player who contributes effectively all the time but at times just does that something special, he's not that sort mentally.
Downing is.

[Dribbler]

He's a top quality player. We're a better side when he's in it. People have unrealistic expectations. They seem to think every pass should be a killer ball and every cross drop straight on the strikers head. That just shows a lack of understanding of the game. However, if you look back you'll see that he's involved in a large percentage of our goals. His work rate is fantastic and his passion and commitment are obvious. Yes, he can appear petulant but that's because he's desperate to win. Yes, he sometimes looks for fouls but that's the modern game and expecting different is like expecting teenagers to stop using SMS.

Ironically I think that part of the problem around Young is that he thinks every time he gets the ball he has to deliver a killer pass, a magical piece of skill, or beat 2 or 3 players, when often a simple ball would serve the team much better. He needs to develop that footballing intelligence of knowing when to keep things simple and do the basics right and when to try that 'something special'. Yes he's involved in many of our goals and can change a match in an instant, but as with Downing, he wastes so many chances that you have to wonder if the team would do better without him and if there is too much wastage for the return we get from him. If he didn't waste so much possession  then the team as a whole might create and convert more. Giving the ball away so often doesn't make it easy on the rest of the team, it loses momentum and means we have to spend a lot of time fighting to get the ball back.

For me this is what he needs to do to move on to the next level, otherwise he will become another Lennon or Wright-Phillips, who are just too inconsistent. In a way, going to a big club might help him in this regard, for at somewhere like Man Utd he will be a small fish in a big pond and be told in no uncertain terms what he should be doing and what he shouldn't, you don't get far in teams like that if you waste the ball a lot.

Personally I wouldn't mind keeping him, but i'd rather sell him and get the cash and invest in youth, Albrighton is IMO a better prospect on the wing, and Ireland would be a better prospect in the middle. I have a feeling that Ash will go in the summer and Ireland will be given a chance playing in that role behind the striker.

[Legion]

I think Troy sums him up perfectly.  However, I'll always remember him for this:

It took me bloody ages to find that video.

[JUAN PABLO]

Did he wear that stupid Snood playing for England?

[spangley1812]

Did he wear that stupid Snood playing for England?

No

[JUAN PABLO]

Did he wear that stupid Snood playing for England?

No

funny that eh?   

[JUAN PABLO]

GH is letting AY play the position he wants to play , to try and keep him happy probably as a sweetner for getting him to sign a contract . GH should just tell him what position to play , to benefit the club which is out wide like two seasons ago.
If hes staying or going , it should be for the best for Villa and not AY, while he is still at the club..         

[eastie]

Spot on juan pablo.

[ozzjim]

On the wing his delivery has been poor at best for 18 months. This season he is adapting into a new position, and is infuriating, but at least laid in a couple of balls at Blackpool that deserved goals - most notably the one for Downing which the keeper saved with his legs. His final ball is continuously over egged though, and he does not seem to find as much space as he did there when he was scintillating behind Gabby in the season we did Blues 5-1. Then though, we played a much more formulaic 4-4-2 than we do now though. He is though, Mr Hollywood, and often fecks it up. The big fish thing I think works against him, wehn he came he had to earn his way, and thus played more for the team in terms of creating chances etc and releasing the ball earlier. His petulance is annoying, but his overall workrate could never be questioned.

Overall, I said elsewhere, when United buy him we will miss him as fans. As a team I think if well replaced, it might solve a problem for us, because it is one. But then the whole formation is one at the moment, because it works in patches, and then goes to pot. As far as getting an exchange..... Gibson I am never convinced by. I would take Carrick to sit in front of our back 4, but many wouldn't.

Inner turmoil is what Ashley Young causes me much of the time.