Ashley Young | Match Discussion thread 2017/18

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Sideshow Bob

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Ashley Young Statistics 2017/18

Appearances
Total 0
Premier League 0
FA Cup 0
League Cup 0
Champions League 0

Goals
Total 0
Premier League 0
FA Cup 0
League Cup 0
Champions League 0

Assists
Total 0
Premier League 0
FA Cup 0
League Cup 0
Champions League 0

Yellow Cards
Total 0
Premier League 0
FA Cup 0
League Cup 0
Champions League 0

Red Cards
Total 0
Premier League 0
FA Cup 0
League Cup 0
Champions League 0

Previous Seasons

Ashley Young | Match Discussion thread 2015/16
Ashley Young | Match Discussion thread 2014/15
Ashley Young | Match Discussion thread 2013/14
Ashley Young | Match Performance Thread
 
Champions League: Manchester United 3-0 FC Basel - 12th September 2017

Cracking cross for the first goal.
 
Good all round performance definitely a good alternative to Valencia at RB hasn't got the physical side but has more quality when he gets forward.
 
Think he did very well as well. I'd be tempted to play him Left back till Shaw comes into the side. His another converted winger that could be an excellent full back. Despite the right hand side being his favoured his versatile enough to slot in at Left back. He offers more going forward then Darmain and Blind and isn't a bad defender at all.
 
Cracking cross for the first goal, had forgotten about him when thinking about tonight's selection, good to have an alternative to Valencia. I've heard Valencia has to ice his knee after every game now so really good to have Young back.
 
Can't stand him when he plays on the left as he always has to come inside on to his right foot a much more effective player on the right and he provides an almost like for like replacement for Valencia my only worry would be better sides exposing him defensively but in games where we expect to dominate and teams don't have much quality out wide he's a great alternative. I think because the full backs now provide the width you have to play on your stronger side as it's your job to put the crosses in.
 
Can't stand him when he plays on the left as he always has to come inside on to his right foot a much more effective player on the right and he provides an almost like for like replacement for Valencia my only worry would be better sides exposing him defensively but in games where we expect to dominate and teams don't have much quality out wide he's a great alternative. I think because the full backs now provide the width you have to play on your stronger side as it's your job to put the crosses in.

Its not ideal having a right footer at left back of course. But when you look at the deliveries he was putting in last night he has to be involved over Blind and Darmian. Even if he has to quickly cut back on his right foot with that Cruyff turn he loves, its miles better then what either of the other two can produce. He also hugs that touchline to create space, and even at 32 is still quicker the Blind when he jogs. Until Shaw comes back his got to be our man over there based on that last night.
 
Its not ideal having a right footer at left back of course. But when you look at the deliveries he was putting in last night he has to be involved over Blind and Darmian. Even if he has to quickly cut back on his right foot with that Cruyff turn he loves, its miles better then what either of the other two can produce. He also hugs that touchline to create space, and even at 32 is still quicker the Blind when he jogs. Until Shaw comes back his got to be our man over there based on that last night.

The problem is the deliveries he put in last night are dangerous because he can curl them away from the keeper when he plays left he cuts inside which only means he can really aim a delivery to the backpost with an inswinger and they're easier to defend as you face the ball to defend it, rather than the balls he put in last night where often the defender will have to defend them facing his own goal. Think I've just had enough of watching Young aiming crosses to the back post from the left side as very few resulted in goals most of them were over hit and end up going out for throw ins etc, he was a very frustrating left winger and I think he'd be a very frustrating left back as well.

Blind gives very good quality in the final 1/3 but he isn't going to beat his man he needs to beat him with clever passing/movement rather than what young can do with his quick feet and he delivers on his left foot most of the time.

Shaw is already playing in the reserves so hopefully he's not to far away but it's crazy to think we can rely on him given his injury concerns the focus this season has got to be long term recovery for him lets get him fully repaired rather than patched up all the time otherwise we'll just end up with another Phil Jones situation.
 
Yeah the ball is naturally going to swing inwards so getting to the byline and crossing with young would be pointless. However an early and deeper cross from that side could create problems. Especially from short corners. You've got to keep in mind that we've got a much bigger and taller side these days so the aimless crosses from the past mind not be such a stab in the dark now we've got Lukaku, Pogba, Bailly, Matic, Fellaini etc.

Granted Shaw would be preferred, but as you point out there is a lot being pinning on him and we dont really know what his going to be like physically and mentally when he returns. Blind is just an LVG love child and he just reminds me of the possession possession possession football that LVG thinks the world of. His not midfielder, his not a modern day full back, his not a center half, but you just keep him around to fill gaps and do odd jobs that turn up. His handy but doesn't do anything exceptional very much like a Paper Clip. I dont mind Darmian at all. He just doesn't venture over that half way line. So out of the lot right now i'd go Young, Bailly, Jones, Valencia against Everton on Sunday. Matic can sit in the hole and the full back would go forward. Miki might have more space and stop running down cul de sac. Might work.
 
I think it just comes down to me thinking Young's crossing especially from the left is rubbish and since he joined Utd we have had strikers who are good in the air Rooney,RVP,Falcao,Zlatan, Lukaku but he always seems to over hit his crosses so the attackers never get a chance plus crosses from deep positions curling in are very hard to get on the end of without going offside. I've always felt Young was a limited footballer who was never good enough for Utd and never really understood why he insisted on playing on the left because even his best spells at Villa came when he got a more central role.

In terms of attacking options at left full back I'd rank them

Shaw
Blind
Young
Rojo
Darmian

I think Blind is a very clever footballer like Mata if you don't have speed of foot you need speed of thought and he has that positionally he's very good even at left back but if he gets left in a foot race he's screwed. I really like when Utd get boths full backs forward but you can see it with Blind/Young/Valencia asked them to get up and down for 90 minutes is probably asked to much as they do tire later in games.
 
But there's so many foot races in the prem these days and that's Blinds biggest flaw. He runs in slow motion. Him being at Left back is a big weak link in our side because of his lack of pace. And Sides will target that. Mahrez did. So while Blind is cleaver and he is technically sound, a full back now is pacey and agile. So for me you can't rank Blind as a more attacking full back then Young because he can't overlap or do anything attacking other then stick in a short corner or cross. If that cross is then defended well and the opposition tries to counter would Blind make it back? Even if he left a electric bike on the sideline he wouldnt catch Mo Salah.

I'm not making a case for Young to go down as a United great or get an England call again. Far from it. I'm just saying in my opinion him and Valencia hugging touchlines and getting up and down would be a better option then anything we've got now until Shaw comes back.
 
But I think the point @jsp is making is that Young on the left does not hug the touchline. Being right footed he is always turning inside. An early in swinging cross to the back post is of no use to any of our attacking players as it is an easy one for keepers to claim. It's coming at them, not away, over a long distance, not the byline and is therefore easily judged.

Lukaku, Pogba or Fellaini are not going to break an offside trap travel the 20 to 30 metres required to meet the ball and beat the keeper all in the time it takes the cross to get to the keepers hands.

I do agree that Blind's athleticism is not suited to Mourinho's full back width system, but the very fact the guy can deliver to a sixpence and is lefty opens the pitch. Young has less of a left foot than Christy Brown had a right!
 
But I think the point @jsp is making is that Young on the left does not hug the touchline. Being right footed he is always turning inside. An early in swinging cross to the back post is of no use to any of our attacking players as it is an easy one for keepers to claim. It's coming at them, not away, over a long distance, not the byline and is therefore easily judged.

Lukaku, Pogba or Fellaini are not going to break an offside trap travel the 20 to 30 metres required to meet the ball and beat the keeper all in the time it takes the cross to get to the keepers hands.

I do agree that Blind's athleticism is not suited to Mourinho's full back width system, but the very fact the guy can deliver to a sixpence and is lefty opens the pitch. Young has less of a left foot than Christy Brown had a right!


I get exactly what JSP is saying and his right. But at the minute I'll side is lop sided. We've got one full back bombing on down the right. Pretty much on his on because Miki isn't a winger. His coming in off the flank. Then we've got Martial and Rashford both very effectively doing the same thing of driving inside from the left. If you look back on the Swansea game you could have thrown a blanket over Miki, Pogba, Lukaku, Mata, and Rashford in the first half. There's a big gap on that left hand side because Blind can't get up there because he knows he won't be getting back in time.

With Ashley Young and I agree his been a nothing player at the club. He will hold that touchline and fill that space. Ok he will cut back on his right to deliver but he won't drive inside. It would be a Cruyff then a cross. The biggest thing he will do is be an outlet for all these number 10 players we've got so it will open up the pitch. Plus a defending full back will have Young going down the left and Rashford/Martial ready to face them up and come inside. It's harder to defend.

Against the lesser sides who just sit in their own box, no one will have to travel 20 or 30 meters to break an offside trap will they? They will be in there already. So a inswinger to Felliani, Rom, or whoever isn't a terrible option at all. People do still peal off to the back stick. A Keeper will have to come and claim that over our units and his own defenders, so all sorts could go wrong. So until Shaw comes back I'll rather go with pace and width then slow and technical in my opinion.
 
There's also the security issue of Mourinho tactics he's never really been one for letting both full backs go he's always had one who is more attacking than the other one as he knows the importance of the counter attack in England football he never wants his defence to be left with only 2 back.

I actually think that was why he wanted Perisic as he wanted a left winger to hug the touchline because he knows his left sided attacking players come inside.
 
Matic sitting would allow them both to go or at least push them further up the pitch. He would block or hold up counter attacks until the pace of Young and Valencia got themselves back. Blind can't go as well because he is too slow. So there's a big space sitting on the left unoccupied. Clogging everyone else up.

Perisic didn't arrive. So the problems still there. Until Shaw is back, Young is the only one with the energy to fill that space and be a threat.
 
Matic doesn't really sit though that's not how a 4-2-3-1 works the 2 act as a pivot so when one goes the other one stays but Mourinho is always cautious with his full backs.
 
Premier League: Manchester United 4-0 Everton - 17th September 2017

His limitations at full back were targeted. He struggled.
 
Would it be fair to say that he didn't get a lot of support from Rashford? Davis and Martina kept making it a 2 vs 1.

Agreed his not our left back going forward long term. But regardless of who plays there they need help from their winger.
 
I think he was exposed on purpose they gambled that he'd handle the 2 men Everton sent down his side and then backed Rashford to exploit the space they left on counter attacks that is what I think mourinho was getting at post game when he mentioned taking risks.

He's a willing runner and can't knock his attitude but he shouldn't really be getting used at left back and hopefully once Shaw is fit he won't be.
 
Premier League: Southampton 0-1 Manchester United - 23rd September 2017

Good cross for the goal. His positional sense at left back is suspect, which is to be expected.
 
Been praising that crossing ability the last few weeks, good to see him produce again. Is he the best left back in world? No. Is he the best left back at United? No. But his the best we've got right now that can play that role.
 
Premier League: Manchester United 4-0 Crystal Palace - 30th September 2017

Another top cross.
 
Excellent cross that from young. Thought he was goner at the start of this season but has come back strongly from his injury. Made a great case for a contract renewal.
 
Do you trust him at anfield in 2 weeks up against Mane?
 
Over Blind I would. How on earth would Blind catch Mane or Salah? If he left now he wouldn't beat them to the halfway line.

Plus if players are picked on form his last 2 premier leagues matches his done nothing wrong, and has to start. His picked up 2 assists plus won the free kick for Felliani's goal yesterday.
 
My guess is Darmian will start unless we go for a back 3
 
Premier League: Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur - 28th October 2017

He played well.
 
Premier League: Manchester United 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion - 25th November 2017

He was United's best attacking threat.
 
Defensively I thought he was targeted and was caught out a few times. Did well going forward but would prefer a left footer down that side.
 
I think teams are definitely targeting him Newcastle did it last week and from the highlights Brighton appeared to do the same. He’s standing up to it pretty well but I fear the better sides will expose his positioning.
 
Premier League: Watford v Manchester United - 28th November 2017

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He plays so much better when he is on the front foot rather than having to defend lots. Looking like player of the season contender if he carries on like this.
 
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