Smashley Young

[Theon]

Thought he was poor again today. He needs to get his confidence back and be way more direct instead of playing simple 5 yard passes. If Nani is off then we need a new winger because he's not good enough to be first choice.

These Park comparisons are a bit daft, they aren't particularly similar at all. Plus Park didn't cost £18million or get paid £120,000 per week. For that investment in a winger you need more of a return offensively.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Thought he was poor again today. He needs to get his confidence back and be way more direct instead of playing simple 5 yard passes. If Nani is off then we need a new winger because he's not good enough to be first choice.

These Park comparisons are a bit daft, they aren't particularly similar at all. Plus Park didn't cost £18million or get paid £120,000 per week. For that investment in a winger you need more of a return offensively.

Young is on that much?!?!

But I agree with your point. For 18 million I think we could have gotten someone better. But then that's opening another can of worms.

 

[Amar__]

Typical Young's performance, one or two good passes, same number of good crosses and that's it. He doesn't give us almost anything on that left side, and whenever he is playing, we are playing 90% of our football down the right side, and when we switch to his side, he usually passes the ball again to that side or to Evra or Evans. We have at least two or three better players on his position.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Typical Young's performance, one or two good passes, same number of good crosses and that's it. He doesn't give us almost anything on that left side, and whenever he is playing, we are playing 90% of our football down the right side, and when we switch to his side, he usually passes the ball again to that side or to Evra or Evans. We have at least two or three better players on his position.

This is important for me.

 

[Joemo]

Typical Young's performance, one or two good passes, same number of good crosses and that's it. He doesn't give us almost anything on that left side, and whenever he is playing, we are playing 90% of our football down the right side, and when we switch to his side, he usually passes the ball again to that side or to Evra or Evans. We have at least two or three better players on his position.

To be fair even when Nani plays there we usually give the ball to Valencia's side more often than not, but the difference is as you said; when Young receives the ball he doesn't have the confidence to take on his man and resorts to a simple pass, whereas Nani is willing to take a risk and beat his man.

It's stupid really, the reason we stretch the play with Valencia's width is so when we switch the play, the oppositions defence is exposed and Nani can work off of that, but rather than Young exploiting the 1 on 1 (sometimes 2 on 1 if Evra is up too) he resorts to the easy option and passes it back. I realise it may keep possession but the number of chances we could create if he just had a bit more flair about him would vastly increase.

 

[DevilRed]

Young is on that much?!?!

But I agree with your point. For 18 million I think we could have gotten someone better. But then that's opening another can of worms.

If rumours were to be believed, that someone was supposed to be alexis sanchez.

 

[IrishLegend]

First half he was pretty poor, I think he was much better in the second and put in a better shift (especially defensively).

All round was an average performance. I though Valencia was worse.

 

[Brightonian]

First half he was pretty poor, I think he was much better in the second and put in a better shift (especially defensively).

All round was an average performance. I though Valencia was worse.

Really? Valencia beat Santos again and again, and kept sending Rafael down that wing as well. Young did almost nothing in an attacking sense, mostly just received the ball, dawdled on it for a few seconds, and passed it backwards again. He only ever seemed to get the ball in an advanced position when someone else did the hard work and gave it to him. No accident that the best cross from his wing by a long way came from Rooney.

 

[Amar__]

To be fair even when Nani plays there we usually give the ball to Valencia's side more often than not, but the difference is as you said; when Young receives the ball he doesn't have the confidence to take on his man and resorts to a simple pass, whereas Nani is willing to take a risk and beat his man.

It's stupid really, the reason we stretch the play with Valencia's width is so when we switch the play, the oppositions defence is exposed and Nani can work off of that, but rather than Young exploiting the 1 on 1 (sometimes 2 on 1 if Evra is up too) he resorts to the easy option and passes it back. I realise it may keep possession but the number of chances we could create if he just had a bit more flair about him would vastly increase.

Yeah, I agree overall, but I still don't think it's that much expressed when we play Nani or Welbeck on the left as it is when Young plays there. For example, remember our last game against Arsenal away last season? Both Valencia and Nani were on the pitch and we were attacking mostly down the left hand side, Nani was excellent in that game.
You have examples from this season too, against Stoke for example lots of our attacks were going through welbeck on the left, against Liverpool we were moslty attacking on Nani's side while he was on the pitch eventough he didn't his best game. Against Galata Nani was also involved a lot, eventough we had Valencia playing on the right.

 

[IrishLegend]

Really? Valencia beat Santos again and again, and kept sending Rafael down that wing as well. Young did almost nothing in an attacking sense, mostly just received the ball, dawdled on it for a few seconds, and passed it backwards again. He only ever seemed to get the ball in an advanced position when someone else did the hard work and gave it to him. No accident that the best cross from his wing by a long way came from Rooney.

Young had a hand in the 2nd goal if I remember rightly. (may need to watch it back as I only got back an hour ago from the game).

And Valencia kept running down the right but not doing much, he didn't get hardly and crosses in and the ones he did were poor. Rafa was a much bigger threat than Valencia.

Valencia kept dawdling on the ball allowing them to get numbers back rather than pumping the ball in first time or looking for Rafa's over-lap and insisted on cutting inside then proceeding to do sweet FA.

That and he did feck all defensively today, kept walking back rather than tracking back and helping out.

 

[Plechazunga]

I've been one of Young's defenders but I thought he was woeful today. Crowd starting to murmur again too, that won't help his confidence.

 

[jem]

I've been one of Young's defenders but I thought he was woeful today. Crowd starting to murmur again too, that won't help his confidence.

Honestly, just don't think he's good enough for United (at least as a starter.) He's got the predictability of Valencia, without the explosiveness (although he is capable of the occasional long-range effort.)

I actually think our wingers have become a bit of a concern this year. It would be nice if Kagawa were able to slot in on one of the wings (given that he's not about to displace Rooney.)

 

[Neutral]

Just getting back from injury - so deserves a bit of leeway, but his default act was to pass back. Made me

 

[sammsky1]

Honestly, just don't think he's good enough for United (at least as a starter.) He's got the predictability of Valencia, without the explosiveness (although he is capable of the occasional long-range effort.)

I actually think our wingers have become a bit of a concern this year. It would be nice if Kagawa were able to slot in on one of the wings (given that he's not about to displace Rooney.)

there aren't that many top quality wingers available in world football right now.

And it looks like the club is not prepared to pay Nani what he thinks he is worth, hence the stand of between him and SAF.

Given that, realistically, exactly whom would you have SAF replace him with?

 

[Red17]

I'm not a big fan...I think he lacks conviction in his game (tracks back but does not really do anything defensively, closes the opponent but too slow, his layoffs are terrible, a forward player and a winger but seldom look to beat his man, just hold the ball and then pass - wasting precious moments slowing our game, etc) but he did put up an improved showing in this game against Arsenal as compared to the Chelsea game.

 

[Cold_Boy]

Never going to be a first choice. but a perfect squad player.

We did over-pay for him considering he is English.

 

[jem]

there aren't that many top quality wingers available in world football right now.

And it looks like the club is not prepared to pay Nani what he thinks he is worth, hence the stand of between him and SAF.

Given that, realistically, exactly whom would you have SAF replace him with?

No, of course, and I don't want to lose Nani for that very reason (James Rodriguez seems to be the name floating around the interwebs....) I was just pointing out that we haven't gotten great performances from our wings this year.

 

[marjen]

I've been one of Young's defenders but I thought he was woeful today. Crowd starting to murmur again too, that won't help his confidence.

Yeah, he was shite.

I thought he played quite well in spurts vs Chelsea though.

 

[Tomuś]

After watching the game again I have to admit I went over the top with praising him. Wasn't poor by any means, I'd call that a decent performance, nothing more.

 

[moses]

There were one or two moments when he could have chased balls and just didn't. That sort of thing is remembered when you are not playing well.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

I was one of the ones who praised after the Chelsea game... however, the nicest thing I can say about Young's performance yesterday was that at times, he worked fairly hard. Other then that, it was pretty dire... he seriously lacked any quality on the ball (bar one pass to RVP I think...)

 

[RedRonaldo]

After watching the game again I have to admit I went over the top with praising him. Wasn't poor by any means, I'd call that a decent performance, nothing more.

By all means it was a poor performance. Worst United player on the field.

 

[Ekeke]

First half he was pretty poor, I think he was much better in the second and put in a better shift (especially defensively).

All round was an average performance. I though Valencia was worse.

Valencia was incredibly dissappointing but even so was far more effective than Young. Thats pretty alarming

 

[Annihilate Now!]

By all means it was a poor performance. Worst United player on the field.

That would still make him the 11th best player on the pitch mind you!!

Actually, I don't think Clev was much better in all fairness...

 

[sammsky1]

he's only 2 games after an injury. give him5 games at least!

 

[The Neviller]

Right Ashley, either pass the ball forward, try and beat a man, or feck off. Take your pick.

 

[DevilRed]

I remember a time when Ashley Young had plenty of pace and appetite to beat a man. Might as well ask villa for a refund while we're here.

 

[Randall Flagg]

He had a good game in his game since injury since then he has been total gash. Hopefully it's just a recovery period

 

[Robbie Boy]

I remember Martin O'Neill called him 'world class'.

 

[ha_rooney]

Needs to remember he's a winger and actually attempt to beat his man with his pace rather than constantly slowing down and cutting inside.

 

[Comsmit]

He needs to do a lot more than this to continue earning 120 grand a week. That is nowhere near the standard required of a United player. His touch was garbage, he kept getting the ball caught in his feet as well. Spent a lot of the game posturing, flapping his arms about and generally being a passenger. Rightly sacrificed for Javier.

I'm not sure why United are playing hardball with Nani when the direct competition is this average.

 

[Cina]

He is far from being good enough to be a first choice winger at this club, quite frankly, especially when you consider the options we've had in these positions in past times.

 

[Freak]

He's such a pointless winger. Doesn't run at defenders, delays his crosses.

 

[Nate Dogg]

He was bloody awful again, his touch was simply off today.

On this form i prefer Nani to him..

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Barring the beginning of his United career, I'm not sure what he brings to the table really. He seems to have been running on zero confidence for ages. I think he might have done alright at times towards the fag end of last season but since the early parts, I've seen a guy who consistently does .... nothing.

 

[Maciej]

Not a great game, looked like it really wasn't easy to play at Villa Park again.

But thank God he came off and we could see Hernandez and get three points.

You're shit, come off. Don't let your fanbois say you're always capable of that one moment to create something...

 

[untitled_6899]

Maybe he should be given a chance on the right? it would stop having to check back on to his right foot every time he wants to cross the ball.

 

[Lawman]

Maybe he should be given a chance on the right? it would stop having to check back on to his right foot every time he wants to cross the ball.

We bought him as a left winger we would have been better off playing Butner as a winger if he's not going to be brave and take his man on and get to the bye line. Frustrating as he has the tools show some balls Ashley or your for the chop.

 

[DevilRed]

I remember Martin O'Neill called him 'world class'.

To be fair, he is not the same Ashley Young that played for Villa. At least he hasn't been for a long time. Not sure if its because he keeps getting injured or what...but he seems to have lost alot of his pace and appetite for driving the ball down the pitch.

 

[Cantona07]

Cut him some slack. He would improve