Can Young be the One

Ashley Young has become the second player to move to Manchester United this summer, for a fee reported to be worth £17 million.

An interesting move to say the least, with opinion split as to how much of a success he will be at the club.

Young, 25, will suit his new club due to his explosive pace and dead-ball ability, but one has to question that final delivery into the box. In that sense, he is not on the same level as someone like Antonio Valencia.

If Young can improve his crossing proficiency, then it only spells bad news for Premier League defenders, with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez profiting the most.

Despite this criticism, Young finished last season as Aston Villa’s joint top-scorer with Darren Bent, scoring nine goals. This demonstrates his knack of cutting in on the inside and moving into goal-scoring positions.

He is also one of the small number of England internationals around that add a degree of flair and pace to proceedings, with Young being one of the few stand-out performers in last month’s lacklustre draw against Switzerland, scoring in a 2-2 draw.

The former Villa wide man is also likely to improve by playing for United, and in Sir Alex Ferguson, he has a manager who loves to throw players forward in a counter-attacking style.

Meanwhile, one of United’s wingers who may have just received a boot up the backside after Young’s arrival is Nani. He is arguably the most gifted wide man at Old Trafford due to his individual skill, but he can go from brilliant to rather ordinary in the space of 90 minutes.

The increased competition for places has signalled a real statement of intent by United, with their biggest spending spree in four years illustrating their desire to topple Barcelona and become champions of Europe again.

Sir Alex’s attempt to rebuild the side represents the end of an era on Sir Matt Busby Way. With Gary Neville and Paul Scholes announcing their retirement, Ferguson has seemed to move quickly in building the latest golden generation.

So will Young be a success in Manchester? Ultimately yes. If he has a good pre-season, he will thrive with the increased competition for places and the constant challenge for major honours.

James Hilsum