Wednesday 31st December 2014 14:54
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Ashley Young: New lease of life under Louis van Gaal
Playing in his new wing-back role, Ashley Young is enjoying a new lease of life at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal, writes Adam Bate.
There were many aspects to the excitement that surrounded the appointment of Louis van Gaal as Manchester United manager.
But for supporters of a certain inclination, part of the barely-containable glee came from the thought of what the notoriously tough Van Gaal would make of the squad with which he'd been left. 'Bomb out the deadwood,' came the familiar refrain.
Of course, unless you're Felix Magath with a Monday migraine, things rarely work out that way. Van Gaal is savvy enough to make the best of what he's got, and to the surprise of many that continues to mean a key role for the much-maligned Ashley Young.
When the subject of his wing-backs was broached following an impressive Boxing Day win over Newcastle in which Young had put in a series of fine crosses from his new position out on the left, Van Gaal was typically forthright in his reply.
Young had been part of his plans right from the outset. Moreover, he'd been a factor in his choice of system.
"I have seen Ashley Young also be fantastic in the US when we played the same system," said Van Gaal. "I played that system because of Young and Valencia because they are not full-backs, they are wing-backs and that is why we are playing with three defenders, but I want them more in attack and they showed that in the last matches so I'm very pleased with them."
The reference to United's time in the United States recalls Young's form during pre-season when he was arguably the team's stand-out player.
Despite admitting that a pre-season friendly with Inter was only the second time he'd ever played the role, he'd been quick to embrace his fresh opportunity to impress.
"I can play in both wing-back positions and if the manager calls on me to do something I've got every confidence in myself to go out there and play well," said Young at the time.
When the Premier League season began, the learning curve was steep, starting with an opening-day defeat at home to Swansea, and a groin injury soon saw Young - and the 3-5-2 - shelved.
But since returning to the team during the early stages of the 2-1 win at Arsenal, Young has been a fixture in a United side that have now won seven and drawn two of their last nine games. Back in the wing-back role, he brings energy, pace and quality to Van Gaal's team, and the statistics bear out his positive influence.
Against Tottenham on Sunday, as was also the case in the wins over Southampton and Stoke, the Premier League tracking data shows that Young made more high-intensity sprints than any other United player. He was clocked as United's fastest player in their recent matches against Liverpool, Aston Villa and Newcastle.
Only Angel di Maria has produced more successful dribbles for United so far this season, while Young has completed more crosses than any of his team-mates - including the one that found Radamel Falcao for the equaliser at Villa Park.
Tellingly, he's already easily surpassed his numbers for last season in those departments despite not yet playing as many minutes as in 2013-14.
From playing three hours of football inside 48 hours to tackling his reinvention with good humour, much of the credit must go to Young himself.
"Good to see another member of the full-back club on Twitter," was his reaction when Rafael joined the social networking site, and it's clear this is not a case of a player sulking when asked to perform an unfamiliar role.
It's an unlikely turn of events for a player used as a No.10 by England at Euro 2012 before seeing his career lose momentum soon after. A missed penalty in the quarter-finals of that tournament loaded more baggage on a talent who had already found himself as the punchline to a hundred diving jokes. In and out of the United team, the decline could have been unsalvageable.
Instead Young has seized his chance and looks set to play an important role in getting Manchester United back into the Champions League.
The return of European football to Old Trafford will in turn necessitate a bigger squad and with Young under contract until the summer of 2016, Van Gaal's flexible friend can expect to be a part of that journey. It's been quite a turnaround.
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