When England takes on France in Donetsk on Monday the eyes of the world will be on Roy Hodgsons men and how they all perform. Perhaps the man who England need to perform more than most is Manchester United’s Ashley Young.
This time last year that would seem a strange statement to make. However Young has been transformed over the last 12 months from Aston Villa’s dangerous but inconsistent winger into a crucial player for club and country.
Youngs importance is enhanced due to the suspension of Wayne Rooney for Englands opening two group matches. Roy Hodgson has deployed him in the position just in behind the main striker in the two warm up games for Euro 2012. This is the pivotal position if the 4-2-3-1 system that Hodgson seems to have picked is to work. That formation is the most favoured option in modern football. It is a formation that allows a team to switch between a 4-2-3-1 when in attack and a 4-5-1 when defending. The difference between these two comes as a result of the movement of the ‘number 10’ position that will be filled by Ashley Young.
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If Englands two central midfielders Gerrard and Parker can get the ball into Young the he can cause massive problems for the French with two wingers either side and hopefully Danny Welbeck in front. Similarly however the French can cause England huge problems if Young does not fill in to make a five man midfield when France are in possession.
It is a position that Young has been drafted into and has taken to very well so far. There is no doubt that if Rooney was available he would play that role as he does with such discipline for Manchester United. Rooney, it is fair to say is much better at the defensive side of the game than Young which means that England will be depending on Ashley being able to stick to his task throughout the entire game.
Young’s role will be assessed with great scrutiny as it is the key position in the modern game. It is the position that links midfield and attack while ensuring that you are not overrun in the midfield. It is a role that we expect to see Mesut Ozil in for Germany and also Samir Nasri for France on Monday. Those players have much more experience of the role and so Young needs to perform exceptionally to make it work for England.
Ashley Young has gone from an England fringe player to their key component on the eve of Euro 2012. If England are to beat France and progress from the group, Young will need to play fantastically well. If he doesn’t stick to his task then things could get very messy for England.
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