What has happened to Ashley Young?
Whilst he was never exactly the next big thing, or England’s great hope, he was an exciting talent, one who caught the eye with attacking flair, quick feet and decent close control.
Think back to his time as a Watford Player, when his goals fired the Hertfordshire based club into the Premier League. His free-kicks against Plymouth and Leeds were a thing of beauty. Then there was his 30-yard effort against Coventry City, which is arguably the best goal of his career.
He built further upon his reputation at Aston Villa and established himself as a top Premier League talent. By the time Manchester United came knocking, Ashley Young looked like a good fit. The Red Devils had to fight off competition from Liverpool for him and shelled out between £15-20m for his services.
For a while, things went swimmingly. On his League debut he helped set up a goal for Wayne Rooney and was named Man of the Match. He scored his first two goals (both fine efforts) for United during the club’s 8-2 mauling of Arsenal.
After a while, however, things began to fall apart. Ever since Euro 2012, Young has looked completely shorn of confidence. His running is aimless, his passing is ineffective and he provides very little goal-threat.
The fact that he continues to get chosen over the likes of Wilfried Zaha astounds me (admittedly, Young hasn’t played since United’s 4-1 defeat by Manchester City last month).
All the instances of diving aren’t helping. Young’s stock has never been so low. I can’t help but feel that he needs a time out. He needs an opportunity to re-assess the situation and get back to basics.
Most importantly, he needs to feel like his place in the team is under threat. That if he continues to under-perform, his career will be affected.
Interestingly, The Mirror claims that Manchester United are willing to consider sending Ashley Young out on loan this January. That seems like a drastic step, but it may be exactly what he needs to snap him out of his dry spell.
I think he needs to go to a decent Premier League side, where he’d be made to feel like ‘top dog’ once again. Whilst it’s unlikely, a return to somewhere like Aston Villa would probably be a good idea. Otherwise, any kind of mid-table side would probably be a good fit.
When Ashley Young gets back on his feet, he’ll be an asset for Manchester United. The quicker that happens, the better, so let’s hope that David Moyes is ready to work his magic.
What’s your take? Should Ashley Young go out on loan this January?
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