Young, who signed from Aston Villa for what seemed to be a bargain of a deal at the time, has been victimized and scapegoated on a fair few occasions by the Manchester United fans, similar to how midfielder Tom Cleverley was treated last season. Everytime he posted a tweet, a photo or updated his status, Young would get thousands of hateful comments telling him to get out of Old Trafford.
At first glance, I thought Young would never be able to survive in van Gaal's 3-5-2 system. He would either have to adapt in the role of a wing-back, and take on the responsibilities of defending, something he was never really known for, or play as a forward whilst having to compete with the likes of Welbeck, Rooney, van Persie and Zaha for a place. No matter what he chose, it seemed his only option was a move away from Manchester United.
And although that decision would have pleased many at the time, including myself, it seems most of us are having second thoughts about Ashley Young leaving this window. Young, who has had an incredible pre-season tour with Manchester United, seems to have revitalized his career here. Of all the players who have featured in Manchester United's pre-season fixtures, Young has impressed me the most.
It's not just his goals against Real Madrid which caught my eye, instead it is his new, improved playing style which impressed me. Last season, Young's playing style could be described as a winger playing on the left side, always looking to dive and cut inside to deliver an utterly useless cross which will meet the head of no one. Now, he plays like a fully accomplished wing-back, solid defensively and also helpful when going forward. (Yes, I said he has been helpful going forward)
With there being a short supply of wing-backs at United this season, Ashley Young could be a vital clog in the side. Young, who has impressed me more than Valencia in his role, should be the back up to injury-prone Rafael, or supposedly overweight Luke Shaw who van Gaal doesn't want to start until full fitness is regained.
Although many might think that Valencia would be better suited to the wing-back role than Young, it has been evident that Young is much more comfortable and accomplished in the role this pre-season. Albeit going forward or defending, Valencia has been quite clumsy whereas Ashley Young has been the opposite.
Young can not only function as a wing-back in the side, he could also be played as a forward. He has featured in that role once this pre-season, in which he also impressed. Timing his runs to perfection or finishing the chances presented to him, Young played well after coming on as a forward against LA Galaxy. Before you dismiss his performance by saying it was in just a pre-season friendly or it was just against LA Galaxy, just know that LA Galaxy are one of the best sides in the MLS, and pre-season is quite important as it contributes heavily towards the morale and fitness of a squad.
Certainly, Young has impressed Louis van Gaal, who has almost been forced to start Young after his performances in pre-season.
Van Gaal has done this trick before, converting attacking players into wing-backs. If you remember, van Gaal used ex-Liverpool attacker Dirk Kuyt in the wing-back role on more than one occasion during the World Cup, a role in which Kuyt impressed so much he started the majority of the games over natural wing-back Daryl Janmaat.
Ashley Young may not be everyone's favourite at Old Trafford, and I certainly still hold a grudge against him for becoming the successor to Paul Scholes' number at United, but fans have to realize that he is still a Manchester United player and have to back him to succeed in his new role, something which we are not accustomed to doing ever since his arrival. And if you think that the prospect of Young starting league games for United is daunting, just remember that it could be worse; we could have a brainless oaf with one foot charging up and down the right flank, trying to hammer in crosses despite none of them getting past the first man and then conceding a stupid foul in a dangerous area. In other words, we could have Antonio Valencia starting instead of Ashley Young.
Article written by Mayank Tiwary. Twitter: @VanPerseing
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