Ashley Young can be given a new breath of life at Manchester United after manager Louis van Gaal said that the former Aston Villa man is someone who will fit extremely well into the 3-5-2 formation that he is going to use at the club. The Dutchman was recently appointed as the replacement for David Moyes and he has straightaway changed the formation of the club, which has probably remained constant for the last two decades. United will be playing in the same formation as the one adopted by the Dutch in the World Cup 2014.
However, Van Gaal is unlikely to be without left back Luke Shaw, who could be the new wingback at the club. Due to the lack of options, the manager is likely to use Young as the replacement for the first few weeks of campaign. Shaw was signed from Southampton for around £ 30 million but he is set to miss the next four weeks due to a hamstring injury. Young has been a winger throughout his career, but he appears to have taken a step backward in the last few years since moving to United. The constant allegations of simulation certainly has not helped his case, but Van Gaal’s latest comments could hint at a new start for the England international.
“Ashley Young is a winger, but he is another type who can play wing-back and he did very well against Roma. He can play left and right side, but we shall see,” said the manager during pre-season. “It’s been good to play in the different positions. 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,” said the player himself about his ability to be versatile across the pitch and help the team.