Manchester United Need Nani and Ashley Young Resurgence

Allen Hamilton

Manchester United’s return to gritty 1-0 victories will have delighted Sir Alex Ferguson on many levels, with the Nemanja Vidic-Rio Ferdinand pairing looking typically stingy and greater discipline being shown in midfield. Like last season, the Red Devils are doing just enough to win.

But, on the other hand, it is alarming how far the team has moved away from the free-flowing football of August and September and the style of play – all pace and movement – that left Bolton and Arsenal, in particular, reeling. In their place, Manchester United have reverted to being the model of discipline and efficiency.

The 6-1 humbling at the hands of Manchester City was bound to leave scars – and it seems as though the champions are still healing. Since that defeat, Ferguson’s men have won four out of five league games, but have scored just once in each game.

Now, the ankle ligament injury to striker Javier Hernandez, who scored three of those goals, leaves Manchester United with more headaches in front of goal. Wayne Rooney’s rampant start – eight goals in four games – has been replaced by a worrying drought. The England talisman has not found the net in the Premier League since 18th September and even played two games in a midfield role to add a creative spark.

Part of the goalscoring problem stems from Nani and Ashley Young both faltering after showing such promise in the first two months of the campaign. Nani began in unstoppable form, with defenders forever uncertain whether he would cut inside or beat them on the outside. Though the Portuguese showed no signs of shedding his frustrating habit of wasting possession in the final third, his impact was clear and he finally appeared to be ready to take the next step in his development.

But Nani has not been such a big factor in recent weeks, with the exception of his assist for Phil Jones’ winner against Aston Villa at Villa Park. A week earlier, against Swansea, he had a wretched night, giving the ball away throughout the first half to the bemusement of his team-mates. The 25-year-old’s performances tend to be either excellent or underwhelming, with nothing in between.

Young, meanwhile, scored on his debut against West Brom and netted two fabulous goals against Arsenal in the 8-2 rout, silencing the sceptics who questioned his ability to play a leading role at Old Trafford. Twisting full backs inside out and crafting countless chances for team-mates, he looked like the perfect side-kick for Rooney. But, like Nani, Young has been out of sorts over the past two months, though not for a lack of effort. A toe injury has not helped matters, with that short time on the sidelines disrupting his rhythm and diminishing his threat.

Ferguson might not agree – “We’ve got an all-round footballer,” the Manchester United boss explained. “He’s a terrific crosser of the ball and his goal attempts have been good” – but the former Villa star has struggled to live up to the performances that made him an instant hit during the honeymoon phase of his Old Trafford career. Both he and Nani will be all too aware that Antonio Valencia is fully fit and desperate to stake his claim for a return to the starting line-up.

With Manchester United’s first choice wingers faltering, it is hardly surprising that the 5-0 and 8-2 scorelines have dried up, forcing Ferguson to revert to a more disciplined mindset. It is also worth noting that the injury suffered by Tom Cleverley at Bolton in September has hurt the champions’ ability to play a quicker and more direct style of play. The commitment of the more methodical Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher cannot be called into question, but the build-up play is certainly slower without the youthful Cleverley sparking counter-attacking raids for Nani and Young.

But Manchester United must plough on. Given the club’s injury woes – Michael Owen, Dimitar Berbatov and the Da Silva twins, among others, will be keeping Hernandez company in the treatment room – the pressure will be on Nani and Young to rediscover their outstanding form from the start of the season. A busy Christmas period, which includes two trips to London, is fast approaching and, if the Red Devils are to keep pace with Manchester City, the goals must come more freely.