02/12/2014
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Ashley Young believes Manchester United’s busy December period can help further increase momentum as Louis van Gaal’s side aim to replicate the type of winter winning runs the Reds have been renowned for in previous years.
The visit of Stoke City on Tuesday – United’s first midweek match of the Barclays Premier League campaign – is one of six encounters to contend with this month, but the increase in fixtures is something Young is relishing with the aim being to add to three successive victories and begin yet another relentless charge heading towards New Year.
"This has always been when United teams come strong and get points on the board," the wideman told MUTV and ManUtd.com. "You look further up the table rather than looking around you. We hope to come strong after the Christmas period and that can only set us up for the rest of the season.
"It's a time when you play a game, have a cool down day afterwards and then you are back playing again. But that is what every player wants to do. You want to go out there and play matches and win. We have got some big games coming up and everybody wants to play. If you saw our training sessions, you would see that everybody wants to be in the team and playing."
With United in fourth place and confidence rising, Young feels Tuesday’s home meeting with Stoke will represent a different challenge to the one the Reds faced when falling to a 2-1 away defeat in February. While the 29-year-old anticipates a more defensive approach from the evening’s opponents, he believes Louis van Gaal's plethora of attacking talent can do what’s required to ensure the Potters head home empty-handed.
Young continued: "Last season they came here and did well [Stoke led before losing 3-2], which was disappointing for us, but maybe this year they will come here and play like other teams at Old Trafford by putting some men behind the ball.some men behind the ball."It's up to us to break them down, but that is nothing new to us. We have shown signs that we can hurt teams and I’m sure we can do that and get the three points."
Young replaced the injured Luke Shaw against Arsenal and in doing so made his own comeback from a spell on the sidelines and he showed great versatility by filling in for the England defender at left-back against Hull at the weekend.
The winger has no qualms about adjusting his position for the sake of van Gaal’s squad with his focus simply set on re-establishing himself in the starting line-up on a regular basis.
"It's always hard for a player to get injured and I am no different to that," the no.18 admitted. "Seeing the boys go out to train and knowing you are just in the gym day in, day out was tough but hopefully, fingers crossed, the injuries are behind me now so I can just concentrate on playing football and being in the team.
"I set myself targets at the start of the season but getting the injury has put them a bit further back. I am just concentrating on being in the team week in and week out now, hopefully in the starting eleven and I will just take it from there."
"This has always been when United teams come strong and get points on the board," the wideman told MUTV and ManUtd.com. "You look further up the table rather than looking around you. We hope to come strong after the Christmas period and that can only set us up for the rest of the season.
"It's a time when you play a game, have a cool down day afterwards and then you are back playing again. But that is what every player wants to do. You want to go out there and play matches and win. We have got some big games coming up and everybody wants to play. If you saw our training sessions, you would see that everybody wants to be in the team and playing."
With United in fourth place and confidence rising, Young feels Tuesday’s home meeting with Stoke will represent a different challenge to the one the Reds faced when falling to a 2-1 away defeat in February. While the 29-year-old anticipates a more defensive approach from the evening’s opponents, he believes Louis van Gaal's plethora of attacking talent can do what’s required to ensure the Potters head home empty-handed.
Young continued: "Last season they came here and did well [Stoke led before losing 3-2], which was disappointing for us, but maybe this year they will come here and play like other teams at Old Trafford by putting some men behind the ball.some men behind the ball."It's up to us to break them down, but that is nothing new to us. We have shown signs that we can hurt teams and I’m sure we can do that and get the three points."
Young replaced the injured Luke Shaw against Arsenal and in doing so made his own comeback from a spell on the sidelines and he showed great versatility by filling in for the England defender at left-back against Hull at the weekend.
The winger has no qualms about adjusting his position for the sake of van Gaal’s squad with his focus simply set on re-establishing himself in the starting line-up on a regular basis.
"It's always hard for a player to get injured and I am no different to that," the no.18 admitted. "Seeing the boys go out to train and knowing you are just in the gym day in, day out was tough but hopefully, fingers crossed, the injuries are behind me now so I can just concentrate on playing football and being in the team.
"I set myself targets at the start of the season but getting the injury has put them a bit further back. I am just concentrating on being in the team week in and week out now, hopefully in the starting eleven and I will just take it from there."
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