Ashley Young: blame the players, not Moyes

Manchester United winger Ashley Young insists the players have to take their fair share of responsibility for their recent poor form.

The Red Devils avoided the ignominy of a third successive home defeat – which has not occurred for 51 years – after a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk allowed them to top Group A in the Champions League.

However, it was preceded by back-to-back Old Trafford losses to Everton and Newcastle in a run of matches which has not seen them win in the league since November 10.

On Monday manager David Moyes tried to shoulder the blame for his misfiring players by saying he took “complete responsibility for the results”.

But Young thinks the whole squad has a duty to improve results.

“Of course. We are the players who go out on the pitch,” he said when asked whether they felt responsibility should be shared.

“Everyone is in it together; manager, staff and players. We win together, we lose together.”

Against Shakhtar Young made his first start since the Capital One Cup win over Norwich in late October.

He has come in for plenty of criticism for his own fans in recent months having failed to deliver the sort of effective performances which persuaded former Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson to pay £18million for his services in the summer of 2011.

At the age of 28 the winger should be approaching the prime time of his career but since being at United his progress appears to have stalled and there has been more focus on his propensity to go to ground easily than on what he has offered the side.

Against the Ukrainians he had two good opportunities to break a club goalscoring drought stretching back 18 months but lobbed his first effort wide when he could have presented the unmarked Wayne Rooney with an open goal while slicing his second woefully wide.

Utility player Phil Jones, operating in central midfield, was the unlikely match winner with a second-half strike to give United something to build on as they head to Young’s former club Villa on Sunday.

“We really wanted to get back to winning ways and thankfully we managed to do that,” Young added.

“We would have liked to have got a few goals more but it wasn’t to be. The main thing is we got the three points and topped the group.

“When you’re winning you play with more confidence than when you are losing.

“Everybody showed confidence out there. Everybody wanted to play and everybody wanted the ball.

“We want to get back to winning [every week] and there’s no better place to go than Villa Park on Sunday and hopefully get another three points.

“If we put on a display like we did against Shakhtar we should be able to do that.”

United are currently seven points adrift of the top four and 13 behind leaders Arsenal.

Young thinks, however, if they can have a good festive programme they can close the gap on their rivals.

“We want to build on this win, especially around Christmas time when you have games coming thick and fast and it is a vitally important period,” he said.

“There are plenty of games and plenty of points to play for. There is another tough test coming up this weekend but we can definitely go there and keep the momentum going into the new year.

“Last night we put on a good performance, finished top of the group and we can build on that.”