Villa's Young gun has been firing blanks all season

By James Nursey

Published 08:30 05/11/09

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I upset a few Aston Villa fans just a couple of games into the season for daring to suggest Ashley Young had not found his top form.

But I hope my critics will now admit that - despite his goal last night - Villa's talented winger has been a shadow of his former self this term.

Young, 24, had Chelsea and Spurs after him this summer following a brilliant season for Villa last year.

He ended up named PFA Young Player of the Year and being selected for England.

And Villa manager Martin O'Neill repeatedly cooed how the deadball specialist was "world-class" and a bargain, despite him costing £9.75million from Watford in January 2007.

Yet now Young's loss of form has seen the talented wide man dropped from the England squad.

And he will struggle to make next summer's World Cup finals unless he rediscovers his best form fast.

Young, who has six caps, remains one of the best deliverers of a ball in the Premier League and has laid on a string of goals for the team this season from set-pieces.

But in open play he has been contained more easily by opposition defenders this season.

There is a strong argument that he has been affected by Gareth Barry's departure to Manchester City.

Left-footed Barry was so classy on the ball for Villa he could control it immediately before releasing Young early on the left wing.

But now, when Young gets the ball, he appears to have defenders on him much quicker as the original pass is taking longer to reach him.

The only other explanation for his loss of form is that maybe he got his head turned by overtures from Chelsea and Spurs this summer.

That will become clearer nearer January if Young starts to agitate for a transfer.

There are no signs of that yet though and, in the meantime, O'Neill must use all his motivational skills to bring the best out of the winger once more.