View: Aston Villa must make more of Ashley Young versatility and experience
Ashley Young was given a rare start for Aston Villa on Friday evening as Steven Gerrard’s side manage to edge past Southampton at Villa Park.
Jacob Ramsay scored the crucial goal in the 1-0 win as the 37-year-old filled in at right-back for the injured Polish international Matty Cash.
He wasn’t the most exceptional of performers on the night nor did he take any of the headlines afterwards but that is exactly why Gerrard needs to utilise him more than he has done so far in the hot seat.
A few too many of the Aston Villa squad are laser-focused on being the match-winner by scoring a sensational goal or dominating the midfield but not enough are content with doing their job, whatever it may be, and cracking on.
Young is the embodiment of that mindset and it is something that the manager has to be using more often to imprint that onto the youngster at the club, Ramsay included.
He is not good enough to regularly displace Cash in the starting XI when he is fit and he wouldn’t want to do so but that is where his other strongest attribute comes in.
Over his career at Villa Park and elsewhere in England, Young has played in all kinds of positions from left-wing to central midfield so if there is a gap that needs filling, he could do just that.
Alex Iwobi at Everton has managed to reinvent himself as a central midfielder this season and the same could happen for Young with his neat eye for a pass and never-ending enthusiasm.
Gerrard might not realise it at the moment but he could be the difference that he needs to start getting this Aston Villa side winning more often, even if he doesn’t play every single week.
In other Aston Villa news, there was another Villan who was back to his very best against the Saints and Gerrard needs it to carry on.