Manchester United haven’t had the greatest transfer window since signing Matheus Cunha, but Ashley Young has managed to see a glimpse of Sir Alex Ferguson’s ‘genius’ in the club’s approach.
It was a window that promised much after flying out of the blocks, as Man Utd signed Matheus Cunha within the first week of June.
Soon after, the interest in Bryan Mbeumo was established, but to everybody’s surprise, that is where the window peaked.
However, even with one signing and two young prospects in Diego Leon and Enzo Kana-Biyik, Ashley Young has seen a glimpse of a ‘different approach’ from the club that reminds him of Sir Alex Ferguson’s ‘genius’.
Ashley Young on Man Utd transfer window
Young can talk about Man Utd with some authority because not only was he at Old Trafford for Sir Alex’s final hurrah, but he also saw the club decline in real time.
Therefore, he is uniquely placed to compare how things were done under Sir Alex, how they were done after, and what changes he’s seeing now.
So when Young says United are finally doing something in the window that they haven’t since Sir Alex retired, it holds some weight.
Speaking to Sky Sport, Young dissected United’s approach in the window so far, and said it reminds him of how Sir Alex had a laser-focused way of strengthening the squad.
He said: “Most of his signings had Premier League experience to gel into the squad. He had a dossier to know [everything] about the player. He was a genius. He just knew what players would fit into the squad – hungry, hard-working, winners. That was the key.
“It’s a different approach [from current Man Utd, which is similar to that]. You’ve got to have a different approach to what’s gone on in the past and hopefully see a change in what’s been going on.”
Quality over quantity might be the way to go
While it’s hard to argue that a team that finished 15th in the league last season will be massively improved with just two signings, the situation is not as black and white.
For one, Ruben Amorim’s arrival mid-season caused complete upheaval, which wasn’t helped by the executive structure above him constantly changing, too.
Furthermore, United, especially later in the season, regularly dominated games without scoring, which is the kind of luck that eventually turns around.
Effectively, United, even as constructed, were not the 15th-best team in the league, and with the addition of genuine, proven, Premier League quality, combined with a pre-season and some shooting luck, could easily rocket up the standings.
The rebuild will continue each window, but the Glazer era contracts have made it impossible to accelerate it. In the meantime, they just have to show continuous improvement, even if it is minimal.
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