Manchester United’s resilience can win FA Cup, claims Ashley Young

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/feb/17/manchester-united-fa-cup-ashley-young

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Ashley Young believes Manchester United’s run of only one defeat in 19 matches shows a resilience that can be the foundation for winning the FA Cup.

Louis van Gaal’s team are targeting a first triumph in 11 years, with Arsenal their next opponents in the sixth round. United reached that stage by beating Preston North End 3-1 at Deepdale on Monday evening, coming from behind to win the tie. After Preston took the lead through Scott Laird in the 47th minute Ander Herrera equalised on 65 minutes before a Marouane Fellaini goal and a Wayne Rooney penalty secured victory.

The result means that since 2 November only Southampton have beaten United – 1-0 on 11 January – and Young pointed to United’s ability to grind out results as evidence the club can claim the Cup for the first time since 2004. “The club has always had great spirit; I’ve seen that since I’ve been here,” said the winger, who created Herrera’s goal after coming on as a second-half substitute. “One [defeat] in 19 is a great achievement. I’m sure that, if we produce a performance that we’re capable of, we’ll get through to the next round. We want to get back to winning ways and win this competition.

“We haven’t won it for a few years. There are plenty of games left to play. This one was a tough one but we knew it would be like that. We just wanted to get ourselves in the next round and we’re delighted we’ve done that. All the boys in the dressing room are fighting for each other and when you have that off the pitch you take it on to the pitch. It is one of the qualities we have as a team as a whole. It’s a team sport, we always go play as a team and we showed that from the first minute to the last and in the way we came back into the game and won it. We showed the fighting spirit we’ve always had throughout the years. We went a goal down but got ourselves back into the game.

“We’re more than happy with the result and to be in the next round. Before the game we wanted to be in there and I think we showed again the team spirit and fighting spirit we’ve got. We went a goal down but we got ourselves back in the game and we were pretty comfortable after we went 2-1 ahead. Wazza then got on the scoresheet with the penalty and we’re delighted to go through. It’s a happy dressing room.”

Of facing Arsenal next at Old Trafford next month, United’s first home tie in the competition, he said: “We said before that you’ve got to play whoever is put in front of you and we know it will be tough, but I don’t think there is ever an easy game. We definitely haven’t had one in the FA Cup so far. We’re looking forward to that but there are obviously plenty of games before then that we need to play. When it comes around that’s when we’ll think about.

“What’s important for us now is to get to the next round.We’re not thinking too far ahead.”