Ashley Young. Photocredit: mollyig
It’s fair to say England and Manchester United forward Ashley Young isn’t the most popular footballer in the Premiership right about now. That’s because for two weeks running Young has earned top club United incredibly soft penalties by diving under the slightest of touches. Young’s first effort at penalty box theatrics saw Queens Park Rangers captain Shaun Derry sent off in a game QPR went on to lose 2-nil on Easter Sunday.
Young was roundly criticised by fans and sports journalists for the dive against QPR. However, the criticism doesn’t seem to have put Young off his ‘game.’ Yesterday, Young threw himself to the Old Trafford turf in even more spectacular fashion to win his team another highly controversial penalty – this time against Aston Villa. Yes, that would be the same Aston Villa which Young used to play for. The same Aston Villa which gave Young his first shot at playing Premiership football.
Young’s startling inability to stay on his feet in the box, or cheating, depending on your viewpoint, has not gone under noticed by the internet GIF artists. Here’s one of many from the Ashley Young Dive Appreciation Society on qprdot.org
Ashley Young
