Young: Big Things To Come

Ashley Young is predicting "big things" for United after helping the Reds beat West Brom on the opening weekend of the 2011/12 Barclays Premier League.

The summer signing from Aston Villa was one of the standout performers at The Hawthorns; he cited the champions' legendary perseverance as a key factor in the 2-1 victory over the Baggies.

“It was the first game of the season and we knew it was going to be tough going to The Hawthorns," said Young. "We had to grind it out and that’s what we did.

"We have got that never-say-die attitude and we keep going until the final whistle, and we got the rewards at the end of the day when we got the winner."

Young has impressed many with the rate at which he has settled into life at United. The England winger credits that to his international experiences but also to the team spirit that's already in place at Carrington and Old Trafford.

"Obviously I have played with a few of the boys with England and you get to know their game there," he said. "I've got to know those players even more through training and pre-season here.

“Everyone has got a great understanding of how to play and that’s why the players here have won so many titles. Now I'm here, whenever I go out and put on the United shirt, I want to do well. I think there are big things to come from this team."

Young admitted his fellow new signing David de Gea was "of course disappointed" about conceding a relatively soft first-half equaliser scored by West Brom's Shane Long, but the ex-Villa player didn't dwell on the topic and instead focused more on the team's performance.

“We were always going to create chances throughout the ninety-plus minutes. That is the way we are drilled and worked, to play until the final whistle. That is what we did and we knew we’d get another couple of chances. Luckily mine went in and it was nice to get the win.”