Young: Spirit Can Inspire Results

Ashley Young has hailed Manchester United’s unbreakable team spirit and believes it can go a long way to leading the Reds to silverware and a top-four finish this season.

Young came off the bench at Preston North End on Monday night to help Louis van Gaal’s men come from behind to beat a dogged Lilywhites side who had taken a 47th-minute lead and threatened to pull off the latest shock in this season’s topsy-turvy FA Cup.

The 29-year-old set up Ander Herrera to level proceedings on 65 minutes, before Marouane Fellaini and Wayne Rooney confirmed United’s spot in the quarter-finals of the competition where Arsenal lie in wait at Old Trafford. Young praised the Reds’ determination and attitude after the win at Deepdale, insisting it’s a trait that could take United far this term, as it has done so many times in the past.

“The club has always had great spirit – I’ve seen that since I’ve been here. 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,” he told ManUtd.com. “It’s one of the qualities we have as a team. It’s a team sport and we always go out and play as a team. We showed that on Monday night from the first minute to the last and in the way we came back into the game and won it.

“The manager told me to go out there, get on the ball, get crosses into the box and stay wide," he added. "We wanted to get ourselves back in it as quickly as possible. It was a great team effort – every man throughout the team was fantastic. When you have that team spirit in a game it can help take you through to the next round and that’s what it’s done.”

The FA Cup’s two most successful sides in history will now meet in the last eight at Old Trafford in early March.

Young says it’s a tie the players will relish as it draws nearer, but for the moment he insists the Reds are focused on maintaining an impressive run of one defeat in 19 games and stringing together more vital wins.

“One defeat in 19 is a great achievement, but there are lots of games left to play,” he added. “This one was a hard 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.

“You’ve got to play whoever is put in front of you and we know it will be tough against Arsenal, 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 match but there are obviously plenty of others before then. When it comes around that’s when we’ll think about it.”

On ending the Reds' 11-year run without an FA Cup triumph, Young says: “Of course we want to get back to winning ways and win this competition. We haven’t won it for a few years. But what’s important for us now is to get to the next round. We’re not thinking too far ahead. There are a lot of games coming up before Arsenal and we need to stay fully focused and concentrate on them.”