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Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor are making Aston Villa fly, say team-mates
Ribbing about flash cars and flashier boots aside, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young, the Aston Villa striker and winger respectively, are enjoying the laurels gained from a glut of superlative performances.
By Sandy Macaskill
Last Updated: 1:57PM GMT 15 Dec 2008
Dynamic duo: Ashley Young (left) and his strike partner Gabriel Agbonlahor celebrate another goal for Aston Villa Photo: EPA
Curtis Davies, Villa defender, has added his voice to the growing number of those to praise the pair for their recent form.
"Ash and Gabby are every defender's worst nightmare," Davies said after watching his team-mates overcome the Bolton defence. "Especially at the moment, they're both so confident.
"When Ash cuts in from the right and gets a bit more of a licence to roam you can never really tie him down. With Gab, if you give him a yard he's just going to knock it past you and run. He doesn't need to do any skills because he's so fast. There aren't many who'll catch him."
Young has been enjoying the fortnight of his life. He rewarded his manager, Martin O'Neill, for describing him as "irreplaceable" by scoring two goals, including the winner against Everton, and celebrated being likened to Lionel Messi, the Barcelona playmaker, with another excellent performance against Bolton.
Davies might have sounded dubious at O'Neill's comparison, saying that the opportunity of a jest at Young's expense would not be overlooked by the squad, but he does believe that the winger, still just 23, will become one of the best players in the world.
"I haven't heard of Ash being compared to Messi but that one will come up in the dressing room, don't worry about that," Davies laughed.
"Ash is quality. Maybe the manager meant he's our Messi. He makes thing happen and creates chances. If we're looking for a goal and are desperate, Ash is more than likely to be the one to pop up and create it. He's doing fantastic at the moment and, hopefully, we can push and stay in that top four.
"You're not meant to peak as a player until 27 or 28, so Ash has another five years to get even better than he is now. If he continues to improve he'll be one of the best players in the world."
Gareth Barry has also been hugely impressed with the pairing of Agbonlahor and Young, especially the speed with which his England team-mate Agbonlahor has developed.
"Maybe [Agbonlahor] has surprised me a little bit because his whole overall game has come together probably a lot quicker than I thought it would," Barry said. "It's his pace and his directness that's really frightening defenders, but he's picking up other pieces, scoring lots of goals, and he's really improving all the time."
Playing with the national side has been a big boost to the striker. As well as O'Neill, Agbonlahor has been able to draw on the experience of training with Stuart Pearce with the England Under-21s, and latterly in the senior squad with Fabio Capello. It will have been valuable experience.
Barry agreed: "I think so. It's going to do you no harm playing for your country. He took a lot on board there and came back with confidence. But he's pretty laid-back and he won't be thinking about what he's done. He's enjoying his football."
Ribbing about flash cars and flashier boots aside, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young, the Aston Villa striker and winger respectively, are enjoying the laurels gained from a glut of superlative performances.
By Sandy Macaskill
Last Updated: 1:57PM GMT 15 Dec 2008
Dynamic duo: Ashley Young (left) and his strike partner Gabriel Agbonlahor celebrate another goal for Aston Villa Photo: EPA Curtis Davies, Villa defender, has added his voice to the growing number of those to praise the pair for their recent form.
"Ash and Gabby are every defender's worst nightmare," Davies said after watching his team-mates overcome the Bolton defence. "Especially at the moment, they're both so confident.
"When Ash cuts in from the right and gets a bit more of a licence to roam you can never really tie him down. With Gab, if you give him a yard he's just going to knock it past you and run. He doesn't need to do any skills because he's so fast. There aren't many who'll catch him."
Young has been enjoying the fortnight of his life. He rewarded his manager, Martin O'Neill, for describing him as "irreplaceable" by scoring two goals, including the winner against Everton, and celebrated being likened to Lionel Messi, the Barcelona playmaker, with another excellent performance against Bolton.
Davies might have sounded dubious at O'Neill's comparison, saying that the opportunity of a jest at Young's expense would not be overlooked by the squad, but he does believe that the winger, still just 23, will become one of the best players in the world.
"I haven't heard of Ash being compared to Messi but that one will come up in the dressing room, don't worry about that," Davies laughed.
"Ash is quality. Maybe the manager meant he's our Messi. He makes thing happen and creates chances. If we're looking for a goal and are desperate, Ash is more than likely to be the one to pop up and create it. He's doing fantastic at the moment and, hopefully, we can push and stay in that top four.
"You're not meant to peak as a player until 27 or 28, so Ash has another five years to get even better than he is now. If he continues to improve he'll be one of the best players in the world."
Gareth Barry has also been hugely impressed with the pairing of Agbonlahor and Young, especially the speed with which his England team-mate Agbonlahor has developed.
"Maybe [Agbonlahor] has surprised me a little bit because his whole overall game has come together probably a lot quicker than I thought it would," Barry said. "It's his pace and his directness that's really frightening defenders, but he's picking up other pieces, scoring lots of goals, and he's really improving all the time."
Playing with the national side has been a big boost to the striker. As well as O'Neill, Agbonlahor has been able to draw on the experience of training with Stuart Pearce with the England Under-21s, and latterly in the senior squad with Fabio Capello. It will have been valuable experience.
Barry agreed: "I think so. It's going to do you no harm playing for your country. He took a lot on board there and came back with confidence. But he's pretty laid-back and he won't be thinking about what he's done. He's enjoying his football."
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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