Source: Team_Talk
Young: Villa can maintain Euro push
Young and his Villa team-mates ran out of steam during the final third of the last campaign as manager Martin O'Neill operated with one of the smallest squads in the Premier League.[LNB]They went into March holding a five point lead over Arsenal only to eventually finish sixth and scrape into the Europa League qualifiers.[LNB]But full-back Young feels Villa now have competition for places all over the pitch after the comfortable 3-0 home success over Hull.[LNB]Experienced campaigners Nigel Reo-Coker, Steve Sidwell, John Carew, Habib Beye plus the injured James Collins, Curtis Davies and Wilfred Bouma were all absent from the starting line-up.[LNB]And Villa have also been given a fresh injection of impetus by the return to fitness ahead of schedule of £12million summer signing Stewart Downing.[LNB]Young said: "There were times last season when I felt tired going into games.[LNB]"With the squad and the depth we've got now, if someone is tired or carrying a knock, then you can afford to rest them.[LNB]"When the team is winning and doing well, I am not sure the manager likes to change it too much.[LNB]"But sometimes it is circumstances that has made it happen at times and we are stronger this season to go all the way.[LNB]"Hopefully you won't see a tail end like last season and we'll be strong all the way through."[LNB]Young, who has just returned to fitness after a lengthy lay-off, admits it can be hard for players to come to terms with rotation.[LNB]But he insists the current squad is happy to accept such a scenario because of the unity within its ranks.[LNB]He said: "I think if the manager does it (rotation) week in and week out, you sort of accept it a bit more but I think you can feel like you are dropped if the manager makes changes.[LNB]"But, at the moment it is a very united squad, and everyone wants everyone to do well and if Habib Beye was playing instead of me, I'd be wanting him to do well.[LNB]"It is that kind of environment at the moment. Hopefully that will take us all the way through the season."[LNB]Once again Villa's star performer was James Milner who looked equally at home in a central midfield role as when he plays as a wide player.[LNB]Young said: "I can't speak highly enough of him. He is one of those players who deserves everything he gets.[LNB]"He works so hard on the training pitch, exactly as he does on a match day, and he deserves everything he gets at the moment.[LNB]"At the minute on form, he should definitely be on the plane to the World Cup in South Africa with England."[LNB][LNB]
