Barcelona vs Manchester United: Ashley Young’s struggles symptomatic of a side in transition

The former Manchester United full-back Paul Parker was so chastened by a 4-0 defeat at Camp Nou in 1994 that he refused to visit the grand old stadium on subsequent holidays to Barcelona, even when his son begged him to. It was too much to return to the place where he and his contemporaries were destroyed by Romario and Hristo Stoickov. Parker had a fine career with more highs than lows, but the 2nd November 1994 drubbing is not a night he wants to recall.

Ashley Young might well have similar feelings after playing in United’s 3-0 defeat against Barcelona which saw his team exit European competition and Barça advance to the semi-final stage for the first time in four years. United’s captain and 33-year-old winger, who now plays out of his natural position as a full-back, had a night to forget as he played in the left-back role usually occupied by the suspended Luke Shaw.

Young struggled in the first leg against the Catalans and he suffered some more in the second. United’s full-backs has been a problem area and they still are. Young’s crossing attracts criticism, but his versatility is valued and he’s usually fine against lesser Premier League teams. But putting him up against Lionel Messi or any of Barcelona’s venerated attackers exposed his technical deficiencies.

There’s a reason United are sixth in the Premier League and lost the tie 4-0 on aggregate – their biggest ever aggregate defeat in Europe - against a side chasing the treble. There’s a reason United also went out of the quarter finals of the FA Cup, the League Cup at the first hurdle and why they’re miles off the top of the Premier League having been unable to mount a title challenge since 2013.

With similarities to the 2009 Champions League final between the two teams, United started boldly and brightly but couldn’t get closer to scoring than a Rashford shot grazing the bar. Just as in 2009 when an early Barça goal after clunky United defending settled them, the English side contributed to their demise. Or rather, Young did.

When you play against the best teams, centre backs and full-backs get more of the ball than normal. And it’s then that you realise that you need better footballers in these positions. Barça’s Jordi Alba is a huge threat from left-back.

The former Watford and Aston Villa player gave the ball away after 14 minutes, then, when his team had won the ball back, lost the ball to Rakitic again after inexplicably trying to do a Cruyff-style turn against the skilled Croatian, who moved the ball to Messi who did the rest with a typically sublime finish. Messi had one of those games where he was peerless, but it’ll be of little consolation to the 5,000 travelling fans that they saw the world’s greatest player at his peak.

Young looked uncomfortable and out of his depth, but he wasn’t alone. Others suffer against Barcelona, yet four of United’s back five started against Basel in 2011 when they were knocked out of the Champions League. David de Gea, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Young have all had good careers but they don’t compare with the best. And United’s defenders should be among the best, not playthings for Messi.

Winning at Camp Nou was the tallest of orders, but Barcelona’s sweeping victory was a damning demonstration of how far United are behind between a club which is a favourite for the Champions League every year and one which has reached the last eight twice in the six years since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down.

De Gea, a fine stopper who has an offer of a contract to make him the best paid goalkeeper in the world, was culpable for the second Messi goal four minutes later, a weak shot which trundled under him. He should get that contract signed while it’s still there for his stock is far lower in his native Spain than England. The Madrileno suffered the ignominy of Barça fans taunting him with mocking bows.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has done much right since getting the job, isn’t beyond reproach either. His side shifted from four to five at the back at 3-0 down, then changed back to four ten minutes later. His best defender, Victor Lindelof, was played out of position at right back. And Young at left back was hapless, harried and symptomatic of a team outclassed out of Europe, a fact made worse because rivals Manchester City and Liverpool are still in it.

“A rebuilding job,” is what Solskjaer said is needed. And some.