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Manchester United logo
Premier League | Gameweek 5
Sep 14, 2019 at 3pm UK
 
Leicester logo

1-0

Rashford (8' pen.)
FT(HT: 1-0)

Ashley Young: 'Manchester United very close to kicking on'

Ashley Young: 'United very close to kicking on'
© Reuters
Marcus Rashford got the only goal of the game at Old Trafford.

Manchester United captain Ashley Young believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side are very close to gelling and kicking on.

The season-opening shellacking of Chelsea proved a false dawn for the Old Trafford faithful, with draws at Wolves and Southampton book-ending an embarrassing home loss to Crystal Palace.

But United put that concerning start to the Premier League behind them and got back to winning ways by seeing off previously unbeaten Leicester on Saturday afternoon.

Marcus Rashford's penalty proved decisive for Manchester United against Leicester
Marcus Rashford's penalty proved decisive for Manchester United against Leicester (Martin Rickett/PA)

Marcus Rashford's early penalty was enough to seal a 1-0 win for Solskjaer's injury-hit side and Young believes things are coming together after some unlucky results.

"I think we're very close," he said.

"A lot was said after the Southampton game but, to be honest, I think they had two chances and one of them they scored from. It wasn't a bad performance. I didn't think it was a bad performance.

"We've just got to gel things together, keep getting on the scoresheet and I think it could have been a different game today.

"If we had gone on and got a second goal after we got the first then it would have been totally different.

"But we had to show that resilience and that grit and that determination not to concede a goal and we did that today."

Young was delighted to emerge from a tough game with three points – and just United's second clean sheet in 16 league matches.

"When you play as a defender, you want to keep a clean sheet and hope the boys up the top can go and get the goals," Young told BBC Radio 5 live.

"On days you're not going to play well and you're going to win games. On days you're going to play well and not win games.

"There's going to be a balance and we just want to do the right things and keep applying ourselves the way we have this season."

Harry Maguire helped keep a clean sheet against his old club
Harry Maguire helped keep a clean sheet against his old club (Martin Rickett/PA)

Summer signings Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James showed more promising signs against the Foxes, while fellow new boy Harry Maguire performed admirably against the club he left in the summer for £80million.

"You know, I think the manager's said about him, he talks non-stop, he's a real leader and he can play as well," Young added.

"The style of play we use, we use the centre-halves a lot to play out from the back and everybody has got confidence in him.

"And everybody has confidence in Victor (Lindelof), Jonah [Phil Jones], Marcos (Rojo) – all the defenders, all the centre-backs can go in there and do the job.

"Again he showed today what a man he is, and I think as a backline we played a really good game.

Manchester United v Leicester City – Premier League – Old Trafford
Leicester's Caglar Soyuncu drew praise from manager Brendan Rodgers (Martin Rickett/PA)

"The main objective was to get three points and that's what we did."

Brendan Rodgers echoed Young's sentiments, calling Maguire "a good guy and a top-class player" despite Leicester's travelling fans letting their anger at his departure known.

Caglar Soyuncu has stepped up the plate impressively since the England international's exit but was guilty of the foul that allowed Rashford to wrap up victory from the spot.

"Listen, that happens with young players," Leicester boss Rodgers said. "They make mistakes.

"He's been fantastic stepping in from when Harry went. I thought apart from that he was really dominant in the game today and played well.

"But this is the nature of it. There's lots of young players in the squad, they'll make mistakes, so we'll help them get over that and make sure the confidence is ready through the week for the next game."

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