Defiant

Today we're going to start with some actual news, not rumour, not speculation, not The Daily Mirror just making stuff up, but actual real "it's happened" news.

And that news is the signing of Ashley Young.  No one can decide on the price though, The Independent say 

£17m deal for Ashley Young, 25, from Aston Villa on a five-year deal that takes his wages up to around £80,000 a week

While The Guardian go with £15m, The Daily Star and The Telegraph go for it with £16m and £120,000 a week... pinch of salt anyone?

The Guardian sum up the reasoning for the purchase simply enough:

his arrival will offer Ferguson more variety in attack, with the England international capable of playing as a left-sided attacker or a centre-forward.

While The Daily Mail call us "predictable" and say Young will help "tackle that."

Daniel Taylor takes a more detailed look at what he offers on The Guardian's blog, more specifically in relation to Nani's place in the squad:

The question is whether Young has been bought as a squad-rotation player, as back-up to Nani, or whether Ferguson genuinely believes the England international can improve the team and is signing him on a five-year contract with the intention of integrating him as a fundamental part of his strongest XI. ...The player [Nani] has told Ferguson he prefers to operate on the right and it was no coincidence his form deteriorated after Antonio Valencia came back into the side in March after six months out with a broken leg, meaning he was shifted back to the left. Ferguson, however, has taken the view that Valencia – ignoring, for one moment, a dishevelled display in the Champions League final – offers the greater contribution.

All of this is to assume two things: firstly, that Young will be assigned to the left-sided attacking role in which we saw him at Villa last season and, secondly, that Nani will still be around when the new campaign starts with the Community Shield against Manchester City on 7 August.

While The Sun have some quotes from Valencia which they build into a story with the headline - "Valencia ready for wing war." The quotes that declare war?

"I heard about this on the news - I do not fear his arrival.

"The season is long, and under Alex Ferguson everyone will get their chance in United's key matches.

"Ashley is a good footballer and I believe that he will help us towards even more success next season.

"As for myself, I have two seasons left at United and I am convinced I will fulfil those. And maybe a few more years, too."

That's fighting talk... and "defiant" according to the caption under his picture in the article...

Mark Lawrenson talks rubbish in The Mirror - starting off with specifics - 

He needs to improve an extra 15 or 20 per cent to be able to hold his own in the sort of quality company he will be keeping.

You can't say Lawrenson doesn't know his figures (you can), I'm sure he's studied the performance levels of the top teams and knows the exact percentage young needs to improve, he's just being modest with his "15 or 20 per cent..."  To be fair to Lawrenson, the rest of the piece is pretty anodyne.

There's a few words from Young's old coaches and suchlike.  The Mirror have comment from Adrian Boothroyd, who managed him at Watford:

“Sir Alex will have done his homework and won’t be taking a player he didn’t think could add to them.

“Ashley has the work-ethic Park has got and I think he has got some of the quality and unpredictability to beat a player and create like Nani and Luis Antonio Valencia have got.

“He is sort of a mixture or hybrid of them - plus he is British which makes a big difference.

While The Sun have comment from Watford's old Youth coach, Chris Cummins:

"Ashley came to Watford as a lad of eight and worked his way through the system."His attitude was first class. He never missed a training session and from a very early age you could see how bright he was as a footballer."When he got to 16 there was a school of thought at Watford that he wasn't strong enough."As a result he wasn't offered a scholarship but he stayed on as a non-contract boy, training twice a week at night after school. I really felt there was something there.

"He listened, took the knocks and proved people wrong. He has proved his character and his ability and I couldn't be more pleased for him."

Quotes from the man himself abound, here from The Telegraph:

“To come here and play with such great players and have the chance to be part of a team that hopefully wins the 20th title would be amazing. The prospect of playing for one of the truly great clubs was one that I always looked at as a child and now that I am here I have to take the opportunity with both hands.

He certainly makes all the right noises.

One other story, on Owen Hargreaves possibly getting a chance to play on with MLS side Toronto FC.