Young backs MacDonald for Villa job

MacDonald, who has been in charge since Martin O’Neill’s decision to leave last month, has enjoyed mixed success during his time in the hot-seat.

He has guided Villa to victories over West Ham and Everton, but suffered humiliation at the hands of Newcastle and Rapid Vienna, with defeat over two legs against the latter ending Villa’s participation in Europe early again this season.

Young, however, is adamant that MacDonald should be appointed when club officials make a decision later this month.

The 31-year-old said: "I hope Kevin’s given the chance if he decides he wants it.

‘‘I’ve worked with Kevin, he knows football inside out and he knows tactics and formations and he can see what is going right and what is going wrong."

Young also expressed his frustration at being isolated from the first-team set-up under O’Neill.

‘‘I’m not really sure what the reasons were for being frozen out but I didn’t get as many chances as I felt I deserved," he said.

"I never really went in and said ‘Why am I not playing?’ It was a confusing time for me. I didn’t really get an answer to anything.’’

Now Young, who scored the winner in the 1-0 win over Everton on Sunday after being teed up by namesake Ashley, is firmly back in the Villa fold and has been preferred to Carlos Cuellar at right-back in all three of the club's Premier League games so far this campaign.

By Jeorge Bird

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Gregg Davies

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.