After such a brilliant 2011-12 season and a regular starting birth for England in Euro 2012, Danny Welbeck went backwards last season.
At just 22 years old, it is hard to expect him to make a massive impact with the striking talent surrounding him. Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez would walk into any team in the whole world. It is hard for anyone to share the limelight and keep up with these players’ goal scoring records.
But he scored just two goals this season which has to be worrying. It isn’t really clear what kind of role Sir Alex Ferguson had for him at Manchester United with him being told to do a job on the wing instead of in his favoured striking role. There is no doubt that he will play anywhere if it means playing for United with him being a lifelong fan of the club. With David Moyes coming in, Welbeck will hope to forge some sort of identity and play in his preferred position.
There is a lot of expectation on Welbeck’s shoulders and it is almost impossible for him to live up to people’s expectations of a United striker, but until he gets played regularly up front where he can showcase the talents he showed in his early career, it is hard to see how he can change people’s opinions on him. I for one haven’t seen many people who want to play for United as badly as he does and he shows that with the work he puts in for the team when he gets opportunities. This, at least, should have gotten him the respect of United’s fans.
Yet, he is much more than just a workhorse, he is a technically gifted footballer no matter what his critics say. Just look at some of the goals he has scored in his short career. For example, his first goal for United against Stoke when he was just 17, the curler from the edge of the box against Derby in the League Cup or his back-heel flick for England in Euro 2012.
It is evident he does have great technical ability and to have played alongside some of the best players in the world and under one of the best managers of all time can only have helped him. Never mind the international acclaim he received for his performances at the Euros.
It’s not easy to see where a regular run in this United team as a striker will come from but Welbeck does just needs to be given a chance like he was in 2011-12 when he held down a regular start birth for a lot of that season, before the arrival of van Persie.
Let’s just hope he is given that chance. It would be great for him to reach his potential, not just for United but for England as well because there is no doubt with an attitude like his he is an asset to any squad.
