11.35 AM Tuesday, 19 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 05:07 06:20 12:29 15:54 18:33 19:47
19 March 2024

Welbeck left out for Man Utd: Walcott 'right in'

England's Danny Welbeck (9) scores the first goal of the match during their international friendly against Belgium at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday. (REUTERS)

Published
By Staff

Danny Welbeck plays for England. He has Sir Alex Ferguson’s belief and the backing of the Manchester United faithful.

He even has the comparison to Andy Cole from the famous four of 1999.

The fact is, Welbeck does not have enough of goals and even Shane Long of West Brom or Grant Holt of Norwich look more dangerous than him right now.

Granted, playing second fiddle to Robin Van Persie is nobody’s cup of tea. Making all the runs, creating space and getting sent out wide is hardly anyone’s idea of goal-scoring chances.

Javier Hernandez is able to score them off the bench in 20 minutes or less.

Wayne Rooney is dropping deeper and deeper into the hole to become the creative force.

Van Persie is still the top- goal scorer.

Welbeck runs the risk of letting Fergie turn on him.

For now Sir Alex says Danny Welbeck must be patient as Sir Alex is patient as well.

“With Robin coming in and when we’ve got Wayne as well, you tend to rely on the experience of these players,” Sir Alex told reporters.

“They are great players too. What we have to try and do is alternate selections so that Danny feels he is making a contribution. At the moment, we have tended to play him wide left. I think he’s capable of playing there. He is a threat coming in off the wing and he has done that many times. But I think he is a natural centre-forward.

“Danny’s best form has actually been with England. He has not had the opportunities with us to play centre-forward all the time.

“But that will come. We’ve tended to play him wide left, which is maybe a little bit unfair to him.

“But nonetheless he has shown with his form with England that he can be a real asset to us through the middle. That will come for him.”

Welbeck should know that no less than Rooney spent an entire season out on the flanks before Sir Alex let him back in the centre. And Rooney still scored.

If Welbeck does not score soon and enough he could be another Frederico Macheda in the making. Or worse, Dimitar Berbatov. Someone who scored enough and still did not make the cut.

The plus for Fergie is Welbeck has shown enough of potential for him to make a decent deal and open up the possibility of a more reliable goal-scorer, like say, Theo Walcott?

Arsenal are ready to cash in and Walcott is ready to go.