A long time lurker, first time poster here. Hello.
Without wasting time I'll start with Danny Welbeck. I have seen plenty fans here who go beyond all limits to defend Welbeck. Do you think he deserves that? Lets look at his stats. 2 goals this season for United and only 4 goals since Everton last season. Now those are atrocious stats.
Now I have seen somewhere that he has played 36 games for us this season. Granted in many of them he played out wide but he also has played quite a few centrally. Even then he has struggled to score goals.
Now Welbeck is a striker first and foremost. His main job is to score or at least hit the ball on target. But he consistently fails to do that. I believe Fergie starts him only because of his work rate, tracking back and effort. Lets look at Hernandez. The most natural poacher at the club and maybe the league. I has played far less than Welbeck but still has scored 16 goals. Yes 16. Thats a massive amount for a sub. Even against Chelsea our only efforts at their goals were from him. So I don't understand why Welbeck gets so much game time.
He consistently fails to hit the target. His legs just give away in the box like a new born antelope and he scuffs the easiest of chances. Now don't get me wrong. I want him to succeed but I don't understand why he gets so much game time and defending from the manager and fans. My reasoning is because he is British and came through the academy.
Now I don't pay much attention to opposition fans here but most of them have acknowledged the fact that he is a poor striker. Don't give me excuses like he plays wide. It's not like he is played outside the stadium. Even for a wide man 2 goals a season is embarrassing. I still haven't got over that the boss chose him over Rooney against Madrid. Danny Sturridge who is more or less of similar age scored 16 goals playing outwide for Bolton. He also has outscored Welbeck at the top level.
I use twitter sometimes during games and frankly Welbeck defenders/ United journos embarrass me. One fancy trick and flick and they go all over like "Welbeck is a beast", "Our best player this half", "Future England number 9", "Best young striker in the league". The amount of handles dedicated to just defending him are countless. He runs his socks off and people say he was our best player that game. It used to be the same for De Gea last season when every save he made and these guys used to cream all over him .Granted De Gea has been a beast this season.
I have seen people say the signing of RVP destroyed his progress. I completely disagree. If anything it should have motivated him to improve his finishing. We all know Fergie isnt scared of dropping 30m strikers when they don't perform. Hernandez had the ability to dispose a 30m striker to the bench. Welbeck hasn't.
Finally we all want him to succeed. But I still don't get why he gets so much game time where he hasn't deserved it? Hernandez and Rooney offer the same amount of work rate and they both score plenty. Welbeck doesn't . He has disappointed me. Shame that I thought he should have improved after last season.
Welbeck - Does he deserve the hype?
posted on 4/4/13
Macca
What hotels did you stay in when you went to Protaras? I've been there 3 times and absolutely loved it. Best place I've ever been to on holiday.
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Cant remember but it was next to that tiny beach. There was a bunch of grass that the sunbeds were on. On the opposite side of the beach was a restaurant we ate in most nights were this Cypriot guy cooked steaks at your table. Sadly, last time I went to Cyprus and stayed in Nissi, we went to see himand he had passed away. His wife was running the place. Don't know if you ever went but it was right on the front, near the beach with a plastic slide on the grassy bit in front.
Real Shirley Valentine type place
posted on 4/4/13
Haven't read the 241 comments before my comment, but I agree with every single bit of this Article. Like Valencia, I will give him one more season before I would be happy to see him shipped off and replaced.
Having a good work rate is not enough in modern day Football
posted on 4/4/13
People go on and say, his work rate deserves a starting place, but you could get a winger which has his work rate or a stiker, that is more effective than Welbeck in either position
posted on 4/4/13
Valencia is 28. Welbeck is 22 - and a young 22 at that. He possesses raw tools one could only wish for in a young striker. Unfortunately, he has been played on the wing, yet, has soldiered on and managed to put in some excellent all round performances.
His achievement at the age of 21 are not be diminished. He was leading the line for both club and country and doing a very mature and productive job.
Welbeck is a No.9 that has potential to be brilliant there once he is given opportunity in that position - not less than, you know, 5 games - grows fully into his body and gains some composure and confidence. Only a fool would not see these obvious raw qualities and fantastic technique that stare you in the face, for the sake of the statistics sheet which involves him in a very different position. In 5 years there will be some red faces in regards to Welbeck. There is a whole host of 'world class' strikers that had not done half the things Welbeck has done and shown at his age. I just hope he gets the chances to grow at No.9 at United, and not elsewhere.
As for the laughable post above, Valencia is non comparable. He is 28, showing no signs of improvement, has a limited game on a tactical level, holds us back, is playing woefully and in regards to innate talent on a technical level, is a bit of a joke - a little bit like another of the forwards on our books.
posted on 4/4/13
Welbeck is a No.9 that has potential to be brilliant there once he is given opportunity in that position - not less than, you know, 5 games - grows fully into his body and gains some composure and confidence. Only a fool would not see these obvious raw qualities and fantastic technique that stare you in the face, for the sake of the statistics sheet which involves him in a very different position. In 5 years there will be some red faces in regards to Welbeck. There is a whole host of 'world class' strikers that had not done half the things Welbeck has done and shown at his age. I just hope he gets the chances to grow at No.9 at United, and not elsewhere.
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May be a bit excessive to copy paste all this but well said.
Welbeck has really good potential and I want to see it filled with us.
posted on 5/4/13
Exactly. People have short memories. Only last season did he manage to displace Berbatov and Hernandez due to his all round abilities that allowed us to play better football. He was doing a fine job, and had he the opportunity to carry on that partnership with Rooney, or Kagawa, it is almost certain he would have added to his goal tally and continued his good form. This hasn't happened, he originally found to it difficult to adjust out wide and still does, at times, and he hasn't been leading the line so that tap ins and easy chances come his way. His composure infront of goals needs a lot work. But developing footballers is not about immediate end product Van Persie 2011 style, it's about nurturing obvious footballing talent with games and experience. Young strikers improve composure as time goes on. Given Welbeck's history of scoring good goals, the finishing is there it just needs composure. When you haven't got the footballing ability, your time at United will be limited. One will soon realise this and be off, for his sake.
I'd actually be happy for him to go out on loan to a team like Swansea or Everton, play up top every game, bag 15-20 PL goals and come back the season after, for his sake actually. Sir Alex is currently mismanaging too many of our players right now and a good 7-10 players would be better players elsewhere, which is a shame. People go on about selling players quite often, but don't take into account that fact that we need good squad players, which I find weird. There are few better 3rd/4th choice strikers, if any at all, than Welbeck. Such a strange outlook on the game, some people have.
posted on 5/4/13
I'd actually be happy for him to go out on loan to a team like Swansea or Everton, play up top every game, bag 15-20 PL goals and come back the season after, for his sake actually.
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Why come back?
He won't displace RVP for at least 4 years
I agree with everything else you wrote there by the way
posted on 5/4/13
Depends on Fergie, Macca.
If he wants to keep playing RVP as the main man until he's 33 then Welbeck may have to move away to realise his potential.
However, he may want to stick around and be a squad player or try and force himself into the side.
Far too early for us to be saying we should get rid after one poor season at 22. I'm sure Fergie will make the best decision for the team.
Fergie has his flaws but I always trust his judgement when it comes to strikers.
posted on 5/4/13
RVP has had a good season this year (though his scoring has trailed off in the last couple of games).
RVP is 29. He is at his peak. Realistically he could stay like this for annother 2-3 seasons (barring any serious injuries and so on). At ages 31-33 he would have to be managed more so that should give Welbeck and Little Pea more game time.
The key thing to Welbeck would be playing his natural position. It will help him out. Look at Sturridge, played on the wing at Chelsea and doesn't do much good. Plays up front for Liverpool and is scoring goals. This is what Welbeck is lacking. If Welbeck had Hernandez's finishing, he'd be close to the perfect striker for United.
Sadly, I think if Welbeck is used as he is now he'd be a new Park/O'Shea figure at United and not really reach his potential. He would be better off moving to a top league in Germany, Spain or Italy or top half teams in the PL (such as Swansea or Tottenham already mentioned by others).
I can bet if he leaves and starts banging them in for fun as a number 9 people on here would go on about him like they have done in the past with Rossi, Pique and more recently Pogba.
posted on 5/4/13
Far too early for us to be saying we should get rid after one poor season at 22. I'm sure Fergie will make the best decision for the team.
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Not saying we should get rid at all bud
Thinking about Danny wanting to go as he won't get to play where he wants.
We didn't pay 24m for Van Persie for just a couple of seasons in my opinion