Born and raised in Manchester, it must surely have been a difficult experience for Danny Welbeck to move from the club he supported as a boy. His move to Arsenal was one that not many saw coming but the fact that he left the Red devils was no surprise at all. The Englishman was growing tired of his lack of first-team options and the fact that Van Gaal decided that he wasn’t going to be part of his plans only made his decision that much more easier.
Ever since his move to the Gunners, there have been question marks about whether he is the striker that the club have been looking for. After all, Welbeck’s goal scoring record has been far from impressive and if he isn’t good enough for Manchester United, a club that finished seventh last season, how is going to be the one to change Arsenal’s fortunes.
The fact is that although things didn’t work out for him at Old Trafford, it was the club’s fault more than his as it was they who played him out of position. There are plenty of signs that the Englishman could go onto do a Sturridge and relish his time at the Gunners. Here are three reasons why Welbeck will be a success at Arsenal.
He will have finally have what he wanted all along
If there was one thing that Danny Welbeck never quite managed to get at Manchester United, it was a regular run of games as a center forward. Although he made over 30 appearances in each of his last three seasons with Manchester United, the presence of Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie meant that he was almost always used on the wings or came on from the bench unless the duo were either injured or suspended.
In fact barring his loan spell with Sunderland during the 2010/11 season, Welbeck has never had a run of games at center forward, his preferred position. At Arsenal, the injury to Olivier Giroud means that he will finally have that. If the Englishman can prove his worth, given the money he was signed for, he will not only have a run of games he has been craving for but a legitimate shot at being the number one striker for a club that is challenging for both domestic and European honors.
He is still only 23
Arsenal may only have the FA Cup and Community Shield to show for their efforts in the last few years, but if there is one thing that they have always been good at, it is developing young players. The likes of Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all a testament to that. The fact that Welbeck is still only 23 means that he still has plenty of time to learn his trade and polish off the rough edges that
After being misused by his boyhood club over the past few years, Welbeck finally has a club who not only have a great track record of developing young players, but also need him to play in his preferred position. With a supply line that is far better than what he had at Manchester United, he is bound to improve on his goal scoring record, which is perhaps the only blemish he has as a striker.
Adds another dimension in attack
For all of his qualities, his ability to link-up the attack, hold onto the ball and bring his team-mates into play, score sublime goals, there is one thing that Giroud never had. And that is the pace to run behind the line and stretch opposing defenses. His lack of pace meant that Arsenal could never really counter-attack with pace, which although not their style would’ve helped them score a lot more and ease the pressure on their defense.
In Welbeck, Wenger has someone who has the pace to run the channels and stretch defenses at will. While the 23-year-old’s finishing might not be top quality as yet, that is always something that the club can work on improving. His addition means that Wenger can now field a trio of Walcott, Sanchez and Welbeck as his front three, which will be devastating on the counter. Not only will he help out in attack, he has shown that he is a tireless runner who can press higher on the pitch and help reclaim the ball much quicker as well.