The ex-Man United striker Danny Welbeck joined Arsenal in the season of 2014/15 but in those four years he has only managed to actually start 40 League games for the Gunners, due to various injuries, but he did score 13 goals in those matches and has always showed promise until he inevitably returns to the treatment room.
The striker is now 27 years old and it is getting a bit late in his career to prove that he can stay fit and become a challenger to our new centre-forwards Aubameyang and Lacazette. So he is now definitely third-choice for his position, and his start against Ostersund last week was only made possible because the other two were unavailable, although he hardly showered himself in glory against the Swedish minnows.
Wenger has made it clear that he will be starting tonight’s return match at the Emirates, and Wenger is hoping that Danny start rebuilding his confidence on the pitch. “He had knee problems on both sides,” the Boss said. “When you are a football player it is very difficult to accept.
“When we played in Ostersund it was a good test for him because you would think the player you don’t want to pick on an artificial pitch would be him because of his history. He came through well and I think for him, in his head, it was very important that he came out of that game without having any problems.
“Even with a muscular injury you lose faith in your body quickly. One of the advantages of being young is that you feel undestroyable. It gives you an arrogance. But as soon as your arrogance is hit, you are lost.
“Sometimes the players are very confident, very arrogant but as soon as they lose that belief in their body, suddenly you are lost and you don’t know any more what is going on.
“I believe he has gone through a torrid time but he has come out well. I see signs in training now that are positive. If he can stay on the pitch and not be injured, I want him to stay here.”
Surely Wenger would have to wait for Welbeck to regain form and confidence before he gives him any new contracts, just like the Boss did with Wilshere. I was just looking at Welbeck’s in depth stats and it is no wonder his confidence is low. Before the game last week, the only three matches he started this year and played the whole game were against Bournemouth, Chelsea (LC away) and Nottingham Forest (Fa Cup), and we got two defeats and a draw. Not an impressive record, and certainly not good for your confidence, but at least he actually scored in the Forest match despite the 4-2 setback.
Hopefully he will hit the net tonight against the Swedes and regain some confidence, but i really can’t see him playing much for us in the future…
Can you?
Darren N
united did a great bit of business when they offloaded welbeck. He needs to go this summer
Confidence doesn’t matter much if you are average at best to start with.
Would be a useful squad player if he wasn’t injured 25% of time every single season.
I agree mclovon useful squad member but injuries have dragged him back 25% on low end of time missed wilshere came back but wilshere is also top class when healthy welbeck needs a year of health then who knows but good mentor in squad and we need him in europa right now so that proves the usefulness
Wilshere has always been class. He showed that BEFORE injuries.
Welbeck has NEVER showed “top class”. Ask every United fan.
Loved the couple of goals he scored against United….. but he’s been really poor lately
Even a 100% fit Danny Welbeck is only ever going to play back up to Lacazette and Aubameyang.
Squad player at best but we need to see Eddie breaking through soon so if Welbeck is holding him back then sell him this summer.
Danny Welbeck needs to follow the steps of some other english players departing from Arsenal asap. Ramsey next, Wilshere we should keep forever.
Wenger should stop making excuses for Welbeck…………Welbeck has had more opportunities than most footballers………..at two top teams……….that’s what most players dream of………a chance to show their stuff………but Welbeck has never improved………at 27 he needs to score goals……….be close to his peak……not at a beginners level……..he and Wenger need to go……
What people forget about Welbeck is that he’s ALWAYS been a bang average player. It’s not as if he needs to get fit, get his confidence back, to reach his previous high level of performances…because there as NEVER been ANY sustained period of high level performances from him!
He’s extremely injury-prone (Wenger loves players with chronic injuries), and he’s very average (again, which Wenger loves), so I am guessing a new contract in the summer? Haha
I dont think ive ever seen a professional footballer with such poor coordination as Welbeck. He always seems to scuff his shots. When moving onto a pass/cross he so often seems to time the run so the ball arrives directly at his standing foot rather than just in front of him. If its a header, the ball will hit the top of his head or shoulder. This isnt an Arsenal thing as the same thing happened to him at Manu too. Not sure what the issue is but if he could sort it out he would be a good player.
Great name jimmy jazz thats awesome clash sorry to divert from arsenal
Great band, great album, great song.
Wenger never wanted AFC to sign Welbeck other than a loan deal.
Wenger gets tactics wrong all the time but he was right about Welbz.
Welbs, Perez, Campbell. Those 3 attackers needs to go. All funds towards Fekir deal while leaving most of the money for CB and DM…
I remember when Danny was the only Arsenal man to sign autographs for kids after a game, whatever that’s worth.
Welbeck is a useful player to have on the bench. He is best at LW.
He scored a couple of important goals for us in the past ie winning goal against United at Old Trafford to knock Man Utd out of FA Cup. He scored quite a few for England too.
His finishing is poor (worse than Giroud) but he is fast, excellent strength and stamina and scores once in a while. People saying he should go and that he’s a donkey etc need to be realistic. A better player won’t come in. We wont be getting Icardi or Morata or someone. We already have Aubameyang and Lacazette. Akpom and Nkteiah don’t have Danny’s experience
Let’s not dent his confidence before tonight’s match. Let’s hope he performs well. We need him at the moment. I think Xhaka and Eleny aren’t good enough but we need them too until the end of the season.
If anyone needs blaming its Wenger who was refereeing a match in Rome on transfer deadline day when we bought him instead of getting him on loan.
Let’s hope he scores some tonight and Lacazette comes back before next round because Aubameyang won’t be available so Welbeck will be either first or 2nd striker