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