Danny Welbeck | Arsenal player
- Thread starter KiD MoYeS
- Start date
- Status
Maybe he will develop into the striker so many here thought he would or maybe he won't. Only time will tell.
It was never going to happens straight away though. Arsenal fans can expect the same frustrating version of Welbcek we've become accustomed to for the short term at least. Difference is that version of Welbeck actually deserves a place in their attack whereas he doesn't in ours.
These early games aren't going to prove anything one way or another.
It was never going to happens straight away though. Arsenal fans can expect the same frustrating version of Welbcek we've become accustomed to for the short term at least. Difference is that version of Welbeck actually deserves a place in their attack whereas he doesn't in ours.
These early games aren't going to prove anything one way or another.
Sweet
With Giroud back he will, at best, be sharing the starting spot as a striker with him and I really think Wenger will try to sign a better/top class striker next summer or sooner. If that happens and with the wingers/players used wide at Arsenal, soon enough he will be well down the order at Arsenal as well.
This.
In some ways, at the moment, he encapsulates Arsenal. At their best, they are eye-catching and entertaining to watch. At their worst, you question why the same old issues haven't been addressed.
He'll definitely get them 15+ goals and play well in the quick passing Arsenal style. For that money, it's a good signing for Arsenal. There's no point in laughing at individual misses or getting riled up if he scores against us.
Fans like you who needs enemies!
Would he even get out wide for Arsenal? Certainly would not pick him over Ozil + Sanchez and Wenger loves Walcott's pace.
I think today showed one of the major reasons we let him go, he just not have the composure with his finishing. Every striker misses, how ever if Danny is one on one, i always have the feeling he'll make the wrong choice and he often does.
I am not a professional football player, but it does seems to me getting into positions in much more important than learning to strike a ball. He will get goals eventually, and his goal per shot ratio will improve like any other strikers. I don't think it is that hard to connect your feet with the ball and aim it at such a big goal post.
However, the reason we sell him is because we have no time and space for him. We can't wait for him to improve his play because by the time he does, United might be out of the top 6 consistently over the next few seasons. This explains why players like Kagawa, Cleverley, and Hernandez were allowed to leave. We can't wait any longer for them to improve or realize their potential to suit United/LVG system. We need proven players like Di Maria/Falcao/Herrera/Blind who already have the basics of playing the system and immediately able to be have positive impacts in a match.
He's 24. He shouldn't be "developing", he should be more or less the completed article at that age. You are "developing" at the age of 18-22 or so. How much longer does he need to develop? Will he still be developing at 27/28?
Wenger stated rather cryptically that he wouldn't have been signed on deadline day if he (Wenger) had been there. Did he mean he only wanted him on short term loan until January to cover for Giroud and/or any other absence, then he would have punted him back to us?
Definitely Not good enough for us, maybe good enough as a back-up at Arsenal. Definitely not the top class striker a top club needs.
Wenger stated rather cryptically that he wouldn't have been signed on deadline day if he (Wenger) had been there. Did he mean he only wanted him on short term loan until January to cover for Giroud and/or any other absence, then he would have punted him back to us?
Definitely Not good enough for us, maybe good enough as a back-up at Arsenal. Definitely not the top class striker a top club needs.
For all the stick Giroud gets (plenty of it unwarranted) he's a far better striker than Welbeck. I'm glad we got rid as he clearly wasn't happy here any longer and he simply wasn't effective. In saying that, I would have happily kept him if he wanted to stay and be a squad player. He was useful for certain games, but his use was never really goals - which is why I was kind of shocked when Arsenal signed him. They need an out-and-out striker and Hernandez would have been a better fit.
I really don't see him improving much beyond what he is and I imagine he will be down the pecking order at Arsenal in a season or two when they buy a top-class striker.
I watched the match with my brother last night (Arsenal fan) and he just doesn't get the Welbeck signing. He actually said at one point last night "he's one of the worst finishers I've ever seen" - obviously it was heat of the moment but his finishing really was woeful. But the classic Caf debate is still raging all these years later: "if he was a good finisher, he would be a top striker" - classic logic right there.
I really don't see him improving much beyond what he is and I imagine he will be down the pecking order at Arsenal in a season or two when they buy a top-class striker.
I watched the match with my brother last night (Arsenal fan) and he just doesn't get the Welbeck signing. He actually said at one point last night "he's one of the worst finishers I've ever seen" - obviously it was heat of the moment but his finishing really was woeful. But the classic Caf debate is still raging all these years later: "if he was a good finisher, he would be a top striker" - classic logic right there.
Its my specialty.Ok, 'happiest given his realistic options in the long run'.
And they say posters on here can tend toward the pedantic...
He well and truly reverted to type yesterday.
What on Earth are you on about? Youth product or not, he's moved to a direct rival, why would any United fan wish him well in those circumstances? Given the move has been widely framed as a mistake and poor business by United, I found his 'finishing' yesterday hilarious.
Last edited:
Giroud's finishing might not seem quite so terrible now they've got 'Wellbz' to compare him to/with,
.Last season Welbeck averaged 0.36 goals per league game. At the same age Benzema managed 0.3 goals per game, Didier Drogba 0.25, Ian Wright 0.24 & Dwight Yorke 0.16. Zidane and Yaya Toure are also examples of players who were still developing at that age. Indeed Toure was only just starting to show his ability at that age after a not very memorable career to date. Not saying he'll reach those levels (he won't) but it's not true to say he should be basically the finished article now.
I reckon he'll be replaced by Walcott as striker as soon as he is fit. Arsene is under too much pressure to stick with him if the goals aren't there, just like at United really.
That hits the nail on the head for me. I never got the blind faith from some on here that he'd spontaneously improve and the flaws in his game would disappear.
His problem isn't work rate, or movement, or ability to finish - because he can score very tidy goals. His issue is composure and doing it when it matters. That's in his head and I think calmness under pressure is something you either have or you don't.
Top strikers have it but it seems he doesn't. Sadly for him I suspect his career at Arsenal will be like it was here - starts for a while before getting shunted out wide or dropped all together.
Last edited:
You can trot out all the stats you want but There are lots more players who will have had similar stars and never improved.
The reality is to play for a top club at his age you need to perform now, not promise to improve in three it four years time with plenty of games under your belt. Arsenal wont wait long to drop him if he's not performing.
Fact is we have much better strikers and had Arsenal had one of the options we have he wouldn't even have ended up there.
The flaws is his game are evident to anyone watching - he needs umpteen chances to score. That's a major problem for a striker who wants to be playing at the very top level.
Strikers are judged on goals. He needs to score plenty of he'll drift down the league. If he's not scoring Giroud will be back in as soon as he's fit.
I'm not arguing we should have kept him (or at least not on the basis of goalscoring record). Falcao is a significant step up on what we had before. However its just tosh to say that if a player isn't the finished article aged 24 then he'll never improve. That mentality will only serve to harm the chances of other young players coming through.
He well and truly reverted to type yesterday.
It was clearly the right decision to sell him, can't believe we have people on here criticising LvG for it. He's not good enough to be a striker for Manchester United, it's that simple. Misses far too many chances.
It's not as simple as "he's 24, he's done developing". Granted he's likely done developing physically but as a footballer he's still got plenty of room to grow. Whilst he may only be 24 how much experience does he actually have playing as a striker? Not much and certainly now how much you'd expect from a 24 year old.
I don't think finishing and composure is something you "have or you don't." The more he gets in positions to finish, and with the right mentality and mindset, he'll eventually get used to being in position to finish off chances. It's something similar to muscle memory.
Definitely isn't at present, I agree. He thinks otherwise though and needed the move to prove it. Up to him to prove us all wrong now.
Last edited:
Agree to a certain extent. Obviously the technique of finishing off a chance can definitely be improved with practise however I think the ice cool compsure generally required to be a top striker is something you have or don't. Granted the more you get used to the situation the better you will handle it but some people (Ruud for instance) is just born with the ability to be calm in those circumstances.
The problem for Welbeck is he won't be loved for being a local lad or for being an academy graduate.
Plus he only has a limited time to impress before Giroud returns. But it is not realistic to think Welbeck is going to become prolific in front of goal just because he moved club.
Worse case, the pressure will build on his shoulders and then he will arguably be in a worse position than he was at Utd.
Plus he only has a limited time to impress before Giroud returns. But it is not realistic to think Welbeck is going to become prolific in front of goal just because he moved club.
Worse case, the pressure will build on his shoulders and then he will arguably be in a worse position than he was at Utd.
Giroud, Welbeck........that's a toss up if ever I saw one.
I don't know where your stats are from but at Welbeck's age...
...Yorke's scoring stats were roughly 0.5 goals per game
...Benzema's just over 0.5 and
...Didier Drogba's roughly 0.6
Numbers are from www.soccerbase.com
They were all clearly closer to being the finished article then than Danny unfortunately will ever be.
I don't think this true, the very best strikers are naturally composed in front of goal. Can't think of many top strikers who have gone from poor finishers to clinical, you either have it or you don't.
You cant make any sweeping statements about a player being finished the finished article at 24, but the fact is the vast majority of players who aren't top players by that age don't go on to be. Most big talents have shown enough by that age to be regulars at tops sides, or have moved to a top side from a smaller club and are kicking on.
For me you very rarely see a player who lacks composure and a goal output suddenly become prolific over a long term period. What he lacks, for me, is not something a player learns by being on the pitch, its something innate that the best players have.
The major issue is a lot of players who make it late do so at a smaller club before making the move and excelling - the reason being that the best sides can't afford to carry a player in the hope that 50 games into his career he suddenly becomes a star perfomer. That's going to be his major problem. It didnt work at United and he's got another chance. he has to make it work at Arsenal and quickly, becuase the pressure Wenger seems to be under on a regualr basis will eventually lead to him being dropped if he's not scoring regularly.
Problem with Welbeck we've been waiting 6 years for him to become a goal scorer, whether he played on the wing or not he always got a chance on goal and more often than not missed. I'm not sure much can be done about that.
Totally agree - its a mental thing. You can understand it if its a young lad on the big stage for the first time but when a player has as many games under his belt as Welbeck you have to question why it isn't improving, and probably conclude that it isnt likely to.
Love the guy, personality wise he seems like a really nice guy, down to earth etc
But he's not and never has been a lethal finisher outside of the reserves.
He's not a bad player, he's just not a top striker. Even when he's through on goal you don't have confidence he'll score, and he rarely does.
But he's not and never has been a lethal finisher outside of the reserves.
He's not a bad player, he's just not a top striker. Even when he's through on goal you don't have confidence he'll score, and he rarely does.
Obviously, that was only his second start of the season so drawing long-term conclusions would be kind of daft.
That said, if he keeps fluffing chances as badly as he did last night then I'll find myself in the unusual position of being delighted to be proven spectacularly wrong about a player. Of course, this will be mitigated by the growing evidence that I've been proven spectacularly right about Ozil
That said, if he keeps fluffing chances as badly as he did last night then I'll find myself in the unusual position of being delighted to be proven spectacularly wrong about a player. Of course, this will be mitigated by the growing evidence that I've been proven spectacularly right about Ozil
That was from another article, but going by wikipedia, taking the season in which they turned 23, I get the following
- Drogba - Guincamp 01/02 season - 3 in 11
- Benzema - Real - 09/10 season- 9 in 33
- Yorke - Villa 94/95 season - 6 in 37
Ah yes, you also conveniently forgot the 54 goals in the previous two seasons that Benzema had scored for Lyon. He was also shit hot property and pretty much all the big European clubs had courted him.
Drogba eh, the exception to the rule. I think Drogba was a one off in being a late bloomer that turned into a world class player. Lets ignore the fact that he wasn't coached at one of the biggest clubs in the world from a young age, unlike Welbeck.
Will people do anything to prove Welbeck is something that he clearly is not?
Obviously, that was only his second start of the season so drawing long-term conclusions would be kind of daft.
That said, if he keeps fluffing chances as badly as he did last night then I'll find myself in the unusual position of being delighted to be proven spectacularly wrong about a player. Of course, this will be mitigated by the growing evidence that I've been proven spectacularly right about Ozil
I'm kinda feeling the same. I'd be delighted if he flops badly because selling him to Arsenal just didn't sit right with me and few others, as I believed given regular games as a striker he'd reach that next level that he was lacking in his time here.
His chances he missed was poor yesterday. He's 23 so he has time to improve but I'm not so sure that he will turn out to be a clinical finisher. He's never been a prolific finisher. He has no competition at the moment so he's fine but it'll be interesting when Walcott+ Giroud come back from injury.
- Status