He hasn't improved too much since 2011, but I'm unwilling to judge that too harshly. For one, he has spent the past 2 seasons behind Rooney and Van Persie in the striker position and so plays more on the wing, not his natural position. Secondly, his effort and assets are clear for all to see if only they could be molded and improved. In Cleverley's case, watching him now makes me wonder why I rated him so highly in 2011-12, whereas watching Welbeck makes it clear that if he just applies his skillset correctly, he still has all the tools to succeed here. I agree that it's frustrating, but I'm giving all the United players a free pass for last season, so I calculate that Welbeck has only had 1 season of regression and not 2
. Therefore I'm willing to see how he develops under Van Gaal before declaring him a lost cause.