Will the Mancunian get another real chance this season?
January 2010 provided every Manchester United fan with one extremely dismal day; In fact, I seriously doubt there have been many worse moments in the history of fixtures at Old Trafford.
A mouth watering FA Cup, third round tie with our rivals from across the Pennines, Leeds United.
Long forgotten were the days of Mark Viduka, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Champions League encounters and Premiership title run ins.
Administration and relegated to League 1 for the men in white, this game was already a foregone conclusion with pundits and journalists up and down the UK, an opportunity to laugh at the outfit from Yorkshire, a chance for the red rose to slay the white rose, a chance to really rub salt into the wounds of their recent demise…. Or a chance for an upset?
The echoes of jubilant Leeds fans rang around Old Trafford at the final whistle, and to be honest with you – they were worth their 1-0 victory.
Sir Alex Ferguson, not for the first time had put out a weakened side; one that should have been strong enough to see off any League one outfit, whether they were a bitter rival or not. However the likes of Gabriel Obertan and more importantly, Danny Welbeck, came in for huge criticism after the game.
Almost two years on and Danny Welbeck has started the 2011/12 season extremely well; The young striker has scored two goals in three starts and was putting in performances of the highest level – If anything, he looks like a new £20million signing.
Perhaps spending a season on loan at Steve Bruce’s Sunderland helped him mature? Perhaps it was his age and having developed over the last year and a half from a gangly boy into a sizable man has given him a bigger presence up top? Perhaps he learnt his lesson the hard way and realised just what it will take to make it at United?
It can only be described as a massive shame for Danny Welbeck that he picked up an injury in the home victory over Arsenal and will be out for five weeks. Perhaps he was lucky to find himself starting regularly in the first place, as it was down to an injured Javier Hernandez that left an opening – and being selected ahead of Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, Mame Biram Diouf and Kiko Macheda showed a massive belief in this local lad from the manager.
What happens now? Five weeks out is a long time. Will he walk back into the side again now that Hernandez is fit? I doubt it.
With a third round Carling Cup draw taking Manchester United to Elland Road against the side that almost ruined his chance of making it at Old Trafford, and knowing Sir Alex does like to rotate his squad for Carling Cup fixtures, I ask what happens if Berbatov and Owen both put in impressive displays and Welbeck falls further down the pecking order?
Come mid November will he consider going back out on loan if he finds himself fourth choice and only getting an odd ten minutes here and there?
At his young age, Welbeck does have time on his side; with Owen and Berbatov in their thirties you would have to believe he is the future – but surely any professional who is hungry to be the best and play week in week out at the top level of the game will definitely not settle to be a back up player?
International aspirations always play a major role in these situations – will he get picked at senior level for England if he cannot even get a regular start at United?
Maybe I am over analysing this situation but how many of us honestly believe he will walk straight back into the starting eleven? I hope he does, but I do not expect that he will.
Manchester United are lucky to benefit from having such a talented group of strikers to pick from this season; a great mix of speed, skill, youth, experience and above all, many deadly finishers – however, when he regains his full match fitness, I think Danny Welbeck may find himself out of favour due to this misfortunate and badly timed injury – this for me is the unluckiest of circumstances.
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Sometimes berba picks up speed though as he did against Blackburn (7-1) and two hatricks against Birmingham and Liverpool. I bet he still can turn on the pace.
Do not get me wrong, I am a huge Welbeck fan and beleive he is a future United and England number 9 – but what this article suggests is that being injured for five weeks will no doubt give Hernandez and Berbatov the chance to establish themselves ahead of him.
YOUR CORRECTION -“ROONY IS TO MAN U WHAT MESSI IS TO BARCA & WHAT CRISTIANO IN REALMADRID”, -SO IN EVERY TEAM THERE ARE D UNTOUCHABLES.
its simple while the young guns are playing well fergie will keep showing his faith when the performances start to dip towards the end of the season thats where the experience comes in the further the season goes on the more you will see of the experienced players the ones who know how to get you over the finishing line. roooney keeeps his place for one single reason even if he was in bad form hes the most talented player we have man u vs city last year roooooney had a really poor touch of the ball yet 30 seconds later was scoring an over head kick. hes a class act even when not in top form hes a match winner and that karan is why roooney keeps his place
You make an excellent point about experience coming into play towards the end of the season.
Similar across the midfield as well – I imagine Park and Giggs will start alot if we hit a bad patch as Cleverley and Anderson are both very young.
Look its SIMPLE. The peckin order will go rooney hernandez if hes back to full sharpness with welbs… The future is roo welbs chicha kiko diouf… Berbatov will b sold in jan well he shud b for sure… With the new fast fluid young energetic football we are playing der is NO SPACE for berba he will jus slow down the game. Owen is MUCH faster and up to speed than berba. So the way i see it is the young 5 for the future sell berba and myb keep owen hes a god send on a pay as u play contract who if fit cd bang in ATLEAST 15-20 goals. Berba hu is on 110.000 a wk n da mst has scored is 21 goals is nt wrth keepin. O and while we say roo had a POOR 1st halff to da season las yr bt still managed to bang in 16 goals ONLY 5 less than berba and created mre… Says it all really…