Danny Welbeck needs to be given a fair chance by Manchester United

Welbeck has constantly been played out of position

Manchester United have been going through a hellish season under the now-sacked David Moyes and the latest player to become unsettled at the club is home-grown striker Danny Welbeck. The Manchester born youngster has become fed-up of constantly playing out of position and is reportedly considering quitting his boyhood club in order to get better chances elsewhere. The 23-year-old has just two years left on his current deal and may refuse a new contract if he is not guaranteed a central role at the club he has been with since the age of 8.

Welbeck introduced himself to the world with a stunning long range goal against Stoke City back in 2008 and was tipped for great things. Fruitful loan spells at Preston North End and Sunderland followed before Welbeck was given a permanent place in Manchester United’s first team in 2011.

The striker hit the ground running in the 2011-2012 season which was widely considered to be his breakout season at the club. The Englishman scored 12 goals in 39 appearances that year, forming a proficient strike partnership with Wayne Rooney. Welbeck wasn’t quite the finished product yet but stamped his influence in big games and managed to find the back of the net against teams like Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester City. The youngster’s good form earned him an England call up and he has gone on to make 21 appearances for the Three Lions since then.

The stage was set for Welbeck to become a world class player until the arrival of a certain Dutchman dashed those hopes. Welbeck lost his place to Robin Van Persie in the 2012-2013 season and was forced to play on the wing where he scored just 2 goals in 40 appearances which was a huge step backwards. The only highlight of his season was his fantastic performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu where he gave Los Blancos plenty of problems with his pace and even managed to score a goal.

It is an open secret that Welbeck is wasted on the wings. The stats speak for themselves. Welbeck has played on the flanks 8 times and has played in his preferred central role 9 times this season. The youngster scored just 1 goal in 8 appearances when he played on the flanks but has scored 7 goals in 9 appearances when he has started in the centre. Manchester United’s current 4-2-3-1 formation leaves place for just one forward and there are 3 other players competing for that position leaving Welbeck’s place in the squad in jeopardy.

Welbeck can bring a lot to the table if he is given a chance to lead United’s front line more often. Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney, who are considered as Manchester United’s first choice strikers, aren’t blessed with pace which is one of Welbeck’s strongest characteristics. Welbeck’s speed can be a real night mare for opposing defenders and can be a real goal threat inside the penalty area. His link up play is another very strong suite of his game. The only weak part of Welbeck’s game is his finishing but that can be improved.

Right now Welbeck is having the same experience as Daniel Sturridge had at Chelsea. Sturridge regularly played as a centre forward for Manchester City but left the club due to the lack of first team opportunities. Chelsea regularly deployed Sturridge on the wing which was not his best position and refused to give him a chance as a centre forward due to the consistency of Drogba which caused him to become unsettled. Sturridge finally left for Liverpool where he was given a chance in the centre by Brendan Rodgers and has hit 23 goals this season and is at the moment one of the most lethal forwards in the world.

If Welbeck continues to be pushed to the wing he will eventually have to leave Manchester United. The youngster is a special talent and there will be loads of clubs willing to sign him. It wouldn’t be a shock if Welbeck starts scoring goals for fun at another club.

I truly hope that Welbeck gets his chance up front and carves a niche for himself at Old Trafford.