The Welbz Thread (official)

[Injury Time]

How is that second not offside? He's last man, ahead of the ball and receives a forward pass. Isn't that the perfect offside?
One word..."pace!"
:run:

[Niall_Quinn]

We don't see when the ball is played to him, do we?

Well it would have had to have been played 5 minutes earlier for him to be onside.

[Injury Time]

http://thumbsnap.com/s/PYqZBAzN.jpg
:whistle:

[Master Splinter]

I think we're the only two that didn't give him a hard time when he was at Utd.

Exactly right.

We're also the only two who spotted how shit Shane Long was long before the hipsters caught on.

[Bumble]

As each day goes on, I think this signing gets better and better. We are going to have three quick forwards of which two works their socks off for the cause and can all score a goal. I reckon Welbeck will get 20+ goals this year.

Also it will be interesting to see how we play, as the tippy tappy stuff will have to stop... no point having fast runners if you play it behind them all the time.

Still baffled we haven't strengthened defensively.

[I am invisible]

Yeah, it is a puzzlement? I guess we'll just have to hope that the increased pace and work rate that we've added to the attack will somehow take a bit of pressure off the back line and the defensive midfielder (maybe teams will feel less inclined to press us high up the pitch if they know we can shred them on the counter, or we might be able to stop more opposition attacks from getting started if we're pressing harder from the front ourselves)?

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

As each day goes on, I think this signing gets better and better. We are going to have three quick forwards of which two works their socks off for the cause and can all score a goal. I reckon Welbeck will get 20+ goals this year.

Stop speaking sense.

[Globalgunner]

Sanogo scored for the French under 21 team yesterday. Yippee!

[Penguin]

Now we know who to play up top the next time we play against Kazakhstan kids :yippee:

[Marc Overmars]

http://therepublikofmancunia.com/maybe-im-just-longsighted-but-arsenal-fans-dont-know-how-good-they-have-got-it-with-welbeck/

[Injury Time]

http://therepublikofmancunia.com/maybe-im-just-longsighted-but-arsenal-fans-dont-know-how-good-they-have-got-it-with-welbeck/


More decisive finishing from him in that tie may have seen a different outcome.
:crying:

[Injury Time]

Bonus
http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/07/franco-baldini-facing-tottenham-hotspur-axe-over-losing-danny-welbeck-to-arsenal-4860066/?

[Syn]

Damn right they're angry. Tottenham player if ever there was one.

[I am invisible]

Their targets for the Director of Football role must be really messed up, if that's true?! Flush £100m down the toilet on dog-shit players? Hey, don't worry about it. Miss out on a rushed, last-minute transfer to a better, richer club who can offer CL football? YOU'RE FIRED!

[Niall_Quinn]

Levy is so hung up on us he's lost sight of all reality.

Reality check #1. Of course you lost out to Arsenal. Arsenal is a big club in the CL, spuds are a little club in a shadow.
Reality check #2. Spuds will forever be in that shadow.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Franco Baldini deserves a pay rise for dodging that mound of shit that we have saddled ourselves with

I spent an hour on RedCafe yesterday, they were really beside themselves when they sold him to us?....it really shows you the total disconnect from reality that most Man United fans suffer from.

It's the same with their beatifying Ferguson, doesn't matter what he acheived with them the fact remains that the guy has done a giant shit on that club leaving skid marks round the bowl and spraying diarrhea up the wall. He was the one who appointed Moyes (who i suspect was set up to fail because of Ferguson's ego), and he's the one who left them a plethora of average and actually in many ways shit players.

Jones, Smalling, Rafael, Young, Cleverley, Fletcher, Nani, Anderson, Kagawa and Welbeck all kernels of the great big whiffy turd left behind by whiskey cheeks.....they've got rid of welbeck and kagawa and cleverley's gone on loan but still they can't get most of the dross of their wage bill

[Niall_Quinn]

Let him play a game first.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Basically you're sulking, aren't you?

I've been on a week long sulk, i can't even think about Arsenal without instinctively muttering "fucking welbeck", it won't be long before i'm actually sectioned.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

the only positive to all this is that we didn't sign James Milner or Gareth Barry, i'd have set fire to the Emirates if we had.

[Niall_Quinn]

Sulking for a week isn't worth it. Sulk value wears off after 2-3 hours tops then people start ignoring you which makes you even sulkier and it's all downhill from there. An effective sulk should be followed smartly by blame transference and a determined bid for the moral high ground.

[Syn]

the only positive to all this is that we didn't sign James Milner or Gareth Barry, i'd have set fire to the Emirates if we had.

Milner's a very good player, just receives silly criticism from opposition fans because he plays for Man City. Similar reason as to why everyone's about to do a u-turn on Welbz.

[Niall_Quinn]

It's got nothing to do with playing for the gypos, he's just a shit player. In fact if it all just came down to what team the player is with then how come Welbeck wasn't hated just because he played for Utd? Blows away the point you are trying to make.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

utterly ridiculous point, there are scores of players i'd be happy for us to sign from both chelsea and man city.... With Welbeck.it's not because he used to play for United it's because i think he only has had a look in at the England team because he played for United, i thought he was quite good when he played for Sunderland on loan a few years ago because unfortunately i think that's about his level. Because we have signed him, my greatest hope is that i am wrong, and that he does a Ramsey esque transformation from being totally awful to being a player who has the potential to be world class.

Milner is lumbering with a poor reading of the game, and Barry i used to rate six-seven years ago but he's basically the same as Arteta now.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Sulking for a week isn't worth it. Sulk value wears off after 2-3 hours tops then people start ignoring you which makes you even sulkier and it's all downhill from there. An effective sulk should be followed smartly by blame transference and a determined bid for the moral high ground.

Well call it what you will, sulking, depression....all i have to do is think about us having signed him (and the pricetag) and everything goes all monochrome.

[Niall_Quinn]

Barry is nowhere near that good.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Barry is nowhere near that good.

Hmm i personally can't stand Arteta, well actually i have nothing against him....but i find it counter intuitive to put a player who has never been a defensive holding midfielder and playing him in that position especially when he's getting slower by the game and because he is one footed takes him ages to distribute if he's able to do it at all.

So my issue with Arteta is more how he's played by Wenger than with the player himself

[Marc Overmars]

Milner would do a job for us tbh.

[Injury Time]

Milner would do a job for us tbh.

Gunnersaurus?

[Letters]

Wenger :bow:

[Marc Overmars]

:coffee:

[Power n Glory]

Hats off to him. He finished his chances in a game where he was feeding off scraps!

Welcome to Arsenal!

[Injury Time]

Hats off to him. He finished his chances in a game where he was feeding off scraps!

Welcome to Arsenal!
The home of scraps :scarf:

[The Dismantler]

Wenger :bow:


Didnt know Wenger was playing tonight

[Injury Time]

Didnt know Wenger was playing tonight

Did you not zee him? :ninja:

[selassie]

Hats off to him. He finished his chances in a game where he was feeding off scraps!

Welcome to Arsenal!

Yup. He always does well for England. He looked very good on the counter, could be exciting times for Arsenal!

[I am invisible]

Goal a game ratio since signing for The Arsenal.

Scholes :pal:

[Niall_Quinn]

Goal a game ratio since signing for The Arsenal.

Scholes :pal:

Next week is what counts.

[Munchies]

Impressed with his ability to run behind defences

Giroud would've probably held the ball up, waited for no one to run on and lost the ball for the 2nd

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

Letters :haha:

[Master Splinter]

His smile is even lovelier these days.

[Bumble]

Wenger masterstroke the welbeck signing. 16m will prove a snip as he bangs in 20 goals a season.

Also think Milner would be a decent player for us, if he can play for city, he can play for us. Not that it will happen but never mind.

Welbeck Welbeck Welbeck.

[fakeyank]

Never doubted the signing tbh.. :coffee:

[Penguin]

I love how he ran straight over to Ox and Chambers to celebrate his first. :bow:

[Bumble]

I love how he ran straight over to Ox and Chambers to celebrate his first. :bow:
Quality.

Also you don't seem to hear all the good work Wenger is doing for the England team with the Ox, Wilshere, Chambers, Walcott and now Welbeck.

[Marc Overmars]

Welbz was always a good link man and pace & power merchant, but he was the butt of all jokes because he lacked composure. Hopefully last night was a sign he's improved and ready to move up a level.

Wonderful signing, some would say.

[Power n Glory]

Welbz was always a good link man and pace & power merchant, but he was the butt of all jokes because he lacked composure. Hopefully last night was a sign he's improved and ready to move up a level.

Wonderful signing, some would say.

He's an improvement on Giroud and Sanogo for sure. Neither would have scored that second goal. Giroud doesn't have the pace and Sanogo wouldn't have sorted out his feet to finish the move.

At the start of the window I said the name doesn't matter, we just need someone with power and pace. Welbeck fits the bill and despite sometimes looking like Bambi on the ball, he's young enough to adapt. If we can make something out of Adebayor, we can make something of Welbeck. He has the raw ingredients.

[Letters]

Letters :haha:

:gp:

Me :haha:



:unsure:

[I am invisible]

CL quality striker, tbh - had to move for CL football...

[Niall_Quinn]

I feel vindicated having stuck up for him when so many were talking rubbish about him. I hope this a lesson for some of you.

[AKBapologist]

It's fair to say that our striker problems have been finally sorted.

[Niall_Quinn]

Perhaps not sorted, because we are still relying on Wenger to adapt the system to take advantage, instead of forcing players into the same tired routine. Surely he will.

But Sanogo on the bench is massive. Unless WUMger can't resist a glorious opportunity to pull a master WUM.

[AKBapologist]

Nah, he'll score 25 more goals than Falco this season, then Louis van Gaal will by him back for £50mill and we'll be back to relying on son no goals and bif.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

People that doubted him :haha:

[I am invisible]

People that doubted him :haha:

And spurs :haha:

Just because.

Levy and Baldini :pal:

[selassie]

Quality.

Also you don't seem to hear all the good work Wenger is doing for the England team with the Ox, Wilshere, Chambers, Walcott and now Welbeck.

All we hear now is how none of the English players at Arsenal are developing....:rolleyes:

[selassie]

He's an improvement on Giroud and Sanogo for sure. Neither would have scored that second goal. Giroud doesn't have the pace and Sanogo wouldn't have sorted out his feet to finish the move.

At the start of the window I said the name doesn't matter, we just need someone with power and pace. Welbeck fits the bill and despite sometimes looking like Bambi on the ball, he's young enough to adapt. If we can make something out of Adebayor, we can make something of Welbeck. He has the raw ingredients.

Yep, I actually think Welbeck will develop into a "Ade" level type striker in terms of numbers. I'd be happy with that, say what you like about Ade but he knew where the goal was.

[Niall_Quinn]

Yep, I actually think Welbeck will develop into a "Ade" level type striker in terms of numbers. I'd be happy with that, say what you like about Ade but he knew where the goal was.

He certainly did. He was always standing next to it. Offside.

[Syn]

Nice article from Jeremy Wilson.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/11083650/Danny-Welbecks-display-for-England-shows-that-Arsenal-have-pulled-off-transfer-coup-of-summer-window.html

[Fist of Lehmann]

Just like the old classic: "Too many foreigners in da game innit?", England's failings must be the fault of everybody else but the English.

On Welbo: Personally I'm in the cautiously optimistic boat. Of course he's not the name everybody wanted, and without the injury to Giroud this signing doesn't happen at all. That said, Welbo is not a stopgap signing, rather Wenger seems to have plumped for another project, shorter-term than Sanogo but still with an eye on a season or two down the line, I wouldn't expect a mass of goals from him this season.

Loic Remy and Welbo might on the surface have appeared to be 2 broadly equivalent signings but the age is the key difference. Remy would have been a stopgap, he's arguably the better player now, but in 2 years time if Welbo can develop, probably not.

Still feels weird though, some players you can imagine in the shirt.

[Power n Glory]

Yep, I actually think Welbeck will develop into a "Ade" level type striker in terms of numbers. I'd be happy with that, say what you like about Ade but he knew where the goal was.

I think Welbeck already has the edge on Ade for finishing...well, at least in terms of shot variation. He just needs to stay composed in the box but that's something most players are able to develop under Wenger. Henry, Ade, Walcott, Ramsey...they all improved under Wenger. F

ingers crossed on Wenger playing him as a striker otherwise we've just signed the English Dirk Kuyt. But I don't think Welbeck would have signed without that guarantee. He must have spoken with Wenger over the phone to see where he fits in before signing.

[Syn]

That said, Welbo is not a stopgap signing, rather Wenger seems to have plumped for another project, shorter-term than Sanogo but still with an eye on a season or two down the line, I wouldn't expect a mass of goals from him this season.

As you said he was bought in because of the Giroud injury, and has had 3 full seasons in this league, so while he can improve he has to be ready to perform straight away. Not sure what his potential is really. Never struck me to having the potential to be world class but I think the Adebayor comparisons have merit. Hasn't kicked a ball for us yet though so let's see.



Fingers crossed on Wenger playing him as a striker otherwise we've just signed the English Dirk Kuyt. But I don't think Welbeck would have signed without that guarantee. He must have spoken with Wenger over the phone to see where he fits in before signing.

David Dein says he 'knows' Wenger bought him to play as a striker.


" I know Arsene's bought him with the intention of playing him as a striker"
http://www.goal.com/en-au/news/4019/transfer-zone/2014/09/09/5093596/dein-welbecks-value-has-already-risen

Although Wenger's definition of a striker is quite broad. He still calls Podolski, Walcott, Sanchez and Campbell strikers. But I don't think there's much chance Welbeck won't play as the CF, he's got the physical attributes that Wenger wants in that role.

[Özim]

At 50 million quid over 5 years he's not exactly a bargain, like I said before we'll have to see what he can do, never been that convinced by him thus far though, he's not going to be a top class player IMO, might well get a few goals (who wouldn't in our team) but he's not going to lead us to CL or PL glory IMO.

We've never replaced RVP which is a shame, Wellbeck will never reach his level IMO, if we could have bitten the bullet an bought a top class striker it would really have made a big difference to our team.

[fakeyank]

At 50 million quid over 5 years he's not exactly a bargain, like I said before we'll have to see what he can do, never been that convinced by him thus far though, he's not going to be a top class player IMO, might well get a few goals (who wouldn't in our team) but he's not going to lead us to CL or PL glory IMO.

We've never replaced RVP which is a shame, Wellbeck will never reach his level IMO, if we could have bitten the bullet an bought a top class striker it would really have made a big difference to our team.

Did he cost us 50 million quid? :unsure:

[Özim]

Did he cost us 50 million quid? :unsure:

According to this link yes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/11083650/Danny-Welbecks-display-for-England-shows-that-Arsenal-have-pulled-off-transfer-coup-of-summer-window.html


Every signing is a major gamble – about £50 million over five years in the case of Welbeck – but his all-round performance last night certainly added to the view that Arsenal might just have pulled off one of the more astute transfers of the entire summer window.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I think Zim is factoring in his salary plus transfer fee over the five years.

[Niall_Quinn]

Walcott is probably the best comparison to Welbeck. Potential. Potentially brilliant. Potentially awful. Everywhere for 90 mins. Anonymous for 90 mins. Hasn't progressed as fast as anticipated. Still young enough to step up into the top tier. Needs a run in the team to realise the full potential. Could play a crucial role for England. Potential to maximise Ozil's role. and so on.

Fast.

Apparently Akpom is fastest though, having seen off Bellerin and broken Theo's record. I'm thinking he must be bloody fast.

I hope Wenger shows a bit of ambition in how he wants to use these players. Wouldn't it be great if we could get back to the pacey counter-attacking football we used to be treated to before the era of tippy tappy? Get the ball and boom, 15 seconds from our GK to the back of their net. That's what I liked to watch. Trophies were the icing.

[Letters]

I think Welbeck already has the edge on Ade for finishing...well, at least in terms of shot variation. He just needs to stay composed in the box but that's something most players are able to develop under Wenger. Henry, Ade, Walcott, Ramsey...they all improved under Wenger.
The two goals last night were good because in the first one it was all about being in the right place, driving in there. Something we don't do well at Arsenal.
The second he had time to think about it and that's when players can panic and put it wide, it was a nice composed finish.

Encouraging.

[fakeyank]

I think Zim is factoring in his salary plus transfer fee over the five years.

That's about 130K per week, if true! :yikes:

Why did we cringe at Khedira's salary ask then!?

[Letters]

I think Zim is factoring in his salary plus transfer fee over the five years.

Pretty much any senior level player looks horrendously expensive if you do that to be fair.

[Marc Overmars]

He's going to be leading the line for the first time in his career as the go-to guy, it's a huge challenge for him but one that he sounds like he's ready for.

United youth products are made of the right stuff mentally as well, so I'm quite optimistic about the signing really. I don't expect 25 goals but I do think he'll help stretch defences and force the issue with his pressing, which should hopefully help us become a more effective attacking outlet. Plus he said himself he enjoys linking play so I'm sure he'll fit right in from that sense. Although I do hope he's cut out those stupid flicks and stopovers.

United fans reactions tell us all we need to know tbh. I don't remember this spewing when we signed Silvestre.

[Niall_Quinn]

Utd fans are doing a GW at the moment. From being pissed he left they are now very happy because he is shit anyway and was crap as a striker and was never going to cut it and will never be as good as Falcao who lied about his age and is really 30 and is always crocked and is escaping to Madrid the first chance he gets.

I'm glad I don't do transfers because I'd fuck it up terribly in the heat of the moment and then have to hide once realisation dawned. I think it'd be great to have Falcao up front this season and he's undoubtedly reached a higher level than Welbeck, but come next year I imagine Welbeck will still be here with Falcoa long gone or dead of old age. We got the better deal.

[AKBapologist]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOclAFxCFZY

[Letters]

Course, there are worse ways to spend £50m...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/11081393/Manchester-United-expected-to-announce-David-Moyes-disastrous-reign-cost-the-club-50-million.html

:lol:

[Niall_Quinn]

Still think Sterling should have got on the end of that cross. Did he shin the first one? Hard to tell for sure.

Doubt there has been another 2 goal performance where the media has dwelt so heavily on a supposedly poor cross and an almost impossible to determine shin. If this game had happened two weeks earlier I wonder what the headlines and analysis would be today? As it stands, Cross and Holt have Rooney as MOTM. That ball by Rooney to Sterling is described as "a blizzard of passing" by one hack. Say he'd missed those two, like Rooney missed his chances. Can you imagine? The biggest joke though - talk is now of whether it should be Welbeck or Sturridge up top. Rooney is a given. This is why the outcome will be the same in 2016. We'll spend 2 years trying to prop an ageing Rooney up instead of building a new team.

[I am invisible]

Just like the old classic: "Too many foreigners in da game innit?", England's failings must be the fault of everybody else but the English.

On Welbo: Personally I'm in the cautiously optimistic boat. Of course he's not the name everybody wanted, and without the injury to Giroud this signing doesn't happen at all. That said, Welbo is not a stopgap signing, rather Wenger seems to have plumped for another project, shorter-term than Sanogo but still with an eye on a season or two down the line, I wouldn't expect a mass of goals from him this season.

Loic Remy and Welbo might on the surface have appeared to be 2 broadly equivalent signings but the age is the key difference. Remy would have been a stopgap, he's arguably the better player now, but in 2 years time if Welbo can develop, probably not.

Still feels weird though, some players you can imagine in the shirt.

Yeah, maybe Welbeck wasn't the big-name striker that we were all hoping for, but I have to say that, since signing for us, it has been really satisfying watching him blossom into the prolific striker that we see before us today - when you think back to that inconsistent kid who first joined us, he's almost unrecognisable as a player now. Nice one Arsene!

I'm also kind of glad we didn't go for Remy - there's always been something I've never really warmed to about him, although I'm not entirely sure what it is? Luckily I don't have to figure it out any more, because he's a Ch***a c**t, and that's all the reason required to hate his stupid face...

[I am invisible]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2749322/Danny-Welbeck-clings-Manchester-United-washbag-new-Arsenal-signing-touches-England-squad.html

:o

This will not stand, damn it! Welbeck out!

Also Wayne Rooney to Notts County.

That's some top reporting, right there.

[Maestro]

All we hear now is how none of the English players at Arsenal are developing....:rolleyes:


not from the cunt media and wenger hating phobic idiots, but not hollaz tbf

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsene-wenger-now-standard-bearer-4175181

[Injury Time]

not from the cunt media and wenger hating phobic idiots, but not hollaz tbf

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsene-wenger-now-standard-bearer-4175181

English spine? Wenger out! :sulk:

[Maestro]

English spine? Wenger out! :sulk:

WUMget's last laugh ...."I built your England team you muppets ...Theo, Jack, Danny, Ox, Calum, Gibbs (when he wakes up frm his coma) and Wojciech" hasta la vista muthafuckaz

[Niall_Quinn]

Have a feeling this is the prelude to him taking the England job when his contract runs down. All the timings are right. One final suicidal mission for the old dog. Imagine if he bowed out by winning the world cup and trumped them all. Maureen :haha:

Actually this has to happen.

[Maestro]

Have a feeling this is the prelude to him taking the England job when his contract runs down. All the timings are right. One final suicidal mission for the old dog. Imagine if he bowed out by winning the world cup and trumped them all. Maureen :haha:

Actually this has to happen.

the final WUM ...end game

[Syn]

Theo should be Arsenal's PR man. Always talks a good game.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140910/theo-welbeck-should-be-more-selfish

[Gooner23]

Doing Arsene's job as well. Still no word from Le Boss about Welbz, very strange.

[Power n Glory]

Theo's a good guy. I wonder if he still wants to play as striker? He has to feel some sort of way about Welbeck's move if the boss says he'll get his chance up front.

On Wenger's silence...Arseblog are saying Wenger called United on D-line day at 7.30am to get the deal pushed through, so it had his blessing. Not sure how true that is. We'll soon see. Actions speak louder than words.

[selassie]

Doing Arsene's job as well. Still no word from Le Boss about Welbz, very strange.

Welbz will probably be on the bench on Saturday and Sanogo will start, classic Wumger. :faint:

[Niall_Quinn]

Important developments in the washbag story.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2750826/Danny-Welbeck-new-Arsenal-merchandise.html

#stealingaliving #journalismisdead

[Power n Glory]

That's a nice advertisement piece for the Arsenal Shop and the club merchandise.

The Arsenal PR men doing a fine job. :lol:

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

So have we gone from pitch forks and brimstone about singing him to 'warming to it' and suggesting him being better than Falcoa?

[Injury Time]

So have we gone from pitch forks and brimstone about singing him to 'warming to it' and suggesting him being better than Falcoa?

Only if he sings "rock me Amadeus!" :sulk:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

As a great man purportedly once said:

Danny Welbeck is unique. He reminds me very much of Darius Vassell.

[Niall_Quinn]

So have we gone from pitch forks and brimstone about singing him to 'warming to it' and suggesting him being better than Falcoa?

Yes, now move on.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Falcao sorry!...and signing not signing!

So what has changed other than shinning it the other day.

[Injury Time]

Falcao sorry!...and signing not signing!

So what has changed other than shinning it the other day.
The second goal where he showed composure, clipped it over the keeper and celebrated with Ox and the YTS boy? oh and sorry for my poor joke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo4pdhKL4b4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Niall_Quinn]

Falcao sorry!...and signing not signing!

So what has changed other than shinning it the other day.

Because the financials of the Falcao deal were revealed, he's probably lied about his age, he's got an injury track record to rival RvC, he doesn't want to be at Utd, wants to be at Madrid. Good player but the true cost for one year is ludicrous and it will cost Utd close on £100mill to keep him, which won't be worth it anyway considering he'd be 33 or 34 by the end of any contract. Plus Utd sold a player they didn't want to sell to a rival - us. So that's a reversal of the norm. Plus the fact Welbeck has done okay since the move and as a result has pissed off Utd fans who are doing the reverse of what we're doing and saying he was shit anyway and no big loss (dead giveaway). On top of that, we have the 25 year old England #9 and we got him for £50mill all in. He adds pace to the front line when we had none. He has a team ethic. His goal scoring record isn't nearly as bad as people make out - if you consider the games he's started (rather than sub appearances). He's scored 10 more goals for his country than Lineker did at this stage of development. He seems genuinely pleased to be here, in fact he forced the permanent move rather than a loan. So that shows commitment. But that's all minor compared to the fact he's a replacement for Sanogoals. Even more, the media are pissed because this is another English player in the froggy team that is destroying the English game. And we're football fans so there is absolutely no problem hating a player one minute and cheering for him the next, or vice versa. Oh, and Martin Samuel is looking sillier than usual trying to defend Rooney from the likes of Sterling, Sturridge and now Welbeck, so it's a pleasure to be involved in the cause of his anguish.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Please stop adding Welbeck's wages in to the value! :lol: You trying to make folk cry.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I think that Welbeck did shin it, but see no problem in commending the goal in any case. It's not like every goal he scores is mis-hit and the actual execution of the strike is only one part in the extended eventuality of scoring.

I quite liked him before the deal was a reality though I was bemused that we were not going for a forward far better than what we already have.

I think the MANURE fans being up in arms about it is business as usual. Nothing to see here folks, go home. Half of them were on radio shows slagging off Fergie after he won his last title, so is it any wonder. The glory searching rapscallions.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Only if he sings "rock me Amadeus!" :sulk:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w4Xulsjo5I

[Munchies]

As a great man purportedly once said:

Danny Welbeck is unique. He reminds me very much of Darius Vassell.

How did Vassell ever play for the england team ?

[Power n Glory]

Because the financials of the Falcao deal were revealed, he's probably lied about his age, he's got an injury track record to rival RvC, he doesn't want to be at Utd, wants to be at Madrid. Good player but the true cost for one year is ludicrous and it will cost Utd close on £100mill to keep him, which won't be worth it anyway considering he'd be 33 or 34 by the end of any contract. Plus Utd sold a player they didn't want to sell to a rival - us. So that's a reversal of the norm. Plus the fact Welbeck has done okay since the move and as a result has pissed off Utd fans who are doing the reverse of what we're doing and saying he was shit anyway and no big loss (dead giveaway). On top of that, we have the 25 year old England #9 and we got him for £50mill all in. He adds pace to the front line when we had none. He has a team ethic. His goal scoring record isn't nearly as bad as people make out - if you consider the games he's started (rather than sub appearances). He's scored 10 more goals for his country than Lineker did at this stage of development. He seems genuinely pleased to be here, in fact he forced the permanent move rather than a loan. So that shows commitment. But that's all minor compared to the fact he's a replacement for Sanogoals. Even more, the media are pissed because this is another English player in the froggy team that is destroying the English game. And we're football fans so there is absolutely no problem hating a player one minute and cheering for him the next, or vice versa. Oh, and Martin Samuel is looking sillier than usual trying to defend Rooney from the likes of Sterling, Sturridge and now Welbeck, so it's a pleasure to be involved in the cause of his anguish.

You should take your own advice on this one. Wait for the players to play before going over the top. It's money well spent if he performs and if Wenger actually plays him as a striker. It's money down the toilet if he plays him down the wing.

[Power n Glory]

Falcao sorry!...and signing not signing!

So what has changed other than shinning it the other day.

Nothing. We should have done better in the transfer window but here we are. He's got the pace, power and workrate boxes ticked at least. I'd rather have him starting over Giroud and Sanogo. He has potential...as long as he plays up front and not on the wing.

We discussed this a few weeks back. Looks like it actually happened! ;) The guy needs to get a proper haircut now he's with us.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

So have we gone from pitch forks and brimstone about singing him to 'warming to it' and suggesting him being better than Falcoa?

Welcome to GW.

[Niall_Quinn]

You should take your own advice on this one. Wait for the players to play before going over the top. It's money well spent if he performs and if Wenger actually plays him as a striker. It's money down the toilet if he plays him down the wing.

Always rated him, the only Utd player I liked.

[Munchies]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOclAFxCFZY

Better than Sanogo :good:

[I am invisible]

Falcao sorry!...and signing not signing!

So what has changed other than shinning it the other day.
No one can stay angry with Danny - just look at that smile!

Let's buy him a present!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

How did Vassell ever play for the england team ?

Golden Generation.

[I am invisible]

So have we gone from pitch forks and brimstone about singing him to 'warming to it' and suggesting him being better than Falcoa?

In all honesty, and in spite of the fact that he's been around since about 2008, I don't think a lot of Arsenal fan (myself included) had actually paid a whole lot of attention to Danny Welbeck until he signed for us? I would imagine most people's first reaction was the same as mine: to be spectacularly underwhelmed, because we were rummaging around for one of Manchester United's unwanted squad players on deadline day, when most felt that we should have had the striker situation sorted out weeks or months (or years!) earlier. And the mood was then further soured by the fact that ManUre were smashing out deals for Falcaos and Di Marias (signings are the new trophies, after all). (Although, to be fair, I'm sure a lot of the outpouring of grief was just the usual football forum faux-outrage, for the sake of sarcasm and comedy, and generally just having something to tall about?) But anyway, once it was all done and dusted, and we'd had a chance to make even the slightest of slight efforts to dig out some YT clips, and see what rival fans were saying, I think he started to look and sound like exactly the kind of player that we need for the CF role (as we play it), and someone who would add a lot of the attributes that our attack has been desperately lacking. There's still a fair amount of uncertainty over what exactly we should expect from him, but the two goals against Switzerland certainly won't have done any harm in that respect!

And he's not Sanogo - that point cannot be stressed strongly enough. He's. Not. Sanogo.

To be fair, I'm not sure anyone has said that Welbeck is a better player than Falcao on an individual level - just that the deal was better, and that United may have made a serious cock-up here? They're basically paying £20m to borrow a player for 8 and a half months, whereas we've signed someone who could potentially lead our line for the next 7-10 years. But worse than that (from they're POV), they've potentially (significantly?) improved one of their closest rivals for the CL spots, when they really didn't have to. Just my opinion here, but I think they would have done their chances more good if they'd simply done nothing (kept Welbeck and not signed Falcao) and left us to work with what we had until the new year...

[GP]

Wenger
"Welbeck brought in for depth, will need to prove he's better than Sanogo"

[Master Splinter]

Wenget on Welbo:



"Danny Welbeck is young and I feel he can improve his career here - he is confident"




"I was happy to take a permanent transfer with Danny Welbeck"




"I cannot tell you if Welbeck will start [against City] but it's a possibility. I have to assess the squad"




"It was quick because it was the last day of the transfer window but I had no hesitation to do it."




"If I stayed at my home, Welbeck would not be here...that is the truth."


And WUM time:

Referring to being available all day because of his trip to Rome



"I will tell you the story one day."


:haha:



"When you analyse Welbeck's game, he has the qualities to play down the middle but he is very versatile"

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Time to place our faith in Sanogo again.

Also, for the most part I have no idea what WUMger is saying.

[Niall_Quinn]

If Sanogo plays then some bad shit is going to happen. I don't know what yet, but it will be bad.

It's time for Wenger to get over this Sanogo thing. Sometimes you make a mistake, a huge, inexplicable, retarded mistake. He doesn't even need to admit it, he just needs to quietly send the guy out on loan to the nearest post office.

We know Wenger is a wind up merchant but some things aren't funny. There's would be no conceivable justification for leaving out a guy who is on a high having scored twice for his country and replacing him with a turd who can't even play, never mind score. Wenger will get slaughtered if Sanogo plays and rightly so. Not funny Wenger, not impressed.

[Niall_Quinn]

"If I stayed at my home, Welbeck would not be here...that is the truth."

What could this mean? Surely there wasn't some requirement to be overseas in order to clinch the deal? Or was he meeting with somebody from Manchester? This could just as easily mean the board had to get rid of him for the day so they could get some essential business done.

[I am invisible]

www.arsenal.com (http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140911/-we-can-make-welbeck-a-better-player-)


Arsène Wenger has hailed new signing Danny Welbeck - and says he can become an even better player at Arsenal.

The England international completed a move from Manchester United on transfer deadline day, before scoring twice for the national team on Tuesday.

Wenger says that performance against Switzerland underlined Welbeck's quality and he is confident the 23-year-old can make an immediate impact at the club.

“Danny Welbeck is an ideal signing for us because he can play through the middle, which I think is his best position, but as well on the flanks,” he said.

“His qualities are his team attitude and his pace as well. As you could see with England, his goalscoring too. When you analyse his game you think he has the qualities to play through the middle.

“He was at Man United, where he had many big stars, and he is a player who is very versatile so he had to make room sometimes for players to play through the middle. But if you analyse in an objective way his qualities, I think he has the perfect style to play through the middle.

“He can make himself a better player [here] because I can help him. He's a young boy, he's not 24 yet and let's not forget that some players who arrived here at the age of 23 made huge careers here so I hope we can contribute and help him.”

Wenger was in Italy on transfer deadline day at a charity match, but he says that actually helped the Welbeck deal go through.

“If I had not travelled that day, Welbeck would not be here,” he said. “I'll explain that a bit later but the coincidence made that because I was on my way. If I had stayed at home, Welbeck would not be here today. That's the truth.

“We are in 2014 and you can always be in touch with everybody even when you travel. The advantage of that day was I had to get up at six o'clock in the morning and I was available the whole day.”

[Niall_Quinn]

“We are in 2014 and you can always be in touch with everybody even when you travel. The advantage of that day was I had to get up at six o'clock in the morning and I was available the whole day.”

Otherwise he was planning on having a lie-in on transfer deadline day? This is a bit strange isn't it?

[selassie]

If Sanogo plays then some bad shit is going to happen. I don't know what yet, but it will be bad.

It's time for Wenger to get over this Sanogo thing. Sometimes you make a mistake, a huge, inexplicable, retarded mistake. He doesn't even need to admit it, he just needs to quietly send the guy out on loan to the nearest post office.

We know Wenger is a wind up merchant but some things aren't funny. There's would be no conceivable justification for leaving out a guy who is on a high having scored twice for his country and replacing him with a turd who can't even play, never mind score. Wenger will get slaughtered if Sanogo plays and rightly so. Not funny Wenger, not impressed.

:gp:

I bet you Sanogo will start, seriously.

[I am invisible]

Otherwise he was planning on having a lie-in on transfer deadline day? This is a bit strange isn't it?

Might as well - we never usually do anything before 10pm anyway...

[Özim]

What could this mean? Surely there wasn't some requirement to be overseas in order to clinch the deal? Or was he meeting with somebody from Manchester? This could just as easily mean the board had to get rid of him for the day so they could get some essential business done.

He didn't want him here, we didn't want him here, but the board said we'll have him as Man U wanted rid and the fans would soon turn him into a world beater once the initial doubts disappeared.

[I am invisible]

Maybe he just gets a better phone reception at the airport?

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Otherwise he was planning on having a lie-in on transfer deadline day? This is a bit strange isn't it?

Seems like it though I would have thought given the professionalism of Wenger and the type of person he is, he would be up by 7 on every day regardless of whether he had anything on. Doesn't seem the type of guy who would lie in till late morning.

At any rate I hope it's a "coincidental" story rather than anything more dubious or conspiratorial. I don't know why he's announcing it to the press either - what good does it do now? It probably doesn't do Welbeck's confidence any good to find out that his now manager only wanted him on loan. It's rather like finding out from your parents that you were an accident.

And the Sanogo thing is just Wenger making sure Welbeck doesn't get complacent. I hope. Maybe. I pray. Please.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

So Wenger admits that if he was here Welbeck would have been signed on loan instead of permanently.

Is there any doubt now that this man has been holding us back?

[Power n Glory]

Rumours in the papers say Arteta and Merts had to convince Wenger to sign him after meeting Welbeck at our training ground. Rumours also floating that Wenger wanted a loan deal with an option to buy.

The Rome comment seems very odd. Just confirms the guy was prepared to gamble on the striker position. It’s reckless and it sounds like we had more people behind the scenes trying to push through a deal.

[Niall_Quinn]

Whatever the truth he's certainly given the media a good feeding as well as a way to get some backhand digs in at the ex-Utd, now playing for the wrong club, player. Stupid thing to do just before a big game. And then he goes and threatens the fans by talking about Sanogo as if he still has a future within 1,000 miles of this club.

[Syn]

Rumours in the papers say Arteta and Merts had to convince Wenger to sign him after meeting Welbeck at our training ground. Rumours also floating that Wenger wanted a loan deal with an option to buy.

The Rome comment seems very odd. Just confirms the guy was prepared to gamble on the striker position. It’s reckless and it sounds like we had more people behind the scenes trying to push through a deal.

A lot of these rumours from newspaper journalists have just made their own stories up to sell. You can watch the press conference on Arsenal.com - about going to Rome, he was arguing against the criticism he got for being away from Arsenal on deadline day, he said it's 2014 and you can make contact from anywhere (same way he bought all his other signings while being in Brazil). The rest was just usual cryptic "buy my future book and you'll find out" WUMery.

Wenger did not say he wanted a loan deal over a permanent deal - that's what the papers have made up. A question was asked about whether he would've taken Welbeck on loan, and he said 'if it had an option to buy, yes'. If anything it suggests he wouldn't have done a one year loan deal but wanted the permanent option.

Also about where he would play Welbeck, he mentioned a few times that CF would be his strongest position.

[Özim]

Getting Wellbeck on loan would have made perfect sense, if he comes good we could sign him up for an agreed fee, if he turned out sh*t we could ship him back and wash our hands of him.

As it stands we're stuck with him even if he ends up rubbish. This guy hasn't proved he's a quality player after all, his goal record is average and he plays like Bambi on ice and shoots like it too much of the time, purchasing him is a risk and he comes with a big wage as well wish I'm not sure he deserves based on his career thus far.

[Özim]

I don't know why he's announcing it to the press either - what good does it do now? It probably doesn't do Welbeck's confidence any good to find out that his now manager only wanted him on loan. It's rather like finding out from your parents that you were an accident.

And the Sanogo thing is just Wenger making sure Welbeck doesn't get complacent. I hope. Maybe. I pray. Please.


Kinda like saying I didn't really want you here, but you're here now so there's nothing I can do, but Sanogo is the number 1 guy so don't get any funny ideas about walking into the team pal.

[Power n Glory]

A lot of these rumours from newspaper journalists have just made their own stories up to sell. You can watch the press conference on Arsenal.com - about going to Rome, he was arguing against the criticism he got for being away from Arsenal on deadline day, he said it's 2014 and you can make contact from anywhere (same way he bought all his other signings while being in Brazil). The rest was just usual cryptic "buy my future book and you'll find out" WUMery.

Wenger did not say he wanted a loan deal over a permanent deal - that's what the papers have made up. A question was asked about whether he would've taken Welbeck on loan, and he said 'if it had an option to buy, yes'. If anything it suggests he wouldn't have done a one year loan deal but wanted the permanent option.

Also about where he would play Welbeck, he mentioned a few times that CF would be his strongest position.

Yes, it seems like they're trying to stir the pot a little. After watching the press conference, I think Wenger was trying to be humorous with that Rome story. You always have to take these stories with a pinch of salt. But if Welbeck was at our training ground, I wouldn't be surprised by the Merts and Arteta story.

[Letters]

Kinda like saying I didn't really want you here, but you're here now so there's nothing I can do, but Sanogo is the number 1 guy so don't get any funny ideas about walking into the team pal.
Yeah, it would have been kinda like that had Wenger said it. Look at Syn's post.

[Power n Glory]

The papers have run riot with the stories. It's all out of context.

Where did the Sanogo quote come from?

[Master Splinter]

A lot of these rumours from newspaper journalists have just made their own stories up to sell. You can watch the press conference on Arsenal.com - about going to Rome, he was arguing against the criticism he got for being away from Arsenal on deadline day, he said it's 2014 and you can make contact from anywhere (same way he bought all his other signings while being in Brazil). The rest was just usual cryptic "buy my future book and you'll find out" WUMery.

Wenger did not say he wanted a loan deal over a permanent deal - that's what the papers have made up. A question was asked about whether he would've taken Welbeck on loan, and he said 'if it had an option to buy, yes'. If anything it suggests he wouldn't have done a one year loan deal but wanted the permanent option.

Also about where he would play Welbeck, he mentioned a few times that CF would be his strongest position.

Why are you trying to prevent 40 more pages of baseless hysteria by comprehending the actual situation and being reasonable.

Anyway, Wenger is a very bad manager and I have negative feelings towards him so I will continue to contort every situation into one in which he comes out looking the worst.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Baseless hysteria ftw tbh.

[Power n Glory]

Why are you trying to prevent 40 more pages of baseless hysteria by comprehending the actual situation and being reasonable.

Anyway, Wenger is a very bad manager and I have negative feelings towards him so I will continue to contort every situation into one in which he comes out looking the worst.

:lol: So says the guy that posted the quotes with no source and out of context.

Agent Splinter.

[Niall_Quinn]

The papers have run riot with the stories. It's all out of context.

??? Is it ever any other way? They were always going to spin things up.

For the fans, the only real question concerns the weirdness about the transfer only happening as a result of him going to Italy. Very strange.

Reading between the lines, sounds like Welbeck will be starting centrally vs the gypos.

[Master Splinter]

:lol: So says the guy that posted the quotes with no source and out of context.

Agent Splinter.

I simply posted the quotes as they were coming in from the press conference. I didn't wildly jump to conclusions based on my neuroses or some strange agenda against Wenger. The context is always there in the full press conference or later, more detailed articles. Surely you don't need me to flesh things out for you. After all, this sort of stuff happens daily and you'd think people who know the way the club, Wenger and more importantly, the media operates, wouldn't fall into to the trap of manufactured confusion.

And some people actually believed GP's quote too. :doh:

[Master Splinter]

Reading between the lines, sounds like Welbeck will be starting centrally vs the gypos.

Central defence? Or in goal?

Could be both.

Hopefully someone influential on Twitter is reading GW so the "Wenger to start Welbeck in central defence" panic can start.

Syn might be required to put out fires again.

[Power n Glory]

I simply posted the quotes as they were coming in from the press conference. I didn't wildly jump to conclusions based on my neuroses or some strange agenda against Wenger. The context is always there in the full press conference or later, more detailed articles. Surely you don't need me to flesh things out for you. After all, this sort of stuff happens daily and you'd think people who know the way the club, Wenger and more importantly, the media operates, wouldn't fall into to the trap of manufactured confusion.

And some people actually believed GP's quote too. :doh:


And WUM time:

Referring to being available all day because of his trip to Rome

"I will tell you the story one day."


"When you analyse Welbeck's game, he has the qualities to play down the middle but he is very versatile"

Sure Agent Splinter.

NQ had a bit of meltdown over Sanogo and he has no anti Wenger agenda, so what’s your point? Even Mac commented on relying on Sanogo. Great wumming! But as said, it sparks discussion. It’s the same shit the tabloids do. Job done.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

Well done Ivan Gazidis for doing something no other guy at Arsenal has had the balls to do and stand up to Wenger

[Power n Glory]

??? Is it ever any other way? They were always going to spin things up.

For the fans, the only real question concerns the weirdness about the transfer only happening as a result of him going to Italy. Very strange.

Reading between the lines, sounds like Welbeck will be starting centrally vs the gypos.

The deadline day deal thing just proves Wenger was willing to gamble on the striker situation. That’s a worry and we at least know this wasn’t some brilliant ‘Wenger smokescreen’ or deadline day strategic chess move. We just got lucky.

People will always shit stir and sensationalise to attract attention. It happens all the time on GW as just seen. I suspect the mods have people they can call when traffic is a bit low. :ninja:

[I am invisible]

The deadline day deal thing just proves Wenger was willing to gamble on the striker situation. That’s a worry and we at least know this wasn’t some brilliant ‘Wenger smokescreen’ or deadline day strategic chess move. We just got lucky...

Maybe? Maybe all it proves is that Wenger was only really after one forward signing this summer (Alexis), and that Welbeck was a last-minute reaction to a last-minute problem? Did we get lucky with that? Probably, but then you could argue that we got unlucky with losing Giroud right at the end of the window - taken in that light, you could say that we've actually reacted pretty quickly (for us)?

Anyway, however planned or unplanned it was, let's just hope the universe has done us favour here - most of us wanted to see another CF come in, even if Wenger thought we were good... and now we have one!

[Master Splinter]

Sure Agent Splinter.

NQ had a bit of meltdown over Sanogo and he has no anti Wenger agenda, so what’s your point? Even Mac commented on relying on Sanogo. Great wumming! But as said, it sparks discussion. It’s the same shit the tabloids do. Job done.

Agent Splinter?

I genuinely have no idea what you're even trying to imply.

N_Q was just being N_Q. Maccy obviously knows GP was taking the piss. We're all also aware of Wenger's strange ways and have been laughing about it for years. To stretch this out to some conspiracy by me and the mods is especially impressive, even for someone who can extract blood, guts and entrails from a nothing story and regularly invents massively disingenuous opposing viewpoints to disingenuously argue with and strike down.

[Syn]

With agents running the game, Wenger would've had information a long time ago. He kept talking about 'deadline day poker'. You can call him lucky this year, you can say he was lucky last year but the deadline deals did get done. With Man Utd looking likely to get Falcao, Wenger did say he wasn't surprised that Welbeck was available. Tottenham were heavily linked with him too before deadline day. He said the surprise was about the 'loan v permanent' situation. As invisible says the 'luck' involved was probably Giroud getting injured because Wenger might've gambled on Giroud's usually reliable fitness levels.

I'd say he's taking a big chance on the CB situation but overall the squad was strengthened. I'd say 3 decent signings, 1 potentially great signing (Chambers) and 1 brilliant signing (Sanchez). I expected worse at the start of the window.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxQwkeCCQAAINWX.png

[Power n Glory]

Agent Splinter?

I genuinely have no idea what you're even trying to imply.

N_Q was just being N_Q. Maccy obviously knows GP was taking the piss. We're all also aware of Wenger's strange ways and have been laughing about it for years. To stretch this out to some conspiracy by me and the mods is especially impressive, even for someone who can extract blood, guts and entrails from a nothing story and regularly invents massively disingenuous opposing viewpoints to disingenuously argue with and strike down.

;)

[Niall_Quinn]

With agents running the game, Wenger would've had information a long time ago. He kept talking about 'deadline day poker'. You can call him lucky this year, you can say he was lucky last year but the deadline deals did get done. With Man Utd looking likely to get Falcao, Wenger did say he wasn't surprised that Welbeck was available. Tottenham were heavily linked with him too before deadline day. He said the surprise was about the 'loan v permanent' situation. As invisible says the 'luck' involved was probably Giroud getting injured because Wenger might've gambled on Giroud's usually reliable fitness levels.

I'd say he's taking a big chance on the CB situation but overall the squad was strengthened. I'd say 3 decent signings, 1 potentially great signing (Chambers) and 1 brilliant signing (Sanchez). I expected worse at the start of the window.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxQwkeCCQAAINWX.png

Are we missing a trick by not relentlessly ripping the piss out of the spuds for losing out again? To lose Welbeck might be considered unfortunate, but to lose their whole stadium smacks of carelessness.

[Niall_Quinn]

Sure Agent Splinter.

NQ had a bit of meltdown over Sanogo and he has no anti Wenger agenda, so what’s your point? Even Mac commented on relying on Sanogo. Great wumming! But as said, it sparks discussion. It’s the same shit the tabloids do. Job done.

Meltdown? :haha:

Done that ages ago. I'm in the vaporisation period now. But it will be straight to desublimation if that turd plays.

[Injury Time]

Are we missing a trick by not relentlessly ripping the piss out of the spuds for losing out again? To lose Welbeck might be considered unfortunate, but to lose their whole stadium smacks of carelessness.

They probably sold it for smack tbf, about £2.59 worth, shit hole.

[Power n Glory]

With agents running the game, Wenger would've had information a long time ago. He kept talking about 'deadline day poker'. You can call him lucky this year, you can say he was lucky last year but the deadline deals did get done. With Man Utd looking likely to get Falcao, Wenger did say he wasn't surprised that Welbeck was available. Tottenham were heavily linked with him too before deadline day. He said the surprise was about the 'loan v permanent' situation. As invisible says the 'luck' involved was probably Giroud getting injured because Wenger might've gambled on Giroud's usually reliable fitness levels.

I'd say he's taking a big chance on the CB situation but overall the squad was strengthened. I'd say 3 decent signings, 1 potentially great signing (Chambers) and 1 brilliant signing (Sanchez). I expected worse at the start of the window.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxQwkeCCQAAINWX.png

I'm not so sure he knew of the Welbeck situation long before deadline day as you suggest. He may have suspected they'd have to sell at least one of their strikers if the Falcao deal goes through but I wouldn't say he intended on moving for one of them or was on the phone with his agent well before. If he was serious about the deal not happening if he hadn't have gone to Rome, it suggests he would have gambled on the players we had to see us through Giroud's injury. I'm hoping that's just him trying be humorous. But I doubt it when you look at the situation with the defenders where he has gambled on their fitness.

If agents were keeping us well versed with the Welbeck situation, what happened with their input on available defenders? Shouldn't we have known there weren't many defenders around and maybe kept Verm and Miquel? I look at that situation and compare it to the striker's and it just boils down to circumstance instead of taking action early.

It's great that reacted quickly to the Welbeck situation but we shouldn't be reacting and putting out fires. A bit of forward planning would be nice. If Wenger truly intended to play Sanchez as a striker, that idea must get thrown out the window with Welbeck's arrival. It's pointless playing Danny on the wing. We'll see what happens over the season. It hasn't been a bad window at all but we can do better.

[Injury Time]

It's pointless playing Danny on the wing

So will start on the left wing, Alexis on the right, Sanogo upfront then... :ilt:

[fakeyank]

I'm not so sure he knew of the Welbeck situation long before deadline day as you suggest. He may have suspected they'd have to sell at least one of their strikers if the Falcao deal goes through but I wouldn't say he intended on moving for one of them or was on the phone with his agent well before. If he was serious about the deal not happening if he hadn't have gone to Rome, it suggests he would have gambled on the players we had to see us through Giroud's injury. I'm hoping that's just him trying be humorous. But I doubt it when you look at the situation with the defenders where he has gambled on their fitness.

If agents were keeping us well versed with the Welbeck situation, what happened with their input on available defenders? Shouldn't we have known there weren't many defenders around and maybe kept Verm and Miquel? I look at that situation and compare it to the striker's and it just boils down to circumstance instead of taking action early.

It's great that reacted quickly to the Welbeck situation but we shouldn't be reacting and putting out fires. A bit of forward planning would be nice. If Wenger truly intended to play Sanchez as a striker, that idea must get thrown out the window with Welbeck's arrival. It's pointless playing Danny on the wing. We'll see what happens over the season. It hasn't been a bad window at all but we can do better.

I still dont understand why we are not signing Yepes as a backup CB for the season. No brainer tbh..

[GP]

http://i.imgur.com/fDbBBXm.gif

[fakeyank]

:unsure:

[Niall_Quinn]

Van Gaal showing what a tiny "man" he is. Fergie was the enemy, but you could never imagine him stooping to the level of this pygmy.


Louis van Gaal has delivered a brutal explanation for Manchester United’s decision to sell Danny Welbeck to Arsenal, saying the England international was below the standards required at Old Trafford and there were younger players waiting to come through who had the potential to make more of themselves.

Van Gaal said the decision to let Welbeck go had been made before it became apparent United could bring in Radamel Falcao on his loan arrangement from Monaco and was essentially based on the player’s scoring record over the years.

“I have given all the players a chance to convince me of their qualities,” Van Gaal said. “Yes, Danny Welbeck was here from when he was nine. He has played, after [his 2010-11 loan at] Sunderland, three seasons at Manchester United but he doesn’t have the record of [Robin] Van Persie or [Wayne] Rooney and that is the standard. That is why we let him go – because of Falcao but also the youngsters who can fit in.”

Contrast to Arsene, bearing in mind the way RvC stabbed the club before scuttling away.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkFw0niVi-8

[Niall_Quinn]

BTW, Arsenal finished 4th last season and are in the Champions League. Utd finished 7th and will have their feet up on Euro nights. So Welbeck is moving up a level to a higher standard. Perhaps van Wank is right then, not Utd standard. Welbeck needs this pinned on the wall when we play them.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

In all honesty, and in spite of the fact that he's been around since about 2008, I don't think a lot of Arsenal fan (myself included) had actually paid a whole lot of attention to Danny Welbeck until he signed for us? I would imagine most people's first reaction was the same as mine: to be spectacularly underwhelmed, because we were rummaging around for one of Manchester United's unwanted squad players on deadline day, when most felt that we should have had the striker situation sorted out weeks or months (or years!) earlier. And the mood was then further soured by the fact that ManUre were smashing out deals for Falcaos and Di Marias (signings are the new trophies, after all). (Although, to be fair, I'm sure a lot of the outpouring of grief was just the usual football forum faux-outrage, for the sake of sarcasm and comedy, and generally just having something to tall about?) But anyway, once it was all done and dusted, and we'd had a chance to make even the slightest of slight efforts to dig out some YT clips, and see what rival fans were saying, I think he started to look and sound like exactly the kind of player that we need for the CF role (as we play it), and someone who would add a lot of the attributes that our attack has been desperately lacking. There's still a fair amount of uncertainty over what exactly we should expect from him, but the two goals against Switzerland certainly won't have done any harm in that respect!

And he's not Sanogo - that point cannot be stressed strongly enough. He's. Not. Sanogo.

To be fair, I'm not sure anyone has said that Welbeck is a better player than Falcao on an individual level - just that the deal was better, and that United may have made a serious cock-up here? They're basically paying £20m to borrow a player for 8 and a half months, whereas we've signed someone who could potentially lead our line for the next 7-10 years. But worse than that (from they're POV), they've potentially (significantly?) improved one of their closest rivals for the CL spots, when they really didn't have to. Just my opinion here, but I think they would have done their chances more good if they'd simply done nothing (kept Welbeck and not signed Falcao) and left us to work with what we had until the new year...

I'm not sure it matters a whole lot that our deal is better in honesty. There's is a signing capable of winning them the title and ours is not though I think it's important to note we couldn't afford Fatcow in any case. I haven't warmed to Welbeck any more than two weeks ago but for the fact he now plays for us and not the detestable northerns....but I have rated him for some time and hope that he does manage to climb to that next level.

Just as well I have rated him for a while because I'm not exactly enthused by Wenger's current comments on him shall we say, notwithstanding Syn's debunking of British reporting. Whilst I don't believe Wenger spends 17 million just because of another players' 3 month injury, I'm not convinced Welbeck was part of any masterplan or long standing desire Wenger had for him.

The failure to bring in a world class forward continues to frustrate in any case. You either make one or sign one and we seem to have done neither.....and for some time now.


A lot of these rumours from newspaper journalists have just made their own stories up to sell. You can watch the press conference on Arsenal.com - about going to Rome, he was arguing against the criticism he got for being away from Arsenal on deadline day, he said it's 2014 and you can make contact from anywhere (same way he bought all his other signings while being in Brazil). The rest was just usual cryptic "buy my future book and you'll find out" WUMery.

Wenger did not say he wanted a loan deal over a permanent deal - that's what the papers have made up. A question was asked about whether he would've taken Welbeck on loan, and he said 'if it had an option to buy, yes'. If anything it suggests he wouldn't have done a one year loan deal but wanted the permanent option.

Also about where he would play Welbeck, he mentioned a few times that CF would be his strongest position.

Well debunked!

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

If Welbeck scores tomorrow remember to look over at Gazidis and clap him for signing him.

[I am invisible]

I'm not sure it matters a whole lot that our deal is better in honesty. There's is a signing capable of winning them the title and ours is not though I think it's important to note we couldn't afford Fatcow in any case...

I'm looking at it more in terms of the relative gains that each club can expect from their respective new signings? The way I see it, Falcao hasn't gone to Man U to replace Welbeck on the bench - he'll be a serious challenger for first-choice striker - so the gain they're looking at is how much more of an upgrade he will be on van Per... van Cunt, I beg your pardon, or Rooney (whoever gets dropped)? For me, he's a better goal-scorer than both of them, but I'm not sure I'd say that he's so much better that he could win them the league? For us, on the other hand, the gain will be how much of an upgrade Danny Welbeck is on Yaya Sanogo (a striker so shit that he doesn't even have a goal-scoring record yet!), so I think we're looking at making potentially bigger strides as a team from our signing, even though, player-for-player, Welbeck isn't in Falcao's league (yet ;) )


...I haven't warmed to Welbeck any more than two weeks ago but for the fact he now plays for us and not the detestable northerns....but I have rated him for some time and hope that he does manage to climb to that next level...

Fair play to you then mate, if you've rated him for some time - you may exclude yourself from that bewildered minority / majority that I was talking about, who have had to take a crash-course in Danny Welbeck this last week :good:

[I am invisible]

Van Gaal showing what a tiny "man" he is. Fergie was the enemy, but you could never imagine him stooping to the level of this pygmy.

Sounds like someone's strainin' to do some expalinin' to the OT faithful to me! Whatever though, Louis - you're only making yourself look small-minded and petty there, and a little bit silly too, in comparing Welbeck's scoring record to that of van Persie/Rooney/Falcao, when it's pretty widely accepted that he's never really been given a proper run as a CF in his time at Man U (and wasn't even guaranteed a starting place in any other role either)?

I'm sure Welbeck won't give too much of a shit either, if some old bloke that he's worked with for a matter of weeks doesn't rate him - when you look at the outpouring of opinion from other current and former players, team mates and coaches, you have to say that van Gaal's opinion falls in the vast, vast minority. As you say, he should just pin it to wall, use it for motivation, and live for the day when you can ram it down his throat...

[KSE Comedy Club]

The thing I like about Welbeck after watching him recently, is that if you give him the ball, he will run, take on defenders & actually shoot whenever he can. Something that we recently seem to be lacking.

He's not overly concerned with the tippy tappy bollox :good:

[Syn]

Sounds like someone's strainin' to do some expalinin' to the OT faithful to me! Whatever though, Louis - you're only making yourself look small-minded and petty there, and a little bit silly too, in comparing a 23 year old Welbeck's scoring record to that of a 28/29 year old van Persie/Rooney/Falcao (especially when it's pretty widely accepted that he's never really been given a proper run as a CF in his time at Man U).

I'm sure Welbeck won't give too much of a shit either, if some old bloke that he's worked with for a matter of weeks doesn't rate him - when you look at the outpouring of opinion from other current and former players, team mates and coaches, you have to say that van Gaal's opinion falls in the vast, vast minority. As you say, he should just pin it to wall, use it for motivation, and live for the day when you can ram it down his throat...

I think Van Gaal is fair in his comments. The age doesn't really matter. Van Gaal is after instant success and it's a big gamble but of the type he's clearly hired to take. Rooney and Van Persie are better than Welbeck so in terms of winning the title this year, if someone had to go, it should've been Welbeck. For someone who had a more long term plan, I think Rooney should've been thrown out a year ago to accommodate someone who might actually do some justice to a £250k a week salary.

As far as I can see, most of the criticism/panic by the Man Utd fans and ex-players is based on the assumption that Welbeck could make similar improvements to Sturridge. And at the moment he has got it all to do. It's all set up very nicely for him though, he has to use the momentum and positivity of this new move. Nobody was paying any attention to him a month ago and now all eyes are on him.

[I am invisible]

I think Van Gaal is fair in his comments. The age doesn't really matter. Van Gaal is after instant success and it's a big gamble but of the type he's clearly hired to take. Rooney and Van Persie are better than Welbeck so in terms of winning the title this year, if someone had to go, it should've been Welbeck. For someone who had a more long term plan, I think Rooney should've been thrown out a year ago to accommodate someone who might actually do some justice to a £250k a week salary.

As far as I can see, most of the criticism/panic by the Man Utd fans and ex-players is based on the assumption that Welbeck could make similar improvements to Sturridge. And at the moment he has got it all to do. It's all set up very nicely for him though, he has to use the momentum and positivity of this new move. Nobody was paying any attention to him a month ago and now all eyes are on him.

I think there's ways of saying it though, that would have shown more class. If he'd come out with something like 'We had the chance to sign Rademel Falcao, one of the world's best strikers, and someone had to make way' then that would have been fair enough - it's obviously not going to be van Persie or Rooney that goes, and Wilson is still young and inexperienced enough to be a few years away from demanding a place in the side, so most people would have understood why it had to be Welbeck, without too much more needing to be said. I just don't understand the need to cast doubt over his ability and standard of play? It's all come out a bit prickly and defensive, and feels like an unnecessary attack on a young player who has done nothing but give his all for his old club...

[Marc Overmars]

I don't think Van Gaal carries much sentiment for United really, it's just a job to him.

[Özim]

I don't see what's so wrong about what Van Gaal said, he's said he doesn't score enough goals, that's a fact he doesn't.

He's signed a player who guarantees goals and got rid of one that doesn't, he's now got two strikers who can score plenty and Rooney who can also get is fair share, not a bad thing for him.

By saying Wellbeck doesn't score enough he's not insulting him, he's just stating fact, he hadn't scored a goal for a year for England before the other night which is further proof that he's not a guy who's going to bag you goals left right and center, we're just hoping he turns into Sturridge but that's by no means guaranteed, not many players start off scoring little and then go on to score loads.

[AKBapologist]

not many players start off scoring little and then go on to score loads.

:blink:

[Power n Glory]

All this Welbeck/Falcao value talk is premature. I hope he flops but only time will tell and we'll see how he performs for Manure. There is no exact science or formula to this. We can talk about the value to cost ratio, his age, the loan vs permanent or whatever else...it won't matter if he performs well and gets them back into the CL.

[Niall_Quinn]

I don't see what's so wrong about what Van Gaal said, he's said he doesn't score enough goals, that's a fact he doesn't.

He's signed a player who guarantees goals and got rid of one that doesn't, he's now got two strikers who can score plenty and Rooney who can also get is fair share, not a bad thing for him.

By saying Wellbeck doesn't score enough he's not insulting him, he's just stating fact, he hadn't scored a goal for a year for England before the other night which is further proof that he's not a guy who's going to bag you goals left right and center, we're just hoping he turns into Sturridge but that's by no means guaranteed, not many players start off scoring little and then go on to score loads.

When a player leaves, a manager with any class says thanks for the service and good luck. This cunt has zero class, as is clearly evidenced. Plus he talks about standards. Well our standard is the Champion's League. What's theirs? And how would a twat like van Gall know anyway? He's dumped half the squad and resorted to a chequebook as his entire strategy (his laughable first attempt at managing the club having gone tits up. I've already noticed his tendency to take credit when things go well and pass the buck when they don't. Here he's using a young player to distract from his own glaring failures to date. What a joke the guy is, he comes lording it into the PL with his "genius" methods and his super fancy formations and promptly has his arse handed to him by all-comers, including the rout at the hands of the MK Dons. In blind panic he's started catapulting barrows of cash into the air. If he can't win with £400mill on the pitch then how bad is this cretin? What's his standard? Pretty fucking low so far.

[Özim]

When a player leaves, a manager with any class says thanks for the service and good luck. This cunt has zero class, as is clearly evidenced. Plus he talks about standards. Well our standard is the Champion's League. What's theirs? And how would a twat like van Gall know anyway? He's dumped half the squad and resorted to a chequebook as his entire strategy (his laughable first attempt at managing the club having gone tits up. I've already noticed his tendency to take credit when things go well and pass the buck when they don't. Here he's using a young player to distract from his own glaring failures to date. What a joke the guy is, he comes lording it into the PL with his "genius" methods and his super fancy formations and promptly has his arse handed to him by all-comers, including the rout at the hands of the MK Dons. In blind panic he's started catapulting barrows of cash into the air. If he can't win with £400mill on the pitch then how bad is this cretin? What's his standard? Pretty fucking low so far.

Van Gaal has won everything in the game, he built an Ajax team who won the CL with players through their youth setup, so he's not really a chequebook manager, he's shown he can deliver with or without money.

That's besides the point however, most fans use to take the p*ss out of him and joked about him and the possibility of him coming here, because let's face it we all thought he was pretty average, that hasn't changed because we for some reason decided to buy him, Van Gaal was most likely asked why he sold him, his answer to that makes sense, he's not at the level of the others and doesn't score enough. Given the choice of Falcoa or Wellbeck you'd have to be nuts to choose Wellbeck, because like I said noone at our club rated him before we surprisingly signed him, people talked about players like Falcoa etc but never Wellbeck.

Is Wellbeck and upgrade on what we've got, well yes on Sangogo because the guy is dogshite, is he an upgrade on Giroud, Campbell or Podolski, not really. He wouldn't have been my choice for a forward signing, he wouldn't have even ever entered my mind, realistically we needed to replace RVP not sign another young player several levels below him who will take time to come good if he ever does, based on some idea that he might be another Sturridge.

Sturridge was a rare example of a player who came good after a move and scored lots of goal (think he showed flashes before Liverpool though), I'm not holding my breath for Wellbeck to become Sturridge mark 2, he could just as easily become Heskey mark 2 if you wanted to draw parallels.

[Bumble]

Henry scored 23 goals in 121 games before joining us and he turned out ok. Ozim would have complained about that signing too.

[Niall_Quinn]

Zim, the actual point is this - bosses with an ounce of class thank you for your service and wish you luck when you leave. They don't turn up at your leaving do and call you a cunt, do they? It's small and miserable to try to deflect the disquiet of the fans and mask an underwhelming start by taking a potshot at Welbeck on his way out, a kid who grew up at the club. Utd fans know this too - at least the ones who aren't a petroleum based product.

[Niall_Quinn]

Given the choice of Falcoa or Wellbeck you'd have to be nuts to choose Wellbeck

In a one off match, true. Over the course of a single season, maybe. We'll see how the injuries go. RvC is quality, but wasn't much use to them last year as he was in the morgue for most of it. At the end of this season, that's where the questions start. It'll cost another £50mill fee plus somewhere between £30-40mill in wages to sign him on a longer term contract. Word is he's lied about his age and is really 30. But even if he's only 29 next year, a new contract takes him to 32, 33 or maybe beyond as he'll be looking for his last big pay day. That's if he doesn't go full pelt to get a move to Madrid. So an injury prone, £100mill odd investment at the tail end of his career? That's chequebook management any day of the week. They'll get ever diminishing returns for that investment too.

As for Welbeck, not 24 yet, signed with his prime years ahead, if he comes good we've effectively stolen him. If he's no good we move him on and we'll still get a decent fee considering he's an International. If you ask who the better player is right now, the answer is obvious. If you ask about the best investment then the answer is not obvious at all. Considering we were getting nobody and we were going with Sanogo until January, Welbeck coming here means we've at least dodged a fatal bullet. But there's potential for the move to become much more important, time will tell if that happens.

All in all I'd be excited but nervous had we signed Falcao, I'm intrigued at the Welbeck signing. If we end up with a quality #9 who fits into an English core of players we have been building then this might be very interesting indeed. Ironically it was Utd who were the last to do something like this. But that would be lost on the likes of van Gaal.

[GP]

Who's this Falcoa bloke?

[Munchies]

Who's this Falcoa bloke?

Didn't you post this before? :haha:

[GP]

Didn't you post this before? :haha:

Who?

[Munchies]

Who?

lols

[GP]

lols

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOLS

[Munchies]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOLS

lots of of of o fo fo fo fo fo of of of of of laffs?

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

:unsure:

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Go home Munchies, you're drunk.

[Munchies]

:penguin:

DAT GUY WELBZ

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I'm looking at it more in terms of the relative gains that each club can expect from their respective new signings? The way I see it, Falcao hasn't gone to Man U to replace Welbeck on the bench - he'll be a serious challenger for first-choice striker - so the gain they're looking at is how much more of an upgrade he will be on van Per... van Cunt, I beg your pardon, or Rooney (whoever gets dropped)? For me, he's a better goal-scorer than both of them, but I'm not sure I'd say that he's so much better that he could win them the league? For us, on the other hand, the gain will be how much of an upgrade Danny Welbeck is on Yaya Sanogo (a striker so shit that he doesn't even have a goal-scoring record yet!), so I think we're looking at making potentially bigger strides as a team from our signing, even though, player-for-player, Welbeck isn't in Falcao's league (yet ;) )


Fair play to you then mate, if you've rated him for some time - you may exclude yourself from that bewildered minority / majority that I was talking about, who have had to take a crash-course in Danny Welbeck this last week :good:

Don't get me wrong... I've rated him for a while (a few others, syn and marc overmars I think, vocally did too) but I don't think he is away beyond the level he has proved so far and his scoring record often made my liking for him look sheepish. We will see what he can do with a run of games though....

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I tend to think the Sturridge comparison is slightly lazy. Sturridge was unfortunate to find himself at 2 petro dollar clubs with a plethora of forwards. Sturridge was always a fantastic finisher. Even Drogba said he was the best finisher at Chelsea when he was there and I didn't think that was far fetched at the the time. Sometimes finishing alone is not enough, which is precisely why Giroud players over Podolski in attack.

Welbecks' finishing is no where near as polished or natural as Sturridge's but he does has his strengths even if Sturridge, he is not. He is more closely compared to Andy Cole, who had a knack for making the runs, but not a knack for making a whole in one.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

I tend to think the Sturridge comparison is slightly lazy.

They're both blackish and they're both English. How much more similar can you get?!

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

They're both blackish and they're both English. How much more similar can you get?!

I feel more inclined to compare Welbeck and Sterling, they clearly both go to their barber and ask for the MC Hammer

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

I feel more inclined to compare Welbeck and Sterling, they clearly both go to their barber and ask for the MC Hammer

I don't think Welbeck has 7 kids to 8 different mothers though tbf.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I don't think Welbeck has 7 kids to 8 different mothers though tbf.

Is that an exaggerated claim about Radio Raheem or is that actually the truth?

[selassie]

I thought he had a solid debut, real shame he didn't put away his chance, nice idea to chip Hart too.

I like the way he held the ball up and he is strong and pretty technical too. I think he could turn out to be a pretty decent signing.

[Özim]

I don't think there's any particular issue with his general game, the issue with Wellbeck has always been his ability to put the ball in the net, I didn't see the match but it kinda sounds like he missed a good chance at the weekend which is his achilles heel.

[Injury Time]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOLObeIk_go&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[I am invisible]

I don't think there's any particular issue with his general game, the issue with Wellbeck has always been his ability to put the ball in the net, I didn't see the match but it kinda sounds like he missed a good chance at the weekend which is his achilles heel.

He's on odd one, in that he doesn't look like he's failing to put the ball away because his technique is shocking and he can't actually shoot - that chip over Hart was actually a lovely first-time effort under pressure? It seems to be more about decision-making than anything (e.g. he probably should have just rolled it to either side of the keeper instead of going for the cute option)? Hopefully that will improve as he gets more games under his belt as the CF...

[Penguin]

I don't really get the criticism Welbeck's been getting for that missed chance. He did pretty much everything right and was very unlucky not to score, especially after you look at the angle it came back off the post. Half an inch to the right and it would have gone in. Maybe he should have gone for a simpler finish like invisible said, but it wasn't an easy angle to beat Hart like that either.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I felt very confident in the way he took that chance. He was composed, skilful and ultimately unlucky that he wasn't rewarded.

[Letters]

He didn't scuff it , it wasn't miles wide. It was a good finish, very unlucky not to score and make it a perfect debut.
As it was it was a pretty decent debut, looking like a good signing.

[Özim]

You might say he was unlucky, but you make your own luck to some extent, a top finisher would have most likely put that away, he's got a history of missing chances, so was this just bad luck or an example of an achilles heel, failing to choose the right option and put the ball away.

[Letters]

Ah, Zim. The one Arsenal 'fan' punching the air when it didn't go in just so he won the internet again.
Well done.

[Özim]

Letters the internet warrior to the rescue!

[Letters]

:cool:

[Bumble]

You might say he was unlucky, but you make your own luck to some extent, a top finisher would have most likely put that away, he's got a history of missing chances, so was this just bad luck or an example of an achilles heel, failing to choose the right option and put the ball away.
Falcao missed a chance.. RvP misses chances. I think Welbeck will be a good signing and will get us 20 goals this season which is fair enough. He also has a good attitude and you know you will always get 100% from him. He wont sulk when things go bad... just get up and go again.

[GP]

You know what Welbeck is?

New Ian Wright.

[Letters]

Falcao missed a chance.. RvP misses chances. I think Welbeck will be a good signing and will get us 20 goals this season which is fair enough. He also has a good attitude and you know you will always get 100% from him. He wont sulk when things go bad... just get up and go again.

All strikers miss chances, the issue is does he miss too many. Zim thinks so, maybe he's right.
Welbeck looks like a good player though and he's fairly young so hopefully will improve. He adds a bit of pace up front and was inches away from a very good debut goal.
Pretty happy with the signing, let's hope he comes good.

[Niall_Quinn]

You might say he was unlucky, but you make your own luck to some extent, a top finisher would have most likely put that away, he's got a history of missing chances, so was this just bad luck or an example of an achilles heel, failing to choose the right option and put the ball away.

Since the date Welbeck signed he has scored two chances and missed one by a whisker. From the same date Rooney has scored a tap-in and missed two (maybe three) sitters. Rooney's finishing and overall play has been woeful. Welbeck has looked sharp and has put himself about well. Rooney has been given a free ride by the media, some hacks have even come out waving Rooney flags, a few fools gave him MOTM after his shitty England non-performance. RvC has looked clueless and is off form. Falcao is acknowledged as a deadly finisher, but he's missed his one chance so far.

In conclusion, Welbeck is the guy who can't finish.

[Letters]

I'd forgotten about the England goals. Yeah, they were good. One a nice calm finish, the other more a case of being in the right place - but you have to get there and he did.

[Fist of Lehmann]

So I'm not agreeing with Ozim in any shape, way or form whatsoever, but Welbo scores that chance we probably win the game.

Sure it was a cute effort, nice technique, clever imagination, one that Sanogo probably slashes wide with his right stump. But ultimately it's a shot off target from a one-on-one, the kind of chance you put away if you are to win big games. Having watched it several times I think a low instep curler inside the near post would have been almost impossible to stop, the percentage play.

Football is about decision making as well as execution.

So maybe it was the wrong decision, maybe it wasn't. Bergkamp always used to like chips because he said that was where the space was. But that was Bergkamp, one of, if not the finest technician ever to play for us. If Welbo is to become our no. 9, a bit of ruthlessness might not go amiss.

Nevertheless I think it was an encouraging debut. We have a forward who has enough touch to join the link up play and enough mobility to run beyond. He's not "Falcoa", but then, who the hell is?

[Power n Glory]

Rooney missing chances and what the press has to say is irrelevant. Welbeck is the guy with something to prove and he'll get his chance.

[Letters]

So I'm not agreeing with Ozim in any shape, way or form whatsoever, but Welbo scores that chance we probably win the game.
Hmm. That's a bit of a leap. It was what, 20 minutes in?
Ramsey scores that chance to put us 3-1 up (wasn't easy, but he's capable) and we win the game.

[Niall_Quinn]

Rooney missing chances and what the press has to say is irrelevant. Welbeck is the guy with something to prove and he'll get his chance.

Not irrelevant at all because the media are the driving force behind this idea Welbeck can't finish. We didn't hear a word about it from them before the transfer. Listening to Utd fans, one minute they are gutted he has left, then they slowly move to the view he's no good anyway. That hateful coward van Gaal then pitches in with his Manchester Utd "standard" bullshit.

This is a kid who just got both the goals in what will probably be England's toughest qualifier - when the spotloght was bang on him. How's that for composure? Point proved. The media would still be gushing if he was still at Utd. Instead they mention he's kept his Utd wash bag. It's comedy.

Looks at where the media focus is - Ozil, Welbeck, Wilshere - all with big question marks attached.

Rooney the fraud - MOTM.

If we are to do any serious analysis then the media bullshit has to be filtered out. It may be irrelevant but it's at the heart of all the bullshit and the fuel for all these myths.

[Niall_Quinn]

Merts is also very slow btw - did you know? And shouldn't have been in the Germany squad and doesn't deserve to be a world cup winner. Kos lacks leadership qualities.

They were both the highest rated defenders last year.

Kompany and Jones? Legends.

Football is a game of opinions. But why don't people have their own opinions instead of borrowing from a media with a transparent agenda?

[Fist of Lehmann]

Hmm. That's a bit of a leap. It was what, 20 minutes in?
Ramsey scores that chance to put us 3-1 up (wasn't easy, but he's capable) and we win the game.

It is a leap. But a leap I'm willing to make.

With City creaking in the first 20 I think a goal then changes the game, instead of their goal switching momentum in their favour.

I think we let slip an important win either way.

[Letters]

Not irrelevant at all because the media are the driving force behind this idea Welbeck can't finish.
I thought that was Zim :unsure:

[Letters]

It is a leap. But a leap I'm willing to make.

With City creaking in the first 20 I think a goal then changes the game, instead of their goal switching momentum in their favour.

I think we let slip an important win either way.
It was one of those games that ebbed and flowed a bit and could have gone either way. A goal 20 minutes in would have changed it but it's not a given we'd have gone on to win IMO.
We'll never know of course.

I'd be more critical of him had he scuffed it well wide or thrashed it high into the stands. It was inches away from a very good goal, they all do it. He's showing a lot of promise IMO, he looked good for England and he looked good for us. Could be a very good signing.

[Fist of Lehmann]

Could be a very good signing.

Aye. Very happy with all the players we bought.

The DM / CB situation will see us fall short again however.

[Özim]

Since the date Welbeck signed he has scored two chances and missed one by a whisker. From the same date Rooney has scored a tap-in and missed two (maybe three) sitters. Rooney's finishing and overall play has been woeful. Welbeck has looked sharp and has put himself about well. Rooney has been given a free ride by the media, some hacks have even come out waving Rooney flags, a few fools gave him MOTM after his shitty England non-performance. RvC has looked clueless and is off form. Falcao is acknowledged as a deadly finisher, but he's missed his one chance so far.

In conclusion, Welbeck is the guy who can't finish.

I've never thought Rooney was a great finisher, he scores some great goals and the rest of his play is (or use to be) very good in terms of work rate, creativity etc but his finishing was never top notch.

He's had the odd season where he's scored quite a few but I don't think finishing is what his game is about. Maybe it's not Wellbecks either to be fair, but sadly we needed a finisher.

Wellbeck also hadn't scored for England for a year before those goals, 2 goals in a year of International football isn't a great return.

[Özim]

It was one of those games that ebbed and flowed a bit and could have gone either way. A goal 20 minutes in would have changed it but it's not a given we'd have gone on to win IMO.
We'll never know of course.

I'd be more critical of him had he scuffed it well wide or thrashed it high into the stands. It was inches away from a very good goal, they all do it. He's showing a lot of promise IMO, he looked good for England and he looked good for us. Could be a very good signing.

You say it could have gone either way, but why does it always go against us in these big games, surely it's not down to just bad luck all the time.

[Letters]

Wellbeck also hadn't scored for England for a year before those goals, 2 goals in a year of International football isn't a great return.
2 goals in 8 games is another way of putting it. Which still isn't stellar, but this is a pretty poor England side.
He's got 10 goals in 28 games for England, not a bad ratio at that level.

[Letters]

You say it could have gone either way, but why does it always go against us in these big games, surely it's not down to just bad luck all the time.
No, it isn't. I don't think anyone would dispute we need to be getting better results in these big games. We did OK at home in them last year, away it was a fiasco.

[Özim]

2 goals in 8 games is another way of putting it. Which still isn't stellar, but this is a pretty poor England side.
He's got 10 goals in 28 games for England, not a bad ratio at that level.

It's not too bad, he's got it all to prove at the moment though, we saw him miss sitters for Man U plenty of times, until he starts putting them away the tag following him about missing chances will remain.

I hope he does because the rest of his game is really good, time will tell but I expect him to be one of those players who does score but also misses quite a few, just like Cole did or Giroud does, in many ways that's been a problem for us because in big games when chances are rare you need to take yours to take the points.

[Letters]

I don't really watch enough football to have taken much notice of him at Utd. What I've seen since he signed for us impresses me though.
The unfortunate thing for him is with Giroud out a lot is expected of him and he will be under more scrutiny that is probably fair.

[Power n Glory]

I thought that was Zim :unsure:

Exactly!

[Power n Glory]

Not irrelevant at all because the media are the driving force behind this idea Welbeck can't finish. We didn't hear a word about it from them before the transfer. Listening to Utd fans, one minute they are gutted he has left, then they slowly move to the view he's no good anyway. That hateful coward van Gaal then pitches in with his Manchester Utd "standard" bullshit.

This is a kid who just got both the goals in what will probably be England's toughest qualifier - when the spotloght was bang on him. How's that for composure? Point proved. The media would still be gushing if he was still at Utd. Instead they mention he's kept his Utd wash bag. It's comedy.

Looks at where the media focus is - Ozil, Welbeck, Wilshere - all with big question marks attached.

Rooney the fraud - MOTM.

If we are to do any serious analysis then the media bullshit has to be filtered out. It may be irrelevant but it's at the heart of all the bullshit and the fuel for all these myths.

Maybe the media is the driving force behind your opinion if you haven’t seen him play before. What the heck has Rooney got to do with our game last Saturday? It’s irrelevant. Why are you even bringing it up like it affects us in some way? I don’t even think the press are focusing on Danny Welbeck. You’re being paranoid.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I think there has been a fairly large amount of media comment on Welbeck. Most of what I've read is how well Arsenal have come out of this deal.

[I am invisible]

You might say he was unlucky, but you make your own luck to some extent, a top finisher would have most likely put that away, he's got a history of missing chances, so was this just bad luck or an example of an achilles heel, failing to choose the right option and put the ball away.
On some days, maybe? In general though, I don't think it's uncommon for most CFs to spurn a few chances before they 'find their range'.

Which does make you wonder whether Danny Welbeck has genuinely been as wasteful with his chances in comparison to other forwards as is being being made out, or whether he's simply had fewer chances per game to work with because he's been playing on the wings? Forget his goals-per-games ratio for a minute - does anyone know what his chance conversion rate is? Having paid a bit more attention to what his shooting is actually like now, I wouldn't mind betting that it's not actually too far off any other forward in the league?

[Power n Glory]

I think there has been a fairly large amount of media comment on Welbeck. Most of what I've read is how well Arsenal have come out of this deal.

Very true. It hasn't been negative.

[Power n Glory]

On some days, maybe? In general though, I don't think it's uncommon for most CFs to spurn a few chances before they 'find their range'.

Which does make you wonder whether Danny Welbeck has genuinely been as wasteful with his chances in comparison to other forwards as is being being made out, or whether he's simply had fewer chances per game to work with because he's been playing on the wings? Forget his goals-per-games ratio for a minute - does anyone know what his chance conversion rate is? Having paid a bit more attention to what his shooting is actually like now, I wouldn't mind betting that it's not actually too far off any other forward in the league?

Welbeck just needs to polish up on his finishing. When you’re confident enough to attempt chips, dinks and lobs, you can tell he’s confident in front of goal but needs to work on polishing his execution. It was the same with Theo. You’d see him miss chances but also score the type of goals someone like Sanogo or Adebaor just can’t. He’ll be fine with a bit of practice.

[I am invisible]

2 goals in 8 games is another way of putting it. Which still isn't stellar, but this is a pretty poor England side.
He's got 10 goals in 28 games for England, not a bad ratio at that level.

You also need to be factoring in what actually constitutes 'a game' with some of these stats - are we talking about a full 90 minutes for each of those games in these stats, or are we also counting 5 or 10 minutes here and there from the bench?

Again, I think a lot of these goals/games ratios are very misleading with some players - at the very least, we should be looking at goals/minutes, but even that doesn't account for things like where you're actually being played, and whether the game is essentially already won by the time you come on, and your team is just seeing the game out, with no real urgency. Chance conversion rates are probably going to be our best guide when trying to work out how good/ or bad a finisher Welbeck actually is (and even they aren't perfect)...

[I am invisible]

Welbeck just needs to polish up on his finishing. When you’re confident enough to attempt chips, dinks and lobs, you can tell he’s confident in front of goal but needs to work on polishing his execution. It was the same with Theo. You’d see him miss chances but also score the type of goals someone like Sanogo or Adebaor just can’t. He’ll be fine with a bit of practice.

Yeah, from what I've seen of him over the last couple of weeks, it doesn't look like there's too much wrong with his ability or technique? He just needs to work on the first thought that comes into his head in those situations: at the moment he seems to automatically want to do something flashy, when something simpler would actually serve him better (at least while the scores are tied, or we're chasing a game)?

I'm hoping that sort of thing will come fairly naturally though, once he's more confident of his place in the side? Just a theory, but I reckon a lot of that flashiness stems from the situatuion he was in at United, where his place in the side was never certain, and he maybe felt that he had to do something eye-catching and memorable in order to keep it?

[Power n Glory]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1G9feeq8S4

This sort of stuff he needs to cut out.

[fakeyank]

I think Welbeck did great for his first game for us. I thought his chip that hit the post was also the right decision. A simpler finish couldve come off the keepers legs. Its a game of small margins and unfortunately this time, the ball came off the post. If he does more of what he did on Saturday, we have a great player on our hands!

[PGFC]

Ah, now I get it, well played LvG, Agent Welbeck indeed, it's going to be a long season.

[Marc Overmars]

I'm trying really hard to like you Welbz but that was shite.

[adzzzbatch]

welshit is alive and well.

[Power n Glory]

I blame the media and Wayne Rooney!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Perfect game of rugby from what I saw.

[Bumble]

Still reckon he will score 20 goals this season for us.

[Özim]

Another miss last night for him, could have made all the difference if he'd scored, needs to put those away, if we put our chances away we might get better results against the top teams.

[Niall_Quinn]

Another miss last night for him, could have made all the difference if he'd scored, needs to put those away, if we put our chances away we might get better results against the top teams.

LOL, no he couldn't. Dortmund were superior in every department, Welbeck could have scored 3 and they'd have scored 4. Last night can't be pinned on Welbeck. Strikers will miss more than they score - that applies to all strikers. The team creating more chances is how strikers rack their goal tally up.

[Özim]

LOL, no he couldn't. Dortmund were superior in every department, Welbeck could have scored 3 and they'd have scored 4. Last night can't be pinned on Welbeck. Strikers will miss more than they score - that applies to all strikers. The team creating more chances is how strikers rack their goal tally up.

Goals change games though, they change the flow of a game and give players confidence, you never know what can happen after you score.

It may not have changed the game, the point is though in big games you don't get a lot of good chances and need to take them, we lack a top class striker who can make the difference.

[I am invisible]

Another miss last night for him, could have made all the difference if he'd scored, needs to put those away, if we put our chances away we might get better results against the top teams.

Give him a chance mate - he's only been with us for about a week, and in that time he's been chucked staright into two of the toughest games you could possibly pick!

[Niall_Quinn]

Goals change games though, they change the flow of a game and give players confidence, you never know what can happen after you score.

It may not have changed the game, the point is though in big games you don't get a lot of good chances and need to take them, we lack a top class striker who can make the difference.

Sanogo can also play there.

[mr_brighterside]

Sanogo can also play

:police:

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

The difference between Giroud and Welbeck, is Giroud is a good finisher but rarely ever creates the chances for himself to finish off scoring oportunities....Welbeck's positioning is a lot better and does all the hard work but his finishing is retched.

Anything thinking what i'm thinking?.....put the two of them in a matter transporter.

Olivier Weloud

Danny Girbeck

The one who can both finish and get himself into decent scoring oportunities becomes our main striker, the other gets fed into an industrial waste grinder.

[AKBapologist]

Girouds shooting accuracy is shit.

[Özim]

Give him a chance mate - he's only been with us for about a week, and in that time he's been chucked staright into two of the toughest games you could possibly pick!

It's not about giving him a chance, there's no reason for him to miss these chances if he's a good finisher, as mentioned before though that's his achilles heel and so far it seems it still remains this.

[AKBapologist]

A few notes on Welbeck.

So much focus on his lack of goal (yet) masks the fact that he was one of the few players who could actually remember how to receive and return the ball last night. I've seen so many games where Giroud puts us under pressure because he get's dispossessed as soon as he receives the ball with his back to goal. As bad as it was, the reason why we had any possession at all last night is because Giroud or Sonogo wasn't playing.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I think he's had an easy ride for last night considering the trio at least of very presentable chances. He hasn't been here long enough for folk to be truly exasperated with him though. Very difficult to pick the worse finisher between him and Olivier.

That said he wouldn't have saved our blushes last night even if he had Sturridge's finishing ability, we were that bad.

[I am invisible]

The difference between Giroud and Welbeck, is Giroud is a good finisher but rarely ever creates the chances for himself to finish off scoring oportunities....Welbeck's positioning is a lot better and does all the hard work but his finishing is retched.

Anything thinking what i'm thinking?.....put the two of them in a matter transporter.

Olivier Weloud

Danny Girbeck

The one who can both finish and get himself into decent scoring oportunities becomes our main striker, the other gets fed into an industrial waste grinder.
He's actually a pretty decent first-time finisher [Giroud] - it's when he has to run and shoot at the same time that it all seems to start going wrong for him...

[Penguin]

Giroud has missed far easier chances than anything Welbeck has for us so far. That's not an excuse for Danny though, he needs to score goals. He'll get a consistent run of games upfront for us too so he can't hide behind that anymore.

[BOBN]

Even if Welbeck turns out to be a bad player its just what we deserve.

The fans hounded out Gervinho and now hes one of the best in Europe.

Dont wanna give Welbeck a fair go? Ok. Peter Crouch is next.

[AKBapologist]

Did welbeck even misplace a pass today?

[I am invisible]

I think he's settling in pretty well? How long has he actually been with us now? Less than a couple of weeks (when you take out time spent with the national side)? Might have missed / been unlucky with a couple of chances in his first couple of games (tough games!), but in general I've been quite happy with how quickly he's integrated into the side - already linking up well with team mates and getting plenty of decent goal-scoring situations...

[GP]

The fans hounded out Gervinho and now hes one of the best in Europe.


:haha:

[GP]

I think he's settling in pretty well? How long has he actually been with us now? Less than a couple of weeks (when you take out time spent with the national side)? Might have missed / been unlucky with a couple of chances in his first couple of games (tough games!), but in general I've been quite happy with how quickly he's integrated into the side - already linking up well with team mates and getting plenty of decent goal-scoring situations...

He looks a decent player. Happy to have him in the side.

[fari]

:haha:

he is doing rather well for himself scoring goals for fun in league and in CL as well as coming up with valuable assists

[fari]

He looks a decent player. Happy to have him in the side.



i am glad he scored for us today, got the monkey off his back, hopefully he will start to really bang them in now

[Penguin]

One positive thing about Welbeck is the number of pot shots he's been taking in and around the area. OK, he hasn't pulled them off yet but he's showing that little bit of selfishness and hunger for goals you need in a striker.

[Grebbo]

I've liked what I've seen of Welbz so far although I didn't see the Dortmund game!

He looks like a more energetic version of Giroud that will hopefully turn into a better finisher. He holds the ball up well and has got great technique, I never knew that he was this good technically. Just needs to improve his finishing and he'll be a great player. Let's see if he can develop. One thing for sure is he's a fuck load better than Sanogo and that's who we'd have to be watching every week if we hadn't of signed Welbeck!