United well(beck)-beaten as Danny comes of age

Well as the good book says......"the stone the builders rejected turned out to be the cornerstone " The United academy graduate was
deemed surplus to requirements but his runs and
overall energy would have benefited Van Gaal's
side, even if the Dutchman thinks otherwise
By Greg Stobart at Old Trafford
Danny Welbeck grew up just three miles from here
dreaming of hearing his name ring around this
famous stadium after scoring a winning goal.
But the Manchester United academy product
won’t have expected it to be like this.
As he was substituted 16 minutes from time,
Welbeck’s name was sung loud and proud by the
army of 9,000 Arsenal supporters, while many
home fans booed the boy from Longsight with
venom.
Perhaps in one sense the United support were
voicing their displeasure about the sale last
summer of one of their brightest local prospects
to a rival club.
Maybe they were angry that Welbeck had
celebrated after scoring the goal that put Arsenal
2-1 up and booked their place in the FA Cup semi-
finals as they look to retain their trophy.
Most likely, the United fans were fed up with yet
another pedestrian performance from their team.
United were sunk by Welbeck’s strike just after
the hour mark after the £16 million striker latched
on to Antonio Valencia’s horrific backpass,
rounded David De Gea and slotted into an empty
net.
Arsenal had opened the scoring through Nacho
Monreal’s strike at the end of a fine team move
before Wayne Rooney equalised shortly
afterwards with a header from a fine Angel Di
Maria cross – a rare moment of quality from the
hosts.
But Di Maria ended up watching the game from
the United dressing room after he was sent-off
for two bookings in the space of 30 seconds: a
dive and a grab on the referee. It summed up an
evening for United in which nothing went right.
Di Maria was the poster boy of United’s £150m
summer spending splurge that was supposed to
set them up to win trophies again following the
David Moyes disaster.
But as Louis van Gaal sat glumly in the dugout
for most of the match, before putting in a rare
appearance in his technical area, he might have
wondered whether he will still be in the job next
season if United are unable to hold their nerve in
the Premier League and finish in the top four this
season.
With Tottenham and Liverpool up next, they
cannot afford a repeat performance.
How United could have done with some of
Welbeck’s energy and urgency in the final third
during the second half, when they failed to play
with any penetration.
His speed and movement troubled United’s
disorganised and vulnerable defence on a nervy
evening for Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo and Phil
Jones. The hosts' back four were spared an
embarrassing scoreline by several fine saves from
De Gea in goal, particularly to keep out strikes
from Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez.
Welbeck was sold to make way for Radamel
Falcao, another galactico signing who has scored
just four goals in 20 appearances and was an
unused substitute here for the second match in a
row.
As Falcao and Juan Mata sat on the bench for
the full game, United’s brilliant supporters
watched Van Gaal’s men aimlessly, desperately
smash long balls towards Marouane Fellaini in
search of an equaliser.
Van Gaal’s philosophy is based around keeping
the ball, but for United’s 58 per cent possession
the Dutchman was out-thought by Arsene Wenger
as Arsenal defended diligently and looked
dangerous on the counter-attack.
There is no point in dominating possession if it’s
this sterile, if there is so little quality around the
edge of the opponents’ penalty area despite a
star-studded squad at his disposal.
Surely there is a balance to find between playing
in a manner that goes nowhere and a Plan B of
punting hopeful long passes towards the biggest
man in the squad.
At half-time Van Gaal substituted Ander Herrera –
a player who at least looks to play ambitious
forward passes – and kept on the predictable,
one-paced Daley Blind.
It made little sense and it backfired, just as the
decision to sell Welbeck last summer came back
to bite his boyhood club as he secured only a
second win in 16 matches in all competitions for
Arsenal against United.
It may not have been the way he used to dream
about it, but Welbeck had made his point to
United.
Photo credit: goal.com

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