Is this Manchester United prodigy blowing his big shot?

I have to say, I don’t envy Danny Welbeck’s current position at Manchester United.

Yes, he picks up a stonking great paycheck on a weekly basis, gets to play the game he loves for a living and probably has all the material things he desires (okay, I do envy him a little bit).

But the man has problems. For a start, he’s way down the pecking order in the attacking line-up at a club renowned for its attacking talent.

At just 22-years-old, it’s a big ask to expect him to make any major impact, when he’s sharing the limelight with the likes of Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez.

These are three of world-football’s most deadly finishers. More than that, however, they’re extremely talented footballers, who would walk into more or less any team in the world. They cast a big shadow.

You don’t get the sense that Welbeck is overwhelmed by his surroundings, but the fact that he’s only scored once for Manchester United this season is a little worrying.

Last season, he made massive inroads with the England international squad, featuring prominently at Euro 2012. This season, he seems to have taken a step back. Indeed, it’s not exactly clear what kind of role Welbeck will play for England if he continues to be a back-seat player at Manchester United.

Wayne Rooney, his competition at Old Trafford has spoken out in defense of Welbeck: “We’re not too concerned about him not scoring too many this season. He’s a fantastic player who works hard for the team.

He hasn’t been playing up front a lot, he has been playing out wide. Everyone labels Danny as a striker and I have had that at times when I have played in different positions. Someone will say that I haven’t scored for eight games when I hadn’t played up front. A time will come when he gets that run up front. I am sure he will score goals then.” (Source: Daily Mail)

For once, I have to say I’m with Wayne Rooney here. There’s a lot of expectation on Welbeck’s shoulders and it’s almost impossible for him to meet it. But he does put in a real shift whenever he’s selected and he deserves the respect of the fans. Yet he’s much more than a workhorse – he’s technically gifted, smart and he will achieve great things in his career.

That’s only a matter of time.

What’s your take? Is Wayne right to defend Danny Welbeck?

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