Missing Danny Welbeck & Theo Walcott Setback….

Morning all.

Alan ‘Smudger’ Smith is 52 today, Happy Birthday to the big man…..

Paul Scholes has been talking to the Evening Standard. He fears for his old club as they head to The Emirates:

In terms of United, they miss the energy that Danny once gave them in attack.

My view has not changed: he should not have been sold and recently I have felt that United have looked a bit pedestrian going forward. As a United fan I am a little concerned for them going into Saturday’s game.

Aside from Michael Carrick at his very best, United lack a central midfielder capable of linking play and getting the best out of their forwards. 

They need that individual who can pass the ball forward, play one-twos and bring the strikers into the game. That kind of playmaker – a Cesc Fabregas, Luka Modric or Toni Kroos – is vital to any side. They are the brains of the team and without them the forwards can struggle.

Much will be made of Danny Welbeck’s first game against the club at which he grew up. The immediate assumption will be that Danny is nurturing some grievance against United at being sold and will want to prove a point. 

I don’t see it that way. Danny will want to play well because he would want to anyway, regardless of the opposition, and from what I see and hear he is very happy at Arsenal and with his move to London.

I don’t think Welbeck will be out to prove a point either, he’ll just want to play well and score/create goals for his new club. The club which took him from his boyhood club and now play him where he feels he’s best. How long that will last though I don’t know as Olivier Giroud is back fit and ready to play.

Will the two play alongside each other? Can’t see that happening personally as Arsene Wenger doesn’t tend to play with two out and out strikers, well not unless we are in desperate need of a goal, which of course might be the case tomorrow but I doubt we’ll see both Giroud and Welbeck start.

Danny Welbeck is one of a few players who need a break, Alexis Sanchez is another but again, I can’t see that rest day arriving tomorrow, not against Manchester United, a side we haven’t beaten in years, so much so it’s like the team and Arsene Wenger have forgotten how to beat them.

Then of course we play Dortmund on Wednesday night, needing one point from the last two games. Players rested/rotated that night? No, I don’t think so either but as Wath said yesterday, fringe players need to be played and soon, otherwise injuries will start to hit us again.

Not only is Olivier Giroud available tomorrow, Mikel Arteta is back too but there’s rumours doing the rounds that Theo Walcott has suffered a groin injury and will miss out. Not sure if that’s true or not though.

I hope the manager will do something about our right-hand side tomorrow. Calum Chambers was roasted over and over against Swansea and Di Maria and Shaw if fit, will cause him even bigger problems. I’d rather see Chambers played alongside Mertesacker with Bellerin at right back as at least then we’d have players playing in their ‘proper’ position, but either way, our right-hand side needs protecting. Mind you, so does our left and our centre. Hopefully Mikel Arteta will help with the latter…

Calum Chambers on Luke Shaw:

I’ve just got to work out what his weaknesses are, so I’ll be analysing him. You’ve just got to play your best against him, concentrate on your game and work on his weaknesses.

I hope he means weaknesses when Shaw is on the attack because being a defender, would it not be better for him to be looking at Shaw’s strengths and working out how to stop him when he bombs up the wing?

Our defenders, especially the fullbacks need to start defending first and foremost, after all, that’s their prime role.

That’s it for another day, fingers crossed Theo is fit….

Have a great Friday all….