Arsenal: The Danny Welbeck experiment is over – in a good way

Arsenal bought Danny Welbeck as a great experiment for their striker problem but it’s about time to call that experiment to a close – in a good way.

In case you’ve been asleep for the past five years, Arsenal has had trouble keeping up with the need for strikers. Since Robin van Persie left in 2011, the answer has been akin to throwing wet toilet paper against the wall and seeing what stuck.

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Olivier Giroud stuck. And that was it. No one else did. Players came and went and no one mounted any sort of viable challenge to Giroud’s maligned reign. For all of his quality, one striker isn’t enough for a team in the Premier League.

In the summer of 2014, the answer was, at the very last minute, to sign Danny Welbeck. He had all the potential in the world, undying athleticism and it seemed to be a surefire bet.

The problem is that it wasn’t. But that problem quickly became a solution.

Welbeck just doesn’t have that strikers instinct. He is not a clinical finisher, which we thought would come in time. And it just hasn’t. By now, it feels as though it’s a bit too late for us to expect that to develop.

And clearly Arsene Wenger agrees, as he went out and bought Alexandre Lacazette.

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It’s safe to say that the Welbeck-striker experiment is probably over. Just like Theo Walcott’s brief excursion there. But this is a good thing for Welbeck and for the club, which we are seeing already in the preseason.

Playing in the attacking midfield position, Welbeck has shown just how valuable he can be. He isn’t stranded on the wings either. He can sneak forward  and be like a false No. 9. So essentially he can still utilize his striker skills when he feels it necessary, but he can utilize his overall athleticism and general enthusiasm throughout the pitch.

Seeing Welbeck blaze by defenders was a reminder that, like Alexis Sanchez, he may damn well be wasted sitting at the front of the formation, waiting for service. He has too many other qualities to use that benefit the team from box to box.

That’s why it’s not such a bad thing that we finally push Welbeck out of the striker queue. He has had his heroic moments (Leicester City) but in terms of consistency, it just isn’t there. We may still see him slip up there during the side competitions, but overall, I don’t mind thinking that Giroud and Lacazette are the way forward.

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And honestly, I’m now more excited about Welbeck’s future than I have been since he first arrived.