Manchester United Fans Shouldn't Blame Danny Welbeck for Leaving for Arsenal

Watching England win in Switzerland on Monday night will have been hard for some Manchester United fans.

Most don't care too much for the national team at the best of times. They sing about being crowned world champions once more than England and the occasions Cristiano Ronaldo made them look, shall we say, average.

But the game at St. Jakob-Park will have made for particularly difficult viewing. Well, for the ones who think it was a mistake to sell Danny Welbeck anyway.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Welbeck scored twice in the second half to get England's Euro 2016 qualifying campaign off to a winning start. 

It was significant, too, that he did it with a No. 9 on his back. The fallout following his transfer to Arsenal centred on whether he was capable of scoring goals regularly. And whether he had ever been given a chance to do it at United.

Even former United captain Bryan Robson is disappointed Welbeck has gone. In quotes carried by the Manchester Evening News, he hinted his old club might end up regretting it.

"

I think United added some quality players and allowed the right people to go, apart from Danny. 

That is the only one I thought I wouldn’t have made. I would have liked to have seen Danny still as a United player.

He is not an out-and-out goalscorer but he has other attributes and I think it is a great signing by Arsenal.

"

You can understand why United fans, and Robson for that matter, are upset at Welbeck's departure. He's an academy graduate who could, potentially, score the goals to keep his former club out of the top four this season.

But Welbeck's decision to go is also understandable. 

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Any transfer depends on three parties coming to an agreement. Welbeck's deadline-day move was sealed because United, Arsenal and, most importantly, Welbeck agreed on the terms.

The 23-year-old perhaps saw a bleak future at Old Trafford behind Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Radamel Falcao, Angel Di Maria and Juan Mata in the pecking order.

He's made no secret of his desire to play as a central striker, even when he was filling in out wide under Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

At Arsenal, he should get the chance in the position he considers his best.

Olivier Giroud is recovering from an ankle injury and 21-year-old Yaya Sanogo is yet to score in the Premier League. Suddenly, Welbeck has gone from fringe player to front-line striker at a club playing Champions League football. You can see the appeal.

It will have been difficult for United fans to watch Welbeck score for England on Monday. It will hurt even more if he starts doing it regularly for Arsenal.

But the blame doesn't lie with Welbeck. He only ever wanted to play.