Danny Welbeck Hits Back at Louis van Gaal over Finishing Criticisms

Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck is basking in new-found confidence after his hat-trick against Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday night helped his team enjoy a 4-1 victory.  

One man who clearly did not think the England striker was capable of such clinical finishing was Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, who sold Welbeck for £16 million just before the close of the transfer window. 

Van Gaal explained the sale by saying, as per The Guardian:

"

I have given all the players a chance to convince me of their qualities. Yes, Danny Welbeck was here from when he was nine. He has played, after [his 2010-11 loan at] Sunderland, three seasons at Manchester United but he doesn’t have the record of [Robin] Van Persie or [Wayne] Rooney and that is the standard. That is why we let him go – because of Falcao but also the youngsters who can fit in.

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Welbeck has now hit back, saying that Van Gaal is in no position to criticise his goalscoring record up front because he rarely saw him in his best position.

Per The Telegraph:

"

Nobody can really criticise my finishing because they don’t really see me playing in a forward position too often. Now I am getting into these positions I want to be sticking the ball in the back of the net. Obviously people can say I’ve not scored enough goals, but you stick the best strikers on the wing in a four-man midfield and see if they score goals.

Beforehand, sometimes I wasn’t getting through on goal if I was coming from a four-man midfield. Obviously it’s difficult to leave your position and go and get scoring opportunities. But I’m getting into these positions much more regularly.

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Welbeck scored just 29 goals in 142 Manchester United appearances but has scored four goals in his first five games for Arsenal, as well as two more for England against Switzerland since making the move to London.