A Sunderland supporter has commented elsewhere today on his unease at having three first-team players in action for Ghana tonight, with an important Premier game coming up, against a seriously below strength England.
“Is it just me, or should we be worried that we have three of our lads playing against a bunch of England B players hoping to make a name for
themselves and actually trying?” was his question, and I knew exactly what he meant.
Man City away on Sunday is tough enough a challenge without having to fret about key players being injured in a meaningless friendly at Wembley five days earlier.
Then came news of Danny Welbeck’s call from Fabio Capello to join the England squad. Worry is suddenly overcome by the pride taken in seeing another of your club’s players honoured.
With Andy Carroll starting, provided he can spare the time between beers, and others like Darren B**t around the place, Welbeck’s best hope is probably a run-out as substitute (against his parents’ country, but that’s another matter).
But it remains a great achievement for a young player who has made an impressive return from serious injury.
Welbeck may be a Manchester United player, merely on loan to SAFC, but make no mistake about the distribution of reflected glory for his call-up: it is for his progress at Sunderland, and not anything he did at Old Trafford, that he now stands on the brink of winning his first full cap. His advances this season, especially when you consider how disappointing a start he made, have been exceptional and make a mockery of the caption used by our friend “Addick-tedKevin” in the image you see above. Time for an update, Kev!
Danny Welbeck has fully earned his chance and is offered the heartiest congratulations of Salut! Sunderland.
Another way of looking at it, of course, is to worry even more about injury potential. But players risk hurting themselves every time they run out for training, let alone playing in competitive games, and it is something clubs simply have to live with.
For Sunderland supporters, the possibility of a Welbeck role tonight, along with the presence of three of our players – Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari and John Mensah – in Ghana’s colours, makes it a lot more interesting a match than could be said of a good many England fixtures where something is at stake.
Monsieur Salut
FavOUR, Jason. Don’t let the American oweners tell you how to spell!. Of course we’re grateful, but I think Fergy and United will benefit as much as Sunderland and Welbeck in the long run – if he goes back, but I think Utd are would be wasting Welbeck as 4th or 5th choice striker.
Would Welbeck have got in the England squad if he had stayed as fifth choice at Old Trafford? No.
Has he got into an England squad because he has done the business at Sunderland? Yes.
Will it make him think very seriously about comitting himself to Sunderland permanently? I hope so.
Is Capello as bad as I though he was? Mmm, maybe not.
And Wellbeck is manchester United player, NOT sunderlands. Shouldn’t you be grateful? Without Dannys input, where would you have finished? Be GRATEFUL……United did sunderland a favor and Sunderland under bruce did united a favor and it worked out well…
Have the days gone when it was an honour to play for your country, when clubs got excited when a player was called into international action because it added value to the player. Today with prices going through the roof Andy Carroll goes for 35Million after 1 England appearance. Risks are taken purchasing lower league players because the gap in quality is vast Chopra and Nugent as examples. When the pride comes back into wearing the England then maybe England can win something. Money is destroying the game I love and that saddens me