Danny Welbeck makes final England World Cup cut whilst Jack Wilshere misses out
Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck has been named in Gareth Southgate’s 23-man 2018 World Cup squad as part of England’s attacking regiment, however Jack Wilshere, who beat his injury demons during the 2017-18 campaign, has startlingly been left out of the definitive final cut, a baffling decision which has subsequently infuriated a large majority of football fanatics.
Southgate – as per a report published by the BBC – announced his preferred contingent on Wednesday afternoon and on the surface the former Middlesbrough skipper’s selections appear justified, although there are a few questionable names within the tournament set-up, and indeed outside of the supposed top compliment, which have turned heads and raised eyebrows.
Fabian Delph, a midfielder by trade which has been deployed as a makeshift left wing-back by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola for the Premier League champions, sensationally and most notably claimed a seat on the Three Lions’ plane, seemingly at Wilshere’s expense.
Delph, 28, was used sparingly by Guardiola throughout the previous campaign having failed to make an impact in the centre of the park, and the notion of his admittance in the national fold instead of the Gunners’ resurgent 26-year-old is utterly bewildering.
Wilshere has previously suffered through debilitating spates on the sidelines but made an influential impact upon Arsene Wenger’s fold for the entirety of the season which has just passed, and though the north-Londoners toiled in there search for silverware in Wenger’s swansong campaign in the club’s dugout, the playmaker certainly showcased his flair, dynamism and determination to impress.
England’s midfield corps desperately lacks a creative spark, an outlet to distribute and feed those in the final third with an incisive killer ball, a constructive responsibility which Wilshere, ultimately, conducts on a weekly basis for his employers, an adeptness which is undoubtedly beneficial to England’s push for prosperity.
Finally, and deservedly, Welbeck will fly the flag for Arsenal in Russia after an accomplished 3rd season at the club, and whilst he may not be everyone’s first choice contender, the 27-year-old attacker’s tenacious approach to his offensive obligations has proven vital to his nation’s successes in years gone by.
‘Dat Guy’s’ adaptability across the spearhead gifts Southgate a tantalising conundrum as his searing pace, both on the flanks and through the heart of the pitch, effortlessly compromises opposing defensive ranks to fashion dangerous phases of play, especially on the break.
