RVP to United is painful but unsurprising
425 comments August 17th, 2012
Arsenal fans know more than most that, in football, loyalty is a lie. Â Putting your lips to the badge is almost always a Judas kiss; a horrible precursor to an inevitable betrayal. Â All that said, there is something particularly painful about losing Robin van Persie to Manchester United.
It’s partly to do with the individual in question. Â Here’s a guy who claimed to have grown up an Arsenal fan, admiring the exploits of his idol Dennis Bergkamp. Â In his eight years at the club, Van Persie seemed as dedicated as anyone to Arsene Wenger’s policy of sustainable success. Â Arsenal, in turn, were good to him, showing tremendous patience throughout years of injury problems, resulting in the rewards of last season and a 36 goal haul. Â I will confess that as the season drew to a close, I firmly believed the dutchman would sign a new deal. Â It turns out that what we were witnessing was not a glorious blossoming, but a bittersweet swansong.
What makes this divorce particularly painful is the third party: Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. Â Over the years, Fergie has tried to snare several Arsenal players – most infamously, Patrick Vieira. Â In the past, such moves seemed improbably. Â United and Arsenal were simply too close in their rivalry and their status. Â Now, for the first time, one of our assets has been prised away to Old Trafford, and it stings. Â Arsenal fans will claim Van Persie left for the money. Â They’ll chuckle at the fact he’s ended up at a team that probably wasn’t his first choice. Â But the uncomfortable truth remains that he’s joined a club where he stands a better chance of winning the trophies that have eluded him for so long.
I’m disappointed that the self-professed ‘Gooner’ would so readily join a rival, but I’m not surprised. Â Footballers are just doing a job. Â Never allow yourself to believe it means any more to them than that – you’ll only get hurt.
Considering that his departure has been inevitable for some time, I feel Arsenal have handled it well on several counts: they have kept it relatively quiet in the media; they have got the deal done before the start of the season; and at £24m they have secured a very reasonable fee for a 29-year old with brittle legs and a year remaining on his deal.
Van Persie’s replacements, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, are already in place. Â Whilst Nicklas Bendtner and Park aree both certain to depart, it’s looking increasingly like Marouane Chamakh will remain at the club to play second fiddle to Giroud as a target man. Â It’s possible another forward will come in, but it’s by no means a certainty, or a necessity. Â We have been preparing for life without Robin for some time now.
Preparations are going well. Â We have a stronger squad than last season, even without the Dutchman, and can look forward to watching an exciting new team take shape. Â As for Van Persie? Â Well, he’s about to destroy whatever legacy he might have had at Arsenal. Â From talisman to traitor, so swiftly. Â That’s footballers for you. Â Disappointing, but no surprise.
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