I thought it would be welcome to read an uplifting tribute to a true Arsenal legend in the making who gives his heart and soul for our club, and unlike others, wants to fulfil his destiny of winning club medals at his spiritual home.
Like his fellow Dutch maestro, whose number 10 he took last season, Robin van Persie has every attribute to become a true legend at Arsenal and around the world.
In 2009, Arsene Wenger paid a glowing tribute to RVP and predicted what I believe we saw this past season:
‘He can be the best passer in the League and the best goal scorer in the League,” said Wenger. “He is an intelligent player, he turns very quickly, the timing of his runs is fantastic and he has a short back lift.’
‘He is the kind of player, with the type of game we play, who is vital because when you play the ball to his feet his first touch is always perfect and that allows others to join in. In the box he is clever and intelligent.’
All we have ever needed from RVP was a season where he played injury free for a prolonged period to consistently see what Wenger had always seen. That season was 2010/11 when the Dutch forward delivered for the Gunners on every level repaying all the faith in the manager, coaching staff and us (the fans).
It is this man, along with Jack Wilshire, who consistently endeavoured to drag us towards a trophy from Christmas onwards, not Cesc Fabregas or Samir Nasri.
Fabregas, had he been fit and able to play unhindered, would of course have delivered, but Nasri did very little in the second half of last season to justify the huge pay increase we hear he desires. We do not hear RVP publicly demanding more money and parity with Fabregas. Indeed if he felt it was required, I am fairly certain he would simply request a private meeting with Wenger and the red tops would never hear of it.
The Dutchman has matured in recent years, perhaps due to a combination of fatherhood and both Wenger’s and successive national team manager’s obvious belief in him.
So, whenever you pick up the papers or read the blogs hearing about those who may or may not wish to leave our great institution, just think about those who publicly tell us they wish to win medals, our way and with our club – Wilshere, Ramsey, Sagna, Vermaelen, Walcott and most of all, van Persie.
mademe feel good about arsenal again 🙂