Footaholic
12 years ago
Very good points here. I would like to just clarify one thing. Your observation that Robin "has merely stated that he will not renew his contract, which is entirely his right" completely misses the crux of the problem. The problem isn't that he decided to not to stay but in the way he decided to do it. Although I, like most fans, will be very sad to see him go, and though a few might've expected a little more loyalty from a man of his personality, I wouldn't have begrudged him a move. After all, look at Fabregas. He is still widely loved at Arsenal despite the fact that he was our captain and that our team was essentially built around him. However, he never did anything that may have damaged the future health of the club and was utterly respectful and classy to the end.
Unfortunately, for very cynical & selfish reasons, Robin and his advisers saw fit to, without warning, release a rather damning public statement with the express purpose of forcing the club to sell him by damaging relations beyond repair. As a supposed "captain", not only did he essentially insult the qualities of his teammates and those of our new signings, he purposely attempted to manipulate the fans by making his decision out to be entirely down to the deficiencies of the club and its board. Rest assured that every word was calculated and meant to have a piercing effect. I find it insulting that he thinks we can't see through them by harping on about his love of the club and using the tried & tested "lack of ambition" excuse. The very worst part of it all, however, is how he could've done this to Wenger. The man has been nothing less than absolutely brilliant with him. How, after all these years, after all his faith, after molding him into the world class player that he is today, could he hurt him like this by damaging his negotiating position, the reputation of his club, and all of his hard work?
It smacks of disrespect and left a VERY bitter taste in the mouth of all the fans. If he thought his words would succeed in swaying the fans against the board and for himself, he was very wrong.
For most of Robin van Persie's eight years at Arsenal, success has stayed
frustratingly out of reach.
The team has looked poised for glory, only to lose key players and take a
step backwards.
At 29, time is not Van Persie's friend and his desire to win at the club - cited in his statement on Wednesday - is completely
understandable.
He has not submitted a transfer request, nor has he gone on a three-month
golf break in Argentina. He has merely stated that he will not renew his
contract, which is entirely his right.
But what does he hope to achieve by leaving? Win trophies, he says.
Of course, it is entirely possible that 'trophies' is a byword for
'money'.
The teams that win things also pay the most. So why not say you're motivated
by silverware, and if there happens to be a £250,000-a-week contract in it -
well, that's just a nice perk.
I don't know what's going on in Van Persie's head, and you'd be an idiot to
say money plays no part at all - but I believe he is motivated primarily by a
genuine desire to put some pots on his mantelpiece before he retires.
Winning offers validation; 'proof' that you can perform when it matters.
We confuse players with the teams they represent. Van Persie could be
remembered in the same way as his Arsenal team - exciting and talented, but
falling some way short of true greatness.
Somehow, playing for a successful team - in any capacity - insulates you from
criticism.
Look at the way we mock Alan Shearer, who lifted just a single trophy in his
brilliant career.
He rejected Manchester United, preferring instead to join his hometown club
with whom he won nothing.
Shearer is one of the greatest players of his generation (of any
nationality), yet there is a large consituency of people who will remember him
as the guy who turned down a decade of baubles.
During Euro 2012, when he rather unwisely said Mario Balotelli had "done
nothing in the game yet", critics gleefully pointed out the Italian's eight
major honours including a Champions League, a Premier League and three Serie A
titles.
Shearer's criticism was clumsy - but not entirely wrong.
Success should be measured by more than trophies. Has Balotelli performed
consistently over a sustained period? Has he proven himself a good team-mate?
Has he refrained from letting himself and his colleagues down? Clearly not.
That was Shearer's point. And being a truculent, mercurial presence for
successful teams does not make Balotelli better than Shearer, however many
open-top bus parades he has been on.
What if Shearer had joined Manchester United instead of, say, Andy Cole?
He would have won things, for sure. But they won things anyway. Shearer's
impact at Old Trafford could never compare with his importance to Newcastle,
where he is still revered.
This European trophy-worship is not shared across the pond, where a different
attitude prevails.
Americans would lionise Shearer for his loyalty and consistency - they would
judge him on his extraordinary ability and not the number of championships.
Nobody judges Peyton Manning's time as Indiananpolis Colts quarterback a failure
because he won 'only' one Super Bowl in 13 years.
Two years ago, when NBA star LeBron James left Cleveland for Miami, he was
widely criticised.
Not just for abandoning an historically ill-starred team, but for shunning
his responsibilities as a top player.
If he had won a title at Cleveland - and he came close - it would have been
his team, his triumph.
Instead he went to play with fellow stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh - it was
considered a cop-out, a betrayal of his duty to prove himself.
He was meant to be a leader, and instead he took the easy option.
That is how I will feel if Van Persie joins Manchester City (current 1/2
favourites to sign him at the time of writing).
Yes, he'll win, but how much satisfaction will he be able to take? City are
already Premier League champions. And they will almost certainly be champions
again, with or without him.
Would Van Persie make City better? Yes, a little bit.
But he will not be the captain, he will not be a leader, he will not be the
man his team-mates, manager and supporters rely on to carry the load.
He will be just another part of an ensemble - like Samir Nasri at City, or
Cesc Fabregas at Barcelona.
Where's the glory in that?