RVP Shows Class
By The Hampshire Gooner
In defence of the departed captain
So RvP leaves via the exit door and another one bites the dust, so to speak. The list of quality players that have left the club in recent times gets longer and longer with every passing summer. Who will it be next time round? Well I guess a strong clue will be in whoever is made the new club captain. Adios TV5 in summer 2013, then.
A picture of happiness?
The reported fee doing the rounds of £24m, including add-ons, for RvP aged 29 with his injury record is a hard one for the club to turn down considering he was within twelve months of walking away for nothing. Can you blame the top brass at the club for cashing in? Well, the answer is a clear ‘yes’ in my mind.
We have signed Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla to sweeten the blow of yet another captain leaving us this summer. But surely the real question we fans should be asking is why did we not sign anyone of this quality last summer when Cesc and Samir were clearly eager to leave? At that time, RvP could have been persuaded by some top-notch signings to sign a new contact extension with us. We needed to put down a clear marker of intent to the likes of RvP within that squad last summer, and what we actually did was bring in the likes of Ju Yung Park, hardly a moment of pure inspiration if ever I saw one. It is easy to forget these facts and think that we have done well this time round to get in replacements before RvP left the club, but, in all seriousness, would we be having to sell him to United now if we had shown more urgency last summer?
To the so called gooners who now wish RvP a timely injury to start off his new career, I would honestly say that, as fans, we need to be better than that. What is the point of wishing a player bad luck when he has already left the club? If RvP gets injured, are Hernandez or Welbeck never going to score the same chances that RvP would have been provided with? To all of you who also choose to boo the likes of Ashley Cole, Samir Nasri and now RvP when they return to our stadium, will you ever really get the reality of the situation we are in? The true people we should have been booing all this time are the suits upstairs who run our club and make the kind of decisions on a daily basis that lead to this quality of player wanting out of our club.
I for one do not blame RVP one jot for leaving. Do I care that he has signed for Manchester United? No, not really; in reality, he is merely moving on up the food-chain. There is no way on earth the same thing would happen the other way round, so we have to admit as football fans that he is joining a bigger club, one that is more likely than us to be lifting the trophies that matter next May. It is that simple, even though it hurts us as fans to accept it.
Does the fact that the player has decided to join Manchester United at this time alter his playing record with our club? No, it does not; the games played and the goals scored will forever be written into the history books and, for me, RvP will go down as yet another top-quality player who was let down by the overall lack of quality around him at the time of his career with us.
We have made some very promising signings as a club this summer, possibly twelve months too late for our captain to have possibly extended his stay with us, but I guess you do have to take the positives out of the situation. We have already replaced the man leaving town this time round and can clearly look forward to a promising season where, if we can make one or two more signings before the window closes, we could surprise a few people.
17th August 2012
User Comment and Reaction
User comments on this article are now closed. If you want to continue the debate, why not do so on the Gooner Forum.
James 9:24am 17th Aug 2012
It pains me but you are completely right. Its the sad reality most of us are trying to deny. - Post No. 27845
Lettra 9:29am 17th Aug 2012
You are aware of the fact that we did try to sign Cazorla and Mata last year and where very close to doing that? Nasri , Fabregas where replaced with Gervinho , Arteta and Oxlade .. not to shabby. - Post No. 27847
Chris 9:30am 17th Aug 2012
The only 'so-called gooners' i see are the kind who persist in writing dross like this on this site. Wenger was 100% correct to sell RVP despite, if reports on the BBC are correct, the new signings causing him to have a change of heart. That bloated-ego statement a couple of months ago shows what he is - a disrepectful, egotistical, ungrateful twit. - Post No. 27849
Gary 9:31am 17th Aug 2012
I have back both Arsene and the board in the past but enough is enough! I thought things had changed when we brought in 3 quality players but we've been hoodwinked again, lets think about it...rvp gone and song almost so what does that mean? It means we have bought 3 players and gor rid of 2 of the higher earners at Arsenal, so yet again the board are looking at this financially and i am sick to death of us been left behind. Time we stood up against the board and get football minded people back in control of our club!!!!! - Post No. 27852
HighburyJD 9:35am 17th Aug 2012
Dear Hampshire Gonad, I wouldn't blame you for moving 'up the food chain' to support ManUre - really feel their supporter base would suit you, and they're your local team. Please go, get yourself an RVP shirt. Apparently we shouldn't boo as it's our clubs fault Cole meant a rival whilst under contract in a public hotel. We shouldn't boo as there's no reason for Na$ri to put in any effort in the 2nd half of a (title chasing) season once he knew he was leaving for more money. We shouldn't boo VanStaplec*nt who spouted tons of guff about being a Gooner then after a single injury free career out of 8 bailed out. Does Judas' betrayal compromise his previously flawless discipleship? No it does not, Judas goes down as yet-another top quality disciple let down by the first XI. Finally 'the likes of Ju young Park'?? Who are the likes of Ju Young Park? Guess you mean Arteta, Santos and Mertesacker. You are a buffoon. - Post No. 27853
crispen 9:39am 17th Aug 2012
I supported his writing of the letter because ,at a subconcious level, I always blamed the board. But once he left for Manure it became a different deal.... Yes I do wish him a leg break at Everton. - Post No. 27854
Kkb 9:43am 17th Aug 2012
Fully agree. The people we ought to boo are those SOB in the board, the biggest shareholder & AW. - Post No. 27855
MRMROD 9:46am 17th Aug 2012
I'm afraid you've glossed over the fact that the club has stood by RvP through thick and thin including allegations of rape; consistent injuries and needless red cards. He gives one good season in eight and then leaves to join a true enemy. He's no different that Adebayor in that respect or Cole or Nasri. His God it seems is the almighty dollar because I believe our Board having sanctioned 3 quality signings ontop of Arteta, Gervinho and Mertesacker (who should have settled in by now) last season should be capable of bringing a trophy to the club. If RvP, whon would have been the highest paid earner in the club's history, our captain, leader had of stayed and made a concerted effort then perhaps he would be celebrating a trophy with us this season; but he wasnt interested for his own selfish, wrong reasons. - Post No. 27856
wubagunner 9:46am 17th Aug 2012
I think Arsenal will win trophy this year because of this squad Sagna Subotic Verma Baines Jeniks Mertis Kosci Gibbs Song Diaby M'villa Wilshere Coqulin Sahin (Ramsey, Arteta) Cazorla Rosciky Walcot Gervinho Chamberlin Rosciky Giroud Podoliski we really need to buy baines and Subotic for backup of Bartley and Djourou and we do not need Djourou in this squad, he is not good enough fr this club. if he is available, M'villa he is a good backup for song if he gets injured and Sahin on lone for Wilshere Backup and then believe me we will win not a trophy but trophyssss. - Post No. 27857
Goonerman 9:54am 17th Aug 2012
Well I hope you maintain this stance in all you do. Breed a boy & watch him talk back at you cos he feels he's now as much of a man as you are. Was RvP the star when he was signed? Hardly - Post No. 27860
RaanGooner 10:03am 17th Aug 2012
Finally - a sensible article among all the idiots out there. Well done for writing a well-balanced article! - Post No. 27863
Frankie 10:10am 17th Aug 2012
The real villians again are Wenger Gazidis and Kroenke.Another top class player leaves and the fans blame the player not the clowns running our club.Who do they keep getting away with it - Post No. 27864
GoonerLad 10:11am 17th Aug 2012
RVP always put in a shift as a player. Fact is we haven't won anything for ages, not even a carling cup. Fact is the quality of our squad has deteriorated. How many drubbings at the hands of manure, chavski, man****ty can our quality players take whilst there are other players happy to pickup a very good salary even by the standards of a footballers and not put a shift in. We need players who want to win things, who have that hunger, desire and fire. Who want to rip out the beating hearts of our enemies. Unfortunately those are the players we end up losing and the chaff we can't even gift away. The club have made a decision to follow a certain strategy. I am not saying that strategy is wrong or right but we all know that it will not win us the PL and/or CL this season or the next. I am a Gooner, I will support this club till my last breath whether we lose 10-0 at manure or not. - Post No. 27866
Jenkinson 10:15am 17th Aug 2012
You have chosen to ignore the fact that van P was injured for most of the second half of the previous season. No-one in his right mind would have offered him a long-term contract at that time. Foe the same reason there were no clubs clamouring to buy him. Hindsight can be also awfully deceiving! - Post No. 27868
Ronster 10:18am 17th Aug 2012
Another 'first'(sorry I meant top four) for Arse-ne....handing over one of the great post war Arsenal forwards to Sir Alex....who's got the prettiest wife now then Arse-ne?! - Post No. 27871
bob 10:24am 17th Aug 2012
For an Arsenal captain to manufacture a move to Manu is a disgrace.It doesn't matter if his points were valid.He is not worth spending anymore time thinking about. - Post No. 27873
Cloggs 10:32am 17th Aug 2012
RvP shows class indeed, after the FC Koln friendly, (I was there), he was the player that walked to us to hand over his jersey. He got a 15 minute applause after FT from the vast majority of us. To all "fans" that hurl abuse to him; remember we needed *his* 30 goals last season to finish just *one* point above the spuds. Do you think professional Football Clubs attract players for their loyalty or because they think that a specific player will meet their ambition within their budget? And it works both ways. Welcome to the world of modern football. If RvP had to meet your standards of "loyalty" he would still be playing for Excelsior Rotterdam. Booing him at the Grove will only motivate him to nick one in to silence us. Utd is a bigger club with bigger ambitions and we have become a 2nd tier feeder club, if that hurts then why not direct your frustration to the ones responsible, the manager and the people in the boardroom instead of cheap picking on a player that is trying to make a career along these lines. - Post No. 27875
Mark 10:32am 17th Aug 2012
What is the point in bringing in 3 good signings when they are just replacing RVP Song and Walcott(who has gone under the radar.His situation is the same as RVP).We finished 19pts behind the top 2 when needed to sign those players to supplement the players we already had.It is a joke that for the last two seasons not only have we lost our captain but our best player.I just wish the anger being directed at RVP was being directed at Wenger.The fans who sang"You dont know what you're doing" at Wenger ironically against Man Utd hit the nail on the head.We need Usmanov in DD back and a manager who will change the loser mentality at the club.Finishing 4th is not a winner - Post No. 27876
Lord Froth 10:53am 17th Aug 2012
Regarding people wanting RVP to get an injury I think it's more about laughing at Manchester United spending a lot of money on a crock and also the fact that it will weaken them more than really wanting RVP to suffer. - Post No. 27881
Chris 10:59am 17th Aug 2012
Mark - that would agree with! Everyone is going to be very p*ssed off if Song goes, Sahin is bought in on loan as a replacement and we end up with a negative transfer spend again! We need to strengthen, not tread water / go backwards.... - Post No. 27882
Joe S. 11:04am 17th Aug 2012
The RVP move, has been tagged " a tidy bit of business" by both fans and those in the media synpathetic to Arsenal, which just goes to show how much self sustainability has been bought by a majority of fans. Well, let them dream on that the big spending clubs will collapse and Arsenal will be the last man standing ready to dominate. It's hard to believe anything coming out of Arsene Wegner's mouth. Does any one really buy the story floating around that Van Persie was having a change of mind but Wegner pulled him aside and told him that it was over. Great story even though it's a case of printing the legend rather than the truth.RVP had to go to sustain. I'd love to see Wegner get tough with want away players but hasn't he left it a little too late.With an increasingly bare cupboard he's now stuck with a bunch of well paid slackers who have found a cozy niche and would rather stay in their comfort zone than seek first team football elsewhere. - Post No. 27883
GoonerRon 11:12am 17th Aug 2012
I don't begrudge RVP wanting to earn an extra £90k per week, it would be churlish to think otherwise. The way he went about it is the complete anthithesis of 'class' - his statement bought the club into disrepute and as an employee of Arsenal and captain of the team his comments were devisive and directly impacted our ability to realise the maximum market value for an asset we purchased, nutured and have probably paid over £20m in salary to. To dress up releasing the statement due to his love and respect for the Arsenal supporters and then going to Man U is insulting to us. There is also no recognition of us sticking by him. Has he ever considered how his prolonged injury record has had a direct contribution to us not winning a trophy? In 2008 we were one game away from winning the title and he started less than 15 PL games. - Post No. 27885
AKB Destroyer 11:12am 17th Aug 2012
WONDERFUL ARTICLE! Bravo and spot on. Our fans really are an embarrassment and it's sad to see their refusal to accept what we've become: a small-time selling club with deluded fans and a finished manager dining off successes from another decade. Just like Liverpool. Sad sad sad. RVP has moved to a bigger club, that wins more trophies, with a much better manager. Fergie will never accept 2nd place. Wenger? '4th is a trophy' I'd want to get the hell outta there too. - Post No. 27886
Highbury Boy 11:28am 17th Aug 2012
Good article. We shouldn't boo VP just because he and ManU are more ambitious than Wenger and the Arsenal owner. We all know the emotional arguments about loyalty after standing by our man for 8 years. We all know the financial arguments about selling a 29 year old for £20m plus. The basic fact is that we have just transferred our last remaining world class player (who singlehandedly got us a CL place) to the team who finished 19 points above us. Every club around the world (and every agent and player) knows that despite what our manager or Board say we always sell our best players. I know now what it must feel like to be a fan of a Championship side. The Board were clever in getting VP to keep quiet ahead of signing his replacement and ST renewals but that trick won't work again. Mind you there's no world class stars left for ManU or ManCity to hanker after. - Post No. 27888
Dandy Mod 11:33am 17th Aug 2012
Bob Wilson summed it up with the "it's difficult for someone like me who has an Arsenal gun sealed to his chest & not just there to pat" comment. Until we get people running the club with that feeling again then we are truly screwed! Wenger sold his soul to the number crunchers years ago and if he had any decency he'd walk but he doesn't represent the playing side of the club anymore. RVP sussed what most of us already know and you can't blame him for shipping out but after a divorce it's best not to jump in bed with the best man so yes I'm hoping for the injuries to resurface. - Post No. 27889
goonerjake 11:36am 17th Aug 2012
A gooner does not leave The Arsenal to go to one of their biggest rivals! Period! Fact! Absolute truth! Undeniable! A gooner has to be dragged out of arsenal kicking and screaming. Persie is only interested in himself. - Post No. 27890
billthered 11:57am 17th Aug 2012
All of you supporters out there please stop stating the right and wrongs of this transfer,we should all feel the same it,s like the wife you love moving in with your next door neighbour who you have never liked and would not even borrow him your screwdriver.This is the true crux of the matter because nobody understands the love we have for our club.And by the way I wonder what Danny Welbeck really thinks about the signing cause I think he will be bench warming this season dont you. - Post No. 27894
Michael Preston 12:44pm 17th Aug 2012
Anyone who thinks this wasn't about the money is using it to indulge his prejudices - Post No. 27899
Gooner1711 12:57pm 17th Aug 2012
To be honest, there is fault with all parties....PHW, SK, IG and AW as well as RvP. The club should NOT have let the contract down, they should have invested more rather than make a profit. They are all GUILTY in some way. RvP was poorly advised and motivated. Bottom line is that all Gooner have once again been mugged. Season tickets all in until any announcement was made. AW for saying the new signings were additions and then 4 days later saying they were replacements! He toes the line from the suits upstairs. WHEN WILL WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? PROTEST? When? - Post No. 27901
Ripped-off Reg 13:03pm 17th Aug 2012
Well I'm going to boo the greedy traitorous mercenery fecker along with thousands of my brothers in arms. How else can we let him know how much he's let us down for our previous undying support? Write him a nice letter? Hope he wins feck all. - Post No. 27903
ollyarsenal 13:11pm 17th Aug 2012
What is happening to the club i love? - Post No. 27905
GoonerGoal! 13:29pm 17th Aug 2012
Interesting, GoonerRon thinks that Rvp's statement "bought the club into disrepute". Then what exactly does he make of the statements and actions of Wenger/Gazidis/Kroenke over the past seven years during which time the club has fallen into the ridiculous position of feeder club to the giants of European football, while all the time increasing prices and lying to the fans along the way? Wenger/Gazidis/Kroenke have worked very hard to ensure Arsenal is now simply a shopping market in which football's elite clubs turn up and take their pick of the best of our players every summer, just to make the bottom line appear good and maintain the artificially high value of its shares. - Post No. 27906
maguiresbridge gooner 14:23pm 17th Aug 2012
Yes Hampshire the start of another season and our captain and best player departs yet again whats new ? we'd be more surprised if it didn't happen.Signing quality like Podolski,Giroud,and Cazorla last summer and maybe persuade RVP to sign a new contract wouldn't have worked no profit in it who would we have cashed in on walcott ? he's probably next so don't be getting his name on your shirt folks although we'd probably get more for vermaelen. Now he has left the only thing i hold against him is his choice of club i wouldn't have been all that bothered with the blue mancs as they have no history nothing worth talking about anyway and with all the egos he probably would have spent a lot of time getting splinters.As for the red mancs although it hasn't been the case for a long time they used to be our biggest rivals.There's no way the same thing would happen the other way round unless they were (Sylvester)types.We have made some promising signings but what happens if one or two of them take the prem by storm this season or next and Barca, Madrid,and the two mancs come calling ? - Post No. 27913
GoonerRon 14:51pm 17th Aug 2012
@ GoonerGoal - here we go again. Firstly, I wholeheartedly stand by what I said about RVP - his statement publicly undermined the club and his colleagues which just isn't acceptable. As for the 'lies' over the last 7 years from the people you mention, well Kroenke and Gazidis weren't even on the board 7 years ago as they joined the board in late 2008. I know you like Talksport, perhaps you should stop living your life by the famed 'trophy drought'? I don't know what lies you are specifically referring to and, to be honest, neither of us (unless you know something others don't) are close enough to any of the people involved to know the full picture to comment conclusively are we? It feels like de ja vu when we talk about feeder club as you and I have been over this before and we clearly disagree. What I will say is the media like to reel off a list players who have left us over the years but the truth is a fair few of them were sold because we wanted to sell them. Vieira (if you read his book) wanted to stay but we accepted Juve's offer, the club recognised Henry was clearly past his best, Kolo wasn't guaranteed a first team place when he went to City, we had cover in place when Clichy went, if Song goes it sounds like a 'managed' transfer by the club as we've got strong options in midfield. I'm not naive enough to think we haven't had to sell players against our wishes, but it's nowhere near as many as the media would have you believe when they make their best XI of players Arsenal 'lost.' - Post No. 27915
Danny 15:27pm 17th Aug 2012
Good article. May Robin have a stellar career at United. No way he was going to win anything under the pathetic money hunger coach and management at the Arsenal I hate to say Ferguson is born winner, and Wenger a born tosser who is content with finish 4th. i hope those AKB idiot realise , we can only win trophies if we keep our best players happy and also surround them with quality Wenger has to simple go, for Arsenal to step up th enextr level - Post No. 27918
The Hampshire Gooner 15:32pm 17th Aug 2012
It seems pretty obvious to me that we are going to see Song exit for a minimum of £15m and he will almost certainly be replaced by a loan deal for Sahin which will probably cost the club nothing except his wages for the season. I predict that Arsene wants this to happen so that Coquelin and Frimpong will not be 'killed' by a proper new signing in the mold of say M'Vila? It will all mean one thing. Yet another net transfer profit for the club we all support. A minimum of £45m in when you include Vela etc and a maximum of say £38m out on the three new men. What a business they all run... - Post No. 27919
kennygooner 16:19pm 17th Aug 2012
Like other observers comments,this is not just this season quality players leave,the thoughts are its for medals (& money).This event has been happening since 2005/2006 on a regular basis.My take on the matter is there is something within the club,which negates any loyalty.Earlier years we had Henry & Veira who were really good mates with Wenger,who then turned round & jumped ship.This didn't occur because of a lack of medals.At that time we couldn't stop winning things.My question is why did players clear off then? I just feel something is amiss within the coaching/training/medical structure which alienates players some where.Answers on a post card please. - Post No. 27923
maguiresbridge gooner 16:58pm 17th Aug 2012
billthered good point about welbeck but unlike wenger fergie's not worried about upsetting his little darlings and hampering their career by buying real class. - Post No. 27925
JJB 19:12pm 17th Aug 2012
Oh dear, what a poor article, another contributor who doesn't have a clue! You are an idiot and so are the fools on here who are applauding your article. I question why you even have your stuff posted as its clear you don't have a clue. You want to clear the club for him releasing that statement do you? Obviously you have read about the ridiculous demands he made to the club? Of course not as that would require some research! We had no choice but to sell! Does it hurt? YES but you cannot allow him to leave for free and I want players in the team who actually want to be there! Another poor poor article from a other tired and boring contributor in this site... - Post No. 27932
21 19:51pm 17th Aug 2012
He's gone like Fabregas and nasri and many others before him over the past 4 years TO WIN TROPHIES that tells you everything you need to know about were we are as a club Cant compete for the top players in the world Cant compete on wages And hav'nt been competing on the silverware front for 7 years Cant keep our star players Yet this board ask you to pay the highest ticket prices in europe and fans sit ther like mugs with ' wenger knows ' and ' in wenger we trust ' banners what a joke !! And you take that s**t ! Instead of lashing out at human beings YES footnallers for wanting to earn more money and to be successful have a go at the cretins which are our board and manager who have destroyed the leagacy of our once great club. - Post No. 27933
abbs7 2:57am 18th Aug 2012
I agree with everything u said except the Man Ure bit, yeah they are the bigger club, but we got alot of history with them. I would have preffered him 2 go abroad, but then if he likes life in England then whats he to do? The blame is all on the board. last seasons sighnings should have been made when we had a nucleas of a top top side (Fabregas, Nasri, RVP), imagine if we had made these sighnings with that squad, we would have taken on any team in the world, the boards lack of action has cost us dear, but Im glad Wengers told song where 2 get off after he showed up some ****ty attitude in training. Wenger and Arsenal deserve better than that. - Post No. 27945
rosco 13:40pm 18th Aug 2012
Football is not the game we grew up with, that is the reality. Current culture makes a star of anyone who can appear on a TV including making a complete tit of themselves. Money, fame, instant celeb - we are all to blame in a way. Gone are the Tony Adams (and he had a wobble...) and Gary Mabbuts - and we are left with what is not much more than a bunch of mercenaries. However, we too would jump jobs if offered loads of dosh - the only caveat is how much can anyone spend and just how much do you need to live without worry? Its a competative life out there and when you have scum like JT rubbing noses in the level of earnings it tells me things are not healthy. Even though AW drives me to fury at times, his principles are based in older values and these may not be a pathway to success given his competition would all sell their souls for their proverbial 15 minutes plus money, netto of course. - Post No. 27966
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