Except from an article on Friday 6 August 2010 on the Arsenal Official website:
Van Persie - I believe in this Arsenal team
...An ankle ligament injury sidelined the Dutchman for five months last term and he wants to make amends in 2010/11. Van Persie has pledged to win a trophy to repay the fans for their support and reward the team for its style of football.
"I have never stopped believing in Arsenal," said Van Persie. "I love this club, this is my seventh year now. Arsenal gave me a chance to develop into a good player and I want to repay the Club and the fans and everyone with trophies.
"I love the way of thinking at Arsenal, the way of playing really stands out. I know two teams who play similar football; they are us and Barcelona. Some teams are trying but not really coming close. I speak to colleagues in the national team from different big teams which have a different way of thinking.
"But I prefer our way of thinking, very much. That's why I believe and I don't stop believing when things go against us."
I could go on and search the archives for some more quotes from Van Persie, professing his love for Arsenal and all things Arsenal...
It therefore becomes very difficult to reconcile these statements from a couple of years ago with the statement that Van Persie released on his Official website.
The club have released a statement of their own, which leaves one to conclude that there will be only 1 outcome: Van Persie has forced his way out of the club and the club will duly sell him to the highest bidder.
When players come out and talk about a lack of ambition on the part of the club, you wonder what they are talking about. What is ambition? How does a club lack it? What constitutes having ambition and what constitutes the lack thereof?
And players are always quick to stick the knife in by saying that they "want to win trophies" and that's the excuse. Well, it's easy to win trophies by joining the sugar daddy teams for sure. Hell, even Francis Jeffers would be a medal winner if he were on the books of Manchester City. Why? because those clubs are spending way more on, admittedly, good players than the prize money of competitions for which they are competing.
Now, think about that seriously for a minute. A club spends £400 Million on players to win a trophy worth £40 Million. Is there any sense in that? And where is the pride and sense of achievement? Running off to join a collection of top players, whose only common interest is ridiculous wages for the so-called purpose of winning trophies is not honourable. It is a cowards way out.
I hate Barcelona, but I can tolerate them because they actually develop their own players and augment them with quality signings. I hate clubs like Chelsea and especially Manchester City because quite honestly, they are the devil. Their business models are not business models at all. They are not sustainable and honestly not good for the future of sport.
So when players profess their love for Arsenal and the Arsenal way one day and then run off to join City or such clubs the next in the name of ambition and wanting to win trophies, all I can say is that I wish them well. I will not call them cowards or cunts. That is because on the one hand, they are right. Arsenal is not winning trophies. But Arsenal is not winning trophies because they happen to be playing for Arsenal.
I say let them go. Let them be the cowards that they are and run off to be bent over and used by the sugar daddies in their game of winning trophies at all costs. Let them go and line their pockets with as much cash as they can and pick up some trophies along the way. Those oil dollars will not be there forever.
Meanwhile, let me thank Arsenal FC for what they are trying to do. Let me also thank Arsene Wenger for his philosophy and trying to win the right way. Yes, I lose patience with him sometimes and occassionally call for his head when I think he has lost the plot, but he still remains a true gentleman.
Arsene Wenger and Arsenal stand by their players through thick and thin. In 8 years at Arsenal, Van Persie only played 1 full season. The club paid for his wages, the fans stuck by him through injury after injury. And when the club now needs him to be there for it, to help it win the trophies that he was promising the fans just as early back as Friday 6 August 2010, he stands up and says the club lacks ambition.
I am very sad for Van Persie. While I understand his frustration at not winning, I can't help feel that he is nothing but just another coward looking for the easy way to winning trophies.
Thank you very much Robin for the memories. But Arsenal FC will move on and we shall become better without you. You may win a few trophies in the near future, but Arsenal FC will win many more trophies in the future, even after you are gone.
I am happy that we can go into pre-season training knowing the status of our so-called star players. I would prefer that we sell any player who is stalling on signing a contract with the club because honestly, Arsenal FC deserved much better from you Mr. Van persie.
Goodbye and Good luck to you Mr. Robin Van Persie.
Now let's focus on the future.
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