Mark Halfpenny
As much as I despise them, the visit of Man Utd was always my favourite match of the season. The chance to get one over on them used to consume me in a way that wasn’t healthy. These games were always passionate, intense affairs, played out at the top of the table, with the points on offer usually deciding which team won the title.
There were also some monumental individual battles – Winterburn v McClair; Vieira v Keane; Keown v van Nistelrooy; Henry v Barthez. Those Arsenal players could go toe to toe with any Man Utd player, whether they wanted a football match or a fight.
But not anymore and this Sunday’s match will be more uncomfortable than ever. Man Utd arrive as newly crowned Champions and leading their line will be the man that has swung the balance of power back their way – our former Captain Robin van Persie. His 24 league goals haven’t just pegged Man Citeh back, they have annihilated them.
But how will van Persie be greeted by us on Sunday? I’m sure large sections of the home crowd will slaughter him on Sunday but what good will that do? I think it would be much more effective to be magnanimous towards him and direct any discontent at the manager and the out of touch chumps on our Board. Booing van Persie simply lets them off the hook, when we should be putting them under pressure to invest in the playing squad. I can hear coffee being spat out and shouts of “B****cks to that!” from many Gooners but here are my reasons.
Van Persie’s departure was, for many, the ultimate act of betrayal but I just can’t see it that way. He made it plain that he wanted to stay in London and he sought assurances from Wenger and the Board that our squad would be strengthened, thereby allowing the team that finished 3rd in 2012 to mount a title challenge in 2013. Those assurances were not forthcoming, so after eight seasons with us and at the age of 28 (nearly 29) RVP decided to move on to a club that did want to invest and challenge for the big trophies.
Van Persie has made the difference this season, and Wenger has even admitted that he knew this would happen when he sold him. We are now in April and look at the League Table – Man Utd are well clear but only 7 points separate the clubs from 2nd to 5th. Without van Persie’s goals, Man Utd would be several points worse off and probably back level with the chasing pack. If we’d kept him and invested in top class re-enforcements to support him, surely we could be the team that edges it this season.
Why didn’t the Board and manager think like that? Is £24million in the bank really better than having a damn good crack at being Champions again? For the past 6 or 7 years Arsenal have seemed content to scrape into the Top 4 and take the profits on offer from the Champions League, with no hope of winning it. Our Board and manager refuse to move with the times and spend the money necessary to reclaim former glories. They whinge about petro-dollars but Man Utd and Bayern Munich aren’t funded like that.
If we are going to give van Persie some stick, let’s keep it like we did when Vieira returned to Highbury with Juventus in 2006. Humorous banter like “He plays in black and white, His team is f***ing shite” was so much more effective than booing his every touch. Booing is so predictable and it’ll make us look small minded. It won’t affect van Persie’s game and it definitely won’t change the fact that we’re 21 points adrift of top spot.
Let’s direct any anger at the people running our Club, because Arsenal have sold our best player so many times now. Surely the time has come to stop booing departed players and start demanding better of our manager and our Board.
(Ed’s note – Been emailed the following from a (very!) occasional contributor, Simon Swingler…) As well as following Arsenal I volunteer at Ryman League Premier Division team Wingate & Finchley. We have a massive relegation winner takes all match on Saturday to which all residents of the N12 Finchley area can attend for free. Would it be possible for this to put up on the website, just to try and coax a few Arsenal lads down as we haven't got a game until the Sunday?
