Skip to main content

"Respect Robin Van Persie." Says Arsene Wenger

Via HITC Sport


Arsene Wenger has called on Arsenal fans to respect Robin van Persie tomorrow when they take on Manchester United.

When Arsenal take on Manchester United tomorrow there will inevitably be huge focus on former Gunners captain Robin van Persie.

The striker spent almost a decade at Arsenal before leaving this summer, after a drawn out saga over his future which took until August to resolve.

Arsenal fans are left feeling hugely embittered towards their former hero, and the thought of seeing him in a United shirt will stir emotions of anger and sickness.

Manager Arsene Wenger has urged supporters to respect the striker, who has scored 11 times in 15 games for his new side.

He said: "I hope a respectful [reception] because he played for us for eight years, he's done well, very well for us, and you want him to be respected."

That may be true, he did do well for Arsenal, very well in fact last season, but that only makes his 'betrayal' even worse.

We use the word 'betrayal' because that is exactly how supporters have described his switch, stirred by the emotion of seeing a club captain and top goalscorer who had previously been shown great loyalty by his manager and supporters through all his injury troubles, walk out on them to further his own career.
It would be one thing to see him ply his trade abroad, but for a rival it can really come back to bite them, and they will hope dearly that is not the case tomorrow.

It should not be forgotten of course that Arsenal received a substantial £24 million for the Van Persie deal, and have themselves moved on, and that money is currently lying with the board, waiting to be spent. Based on this season so far, the relevant question this match will show us, is whether the new Arsenal are moving upwards or  United are leaving them behind?

Tomorrow's fixture will be significant in that if United win they will go nine points above Arsenal; after just 10 games. With that in mind, it isn't a game the Gunners can afford to lose, and if they can pull off a surprise victory then they will be just three points behind the Red Devils.

Arsenal's travelling support are a fair bunch, but the sale of Van Persie this summer cut deep, and the wounds may be covered, but they are still raw.

Wenger was right not to inflame dislike of the striker who did do a lot for the club, he is right that should not be forgotten, but if he truly expects fans not to boo him and vent their feelings of anger then he is likely mistaken.

Should Arsenal fans show Van Persie respect? What do you think?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

These are Said to Be the Best Goalkeepers in the World, Ranking from 1-25

25. Stephane Ruffier, Saint-Etienne Had Stephane Ruffier not sustained a groin injury in 2011, Monaco might never have been relegated to Ligue 2. But he did, and they were, and that summer the then-24-year-old goalkeeper joined Saint-Etienne, rebuffing Manchester City in the progress. This season he played all 38 Ligue 1 matches for Les Verts for a second season in succession, conceding just 32 goals as his side finished a surprising fifth in the standings and qualified for the Europa League. 24. Pepe Reina, Liverpool Only Joe Hart kept more Premier League clean sheets than Pepe Reina in 2012-13. In a season that saw Liverpool finish a disappointing seventh in the English top-flight, the 30-year-old managed to keep things respectable from a defensive standpoint, conceding only 34 goals and stopping 88 per cent of the shots he faced. To finish the season he conceded just a single goal in his last four matches. 23. Mariano Andujar, Catania Only Parma managed ...
Post a Comment
International News

Read What Shakira Says. Via Yahoo!

Looking at  Shakira  and her fabulous figure you might be surprised to learn it was only three months ago that she gave birth to son Milan. But the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer reveals that dropping the pounds was no cake walk. While promoting “The Voice” in Pasadena, California, on Monday, the blond bombshell revealed, "[Losing baby weight] is the only thing that’s been a little stressful … I knew I had to come back here to do ‘The Voice’ two months after I had delivered a baby. I didn’t have my four months of maternity like every woman on Earth has. I’m not trying to complain, but it’s been a process full of challenges.” Photo source: omg INSIDER & Yahoo The 36-year-old mama added that the pressure to shed the baby weight at record speed is something that she feels the previous generations didn't face. She said, “I think that our mothers and grandmothers weren’t under the pressure women of today are after delivering a baby. My dad says there’s nothing better than meat...
Post a Comment
International News

The Happy Di Matteo..!

Roberto Di Matteo watched his attacking stars inspire a 5-4 extra-time victory over Manchester United and he preferred to savour a second night of high-scoring league cup thrills rather than focus on "the other stuff" in football. The Chelsea manager did not need to spell out what he meant, in the wake of the league fixture against United on Sunday, when his team's controversial 3-2 home defeat was followed by the allegation that the referee Mark Clattenburg had racially abused Mikel John Obi. There had also been spite in the stands. Di Matteo focused on the flair and spirit that his team had shown here, when they came from behind three times to force the extra period, with the substitute Eden Hazard scoring from the penalty spot with the very last kick of normal time. Hazard's quick feet and sumptuous reverse pass created what proved to be the decisive fifth goal late in extra-time for Ramires. "Over the last two days we have seen...
Post a Comment
International News