He isn’t signing at Arsenal, unless the offseason transfers arrive at Arsenal QUICKLY.
What the hell would he sign at Arsenal for, if he can get more money and play for a club that has ambition to win … if he goes elsewhere.

the clubs entire attitude has to change NOW… or he’s gone too.

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What is different is this. The current team is a pale imitation of the Vieira-led team. Vieira was whinging about adding to an already strong 1st-team whilst RvP is wanting the 1st-team to be strong.

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He owes HIMSELF and HIS FAMILY… to make the MOST MONEY, and find the MOST HAPPINESS he can.

Yes, one healthy season. So if he gets hurt again, he’ll NEVER have the chance to make as much money as right now, OR… have the chance to play for a club that WANT TO WIN TROPHIES.

So, its up to ARSENE and ARSENAL FC, to prove to RVP, we mean business, we’ll pay him amongst the highest salaries in the EPL, AND, we will sign players so that Arsenal can compete on the pitch for TROPHIES.

If Arsenal doesn’t do that, HE SHOULD LEAVE.

He owes the club NOTHING.

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“It is really important because we know how Robin loves Arsenal – that is not the question, the question is how Arsene Wenger will convince Robin they can win trophies.”

ARSENAL could bring VIEIRA into the coaching staff in a minute. I am positive he’d rather be at Arsenal, than ManCity.

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This has enormous implications for our chances of winning anything. Wenger’s whole M.O. is based on squad continuity which leads to onfield synergy and an almost telepathic understanding of what the core players will do. Because of this our style of play has a fragility due to our reliance on the team being so finely tuned. This was even present in the truly great teams of Wenger’s early reign. Even these teams had an alarmingly fit when they encountered defeat – it was like everything had to be in sync or BANG, and back to the workshop for a major retune.

So to now, or more precisely the last period of 7 bad years, with our inability to retain our better players we are failing to knit together a cohesive team and certainly unable to attain and maintain the fine-tuning that Wenger-teams need. This does not bode well.

I’m 50/50 on whether Van Persie will stay. I do think he’s one of the less disloyal players but he has every reason to leave. He now seems to be fitter than he has been for 8 years, he is nearing the end of his true prime, if he signs for AFC again it will reduce his chances of another major move, and if he doesn’t move now he might not give himself enough time to ‘win’ with a new club.

You’ve got to see it through his eyes, if he joined another club this off-season it might take 2-3 years to win something with his new team. That would make him 32ish and there is no certainty on what shape he’ll be in at that stage of his career.

Look at the truly great Thierry Henry, left at 29, had a trophyless first season with Barcelona as he jockeyed for a good role in a great team. Years 2 and 3 were productive and happy (i.e. trophies and glory). Then he left after 3 years.

Now turn your attention back to Van Persie, he is the same age, 29 (in August), he has almost nothing in his trophy/glory cabinet, this is the time to move if he wants to win something. The money is secondary but not irrelevant. It’s the chance to taste the joy of winning and to look back when you’re older on being part of a winning team.

Footnote: There is a warning for both AFC and Van Persie in Wenger’s classic last throw of the dice tactic – to eek out that last YEAR. He did it wit Henry and Fabregas, convincing both to give just one more year. Sadly that year proved to be largely worthless in any tangible way. In both cases the year onfield for the player was underwhelming, Arsenal didn’t do any better than ‘normal’ and the player lost a precious season where they could have achieved more at their new club.

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