The sight of Robin van Persie today sitting alongside Sir Alex Ferguson signing a four year contract seems, to an avid Manchester United fan, almost as implausible as Patrick Vieira adorning the red of United in his heyday, something that was once speculated on, but was a million miles away from becoming reality. Today, however, the almost unthinkable has become a reality. United have signed the Footballer of the Year and the Premiership's leading goalscorer in a move that has sent shock-waves throughout football.
United have made a real signal of intent, with Sir Alex's eagerness to spark his front-line to life, putting Wayne Rooney on his toes, whilst also providing healthy competition for young Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez and Danny Welbeck abundantly clear. A team who lost their league title by a signal goal in that flurry of Manchester City madness now has another dimension; another world-class goal threat.
Some may say that he is ageing and that he has a poor injury record, but those are just bitter excuses used by Arsenal fans to cushion the blow of losing the man that carried their team so admirably last season. Arsene Wenger today admitted how hurt he was at being forced into a corner and into selling his prize asset to a rival. But are the two clubs really rivals any more? Gone are the days of intense grudge matches. United have had it all their own way in recent times against the Gunners.
Where does this move leave the two sides? For United, it has provided depth and flexibility; another attacking avenue from which to threaten both at home and abroad, with similarities drawn between the current side and that of the infamous '99 treble winners. In a front four of Rooney, van Persie, Welbeck and Hernandez, United can call upon fantastic options, much akin to the quartet of Yorke, Cole, Sheringham and Solskjaer. And of course, all of this is forgetting the previous incumbent of the Premiership leading goalscorer award, a certain Dimitar Berbatov. This move surely paves the end of his topsy-turvy career at Old Trafford.
For Arsenal, they face another season of rebuilding. After such a desperately poor start to their last league season, including that 8-2 mauling at the hands of the Red Devils, they turned their season around to finish in an incredibly credible third place. Those Arsenal fans bitter at the exit of van Persie must surely look to his carrying of the team in reaching such heights and simply accept that he has moved on in order to change the fact that 8 years in English football have only brought about one trophy.
The signings of Oliver Giroud, top scorer in the French league last season, and Lukas Podolski, another forward with goalscoring pedigree, will soften this blow, as both were signed on the pretext that the flying Dutchman was always likely to leave. And with Santi Cazorla also joining the ranks, he will also add strength and fluency in attack. However, these three signings face a huge weight of expectation, and will need time, regardless of their abilities, to gel and adapt to the English game. People tend to forget that Arsenal have been here before. For every Thierry Henry signing that Arsene Wenger makes, there is a Jose Antonio Reyes, a player who came with high expectations and an inflated price tag, yet flopped dramatically.
It is a big season for both clubs and one in which a feeling of change will preside. For United, they have snapped up a real talisman, who can give the reds the front-line options that won City the title on goal-difference last season, whilst at Arsenal, as they seemingly always have to at this time of the year, there is a need to regroup and move on. Bitterness towards van Persie is inevitable, but were they bitter to Henry when he made his dream move to Barcelona after such great service? Wrongfully, they are pointing to the flaws of the Dutchman, when deep down they are hurting.
Friday, 17 August 2012
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Bring on the Backlash
No matter how well the previous season has gone, summer signings are essential to any side. Whatever foundation you have laid in the previous season, you need to take stock, evaluate what you have and try to develop it. Sometimes it takes dramatic change, sometimes it just takes tweaking, but the need for new blood is always apparent. Manchester United lost their league title in dramatic fashion, with the fate of the Premiership coming down to the final kick of the season from Sergio Aguero, a moment that left the Blue half of Manchester jubilant and the Red half shattered. Never will a title be won more dramatically than that. Well, maybe once in a Blue Moon.
But if you're looking for fighters, for a team that thrives off of revenge and redeeming pride, it is definitely United. The events of May 13th will have hurt them and the men in Red will undoubtedly be itching to set the record straight and reaffirm themselves back to number one status, not only in the City, but in the English game. Bouncing back is an inherent trait, it is all Sir Alex and his teams of the past and present have ever known, which sets the new season up as yet another treat to behold.
And with the exciting signing of Japanese international Shinji Kagawa, ever present in pre-season, United seem to have finally unearthed a player with genuine flair and one with an ability to seamlessly interlink Midfield and Attack, with early signs of a positive relationship with Wayne Rooney developing. However, United have equally missed out on other exciting attacking prospects, with a move for Brazilian whizz-kid Lucas Moura gazumped at the last hurdle by free spending Paris St Germain, as well as Eden Hazard opting to reject both Manchester clubs in favour of the European Champions Chelsea.
However, what is abundantly clear is that Sir Alex means business this summer, with his attention to "other club business" forcing him to miss two recent friendlies. This 'other business' is rumoured to be a move for Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, a player who has placed himself in the shop window after growing increasingly frustrated at carrying his team. Such a move would provide a bold statement, something that United desperately need to do in order to overhaul their noisy neighbours.
Van Persie would undoubtedly provide the strong degree of flair that United have been missing of late, with a lack of goals whilst on tour increasingly obvious. Rooney aside, United lack a genuine goalscorer, with Javier Hernandez being more of a poacher who has come off the back of a difficult second season, and Danny Welbeck a sure-fire talent, but not one to reach the 20+ goal mark of a title chasing forward.
Nonetheless, as akin to most of United's high profile pursuits, there are stumbling blocks. For starters, United and Arsenal's valuations of the player are seemingly quite far apart at present, with United already having a £15m bid rejected, whilst Arsenal would like another £10m for their Football Writers' Player of the Year. £25m would be a significant outlay for a man with such a history of injury issues. In addition, despite United appearing to be the player's preferred destination, and with City and Juventus falling by the way side in their interest in the Dutchman, there is a reluctance on the Gunner's part to sell to a 'rival'.
This is something I take particular issue with, as United and Arsenal have not been 'rivals' for years, simply due to the fact that Arsenal have not looked like genuine title contenders for the last 7 years, whilst United have continually been fighting for the title, and have won it 4 times in this period and featured in two Champions League finals. For Arsene Wenger to use that excuse is backdated and incredibly delusional, as there has not been an intense rivalry between the two since the days of Keane vs Vieira, and that was so long ago that they now comfortably sit alongside each other in the ITV studio.
For Ferguson, signing van Persie would represent a significant coup, as unleashing him alongside Rooney would surely send shivers down most Manager's spines. Yet, deal or no deal, van Persie or not, it is clear that United need to strengthen. Any team needs to strengthen, particularly if you are already at the top, or have come so close yet so far as United did last season. What is for sure is that there is no animal more dangerous than a wounded one, and that is the reason you can be sure that United will come back fighting, even stronger than ever before.
But if you're looking for fighters, for a team that thrives off of revenge and redeeming pride, it is definitely United. The events of May 13th will have hurt them and the men in Red will undoubtedly be itching to set the record straight and reaffirm themselves back to number one status, not only in the City, but in the English game. Bouncing back is an inherent trait, it is all Sir Alex and his teams of the past and present have ever known, which sets the new season up as yet another treat to behold.
And with the exciting signing of Japanese international Shinji Kagawa, ever present in pre-season, United seem to have finally unearthed a player with genuine flair and one with an ability to seamlessly interlink Midfield and Attack, with early signs of a positive relationship with Wayne Rooney developing. However, United have equally missed out on other exciting attacking prospects, with a move for Brazilian whizz-kid Lucas Moura gazumped at the last hurdle by free spending Paris St Germain, as well as Eden Hazard opting to reject both Manchester clubs in favour of the European Champions Chelsea.
However, what is abundantly clear is that Sir Alex means business this summer, with his attention to "other club business" forcing him to miss two recent friendlies. This 'other business' is rumoured to be a move for Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, a player who has placed himself in the shop window after growing increasingly frustrated at carrying his team. Such a move would provide a bold statement, something that United desperately need to do in order to overhaul their noisy neighbours.
Van Persie would undoubtedly provide the strong degree of flair that United have been missing of late, with a lack of goals whilst on tour increasingly obvious. Rooney aside, United lack a genuine goalscorer, with Javier Hernandez being more of a poacher who has come off the back of a difficult second season, and Danny Welbeck a sure-fire talent, but not one to reach the 20+ goal mark of a title chasing forward.
Nonetheless, as akin to most of United's high profile pursuits, there are stumbling blocks. For starters, United and Arsenal's valuations of the player are seemingly quite far apart at present, with United already having a £15m bid rejected, whilst Arsenal would like another £10m for their Football Writers' Player of the Year. £25m would be a significant outlay for a man with such a history of injury issues. In addition, despite United appearing to be the player's preferred destination, and with City and Juventus falling by the way side in their interest in the Dutchman, there is a reluctance on the Gunner's part to sell to a 'rival'.
This is something I take particular issue with, as United and Arsenal have not been 'rivals' for years, simply due to the fact that Arsenal have not looked like genuine title contenders for the last 7 years, whilst United have continually been fighting for the title, and have won it 4 times in this period and featured in two Champions League finals. For Arsene Wenger to use that excuse is backdated and incredibly delusional, as there has not been an intense rivalry between the two since the days of Keane vs Vieira, and that was so long ago that they now comfortably sit alongside each other in the ITV studio.
For Ferguson, signing van Persie would represent a significant coup, as unleashing him alongside Rooney would surely send shivers down most Manager's spines. Yet, deal or no deal, van Persie or not, it is clear that United need to strengthen. Any team needs to strengthen, particularly if you are already at the top, or have come so close yet so far as United did last season. What is for sure is that there is no animal more dangerous than a wounded one, and that is the reason you can be sure that United will come back fighting, even stronger than ever before.
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