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van Persie Played Only 60.3% Of Games In 8 Years

As the fallout of Robin van Persie`s statement of intent to decline to sign a new contract for The Gunners (meaning it`s likely he will leave) continues, there are people with the opinion that Arsenal fans are being a little unreasonable with their reactions.

Of course some fans take it a little too far on occasion, however the majority of Gooners are well within their rights to feel a little disgruntled.

The timing and wording of Robin`s statement is one of the reasons Arsenal fans aren`t best please. It appears to be a thinly veiled attempt at forcing Arsene`s hand into allowing the Dutchman a move away from the club. Not cool.

My personal opinion is that I don`t believe van Persie should be castrated simply for wanting to leave the club, things haven`t gone well for us in recent years, yes we`ve qualified for the Champions League for a gazzilion years running, but one Carling Cup final aside, we haven`t really looked like winning a trophy. van Persie is a winner and wants to win silverware, you can`t blame him for that.

However surely it`s not too much to ask for a little bit of respect and loyalty is it?

I`ve seen many rival fans commenting on the situation and a common sentiment expressed is that Robin "doesn`t owe Arsenal anything".

Doesn`t he?

Being a professional footballer is a privilege, it doesn`t just take talent and hard work to become a professional footballer living the life of luxury, it takes the loyalty of the fans of the individual clubs. Without that loyalty, football would cease to be as a multi-billion pound spectacle. It`s not just about the player and what the player wants.

Or at least it shouldn`t be.

The biggest complaint about this whole sordid affair is that van Persie`s statement claimed that his goal had been to "win trophies with the team and to bring the club back to its glory days", yet his attempt to bring the glory days back to Arsenal is to leave after what appears to be the first time he`s managed to play more than 45 games in one season for the club in his Arsenal career.

Arsene Wenger has shown tremendous loyalty to van Perise throughout his career. Through the false rape charge to his constant injuries, and what does he get in return? Very little.

Robin van Persie is a world class player, of that there is no doubt, but the fact is that in only three of his 8 seasons at Arsenal has he managed to crack the 20 goal per season barrier (20, 22 and an impressive 37 last season).

In the 8 years van Persie has played for Arsenal, he`s only managed to feature in 60.3% of the competitive games for the club. 462 games played by Arsenal whilst the Dutchman only took to the field 279 times.

True, some of those games were in the Carling Cup of which van Persie might not have played, but that number of games is negligible to say the least.

Of course van Persie didn`t want to be injured and would have preferred to be on the pitch, but that doesn`t help the club when we can`t count on him for half the time, then the one season he manages to stay injury free and scores a lot of goals he rewards himself with a transfer to another club (probably).

It would have been easy for Arsene Wenger to have got rid of van Persie years ago, but he stood by him, the fans stood by him and sung his name. With his injury record it would have been very unlikely any of the top teams would have taken him, indeed even though we knew he was a great player he wasn`t much sought after .

Arsene helped shape the career of van Persie and got little in the way of thanks.

That hurts.

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Writer: Rocky7

Date:Thursday July 5 2012

Time: 12:38PM

Your Comments

Sounds like another Modric to me..

spurs2468

I'm disappointed. He has kicked us all in the teeth and for what? When we were top of the league in Feb and Eduardo got his ankle snapped in two, where was RVP then? Crocked, just like every season before and after that. If he had come out and said its time for me to go, fine. But he has just cost Arsenal upwards of 10 million and made us the laughing stock of the prem and our rivals. Expect Walcott to walk too now. I hope Wenger takes this very, VERY personally and moves to prove them all wrong. RVP is dead to me.

Trennon

Arsenal Developmental Football Club

@Mq

All you do is buy cheap, develop then sell expensive your Economics Graduate Manager

@Mq

Wow! Could this be important to you or just another bit of a politicking spat?

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/arsenals-us-shareholders-express-deep-reservations-about-club-after-robin-van-persies-shock-announcement-3159273.html

I know its off topic, but I thought you guys might be interested. BTW, ignore the little Chavski tw@, he's a bit simple & not very subtle.

Spuds-U-Like

He hasn't kicked us in the teeth. He signed a contract until the end of next season. He'll have to honour it unless we reach an agreement to end it early. There's no obligation on his part to stay longer or for us to keep him unless it's in the interests of both sides. It's the nature of the game. Just move on. There will always been another star to agonise over.

Amos.

Thank you Rocky, thank you. I was incredibly annoyed with some of the posts on the other threat yesterday from gooners who can't grasp what RVP has done. Long before Cesc & Nasri left I accepted the painful fact that the big trophies were beyond us for the forseeable future and that we would start losing our big players. It hurt, I whined, but not once did I object to the fact that some of our players felt they couldn't win trophies with us. Not to mention that we couldn't pay them what richer clubs could offer them. The simple basic fact of modern European football is that only the clubs with the highest wages win trophies-FACT. We can't get around that. Montpelier's league win last season is an extremely rare occurrence & might not happen ever again now that rich sugar daddies have started swarming over Ligue 1. In England no club with inferior wages to MUFC, CFC, MCFC will win the league or the CL for quite a long time--unless they too get bought up by another rich zillionnaire. Doesn't matter who their manager is or what players they sign--if they can't pay those extravagant wages, THEY WON'T WIN THE BIG TROPHIES. Those 3 clubs have the big trophies locked up solid for a long time. Had RVP simply stated he would not renew his contract and expressed his gratitude to the club and left it at that--certainly the news would've made me upset, hurt, frustrated. But not angry. Go to the latest gunnerblog entry in which RVP's "classless exit strategy" is discussed: http://gunnerblog.com/2012/07/05/robin-van-persie-classy-player-classless-exit-strategy/ . You should also read Jeremy Wilson's piece from yesterday's Telegraph. Some gooners don't get what's going on. A few days ago both AW & Hill-Wood were quoted in the press saying RVP was not for sale & that AFC wanted to keep him "at all costs." Which means the media silence was broken. It appeared that AFC was planning on keeping him to his last year and not sell him now. So RVP came out with that statement yesterday without informing the club it was going to happen or what its contents would be. His comments were clearly designed to force a move NOW and by their very nature he has now made it impossible for the club to get a decent price for him. He has made it impossible for us to keep him to the final year of his contract. He openly & publicly criticized the club's "direction," hurting the club's image further & providing another avalanche of media disparagement of our club. He has helped to further damage our club's ability to sign top class players, and he has hurt the club's image in the eyes of our other remaining players. So yet again we are a laughingstock and our players have to deal with that. Wanting to leave is not his crime. Leaving in a way that treats AFC with disrespect this way is. Nasri's departure was far more respectful. Apparently AW & officials at AFC were shocked & angry at RVP's statement, totally unprepared for it and feel he's being badly advised.

jaelle

Why Van Persie's ill-judged statement will taint his Arsenal legacy forever: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/robin-van-persie-transfer-why-arsenal-1133409

jaelle

BTW, to all those idiots who say AFC need to "spend big" - the club has spent £90m in fees & wages in the last 12 months.

jaelle

Who knows what the politics of the situation are really? In all honesty jaelle if a really big money offer had been made for RvP Arsenal would have taken it by now whether RvP had said something or not. Maybe AFC breaking the media silence was designed to do just what it did and effectively put him on the market without formally doing so. However it is still possible to keep him to his last year of contract. Depending on what offers are made it might even be sensible to do so. Whatever is best financially they don't have to sell him which is a strength of the self sustaining model. I'm not sure that the club needs to be considered as victims here.

Amos.

Agree with your thoughts jaelle. Amos, when we lost Cesc and Nasri last summer not even a big money offer from abroad would have persuaded AW to part with RvP because the churn in the squad would have been too high and there would be little time to replace him. This summer was different, having heard from RvP that he was going to leave, the club management's seemingly tough stance was only designed to extract maximum value from RvP's transfer. RvP making such a statement on his personal website is unprecedented in the league and really hurts our negotiating position. It would be fair to say he has put himself way over the club which is not surprising but it should be no surprise that he is getting panned for doing so by fans.

Deltaforce

Spot on.

Sajit

In Arsene I trust.

Sajit

Jesus there is so much vitriol and self righteousness in the twittersphere, full of people taking great pleasure in pointing out that "I woz right" all along. Jaelle i'm not sure who you're calling idiots there, it seems to be like a bit of a rant, so what if AFC have spent that on wages? Compare it to other team's wages (if we're talking about overall "spend") and then we're in business, don't call people idiots cos they're not factoring in the wages in a transfer fee - which has been a relatively recent phenomenon. Amos, i'm afraid the reality is Arsenal do have to sell him, self sustaining model or not. And by the way, re the letter - it's completely transparent, but I don't give a hoot - challenges need to be made.

shewore

Players want the money and the glory in a very short career. City/Chelsea have been allowed to distort the market ,so nobody else can compete with the wages they can pay. So if you want big bucks and a medals you you go to either of them. That's the reality of the premier league model as it stand now! Long term they will kill interest in the game.

deadlydave

That fantstic season he had last time around is gonna do you favours even now. It put his value up beyond belief. As much as it will hurt you , you have to cash in now. Last season was the first time i can remember him not having an injury? i doubt he'll do that again. He's well injury prone so take as much as you can out of someone and laugh when he has to sit out for a few months.

Himwhatwhats

Himwhatwhats, I think RvP has a better understanding of his body and may have overcome his glass legs syndrome, what with all the Horse Placenta and all that.....

Naijagunner

I still think RvP has not acted in good faith; he is the club captain, for Gawd's sake and has access to any one in the club hierarchy, so he need not hide behind his website to make such unflattering things about the club that made him, knowing he intends to leave others (who rely on the club for a living and even new recruits) behind with mixed feelings. I still believe and trust in the judgement of the club's management and am sure we will do what is best for us in the end.

Naijagunner

*unflattering statements*

Naijagunner

we signed giroud from montpellier and podolski from cologne, both from smaller clubs and probably have their wage increased here (one may argue montpellier won the ligue 1 last term but still they are definitely not more prestigious than arsenal). over the years, how many players did not come here with the intention to play in cl (since we are no longer winning silverware) and have they pay package increased? i never heard anyone empathizing their fans. transfer is part and parcel of the game. why cant we move on?

Joe_@**

Our negotiating position hasn't been harmed at all Deltaforce. If anything it might have stirred a bit more interest in him than otherwise existed if we've a genuine interest in maximising what we can get now. But we really don't have to sell him unless we want to. It's not usually a good idea to hang onto a player he sees himself leaving but he may still be worth hanging onto for a year and letting him go for nothing. Presumably he'll be playing for a contract wherever he goes afterwards. As a then 30 year old he couldn't take his next contract for granted.

Amos.

I'm with Amos on that one RvP has been careful to try and keep the fans onside - this may be partly out of some remaining loyalty, but also could be because he may be playing football at The Emirates for one more season and would need the fans onside for that. I say keep him for a year, play him (as long as he deserves a start), and if he's good enough he'll earn a big-money, free transfer move to his next club. If no-one else wants him after that year - well, maybe he'd have some apologising to do.

damiano_tommassi

i dont think it will work out so idealistically. if we do not sell him, his agent will work out a deal with another club this summer, sign officially in january and he'll bide his time for the next half of the season. the logic is simple. the other club will be willing to take the risk if they are sure of his quality since that would effectively save them some 20 mil in transfer fees. the player on the other hand wouldnt give his all and risk injury. thus it's a lose-lose situation

Joe_@**

I agree with Joe. Time to move on and sell RvP overseas if possible.

Deltaforce

Didn't he say he'd move abroad? I read an article where he said he couldn't play against Arsenal so he wouldn't sign for City. 200k+ says he would. It's the same with Modric, i'd rather the club take 5m less from a european team than sell him at home. It's never as bad as it seems though is it guys, one in one out, best player we've ever had..until the next one :)

Himwhatwhats

The problem with RvP biding his time Joe is that he'll be 30 by the time this contract ends. It might be different if he were 24 or 25 but he hasn't got that much time left to bide. Every season at this stage should be precious to him. Maybe only room for one last hurrah in an Italian retirement home.

Amos.

http://qkme.me/3pzfhv hard to win trophies when your employees dont show up for work

bootoo

Seems to me that VP has basically demanded that the club put up a couple of hundred mil, then commit to a massive increase in wages across the entire playing staff spectrum. I still am an advocate of being a self sustaining club - continuing with a plan that was put in place 15 yrs ago or more, before Abramobitch and the Shakes. It's a plan that will also ensure that Arsenal Football Club will still be there for my kids, and theirs too. Or at least that's my understanding of it (for many years). Remember, Leeds, West Ham, Glasgow Rangers ??? We're not exempt from such a scenario.

FAB 4

stop throwing your teddies in here seriously this is football hes sick of waiting for something to happen and hes taken the bull by the horns and said ***** it im off to a brighter future.

Uskok

Arsenal are real losers .... How long since winning anything?

Wswilly3

I'd say the real losers are geriatric old farts that troll and gloat like children willy.

nikolaijns

Although I don't like what RVP has done, it's not really a big surprise. It's simply a business decision from both sides. I suspect we have made an offer to him that he is not happy with (rather like what happened with Rooney at United). He thinks it's in his interests to move on whether it's for financial gain or career ambition and I don't take it personally. The Arsenal board have weighed up his value to the club and made him an offer based on that. I'm sure they have made him a reasonable offer based on what we can realistically afford but obviously RVP knows he can get more elsewhere. Since he hasn't taken up that offer we can spend that money on the strengthening the team in other areas as well as transfer fee we get for him. I think we will be stronger in the long run without relying so much on one player (who could get injured for a long spell at any time). This reminds me a lot of the Rooney situation in fact. Player not getting what he wants in wages and then blaming the clubs lack of ambition as the reason to move on so he doesn't look greedy. I suspect the offer we made him was nowhere near what he wants and that's the reason for the angry outburst (rather like Cole all those years ago).

bowiecokemirror

And so this is Kronke's mess And what has he done So RVP is gone No replacement to be found And so this is Kronke's mess I hope soon he dies To be rid of this moron So we come back strong

Gunnerfan1987

So what do folks think of the Red and White statement, or is that something being being purposefully ignored on this site while we paint RVP as the villian of the piece?

Wyn Mills

What are your views on the R & W statement Wyn? Many fans think RvP is badly advised. It didn't look like a self crafted statement for starters on his website. Every line reeked of agent speak. Would have been great for the club had RvP stayed on this season even without signing a contract but he chose to burn his bridges with the club instead.

Deltaforce

The R & W statement is an opportunistic attempt to further dissatisfy some already dissatisfied fans, and to try to convince them that letting Usmanov have more control over the club would be a good idea. For the sake of Usmanov. It's not at all about what's best for Arsenal.

damiano_tommassi

What I think about the R&W statement is at least it's a dialogue with both the club and the fans. I've no idea what the board think because apart from a couple of bland paragraphs they haven't communicated anything. It would be great if they explained what was actually happening now that all the season tickets have been safely renewed. Only RVP and Usmanov have really spoken to us. But it seems many are now doubting that RVP has any affection for this club. I'm sure the situation is very complicated but I'm quite shocked at how many of us have suddenly turned against him. Is it really a coincidence that so many of our top players have upped sticks following contract negotiations. For me the single most important line in the R&W statement was "Yet again we are faced with losing our true marquee player at the Club because we cannot assure him of the future direction and give confidence that we can win trophies." Are we really incapable of selling this vision of success to our players? If not then we have a real problem that has nothing to do with money. I wait with interest to see where RVP

Wyn Mills

*ends up.

Wyn Mills

There is no loyalty in football, if Diaby goes through another injury-filled season, the club wouldnt think twice before getting rid of him (probably over due now, anyway). Loyalty works both ways, and there are so many cases where the club has not been 'loyal' to its players, by moving them on. That RvP wants to do so should not be held against him, although you could argue with the manner in which he has done so.

prits

There is loyalty which builds up over time. But most players are not fools. They invest their skills in a business, not their hearts (unlike us). Robin almost single-handledly propelled us into the Champions League last season. That's worth at least £15m to the club, so I don't hold that much against him personally. I would, however, have an issue with him rocking up at City.

Wyn Mills

Prits, Diaby was injured by Dan Smith at Sunderland in 2006. Since then he can't have made much more than 50 appearances and he probably makes at least 2.5m a year? That's 6 yrs even averaging 2m/yr is 12m Arsenal (actually Arsene Wenger) has invested in Abou Diab - not to mention the cost of his ongoing medical treatment. If that's not loyalty shown by a club, I don't know what is. The RVP situation was similar, if not quite as severe.

FAB 4

sorry guys, but surely you realised that RvP was going to leave last year, as he was entering his final 2 years of his contract and no negotiations were entered into, same as Cesc Fabregas, and Nasri and even when Vieira left you let the contracts whittle down to the last minute then all you guys moan and groan when the player says i'm Leaving at the end of my contract and the club got little of what the players real worth..... so when RvP does leave, and if it is to another PL club no doubt all the Biased fans here will vent their spleen at him, like you have in the past to all your players who have left, like Nasri, Adebayor, Clichy ( or is jealousy for then going to MCFC As they seem to get most of your fans vitriol,)and No doubt Fabregas will get the same treatment when or if he comes to the Emirates with Barca..... players move on it's football and life deal with it.....it seems to be the Arsenal way as other teams dont boo their ex players as much as you lot... sad really.

cityman51

No cityman it's because we're the only club aside from the unholy trinity of the oil scum duopoly and the glazers with players worth poaching yet only paying realistic wages. Simple truth, the fact you can't see that through your masturbatory oil fug is noones fault but yours. Drogba fat frank Anelka etc would have all followed suit to citeh if they weren't already on ridiculously inflated wages poached from the natural resource of Russia by a gangster, that's all it boils down to, it's not jealousy it's righteous anger that the game in this country is just a russian/arab wadfest. The game is dying and your owner is hammering the last few nails in.

nikolaijns

so you did not poach all the young talent France had to offer when Wenger replaced Rioch back in 96, then no? as Anelka, Pires, Vieira, and all the rest were pilfered from the youth accademy in France, and you are even doing it now to Southampton pilfering their nurtured talent, Oxlade Chamberlain, 'Tram tracks' Walcott what was it you paid 30 million for them both?and remember we had Anelka at City after he left Arsenal, like so many others have, and he has won more with other clubs than anything he would have won at Arsenal.... admit it Arsenal ARE NOT THE FORCE THEY ONCE WERE.......When they where pillaring other teams 'stars', everything in the garden was rosy now it's them that are haveing their stars cherry picked the natives do not like it, and as for winning things, EVERY team that has won the title has spent vast sums City are just doing what the so called original 'sky 4' have done for years....so either spend the money that Arsenal are supposed to have, or be left behind and be happy fighting for the 4spot and qualifiying for the CL.and fighting off the 'threat ' of the Europa League.

cityman51

We didn't consistently go to one club year after year with the intention of destabilising them no, I mean jesus in the real world you football killing f***s would be given a restraining order such is your obsession with our players and club, in the last three seasons we've spent 73 million so change that spend your money record you're killing competition and seem happy enough with that, the only reason we may not be the force we were is because of your grubby sheikh destabilising our squad and killing football. There is a massive massive difference (despite you trying to justify the moral vacuum you now exist in) of us paying sums of money to lower league clubs for young players which we look to mould into playing in the managers style and utterly systematically pillaging and turning heads year after year of a club sitting two places beneath you in the table.

nikolaijns

We have also never 'pillared' (no idea what that is do you mean pillioried? if so it has a totally different meaning) other teams stars, because we've rarely if ever spent top whack in the market, I'm sure Juve fans don't hold it against us for 'stealing' some out of favour left winger when we paid for Henry out of the 23 mill that Madrid poached Anelka for, so we were one of the sky 4 so what? we've never got ourselves into insane debt or got into bed with an oil baron to get into that position so why the bitterness? Had we got Walcott or Oxlade from a team we'd poached three other players from in recent years and sitting two places below us ir Newcastle then well done you'd have made an excellent point! as it stands you haven't though, all players move clubs for higher fees and a bigger club, always have always will that's natural, you're a small northern club with a vastly inferior worldwide support and a council house stadium, your sole raison d'etre and standing is a sheikh. I just find that pitiful and always will.

nikolaijns

so as you say we are the Sheikh's plaything which is what every other team in the PL thinks, so change the record, Nik, it's nothing new, we are discussing the sorry state of affairs at the Emirates, and your Teams lack of willingness to sort out YOUR 'BEST' players terms and conditions, and wanting to leave to further his career and medal count, something that has not happened at Arsenal for 8 years what is it 1 FA Cup in that time?, and YES we have only won the 2 major trophies in the last 2years and with a substantial investment from the Abu Dhabi Royal Family, not to mention the investment in the infrastructure in the area around The Etihad, can the Owners or Board say the same about the area around the Emirates,? that includes having shares that are traded at £1000plus, so why can you not pay for the top players in europe and as the saying goes if you cant beat them then you have to join them, sadly Arsenal have decided not to, and you can bleat about the 'inflated' market as much as you like but remember Arsenal have not to badly out asking 'INFLATED' prices for thier players from City as you wanted a piece of the action, so people in glass houses dont throw stones..... RvP is leaving, and whether that is to City, Manure, Chelsea, Juve or Madrid, you need to get a top class replacement and pretty damn quick, it's all well and good buying 'kids' but some times they dont come off and if they do it will take a few years.... by which time the pl will have moved on with another team that is prepared to Splash the cash........so you can be pitiful as much as you like, but remeber it took us 35 years and a few relegations to reach this' Bitterness', and i for one enjoy the trappings of being owned by the Abu Dhabi royal family, cos it is a damn sight better than what were used to... but you wont want know that cos Arsenal were top of the table and City was nothing, but now the tables have changed and you dont like it,and as for a council house stadium, no problem, Juve and AC, and Inter have council owned stadiums and they are reputed to be the' glamour' clubs of Europe so what is your point?

cityman51

Cityman51 .... can you imagine what it is like to be an Arsenal fan so dont be too hard on them and just think ...Championi, Championi

Wswilly3

It's not just every other team that thinks it, it's everyone with the remotest interest in the game outside of city and chelsea that thinks it, why would I change the record? It's a great f***ing tune, you are discussing Arsenals affairs I'mm discussing yours, you talk like the two aren't mutually exclusive, we tried to sort out van persie and nasris terms thanks, no lack of willingness in the slightest and you know that full well. They were turned by outlandish lucre which only the proceeds of oil can provide so spare the 'get your house in order Arsenal' arrogance when it's your f***ing sugar daddy destabilising a club that runs well within it's means and has it's house perfectly in f***ing order thanks. Yeah of course it's us the bad guys asking inflated prices lol joker. A club is entitled to charge whatever they want and let's face it when anyone sees you paying 24 million for James bloody Milner then you're gonna get rolled blind everytime. The tables haven't changed though have they? We finished 3rd having lost the hub of our creative midfield the previous summer, we've not dropped out of your supposed sky 4 much to the chagrin of the media that salivate over every opportunity to put the boot in, we're now in the European elite, we'd make anyones top 10 regarding European clubs and this has been achieved without artificial insemination without the need to wh0re ourselves out wholesale (stadium naming rights aside ahem) It's hard for most of us to see the positives when we face a talent drain every frickin close season, again another start from scratch, and it's hard to see that ever ending tbh as greed is all, it's the god to bow down to, everytime fans think this guy has class, he's a genuine guy with real love for the club then boom! heres a snide dismissive classless release telling the club & the chief exec to go f*** their no ambitition selves, pay me 200k a week and expand considerably on the paltry 73 million you've spent on players since last summer, yet we're all supposed to be all happy clappy and give the bloke our blessing? well f*** dat!

nikolaijns

yeah Nikolajohn, you did finish 3rd and if that is the true strength of your success then i'm happy for you, but that is not what RvP WANTS IS IT? Cos if he was he would have signed the contract wouldnt he? he wants medals and trophies and that is something that he can see happening at Arsenal, you had a chance the other year in the Carling Cup and Blew it, like you have in every March when you implode, so carry on blaming all and sundry for this and that and the Artificial pricing of the transfer market as much as you like, and your better players will continue to leave, who's next Theo''Tram tracks'' Walcott, i hear is not going to sign his contract either, so another one bites the dust, as for a player having class and love of the club you need to grow up, he is doing a job of work, and if another club wants to pay him more money then he will go, the shirt is only loved by the fans no-one else, so you can vent your spleen at every Ex Arsenal player to come back to the Emirates as you like, but it will not change your predicament nor the Talent drain from Arsenal, will it?

cityman51

as for 20 millon for James Milner, i would rather have him than the 12 million you paid for Mikkel Arteta? wouldnt you? an England regular compared to a player who has had his best days in an Everton shirt.....

cityman51

It's mint being Arsenal willy, one of the worlds truly great clubs, you come across as the archetypal lotto winning peasant if you don't mind me saying lol, no dignity humility or sagacity for someone of your extremely advanced years, at least you've managed to free your head from his excellencys royal ringpiece, must be spotless now eh? I'm sure there are plenty of worse things out there but toadying up to to the mega rich just makes my skin crawl.

nikolaijns

so you pay one of, if not the most expensive season ticket prices in the EPL, and you think it's mint? all i can say you must be easily pleased then,and with the talent drain of the last couple years then you enjoy yourself, in the mediocre of fighting for 4spot and the ODD cup runners up spot, obviously RvP wants more, so is leaving for pastures new...... enjoy the new season.

cityman51

stop your cliche ridden whining cityman it's utterly bereft of any original thought or pathos and no real points are being made just wah wah wah. Arteta over Milner every day thanks whether he was half price or otherwise, milner is truly gash. I don't vent my spleen at any ex player but don't let that ruin another media fed unthinking dullard cliche. I was disappointed but not surprised by Cescs decision and I'm disappointed but not surprised by Robins decision. Adebayor Nasri clichy and toure well I don't have enough meh to convey my mehness there but again don't let it get in the way of a good stereotype cliche. I'm not blaming all and sundry at all I'm blaming your smarmy sheikh and the russian gangster for artificially blowing the market out of the water.

nikolaijns

Another stiflingly arrogant post there cityman, why seek to belittle my love for a club that hasn't sugar daddied it's way to success? are you really that insecure lol? does it really pain you that much that despite your tawdry lot seeking to destabilise and ruin at every turn with your filthy oil drenched insanity I'm still proud of Arsenals' stoic values, we're a proper club not some fly by night half arsed sheikhs bad joke, you point out our weaknesses but look at yourselves, look a long cold look at the gloating smug bollix you lot have posted on here for some time, and see what money has turned you into, it's really quite pathetic in all honesty! cheers have a good night x

nikolaijns

shewore, where did I ever say anything about wages and transfer fees, or call anyone idiots re wages??? what the hell are you talking about???

jaelle

@cityman51 It took you guys 35 years? No no no without the Sheikh's cash you'll still be a mid table team so welcome to the league of four. Money doesn't win trophies if not you would have won lots when the Sheikh arrived. FA Cup? Portsmouth won the FA Cup so let's move on. Your league title I'd say you were lucky. So don't go bragging about anything you had done. Your first season in the Champions League and your were relegated to the Europa League and you say you are better than us. And the swipe at Arteta, I bet he's answered you with that strike. Please I honestly don't see you guys retaining the title and even reaching the semis in the Champions League. You may not know this but your team is built around a few players. Not Milner, not Nasri, not Lescott, not Clichy, not Dzeko. Do the maths. Well you have bragging rights for a year. You can spend big but the joke's gonna be on you if you qualify for the Champions League and get walked out by UEFA for not keeping your books in check. Its called Accounting and it works. Any money spent by the club must have been earned somewhere. Every business runs that way and yours is not different. We have won trophies as a club and we will continue to. So don't go rubbing your two trophied cabinet in our faces.

Guyfox

Guys please keep your attitudes the same as it spells failure and one less team for us to have to compete against for the trophies...... Can you lot remember what trophies look like?

Wswilly3

go and bang one out over your sheikh willy you tragic decrepit old death rattling fv[k.

nikolaijns

@cityman51 You have to laugh don't you ?? quote - "so you did not poach all the young talent France had to offer when Wenger replaced Rioch back in 96, then no? as Anelka, Pires, Vieira, and all the rest were pilfered from the youth accademy in France " Unquote Anelka maybe - but Pires ? - NO, Viera ? - NO, - The rest ? you mean Henry, Petit,Grimandi,Garde,Wiltord ?? - If you think Mr Wenger signed all these from the French academy then you need to go do some research !! And here's my two pence worth - If after spending 400 million quid or more on players - you can only pip the red side of manchester to the title, in the last minute of the last day of the season - I would very very worried because Fergie will only need to get Vidic fit again and bring a few more players in and once again you will be just "the noisy neighbours" !!

radarman

radarman, Yes we did win the title on goal differance, Much like you lot did when you needed 2goals against Liverpool in 89, so why is it differant for us and not you lot?as for Fergie and his team coming 'Stronger' next year Bring it on, i say, it will add to the challenge, i am not worried, seems to me you have already given up on the title again this year? as you are hoping Taggart and his mob beat us, strange as it's not Arsenal that is going to 'pip'us to the title isnt it? as the FFPR again has been raised, we have only done what Arsenal did when you lot moved to Emirates, from Highbury, what was a 10-15 year 'SPONSORHIP' WORTH £250million? which equates to a 25 million a year deal. we have done a similar deal but to £400 million over 10 years and £40million a year, not to mention the land around the stadium being invested in for future growth for the people in that area, so where does the FFPR come into it and not to Arsenal? seems straw clutching is rife down north London way.....

cityman51

and for the record i dont want RvP at City, we have better players here already..... Aguaro, Tevez, Balotelli and Dzeko, i would not swap any of them for RvP cos for him to come to us ONE of them named will have to leave...... but he will go somewhere this summer.

cityman51

Cityman51 - Can't remember saying we have given up or even saying Fergies lot will win it - I just said you will be just the "noisy neighbours" again because they will finish above you ! - so no, I am afraid that we are not not sitting down here in Norf london hoping the kind Mr Taggart will restore order by winning the prem - what we are hoping for is most of our major players will be available for most of the season so we can make a decent challenge ourselves !!!

radarman

Dzeko better than RVP - are you pi**ed ? ha ****ing ha !!!

radarman

City fan chatting utter crap shocker, only 150 mill out there pal lol, 3 mill a year with a net worth of 100 mill, considering the stadium was 357 mill aint exactly gonna be much left over to get a round in is there? I mean jesus if you can't be arsed to do the basic research what the frig is the point? seriously you may as well just come and jeer and gloat like that rancid wrinkly old fart willy.

nikolaijns

Congrats on that deal btw, must have taken months of tough wrangling by your team to sort that one out lol, I can see the shouting back and forth across the office.. 350 mill! nah by the plums of the prophet lets found it up to a round 400 mwahhahahahahaha.

nikolaijns

& FFP relates to you and not to us because FFP states that all clubs must restrict their losses between 2013 and 2015 to just £38m. Putting that into context for you clowns: losses for 2011 were £194,900,000!!! and you have the friggin nerve to ask how it affects you and not us when we turn a profit year after year?? So basically given that your wage bill was 174 million too, the 400 million you laughably palmed off as sponsorship doesn't patch up that serious serious chops need to be made to ensure you don't end up turfed unceremoniously out of the CL to cheers from the entire footballing loving world.

nikolaijns

championi lol you're such a thick wazzock willy, it's campeone gramps, don't try and sound all edjukated like you is Italian or spanish or sumfink, mange tout rodney mange tout. championi looool bell end.

nikolaijns

We sing Championi, Championi when we win the league title or the FA cup .............don't suppose most of you have ever seen Arse win anything as you are still in your nappies now, I guess from the standard of your English. Championi, Championi.

Wswilly3

you're so thick you think senile is Egyptian tourism.

nikolaijns

Championi,,championi

Wswilly3

This senior moment from willy has gone on for ages now. To be fair the oldie never had it to lose it in the first place.

Deltaforce

Saw headline ... Arsenal in for Moses .... Just shows how bad things have got ..... Think you might need some of the disciples as well. Championi, Championi ...... Great buy on Amazon the Champions DVD for £12.... Champagne football and silverware .... What you are starved of at Goonerville

Wswilly3

Oldwilly......I have been a gooner for around 30 years, in that time I have had the pleasure of watching us win 5 league titles, 6 FA cups, 1 european cup winners cup, and not forgetting 2 league cups. That averages out to be a major trophy every other year. So I have hardly been starved of silverware grandad....do me a favour and at least do your research old codger. Now I'm guessing you haven't had the pleasure of watching city lift that many titles in 60 years eh?? ;)

gunnerman76

You are only as good as your last season .... England won the World Cup in 1966 ..... so what ...... having had a feast years ago doesnt stop you starving this year. And do you know what I'd start queing at the soup kitchen!!

Wswilly3

And the award for teenie bopper stuck in a geriatric body goes to....

Deltaforce

............Arsene Wenger

Wswilly3

In your dream world Bieber fan willy.

Deltaforce

Nikolojon, City being kicked out of the footballing loving world, you really are worried about City arent you? the CL will never kick any team out as that will detract from the compitition, as , Barca,Manure are all in debt, so if a club is in debt to millions, then it is OK to carry on Europes premier compition is it? Arsenal maybe the exception to the rule as they make money hand over fist, dont buy players but their shareholders make millions, and dont you think that EVERY club in the European compititions have had Lawyers going through the intricacies of Prikini's pet project? with the threat of litigation to Uefa and restriction of trade? no?so i am not worried about the FFPR, as it seems Hill Wood, Dein and Berlesconi ar ethe ones screaming the loudest about City and NO-ONE ELSE, as PSG have spent vast sums but Prikini is happy that they have investment in French footbal and it is good for the game? double standards form the one who is trained by Mr Blatter, cos he is dodgy as hell.... so lets knock this ffpr on the head it's getting boring..... all this cos RvP wants to leave to further his carreer and medal count? my my sad really!

cityman51

Like I said willy......1 major trophy every other year. And that's still including the 7 year itch. As an arsenal fan i feel VERY privileged and very spoilt with success, in those 30 years or so there has been more then one lean spell. What does that prove? It proves we ain't going anywhere mate......and I'm not even counting the previous 90 odd years....don't want to demoralise you too much. We are here to stay old willy. Even the most deluded of city fans know that.....ref to England winning a cup in 66, I wasn't alive so doesnt really register with me, I can only go by the success I have witnessed, and I'm still a young wippersnapper.....trust me when I say you really don't need to feel sorry for me, save it for the supporters who have really been starved of succes over the past 30 years ;)

gunnerman76

To further his career!? Pffff .......per lease! To further his overdraft more like it. Don't kid yourself city. Ref my balotelli point above, as he had no idea who city was, but he had a big idea about the potential paycheck he would pick up. I think we all know why most footballers move club in the modern game.....MONEY plain and simple.......thanks to the Russian/Arab playboys. They are killing the integrity of the game, turning footballers into egomaniac prima donnas. I miss the days of butcher and Robson, battling, blooded, bruised and broken for the club/country they love. Would nasri swap 200 grand a week and no trophys for 50 grand a week but a shed load of silverware? I love it when a player says "I want to further my career, it's not about money (but I will be quadrupling my wages) cheers easy! .......mugs

gunnerman76

Whats that white foam coming out of your mouth Gunnerman and why has your face gone green and whats that big chip on your shoulder.

Wswilly3

Don't worry gunnerman, willy won't be around much longer.

nikolaijns

Gunnerman,you miss the Days of Butcher and Robson, do you? i suppose they left their respective clubs back in 70's and early 80's for the love of money did they? R

cityman51

Gunnerman,you miss the Days of Butcher and Robson, do you? i suppose they left their respective clubs back in 70's and early 80's for the love of money did they? R

cityman51

Gunnerman,you miss the Days of Butcher and Robson, do you? i suppose they left their respective clubs back in 70's and early 80's for the love of money did they? R

cityman51

Gunnerman, you miss the days of Butcher and robson? Robson left their WBA to go to Manure, to further his career, AND MEDAL count, which he did, Robson with PL trophies and FA cups, Butcher made his name in Scotland with Rangers and the history equaling 9 titles in a row, so yeah hey did go for medals dont you think, and monetary gain probably made an impact too, but if you listen to the players it's not money it's titles at the end of the day, would Ryan Giggs be worth Trillions not just millions, if he moved on to other clubs as he is the most decorated player in PL history, and ONE club man, Serial adulterer, but still the same club, would he stay if he was not getting the medals he had , but still millions a month? RvP has not won the medals he thought he would and after 8years which is a decent time at one club these days only 1 medal to show, is not what he signed up for, and Wengers transfer policy is not going to win trophies for the forseeable future, longer term maybe but RvP is 30 AND WANTS MEDALS now.

cityman51

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