Did Van Persie quit Arsenal for Stoke?

Man Utd’s struggling midfield leaves striker isolated

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  • Staff
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Liverpool's Steven Gerrard (R) challenges Manchester United's Robin van Persie during their English Premier League soccer match at Anfield in Liverpool, northern England September 23, 2012. (REUTERS)

There was a moment last season, when Robin Van Persie was still in an Arsenal shirt, when Alex Song, also still in an Arsenal shirt unlocked defences with a simple but well-timed lob over the defence to find the Dutch striker.

Van Persie would control the ball delightfully, then, strike a lethal volley.

On Sunday, against Liverpool, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs and even Paul Scholes attempted to do the same.

Not for the first time since Van Persie has moved to Manchester United has the unsettled United midfield attempted to do the ‘Song over the top’ routine.

They have yet to get it right, bar one Valencia cross which Van Persie has scored off.

The move is increasingly looking less Arsenal-inspired and more Stoke.

With a midfield that is currently struggling to keep hold off the ball without Scholes, the route one to Van Persie is starting from deeper and deeper in the midfield – no doubt underlining what Tony Pulis and Sam Allardyce at West Ham have always known – when in doubt, lob it out.

While in the second game of the day, Arsenal’s midfield delighted and showed the kind of skill and ball retention capabilities that right now seemed alien to United, Van Persie must be scratching his head thinking – Did I leave Arsenal to join Stoke?

Santi Cazorla and Abou Diaby threaded the ball with accuracy till they found Gervinho or Lukas Podolski.

Van Persie on the other hand continues to look like the tip of a spear that has a handle, but no middle.

Isolated up front for long periods, he ends up drifting wide where defences want him to be – away from goal.

After the Southampton comeback, Van Persie in no uncertain terms said, Paul Scholes was the one who changes the game for him.

Right now, without Scholes United’s midfield looks pedestrian… at best.

It’s route one or penalties then for Robin Van Persie.

 

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Comments

  • Rhys Warburton 25 September 2012 01:02 0 0
    AussieGooner learn your history. Bless you for thinking Blackburn didn't buy their title...
  • Glenn 25 September 2012 00:48 0 0
    Aussiegooner you should stick to Cricket of Ozzy rules.. Blackburn spent a fair bit when they won the league
  • Tendai 25 September 2012 00:42 0 0
    Yes, Man U still poor when it comes to the creative part of the game, its unfair to RVP! But, Sir Alex still knows how to grind results out of difficult, almost impossible situations - like the one we faced at Anfield, particularly in the first 45mins! When asked, post match, about what did during half-time teamtalk, to 'psych' his team to 3-points, Sir Alex simply said "...You don't want to know, do you!?". Well, I wouldn't so long we reclaim our EPL title from 'the noisy who?'
  • Richard 25 September 2012 00:12 0 0
    Wake up fella, United are perennial poor starters, yet all they do is get there at the end. The difference between United and say, Arsenal, is that even in transition they win titles. Less you forget, we put 8 in Arsenal last year and then destroyed them again with football in the return match even though the score line wasn't as big.
  • AussieGooner 24 September 2012 10:24 6 6
    That's right, and if this United side aren't good enough to play their way to the title then the referees will help them all the way. Good United= 10 titles. Average Untied + Referees = 9 titles. Total United 19 titles. Chelsea and City bought their titles, leaving only Blackburn and Arsenal who've actually earned their titles.
  • Maknorm 24 September 2012 07:44 6 9
    never compare stoke n arsenal 2 mighty man u coz even arsenal hav n't any trophy 4 playing gud futbal rvp wanted succes n pride n its only at united. lets wait, in may, he 'll prove it

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  Team P W D L GD PTS
1 = Man Utd 37 28 4 5 43 88
2 = Man City 37 23 9 5 33 78
3 = Chelsea 37 21 9 7 35 72
4 = Arsenal 37 20 10 7 34 70
5 = Tottenham 37 20 9 8 19 69
6 = Everton 37 16 15 6 16 63
7 = Liverpool 37 15 13 9 27 58
8 = West Brom 37 14 6 17 -4 48
9 = Swansea 37 11 13 13 -1 46
10 = West Ham 37 11 10 16 -10 43
11 = Stoke 37 9 14 14 -11 41
12 = Norwich 37 9 14 14 -18 41
13 = Newcastle 37 11 8 18 -22 41
14 = Southampton 37 9 13 15 -11 40
15 = Fulham 37 10 10 17 -13 40
16 = Aston Villa 37 10 10 17 -22 40
17 = Sunderland 37 9 12 16 -12 39
18 = Wigan 37 9 8 20 -26 35
19 = Reading 37 6 10 21 -28 28
20 = QPR 37 4 13 20 -29 25

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