Robin van Persie’s start to the season has rightly earned him universal praise. Too often footballers get lauded as world-beaters but the Dutchman’s form has been nothing short of sensational, galvanising Arsenal’s push back up the table. But are Arsenal and Arsene Wenger setting themselves up for a fall by relying too much on Robin?
Despite Arsenal’s awful start to the season, the one shining light amongst the initial gloom at the Emirates has been the form of star striker and captain van Persie. The Dutchman sits on top of the Premier League scoring charts with eleven goals in eleven appearances (a fine achievement when playing in a team that can’t currently compete with the top clubs yet van Persie has scored more than the likes of title-chasers Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney).
But whilst van Persie’s sparkling form in the short-term is a great relief for Wenger as he tries to turn his team’s season around, the striker’s long-term future remains in doubt and Arsenal need to look past the Dutchman and build a team around him that can support van Persie but also work without him.
The pitfalls of having a one-man team are well documented and whilst Arsenal do still have plenty of star names in their squad, their reliance on van Persie to score goals, assist and captain the team is a risky move.
The main concern surrounding the former Feyenoord man is his contract. The striker’s current deal expires in June 2013 and it has recently been reported that he will not consider a new deal until next summer. If his form continues in the same vein across the whole season then Arsenal will do well to hold onto a player that must be on many top European clubs radar with the clock ticking down on his contract.
Arsenal are all too aware of how contract negotiations and wantaway stars can have a disastrous affect at a football club and Arsenal must do everything they can to avoid a repeat of last summer when they lost both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. Their departures left the club in turmoil; the loss of van Persie in a similar fashion would be disastrous for Wenger.
Great piece of jounalism.
Arsenal should not pass to an in-form striker in case he scores too many goals, demonstrating how weak the rest of the team really is.
Maybe the writer should get out more, or search for reality on a dating site.
So, tell me something I don’t already know!
Still huffing and puffing on the embers of the “Arsenal in Crisis” narrative then?