If you had told me in May that Robin Van Persie would be a United player in August, I would've asked you what you’d been smoking. Arsenal’s best player and the man who figuratively carried them throughout last season playing for us?! No, the way I saw it, there was absolutely no chance of that happening. Then the statement from the man himself came. Apparently he disagreed with the club’s way of doing things and he wanted to leave in the summer. Then came the rumors linking us with him. I remember slagging that off as the most ridiculous rumor of the summer. Suddenly Fergie confirmed that a bid had been placed. “Hmm, that was cheeky”, I thought, and for the first time I actually had to decide whether or not I wanted him at our club. I decided against, something I also made known on Twitter. “What’s that?!”, you say? I actually didn't want Van Persie? Any sane man would want him at his club, right? It is impossible to deny Van Persie’s qualities, but I had my reasons for not wanting him at United.
We were looking at a man who had been struggling with injuries for most of his career on a high level. At the time, I was simply picturing a far more skilled Michael Owen. Yes, he could contribute, but what if he went out for the season in October and spent his time cashing in silly money while hitting up the cafeteria chicks? Thinking back to the likes of Hargreaves and Owen, that was a very unpleasant scenario. Oh, how I think of what could have been with Hargreaves…
Robin wasn't exactly young either, at least not in a footballing sense. He was nearly 29 and you could wonder how many years he would perform at the top level, because the Premier League is undoubtedly the top level. I was also skeptical towards how much money one should pay for someone of that age. And there was no way Arsenal would let their star man go for shits and scraps. After losing Fabregas and Nasri last summer, and with Song on the verge to a Barcelona transfer (for a ridiculously low fee in my opinion, Wenger would at least want to cash in on their arguably best player. Van Persie would also want a hefty paycheck, I reckon. With our economic situation, this transfer didn't seem like something that would pay off in the long run.
In the end, Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill have the power. They can’t hear the voices of fans on Twitter and on the 17th of August, the transfer was official. Robin Van Persie had signed for Manchester United for a reported fee of £24M. United fans were ecstatic, while Arsenal fans cursed the day Van Persie was born. My opinion mattered little, and this was where I had to accept that.
I remembered streaming Van Persie’s first press conference on my cell phone while sitting on a bus. He came across as unbelievably humble and focused on helping us win that 20th title, and I thought to myself that maybe he was the right man for us after all.
I can honestly say that my opinion is different now. Robin has already scored 7 goals, including 2 in the Champions League. He certainly knows how to say the right things to the press too. After scoring both goals to defeat Cluj, his focus was on the fact that he needed to get more assists. The Van Persie/Rooney partnership is looking like the most deadly combo in the Premier League, and I am very optimistic as to what the future holds for us.
Robin’s flying start is of course something in itself to trigger a change of opinion for me, but that wasn't what changed it for me. For me it was the fact that he was a Manchester United player. Anyone wearing our proud crest and playing for us should have our full support when on the pitch. As long as you’re a Manchester United player I am 100% behind you. I never wanted us to sign Michael Owen, and I thought his stay with us was a joke (apart from THAT goal, of course). Still, whenever he played I was behind him, cheering him on just like any other player on the pitch wearing our colors I detested Rooney’s behavior off the pitch, when news emerged that he shagged prostituted grannies and whatnot when Coleen was pregnant. However, when he is on the pitch he is a Manchester United player, and his sins off the pitch matters little.
I hope to see a perfect partnership up front for us this year and maybe we can stand tall in May, proudly holding that 20th league title. Robin, and anyone reading this, I am humbly holding my hands up. You have proved me wrong so far, and I pray to the heavens that you will continue to do so.
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