I'm sorry but I don't blame RVP

[donaldo]

He's gone to Utd there going to win the league.Get over it

We have more important things to worry about than Man Utd's CF

[Top Londoner]

gingeadams,
You don't have to apologise for your opinion mate. Not everyone will choose to give him abuse, but all are justified to do so imo.
I think that he should not have made his remarks about always being a gooner plus, he should never, ever had joined that lot. If only to keep his dignity intact. He has a short memory.
Also, after reading the reassuring newspaper articles throughout summer about him staying, he should have corrected them, even if they were not direct quotes. He was big enough to gob off about the club's direction, he should have been man enough to contradict the newspaper articles.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robin_L
"but I guess you gotta go along with the crowd right? "

BAA, BAA, BAA

It's about having your own opinion mate

[QuartzGooner]

Was angry when he left because it was for Man Utd, not because he left.

But the more I think about it, it shows me two things

That as a club we are truly not competitive for the title.
That as a club we fail to replace departed key players with similar quality, prioritising money in the bank.


Yes, Arteta and Cazorla are good, Giroud is not bad, but we are a worse team than four years ago.
We need to pay off debts, but the balance is too far away from re-investing in the team.

[kite]

I just wonder which club do you (those who blame him because it's United) think he should've joined instead?
As far as I remember there were three clubs in for him: City, United and Juventus. Only problem is that you just don't move to Serie A (crap league) as a top player nowadays and that leaves City and United and that's it.
I guess he would've gone to Real Madrid or Barcelona or maybe Bayern if they would've wanted him.

Btw don't get me wrong I really don't like him

[northbank123]

City. Would have got huge stick for being greedy but wouldn't have been half the *word censored*.

He forced through the move to United.

[augie]

I just wonder which club do you (those who blame him because it's United) think he should've joined instead?
As far as I remember there were three clubs in for him: City, United and Juventus. Only problem is that you just don't move to Serie A (crap league) as a top player nowadays and that leaves City and United and that's it.
I guess he would've gone to Real Madrid or Barcelona or maybe Bayern if they would've wanted him.

Btw don't get me wrong I really don't like him

I have had ignorant manc fans telling me that cos he wanted to go to manure there was nothing with could do.......obviously the concept of having a full year left on a contract means nothing to these fools Fact is we and we alone held the power here if we were willing to be strong (and by strong I mean not greedy ) - if I was in charge I would have accepted half the money from juve rather tan allow him to go to a domestic "rival" and if that didnt suit him then he could have sat out the remainder of his contract in the stands for all I cared cos there wouldnt have been too many big clubs willing to pay him a kings ransom at 30 years of age

[flash gunner]

Ive got mixed views on it. I think he owed us something due to his years of injuries but how long has he got before he retires? 5 years max i would say, so how can we not understand his want to join a decent team with a realistic chance of winning trophies?

[DB10_TH14]

i dont think we can really empathise with his decision because at the end of the day we're the fans and our loyalty is to the arsenal where as this is his job and with only say 4-5 years left he wants to maximise his chance at winning trophies and perhaps he still wont at united but its rather obvious to even stevie wonder he's gotta a btr chance their than he would have here

[markyp]

after the shambles of the season so far and what is becoming apparent regarding monies definately available and have been available to Wenker,the kroenke situatuion etc etc i now no longer blame any players for jumping ship.we all thought it was down to money until now,the players all said Arsenal lack ambition,i didnt believe that,until now.We are sadly a business making money,not a football club winning trophies and the board along with the idiotic frenchman seem to be happy with that.it pains me to say it but Cashley saw what was coming as did the others,Nasri especially has been proven right,ARSENAL SIMPLY HAVE NO AMBITION,IF YOU WANT SILVERWARE YOU HAVE TO MOVE ON.my anger is with Wenker and the board,no longer with the players

[kite]

City. Would have got huge stick for being greedy but wouldn't have been half the *word censored*.

He forced through the move to United.

Ok, that was what I wanted to know

I have had ignorant manc fans telling me that cos he wanted to go to manure there was nothing with could do.......obviously the concept of having a full year left on a contract means nothing to these fools Fact is we and we alone held the power here if we were willing to be strong (and by strong I mean not greedy ) - if I was in charge I would have accepted half the money from juve rather tan allow him to go to a domestic "rival" and if that didnt suit him then he could have sat out the remainder of his contract in the stands for all I cared cos there wouldnt have been too many big clubs willing to pay him a kings ransom at 30 years of age

From what I read Arsenal (Wenger or whoever makes the final decision) was willing to accept much less money from Juventus than they got from United but it was van Persie himself who didn't want to go there. So they had the choice between keeping him another year and get nothing or sell him to either City or United. I agree that you should never sell important players to a direct rival (though if they really don't care about winning the league they might not even think of United as a rival but what do I know

[northbank123]

I just wonder which club do you (those who blame him because it's United) think he should've joined instead?
As far as I remember there were three clubs in for him: City, United and Juventus. Only problem is that you just don't move to Serie A (crap league) as a top player nowadays and that leaves City and United and that's it.
I guess he would've gone to Real Madrid or Barcelona or maybe Bayern if they would've wanted him.

Btw don't get me wrong I really don't like him

I have had ignorant manc fans telling me that cos he wanted to go to manure there was nothing with could do.......obviously the concept of having a full year left on a contract means nothing to these fools Fact is we and we alone held the power here if we were willing to be strong (and by strong I mean not greedy ) - if I was in charge I would have accepted half the money from juve rather tan allow him to go to a domestic "rival" and if that didnt suit him then he could have sat out the remainder of his contract in the stands for all I cared cos there wouldnt have been too many big clubs willing to pay him a kings ransom at 30 years of age

I agree with the principle of what you're saying and I wish we'd sold him to anybody but United but his statement made it impossible for us to make him honour that contract in reality. He came out and slated the club as a whole and indirectly the manager and his team-mates whilst still under contract AS CAPTAIN, even those fans who spend their lives wanking over Wenger and Feo would have had reservations about having that bloke as our captain. And as sick as it makes me to see him play for them or for us to make yet another decision based on money we'd have been forfeiting a transfer fee and also spunking away wages on a player who'd never ever have done anything like he did last year. And it's no use saying we won't reinvest the money because we already had, if not we'd have to sell more next summer to balance it out.

[N1Goon]

Got a very good move for himself. Gets to be managed by the best Premiership manager of all time who knows exactly how to utilize him and will become very rich and successful. Next summer he will be playing with a World Class midfielder, because Fergie will be buying. Maybe they'll bid for Jack, time will tell.

[gavbacon]

Agree with most of what's been said above.

At the end of the day, given the parameters of which RVP was expected to ply his trade I bet most of us would have chosen Man United's position than ours. I mean, Rooney / Scholes / Valencia / whoever, fighting for the title and CL against our lot... Gervinho, Ramsey, Diaby aiming and accepting of 4th place.

Don't get me wrong, it makes me feel sick when I see him in a Man U shirt, but you can hardly blame him for wanting to go.

And the argument about him not being loyal doesn't stack up, it was a mutual decision to extend his contract during his injury years, and it was a mutual decision for him to leave the club. He had 1 year left on his contract and the decision was made to cash in before it expired.

As fans we have to be loyal, as employees, footballers don't have to.

And I was one of those signing at Old Trafford earlier this season (it's a catchy tune!), but upon reflection how classy would it have been if we'd have either clapped him or ignored him?!

[StuartL]

Haven't sung the song and wont do.

Don't blame RVP, same as I didn't blame Fabregas, two world class players playing among a bunch of mediocrity and with a manager who thinks that he is omnipitant and that sticking to the same formation / tactics every week will get results.

I want my Arsenal back and want to see Wenker's back.

[northbank123]

Agree with most of what's been said above.

At the end of the day, given the parameters of which RVP was expected to ply his trade I bet most of us would have chosen Man United's position than ours. I mean, Rooney / Scholes / Valencia / whoever, fighting for the title and CL against our lot... Gervinho, Ramsey, Diaby aiming and accepting of 4th place.

Don't get me wrong, it makes me feel sick when I see him in a Man U shirt, but you can hardly blame him for wanting to go.

And the argument about him not being loyal doesn't stack up, it was a mutual decision to extend his contract during his injury years, and it was a mutual decision for him to leave the club. He had 1 year left on his contract and the decision was made to cash in before it expired.

As fans we have to be loyal, as employees, footballers don't have to.

And I was one of those signing at Old Trafford earlier this season (it's a catchy tune!), but upon reflection how classy would it have been if we'd have either clapped him or ignored him?!

It wasn't a mutual decision in the respect that we wanted him to stay but he forced our hand with his refusal to sign a contract and then by disgracefully cutting all ties with that statement.

And the problem wasn't that we sang songs about him or whatever. I would have happily listened to us sing "You're a *word censored* Robin, you're a *word censored*" for 90 mins. It was that we stooped to the rapist song.