Gooner Daily

Today’s post is a featured article written by an aspiring broadcaster who’s also an unrepentant and passionate Goonerette. She’s Shaqueel van Persie’s self-proclaimed “step mum” but she’s simply known as @dashingdebola on Twitter.

Enjoy!

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I must confess I thought it never was going to be this difficult when Robin van Persie stated that he was going to sit down with the Arsenal hierarchy and discuss over a cup of coffee concerning his future. I had believed that he was going to sign a new contract this summer and we all were going to live happily ever after.

I have a hunch that it was during the period I was on my daily diet of Kasaprenko, but on the other hand, things did look good or so it seemed.

He is adored and worshipped like a god in a Red and White jersey, chants of his name reverberates everywhere, the awards, accolades, and lauds stream in. One couldn’t get enough, just as I can bet he enjoys every bit.

Yet again, we have been reminded that we can’t really fathom what goes on in the heads of these players. We probably believe that it revolves around money, trophies, sometimes about family and all, but we never know in what directions they are headed.

The media Vultures of course, are making a feast out of the whole situation, and why shouldn’t they? They’re doing their bit to give us a hundred reasons why he should go and one on why he should stay.

We as Arsenal fans have also made our respective judgments on this issue, and if isn’t that he should stay at all costs, then there must be a damn good reason behind that opinion which I am dying to hear by the way.

We need van Persie to stay, not only because he is the best player we have, but because his presence could be a prospect of attraction to any other top player. The Board of Directors has stated that they want him to stay, but how bad is the Board willing to keep him?

Are they going to buckle under the intense pressure from the rich predators of Europe and sell him, going on with the business as usual theme? With the departure of Cesc Fabregas and $amir Na$ri still fresh in our minds, I cannot recall the number of times Arsene Wenger has reiterated that those players weren’t going be sold.

We know how far that got us and with the news hovering over us, van Persie’s case doesn’t seem far off.

To the best of my knowledge, the Flying Dutchman hasn’t handed in a transfer request to us, which for the moment, leaves us in control of things. This is the time when Wenger and his cohorts need to show the world and the fans most especially, that they still have this tiny bit of ambition running through their minds and that we are not some cash-hungry elite club.

If the club is so business-like as it is portrayed to be, I don’t see anything wrong with taking a risk on van Persie, because if he just going to be sold we might just as well add a slogan to our name and put it high up at the stadium saying “all about the profits”.

I know it may seem like a lot of risk to take on for a sought-after player with a year left on his contract, but it isn’t exactly. Making good money, then profit, off van Persie and replacing him seems like a smashing idea but when exactly over the past few years, have we rightly replaced any of our sold stars?

Atletico Madrid lost a gem in Fernando Torres and replaced him with Sergio Aguero. Aguero paid his dues and left for greener pastures but he was rightly replaced by Radamel Falcao, whose exploits on the pitch propelled them to Europa League glory last season.

More so, what striker of van Persie’s caliber, if I may ask, would be up for grabs at this period and won’t have most money-studded clubs on his trail? When the money issue rolls in, fighting such battles isn’t exactly our thing, therefore replacing a player who unarguably is the major reason we got our traditional place in the Champions League when we could just have kept him doesn’t make sense.

A club that has taken a long, overdue break from trophy hauling,{that’s how I like to refer our situation}, and a much questioned club policy, have lots of points to prove here that they are just not interested in getting Champions League qualification and making profits.

Arsenal has to send a statement out that it’s still an ambitious club and selling your best player to strengthen another team isn’t the way. How much can they do we might think, a whole lot!!!

This of course, would never come on the mind as a good plan but even our chicken-hearted neighbors, Tottenham, managed to do this to Luka Modric and it paid off, helping them build their so-called best team of the century. I must admit that was the best thing they managed to do since their existence.

If van Persie’s move isn’t totally motivated by the greens, it wouldn’t be a long disconcerting issue keeping him against his will, if he sees a capable team giving a go at a much higher target.

I am pretty certain that he will as well, and who says somewhere along the line signing the contract is impossible.

This way, knowing we challenged with a capable team, we would be able to make better deductions on how the season fared rather than postulating and making excuses on what might have been if some certain players have stayed.

Arsene Wenger on the other hand, would give us touching stories on how injuries, suspensions, bad luck, poor officiating, the departures of Batman, a half season wonder and Robin hugely affected us.

The Board needs to show us that they share the hunger of getting something better than the exit from most competitions in a month and making on top of it all making the Champions League by a lick of paint. This would be made obvious if a formidable looking team is in check and the balance of the present squad isn’t altered.

All of these in the right way will definitely do us well for some ass kicking, and that really, isn’t asking for too much.

I am not saying keeping him will guarantee us the Premier League but selling him most definitely wont.

Keeping Robin van Persie amidst all odds will definitely go down as some brave, audacious and most importantly ambitious feat we have pulled in a while.

Sayonara.

Follow @dashingdebola on Twitter..

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