Why buy Mondeos, Arsene, when Gunners need Porsche?
Posted Saturday, April 27, 2013 by The Sun
TOUGH LESSONS ... Arsenal boss Wenger
SO Arsenal fans plan to turn up late for their team’s clash with Manchester United at the Emirates tomorrow.
Apparently they cannot bear to watch their players give a pre-match guard of honour to this season’s Premier League champions.
And in particular a certain Dutchman who left their club last summer for Old Trafford.
It may be unsporting and somewhat ungracious, given that I seem to recall United and other clubs providing the same courtesy to the Gunners back in the days when they used to win titles.
But I can understand the Gooners’ hurt and if that is what they want to do, then so be it.
I just hope manager Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal directors take a long hard look as the United team are applauded on to the pitch after regaining the title from their big rivals City.
And as they see their old boy Robin van Persie walk back out on to the Emirates turf as a champion, maybe it will finally hit home to them that in football, as in life, you get what you pay for.
I am not saying you cannot pick up a bargain or a good deal along the way.
But in general, if you want the best then you must accept you will have to pay a premium for it.
The magnificent Van Persie has proved that this season.
United splashed out £22million to sign him from Arsenal last summer.
That is just less than the amount the Gunners spent on signing £13m Olivier Giroud from Montpellier and £11m Lukas Podolski from Cologne to replace him.
Wenger will argue they have got two players for the price of one and it is hard to disagree that both have not done well in their first year in England. Giroud has netted 17 times for Arsenal in all competitions and Podolski 14.
But there is no getting away from it, they are not Van Persie.
Put both of them on the same teamsheet and they will still not send a shiver through the opposition dressing room in the same way the Dutchman’s name does.
Arsenal have effectively sold a Porsche and bought two Mondeos.
Now the Mondeos will always do a job.
But ultimately it is the Porsche that will receive all the admiring glances and win races.
Especially Premier League title ones.
Old Trafford boss Alex Ferguson clearly highlighted Van Persie as the marquee signing to lift his squad after their shattering final-day title loss to neighbours Manchester City last term.
And what a simple stroke of genius it has turned out to be.
In one fell swoop he dented the hopes of Arsenal — now without another star player — and City — who were also trying to sign him — while improving his own squad.
As a result, United have won their 20th top-flight title, thanks in no small part to Van Persie’s 24 goals in 34 Prem appearances this season.
That is some scoring record.
But it is not only his goals that have been responsible for the Red Devils’ triumph.
From day one his arrival has improved all the players around him by another 10 per cent.
Van Persie said he left Arsenal for United because he wanted to win silverware — and he has done just that.
In just 12 months at Old Trafford he has achieved what he failed to do in his last eight years with the Gunners — and that is win a trophy.
By doing so, he surely hammered home the message to his former club that they would be better off buying one £30m player than two £15m ones.
Van Persie did a fantastic job for Arsenal.
I totally understand why the home fans would want to boo and jeer him tomorrow.
But the truth is, they should be cheering him — and those who run their club should be learning from him.
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