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Wenger: ‘Selling Van Persie To Man Utd Caused Unrest In The Team’
Arsene Wenger has admitted selling former captain Robin van Persie to Manchester United caused unrest in the team and was the reason for our poor start to last season.
The boss made a hugely controversial decision to sell van Persie to United for £24m last summer following a personal phone-call from then manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Dutchman was predictably an instant hit at Old Trafford, scoring on his debut and going on to become the league’s top scorer as he helped United win the Premier League title by a huge 11 points from second-placed City.
While our former skipper was tearing it up in Manchester, we made a terrible start in the league and had to rely on a stunning run of form during the second half of the season to snatch fourth spot from Tottenham by a single point.
Arsene believes the loss of van Persie was the reason for our poor start as it destabilised the team, but he rightly praised the lads for showing huge courage to fight back with our win away at Bayern Munich in late February a definite turning point.
Speaking at the clubs AGM today, Wenger is quoted as saying by the Telegraph:
“We lost Van Persie, which created a lot of unrest and destabilised the team. But from November to May team showed fantastic mental strength.”
“From the end of March to today, we have lost just one match, that created a huge emotion,” Wenger said.
It seems obvious to say now, but of course losing a player of Van Persie’s quality was going to hurt the team in the short term. He was our captain, best player and go-to guy for a moment of magic. But there is little doubt we’re a far better TEAM now than we were 18 months ago with him in the side. We have much more depth and have goal-scorers all over the pitch.
However, some will rightly point out, had we managed to keep hold of RVP and still added the likes of Cazorla, Ozil, Podolski and Giroud, we might just have a squad capable of challenging for the Champions League as well as the Premier League.
Do you still rue selling van Persie? Or are we better off without him?
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bigseg
October 17, 2013 at 3:02 pm
Buy the Best striker this January and be the champion
zakariyau jelyll
October 17, 2013 at 3:20 pm
In economics its say when opportunity lost can never be regain yes its true but in ftball especially Arsenal Club its not like dat.
Imagine losing RVP to our rival (ManU)last season nd its bring success to d team dat’s to say maintaing league leader nd CPL section of round of sixteen
jessie
October 17, 2013 at 3:43 pm
it shows the world can do without the best. We just need to add another top striker to help giroud.
Rang
October 17, 2013 at 3:47 pm
Selling RVP to United led to one very positive event for us – SAF glorious retirement ;D
From that Wenger basically springs to live!
Olakanse Akeem
October 17, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Infact we world class striker like RVP
Goons_with_Guns
October 17, 2013 at 4:32 pm
I will never part of the IWWT brigade, as this sale was a perfect example as to why: his absurd decision making which:
a) Gifted the title to a rival
b) Reduced our chance considerably of fighting for the title
c) Making any profit from additional TV rights from going farther in the Cups and PL and
d) Eliminated any remote possibility of profit from winning the League
e) c and d above would have offset the need to sell RvP in the first place, and he would have likely stayed had we won a trophy.
Wenger is a retard when it comes to logic.
Reality Goon
October 17, 2013 at 4:48 pm
And you my friend are a retard when it comes to analysis.
Top gun
October 17, 2013 at 6:17 pm
U are super duper retard….
Top gun
October 17, 2013 at 6:19 pm
U are a super duper retard….goons wit guns
Wonder Boy
October 17, 2013 at 6:49 pm
The sale of Robin Van Persie can easily be mitgated by the fact that he rejected the contract renewal and the club is unwilling to lose him on the free transfer the following summer. They could have offloaded him to a foreign club for a lesser amount. Manchester United should be the last club in the world for Wenger to consider. From the perspective of every single Arsenal supporter, this is an unforgivable act.
Wonder Boy
October 17, 2013 at 6:52 pm
The sale of Robin Van Persie can easily be mitgated by the fact that he rejected the contract renewal and the club is unwilling to lose him on a free transfer the following summer. They could have offloaded him to a foreign club for a lesser amount but chose their closest rival. Manchester United should be the last club in the world for Wenger to consider selling Van persie. From the perspective of every single Arsenal supporter, this is an unforgivable act.