Robin van Persie

coolredwine

And this has come up again.

scholesy legend

Naah. He's just happier here.

Happy mind, healthy body

Hernandez - BFA

Rest him on Wednesday, and then unleash his pure quality against his former local rivals.

Cina

He's the game changing superstar we've missed since Ronaldo left. You always get the feeling that no matter how poor we play, if he's on the pitch then something can happen.

Rooney in Paris

I don't know how much that has to do with it to be honest, I was under the impression that he stopped picking up injuries when he switched from the Arsenal medical team to the Dutch physios on a permanent basis. No slight on the Arsenal medical team by the way, but maybe the Dutch team had a different type of treatment that was more appropriate for the player, maybe he stopped growing very late (some people have small growing spurts til their mid 20s which could be a bit of an annoyance for an athlete), who knows.

However, I'm not quite sure of this, I mean I know I'm not making it up, I think I heard it on French TV a while ago, if anyone can confirm it...

Donaldo

van Persie was never injury prone, he just had very bad luck with injuries.

Rozay

Indeed. Most of his injuries were impact injuries, not muscular.

MG

Injuries are my only worry about Van Persie, literally with everything else he's been superb. Looking at his career with Arsenal, though, you could be on to something that since he's changed his role to an out-and-out striker he's become a lot less injury-prone. It'd certainly mean he'd cover less ground.

That's only speculation though. If he gets injured that would be the worst thing for our team right now.

Jimy_Hills_Chin

Wild wild speculation my dear, speculation that I choose to contest, it is quite clear that he has been touched by God.

kietotheworld

I'm not particularly worried about injuries when it comes to van Persie, the last two seasons he hasn't missed a League game and even if he broke down now and didn't play for us again this season, we've got Rooney coming back who can score at a similar rate if required. The only real worry would be if they both broke down at the same time, and even then we've some pretty good options.

Sonny1972

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_zISpqwO2c

kouroux

I don't think it's got anything to do with the way he became a true striker, his fitness I mean.Look at Messi for instance, he was injury prone in his early years but up to a point (the season they won the treble) he has been amazingly fit.
Sometimes it's just luck/bad luck, it's too much of a wild guess IMHO

gooDevil

Cina

I went to see a Barca game and Messi basically just walked around the pitch apart from when he had the ball. I think that's why he never gets injured more than anything else.

Amir

His ability to deliever a dead ball is terrific. Look at what a difference he has made. We actually look dangerous and score tons of goals on corners and free kicks. Suddenly we've got defenders scoring regularly and he is a huge part in that, we just added a dimension we were lacking in recent years.

SirFergie

poor scousers

Isotope

The thought of him getting injured, made me cringe every time he scored a goal and then any player started climbing over him.

kouroux

Yeah and that despite many tackles he receives each games.

Brwned

Jaybezia

I still prefer Cantona's, he gets on his tip toes watching it trying to almost affect the flight of the ball telekinetically Still good spot though

kouroux

RVP's finish is better for me on the basis it's done with his "weaker" foot but at the same time Canto did a lot of work prior to the goal in terms of build up.

CapeTownRed

Not sure you can call his finish better when it doesn't go in. That's sort of the point. Fantastic skill though...

mustaine

How about Cole's finish here? Starts around 1:11.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTEYwPWqrG4

Brilliant. Also, just watch the video, he scored some good looking goals.

ghaliboy

Fuck me that Cole overhead was amazing. Also perfect example to young wingers at the end with Giggs going about 50 yards with his head up looking around.

kouroux

Yeah wrong word, you knew what I meant anyway ..

thegregster

I'm always right

Hilarious

"Hope you can sleep tonight you shithouse"

SteveJ

He gives us so much more than just goals. For example, look at how perfectly placed this free-kick is; too far away for the 'keeper to deal with it, and yet so close to the attackers that virtually any contact might lead to a goal:

SteveJ

Van Persie is 'the best forward ever', says Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp:

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/...s&ICID=HP_BN_6

Hernandez - BFA

Just realised how much space Liverpool gave Kagawa and Cleverley next to Van Persie. He could have quite easily slipped that to either player to have a free shot on goal.

Doesn't matter of course, because it really was a sublime cross from Robin.
I reckon he'll be on top form against Spurs - he'd probably want to make Arsenal fans like him a bit and the only way he's going to do that while at United is to destroy their local rivals.

Isotope

Watching the game yesterday, I can't imagine going back without van Persie as our striker. We've been so spoiled with him, our attack of Rooney - Hernandez just look so much less potent (although they're still very good forwards).

Now I can understand the feeling of those gooners, seeing how Podolski, Walcott, and Giroud fluffing their chances after chances against Swansea (but to be fair, Vorm was in the form of his life).

championo

He is as clinical as they get. Have we had a player like this before? I remember Ruud, but even he needed chances before he put some away.

Decotron

lunchforthesky

He's just so incredibly good.

R.N7

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro.

Lynk

For one season yes.

Anderson's Cat

Anyone else see a picture of him in an Arsenal shirt and think that's all wrong!

Keltoi

two.

JayWalker

Is the tits, yo!

Garethw

Ruud van Nistelrooy was one of the most clinical strikers I've ever seen. He certainly didn't need lots of chances to score, he was an absolute beast in front of goal.