How good was Robin van Persie?

[BlueHaze]

Came to us, scored 26 his first season and basically won us the title.

I think that pretty much sums him up. Awful luck with injuries but absolutely cracking player.

 

[KetilOwren88]

You're not confusing RvP with RvN are you ?

No, while Ruud obviously was great for a longer period of time, I still think Robin was the more complete striker. The impact he had during the 2012/13 season can’t be ignored either. As someone said here, Ruud was an absolutte beast in front of the goal but van Persie had it all. It’s a shame he declined as he did when Fergie left.

 

[Tomuś]

A Rolls Royce of a striker. He was blessed with the touch and dribbling ability that is more associated with a midfield maestro. Used to regularly make a fool of defenders. A few times controlling the ball and nutmegging the defender in the same movement. He was a deadly finisher but what I liked most about his finishing was that he used to absolutely leather the ball. A lot of strikers will sacrifice power for accuracy, yet it seems he hit the ball as hard as he could and it would still end up in the corner of the goal.

Unfortunately injuries really ruined him and prevented him from showing his true abilities apart from a couple of years.

The way he left Arsenal was a bit of shame. We understood why he left, he wanted to win big trophies and it didn't look like that would be possible at Arsenal any time soon. But at the same time we felt that our club stood with him through all the injury nightmares (not sure he even had a full season injury free apart from his last season), he was only a couple of years short of being a decade with us. He was a fan favourite, building a cult following. Then he goes and joins a rival in the same league. Of course it is going to hurt. We were very bitter about that. Not just at him but because it also showed how much we had fallen from the top.

Personally I still look fondly at his time here. To have seen a player of that quality and the memories do make me smile.

You must be the best fan ever. So lovely.

 

[Skills]

That goal is just outrageous. This & his goal against Everton are his two best goals for me.

 

[MalBot]

You must be the best fan ever. So lovely.

I did say I was bitter for a while. He also did in fact taint his legacy by that move. But you can't ignore his brilliance on the pitch.

 

[Champagne Football]

I think he was the 2nd best ever Dutch player in the PL after Robben. Just shades Bergkamp for that no. 2 spot

 

[matherto]

Un-fecking-believably good in his pomp.

Technically staggeringly beautiful to watch.

 

[Stadjer]

And there are still people who think we (my country) should have played Huntelaar over him for out national team....

 

[matherto]

That goal against Villa is one of the most technically perfect goals you'll ever see.

To track it coming over and across your shoulder from so deep, while running at pace and pulling away from your defender, the vision and audacity to even think of the volley and then to time and strike it so perfectly, back across and away from the keeper while controlling it into the bottom corner with a full powered volley.

Disgusting goal.

Was the last first team match I saw live and had a perfect view of it from the Stretford End and I still to this day cannot believe what I saw.

It's just sublime in every way.

 

[MalBot]

And there are still people who think we (my country) should have played Huntelaar over him for out national team....

That is madness! Huntelaar? I wouldn't play any striker playing at the time RvP was playing over him if he was fit.

This is what Klopp said about him after we played them in the Champions league where Robin destroyed his team.

“Personally, when we played against Arsenal in London, I saw the best forward ever: Robin van Persie,” the Dortmund coach told UEFA.com.

“I didn’t know a player could play three positions during 90 minutes. It was a great experience – and we want to use that now.”

I genuinely think after he saw the way RvP played he changed what he wanted from his strikers. It would make sense the way he never even tried to go for Lewandowski once he was in Liverpool. Firmino is like a RvP lite. Is able to interchange and move all about the final third. Of course he is nowhere near him on finishing ability and technique.

 

[bdspeedy]

That goal is just outrageous. This & his goal against Everton are his two best goals for me.

That volley vs Villa for us and the Flying header for Holland in the WC vs Spain were way up there.

 

[Hound Dog]

If we was faster, would have been in the GOAT conversation for strikers.

Given that he was not, still a very very good player. Probably the best United striker of the modern era after prime Rooney.

 

[SAF-GIGGSY]

Although SAF retired 100% hes still happy he joined us he had an almighty PL title and arsenal days were numbered anyway

 

[bdspeedy]

I think he was the 2nd best ever Dutch player in the PL after Robben. Just shades Bergkamp for that no. 2 spot

Are Rijkaard, Cryuff, Neeskins, vanBasten, Bergkamp, Gullit, Seedorf,.... on a different list? I love RVP and think he'd probably be in the top 20 Dutch players of all time but no where near the top 5.

 

[joedirt87]

I still think United would have won the league in 12/13 without him, but he was fantastic his first year at the club. under van Gaal though my god, he looked like a zombie out there trying to move around. Guess he was finished after the world cup.

 

[diarm]

Was the last first team match I saw live and had a perfect view of it from the Stretford End and I still to this day cannot believe what I saw.

It's just sublime in every way.

I got goosebumps watching it on tv. Can only imagine what it must have been like live!

 

[tenpoless]

Imagine Lukaku when He decides to be clinical and uses his strength properly + first touch of Mata + technical/playmaking skills of Wayne Rooney at his peak because RvP added much more than just goals.

Then you'll have peak Robin van Persie. Add Fergie as the manager and He becomes twice the player.

 

[matherto]

Are Rijkaard, Cryuff, Neeskins, vanBasten, Bergkamp, Gullit, Seedorf,.... on a different list? I love RVP and think he'd probably be in the top 20 Dutch players of all time but no where near the top 5.

Considering it says 'in the PL' then yeah.

 

[bdspeedy]

Considering it says 'in the PL' then yeah.

Oh, there is THAT. Bergkamp, Gullit, VDS, were pretty dang good though too.

 

[Donaldo]

I think he was the 2nd best ever Dutch player in the PL after Robben. Just shades Bergkamp for that no. 2 spot

 

[Donaldo]

Did some even try and argue that van Persie was better than van Nistelrooy? On here?

I hated horseface with a passion a kid but he was different league to van Persie.

 

[AgentP]

Just seeing his name on the team sheet gave me so much confidence. He was like Aguero in the sense that every team fears him. I love the fact that he chose us over City! That one transfer decided the league. If he had gone to City, they would have won the league, no doubt.

 

[WensleyMU]

Dear gods of football, please give us another great Dutch striker from whom a legend can be born!

Who out there is the next Dutch striking legend? The next RvP or RvN?

 

[Moiraine]

I still think United would have won the league in 12/13 without him, but he was fantastic his first year at the club. under van Gaal though my god, he looked like a zombie out there trying to move around. Guess he was finished after the world cup.

I agree, we were bang on signing robert lewandowski, only pulled out at the last minute because RVP was available and we snatched him.

Even the Polish National Team manager said that he is off to United. Probably would have been better for United in the long term. But lets not discard the effect RVP had. He was simply the best striker we ever had. A joy to watch.

 

[tenpoless]

Tells you everything you need to know.

 

[KirkDuyt]

He was bang average. Poor man's Dirk Kuyt. At least Dirk won us the league when he came back to retire in De Kuip.

 

[Chipper]

I still think United would have won the league in 12/13 without him, but he was fantastic his first year at the club. under van Gaal though my god, he looked like a zombie out there trying to move around. Guess he was finished after the world cup.

Same for me. We only would have needed 79 points to win as it turned out providing the results against City were the same (1 win, 1 loss). We actually scored 3 more goals in the league the season before he came too. I reckon we would have found a way.

Of course though, he was a great spearhead and focal point to our attack that year.

 

[Paxi]

No, while Ruud obviously was great for a longer period of time, I still think Robin was the more complete striker. The impact he had during the 2012/13 season can’t be ignored either. As someone said here, Ruud was an absolutte beast in front of the goal but van Persie had it all. It’s a shame he declined as he did when Fergie left.

Ya think? Ruud was pretty limited. RvP was one of the most complete strikers I’ve ever seen.

 

[Real Madras]

When he was at Arsenal I didn’t really focus on him too much. I knew he was their best player but when we were linked to him I wasn’t overly impressed until a pal of mine (arsenal fan) told me to watch him properly. Since that day, I swear to god I realised the guy never really lost the ball. In open spaces he was quick enough to keep the ball moving. In tight spaces, his ball control was severely underrated. Honestly never seen him lose the ball in a United shirt. He was the best striker in the world when he was with us and of course singlehandedly won us number 20.

 

[2cents]

Same for me. We only would have needed 79 points to win as it turned out providing the results against City were the same (1 win, 1 loss). We actually scored 3 more goals in the league the season before he came too. I reckon we would have found a way.

Of course though, he was a great spearhead and focal point to our attack that year.

Van Persie would have been playing for City though.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

That goal is just outrageous. This & his goal against Everton are his two best goals for me.

This is number one for me - could watch it all day.

 

[Mogget]

He's a wanker.

 

[Rafeeq RSA]

Immense skill set, could easily have been in the top tier if not for the injuries

 

[Chipper]

Van Persie would have been playing for City though.

Good point, and I'd sort of forgotten about that/didn't think about it in that way!

To trash my previous thinking even further City scored 93 in 11/12 and only 66 in 12/13 after not really buying any attackers in the summer. So even if in fact he'd have joined neither we could well have seen a similar drop off in goal output to City's. Certainly a possibility and we'll never know.

We did add Kagawa but that din't exactly work out well for him or us.

 

[MalBot]

This goal shows best his two trademarks, the sublime skill to bamboozle the defender followed up by the fierce shot.

 

[Casanova85]

The last great successful signing. The starring role of the 2013 title. He collapsed with the rest of the squad in 13-15.

 

[harms]

Who had a better left foot, Giggs or RVP?

Depending on your definition of that conception. It’s usually said with the focus being on first touch and shooting (both power and accuracy), so probably Van Persie.

 

[KetilOwren88]

Ya think? Ruud was pretty limited. RvP was one of the most complete strikers I’ve ever seen.

Yes that’s what I said mate