Just how good was Robin Van Persie and why we need to buy Kane.

Murder on Zidane's Floor

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Recently found this old Javier Nathanial video of RVP that I watched when it was launched but subsequently had been expunged from YouTube.


I remember when we signed RvP, I was filled with excitement and when he scored his first goal (against Fulham I think) I just felt so shocked at how he was this good and how you had just utter confidence that he would be the difference between 2nd and 1st.

Long story short, watching this video just makes me think that we have to do everything we can to sign Kane. I know there are a million reasons why we won't get him or that we can't afford him. But the club has to make every conceivable effort to get a striker of that quality signed for Manchester United.

Would also love to hear and see your favourite RVP goals and moments.
 

Skills

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RVP is one of my favourite players to have seen at the club and he was exhilarating in Fergie's last season.

However, a part of me also thinks that signing was another symptom of our poor planning even all the way back then. If you look at the younger strikers that were available then and the careers they ended up having - maybe we should've been looking at them instead.

Aguero was available summer 2011, Cavani was at Napoli, Lewandowski was about to have his major breakthrough season at Dortmund.
 

MiceOnMeth

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RVP is one of my favourite players to have seen at the club and he was exhilarating in Fergie's last season.

However, a part of me also thinks that signing was another symptom of our poor planning even all the way back then. If you look at the younger strikers that were available then and the careers they ended up having - maybe we should've been looking at them instead.

Aguero was available summer 2011, Cavani was at Napoli, Lewandowski was about to have his major breakthrough season at Dortmund.
Easy to say in Hindsight but Aguero cost 40 million and was like 21(fergie breaking the transfer record for a player than young doesn't seem likely)

RVP was at his absolute peek but we couldn't predict he'd fall off so hard the following seasons. He didn't rely on pace so he could have conceivably replicated his 2011-2013 form for another 2 years
 
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Sultan

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RvP instantly became one of my favourite players at United.

He was better than I thought when he came to United. He would have been at the very top of Premiership goalscoring charts had it not been for his injury issues throughout his career. Unfortunately, there is a massive price difference in what we paid for RvP and would need to pay for Kane.

Kane at 28 would end up costing United nearly 50 Million a season with his salary and transfer fee over a 5-year contract. Just can't see how that is feasible. This might be controversial and open to debate but personally, I'd choose a prime RvP over Kane.
 

Skills

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Easy to say in Hindsight but Aguero cost 40 million and was like 21(fergie breaking the transfer record for a player than young doesn't seem likely)

RVP was at his absolute peek but we couldn't predict he'd fall off so hard the following seasons. He didn't rely on pace so he could have conceivably replicated his 2011-2013 form for another 2 years
Tbf, even a great RVP for 2 seasons would've been great value for money. Its a shame, we wasted that second season on David Moyes of all people - because under a more competent manager he might've got us another trophy.
 

Vidyoyo

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RVP is one of my favourite players to have seen at the club and he was exhilarating in Fergie's last season.

However, a part of me also thinks that signing was another symptom of our poor planning even all the way back then. If you look at the younger strikers that were available then and the careers they ended up having - maybe we should've been looking at them instead.

Aguero was available summer 2011, Cavani was at Napoli, Lewandowski was about to have his major breakthrough season at Dortmund.
Some truth to this. Fergie definitely went for the known known rather than the unknown unknown with the acquisition of RVP.

I guess he wanted a quick win, a bit like when we signed Teddy.
 

Sultan

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Easy to say in Hindsight but Aguero cost 40 million and was like 21(fergie breaking the transfer record for a player than young doesn't seem likely)

RVP was at his absolute peek but we couldn't predict he'd fall off so hard the following seasons. He didn't rely on pace so he could have conceivably replicated his 2011-2013 form for another 2 years
Absolutely.

The whole team deteriorated. It's possible RvP could have had another outstanding season or two had Sir Alex stayed on to manage.
 

SecondFig

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RvP instantly became one of my favourite players at United.

He was better than I thought when he came to United. He would have been at the very top of Premiership goalscoring charts had it not been for his injury issues throughout his career. Unfortunately, there is a massive price difference in what we paid for RvP and would need to pay for Kane.

Kane at 28 would end up costing United nearly 50 Million a season with his salary and transfer fee over a 5-year contract. Just can't see how that is feasible. This might be controversial and open to debate but personally, I'd choose a prime RvP over Kane.
Exactly - comparing Kane and RVP just isn't a valid comparison. We didn't smash a transfer record to sign Van Persie, he was a great opportunistic signing who worked out well for a title-win. Obviously signing Kane would improve us, but it's not at all comparable with RVP as signing Kane would likely mean not strengthening at RW and CDM (or CB) - all of which are arguably far more important positions
 

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Absolutely.

The whole team deteriorated. It's possible RvP could have had another outstanding season or two had Sir Alex stayed on to manage.
Maybe yeah but we say that about a lot of players from that era - Nani, Hernandez, Rafael, Welbeck. None went on to do better than they did here.

RVP was on a different level and I reckon he had another year in him but it shows how well SAF motivated players. How he could get that bit extra out of them.
 

Sultan

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Maybe yeah but we say that about a lot of players from that era - Nani, Hernandez, Rafael, Welbeck. None went on to do better than they did here.

RVP was on a different level and I reckon he had another year in him but it shows how well SAF motivated players. How he could get that bit extra out of them.
Sir Alex did get that extra from the players as you mention. However, the players you mention fitted into the right structure at United. It is quite possible they would have excelled at the club had they'd been given a similar environment and structure to what Sir Alex provided. I still think most were mistakenly sold and replaced with inferiority. Typical mess up of the club post-Sir Alex era.
 

Tom Van Persie

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Absolutely.

The whole team deteriorated. It's possible RvP could have had another outstanding season or two had Sir Alex stayed on to manage.
I always thought he fell off because of playing under Moyes who didn't have a clue how to manage his minutes then he played in the World Cup injured. SAF would've managed him better.
 

Neil_Buchanan

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The thing I really liked about Rvp was how much he seemed to enjoy himself with us. He had huge respect for legends like Giggs and Fergie and you could see that he was just so excited to get to play with someone like Rooney. He seemed in awe of the club yet never overwhelmed, there was the sense of belonging and confidence.
 

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Kane will also be the difference between 1 and 2 if he goes to City, so long story short, buy him or we wont win the league
 

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I love RvP and he was an absolute monster day one he joined, but I also now see him as an early hint at what would happen next at United. I think his peak was visibly higher than what we have witnessed so far from Kane.
 

Amir

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RVP was at his absolute peek but we couldn't predict he'd fall off so hard the following seasons. He didn't rely on pace so he could have conceivably replicated his 2011-2013 form for another 2 years
Based on that, when we got him I thought he'd to a Sheringham and continue to contribute well for quite a few years. :(
 

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I think van Persie could easily have had another very good season if we weren't so bad under Moyes. IIRC, he finished the season strongly and could easily have carried the form into a new season if the whole team didn't decline.

If Cavani could stay fit, then I don't think we need to spend big on Kane. Top strikers at the tail end of their careers has served us well so far this decade, who knows who might become available in the next year or two. Should look to strengthen other positions and maximize Cavani while he is still here.
 

redshaw

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It's the status of the club now. We had RVN, Cole, Yorke, Ole, Teddy, Ronaldo Tevez and Rooney and bolstered it as required with RVP.

Now we just have a 34 year old Cavani only, from PSG, came here injured and thought to be finished.
In another timeline we buy Kane years ago.

Easy to say in Hindsight but Aguero cost 40 million and was like 21(fergie breaking the transfer record for a player than young doesn't seem likely)

RVP was at his absolute peek but we couldn't predict he'd fall off so hard the following seasons. He didn't rely on pace so he could have conceivably replicated his 2011-2013 form for another 2 years
I think there was a chance to predict it given Wenger said he'd thought he would fall off after leaving, he was only a year off. We got one sensational year, very worth it of course but it was coming to an end very soon for the player.
 
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MyOnlySolskjaer

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Maybe yeah but we say that about a lot of players from that era - Nani, Hernandez, Rafael, Welbeck. None went on to do better than they did here.

RVP was on a different level and I reckon he had another year in him but it shows how well SAF motivated players. How he could get that bit extra out of them.
Difference is, I don't see Moyes doing this for Van Persie, SAF had a way of making key players feel loved. Moyes would have been frustrated why he didn't track back like Pienaar.

 

jackal&hyde

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A fully fit for the season Cavani should somewhat do the trick if we improve other areas.
 

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RVP was the best pure striker I've seen at United (been watching football and supporting United since 2001). Better than even Van Nistelrooy. The guy was insanely good. If Kane can even be compared to that level then we should be doing whatever it takes to buy him (and he probably is on a similar level when on form).
 
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Irwin99

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The difference is price sadly. RVP was a bargain really.

In terms of long term planning I think RVP had had two successive seasons with Arsenal and then United where he was pretty much injury free. If he'd kept that up then maybe he could have kept playing for us for much longer. I can see Kane playing for a long time if he avoids injuries.
 

Irwin99

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Based on that, when we got him I thought he'd to a Sheringham and continue to contribute well for quite a few years. :(
I know he had fitness issues in the Moyes season but i always maintain he ran himself into the ground at the World Cup for LVG. I remember watching him struggle in the later stages of the tournament, he looked absolutely shattered :( Don't remember hardly anything of his United career after that.
 

Rozay

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Persie papered over cracks and now people are desperate for Kane to come and do the same. The lazy way out, the United Way out, even - of searching for a single saviour. A Cantona. A player who will come in and suddenly have a run of winning us trophies for a few years.

The time has come to go back to the drawing board and build a team, identity and unit that can compete at the top level, rather than praying for a new Persie. This notion of looking for an uncoached solution. A star who wins us 15 undeserved points. A strategy of ‘just get the ball in to him and hope he does something’. It may well get us a trophy or two in the short term, but we’ll be right back where we are once his powers wane.
 

GifLord

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RVP is one of my favourite players to have seen at the club and he was exhilarating in Fergie's last season.

However, a part of me also thinks that signing was another symptom of our poor planning even all the way back then. If you look at the younger strikers that were available then and the careers they ended up having - maybe we should've been looking at them instead.

Aguero was available summer 2011, Cavani was at Napoli, Lewandowski was about to have his major breakthrough season at Dortmund.
We wouldn't have won the league if we didn't sign RVP. He was easily a top 5 striker in the world at the time. Sure we might have bought someone younger but i very much doubt we'd have won the title. That season was all RVP the number of comebacks we won were all due to him being clinical.
 

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He was really good from what I recall since Arsenal and with United in the last seasons under SAF I thought the team played in a very old fashioned way (almost rustic), compared to other top teams in Europe, but snatching RVP from Arsenal was a great move that worked perfect for both RVP and Manchester United. You also had Rooney and that Chicharito fecker who seemed to score everytime he came from the bench, so the team had a lot of firepower even if they weren't controlling the game which make the team quite dangerous and good at comebacks.
 

Paul_Scholes18

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I feel Persie obviously worked, but I thought at the time we needed to improve central midfield and other areas. Moyes and LVG could not get it to work with other big areas needed to be improved on.

It did not help that Moyes thought that Fellaini was the right partner in midfield for Carrick.
 

Gopher Brown

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If we want to harbour any thoughts that we are a big club and on the up, buying Kane is exactly something we need to be doing.

It’s exactly the sort of thing Juventus, Bayern, Real Madrid and, feck me, City would do. When a top class player becomes available you move heaven and earth to sign them,
 

032Devil

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One season player from what I can remember. He got his Premiership Winner medal and lost his enthusiasm after that and became a bit-time player.
 

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He was a fatastic player hampered by injury and held back a bit by staying at Arsenal for so long. That United season was a nice crowning achievement for him.

Even his last year at Feyenoord he still had the majesty. God it was amazing to see him play for us again. Now we have Bryan Linssen on top :(
 

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The difference is price sadly. RVP was a bargain really.

In terms of long term planning I think RVP had had two successive seasons with Arsenal and then United where he was pretty much injury free. If he'd kept that up then maybe he could have kept playing for us for much longer. I can see Kane playing for a long time if he avoids injuries.
This. Kane is probably going to cost 100 million at least
 

POF

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RVP is one of my favourite players to have seen at the club and he was exhilarating in Fergie's last season.

However, a part of me also thinks that signing was another symptom of our poor planning even all the way back then. If you look at the younger strikers that were available then and the careers they ended up having - maybe we should've been looking at them instead.

Aguero was available summer 2011, Cavani was at Napoli, Lewandowski was about to have his major breakthrough season at Dortmund.
It wasn't really. It was just opportunistic. Van Persie wanted out of Arsenal and was available for a bargain for teams competing for titles. United were there to pick him up.

He was a top class player who could have starred for another 2-3 seasons if Fergie had stayed.

If anything, missing out on that type of signing is why United are in this mess. Buying every player at the absolute peak of their value and paying way over the odds has led to huge sums of money spent for minimal improvement.
 

Dan_F

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It's the status of the club now. We had RVN, Cole, Yorke, Ole, Teddy, Ronaldo Tevez and Rooney and bolstered it as required with RVP.

Now we just have a 34 year old Cavani only, from PSG, came here injured and thought to be finished.
In another timeline we buy Kane years ago.
Why are you making it sound like all those players were here at the same time? When we had four strikers in 99 it was to cover two positions. Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez played across the front three positions. Granted it’s a lot higher quality than we have now, but the market has changed. Kane signed a massive new contract, which made it basically impossible to sign him.

£150 million (including wages) would be insanity for a 28 year old who keeps picking up ankle injuries. Makes perfect sense for City as they don’t need 3-4 extra players.
 

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I always thought he fell off because of playing under Moyes who didn't have a clue how to manage his minutes then he played in the World Cup injured. SAF would've managed him better.
I thought I read somewhere once that RVP was a bit annoyed by Fergie retiring so soon after signing him. Understandable really as he came to us to win some silverware in his final few years, not get lost in the inevitable transition period.
 

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It's the status of the club now. We had RVN, Cole, Yorke, Ole, Teddy, Ronaldo Tevez and Rooney and bolstered it as required with RVP.

Now we just have a 34 year old Cavani only, from PSG, came here injured and thought to be finished.
In another timeline we buy Kane years ago.



I think there was a chance to predict it given Wenger said he'd thought he would fall off after leaving, he was only a year off. We got one sensational year, very worth it of course but it was coming to an end very soon for the player.
Very true. I also managed to get Lautaro off Inter and Haaland after I got Kane on my FM save. I couldn't get anyone to buy De Gea for a £100m so just took over PSG with another profile and bought him. Easy stuff.
 

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Kane would undoubtedly score a ton of goals for us, but the overall cost would be immense. The transfer alone would be £100m +/- then wages at something like 300k p/w for the next 4-5 years. We have to take his injury record into account too and survey the risk of that outlay. As great as he would likely be there are huge question marks against that ultimate cost.

If we compare with RVP, then a transfer of £24m looks fairly insignificant. That barely gets you a decent championship player these days! His form dipped after that first season but the overall cost was much lower and therefore a safer bet when assessing risk and reward.
 

mitchmouse

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RvP shows how one player can ignite a whole team (club). Not only dud he score goals, but he massively increased teammates' confidence that we could win the title