36 games for Arsenal (17 more than last season) 20 goals and 13 assists (both of which lead the team) and the ability to score absolutely incredible goals: but for some Ivan come lately, he would have easily been Gooner of the Year.
There isn’t much to say about Robin, we all see that the quality is there, we just need him healthy. I thought his best game came back in January, when we drew 1-1 to Everton. Here was a player who, in the month of January, had a hand in every Arsenal goal — either through assist or by putting it in the net. He carried the team at a time when no one else was around to do it and as much as Arshavin gets some credit for saving our season, Robin van Persie deserves equal credit for the work he put in at a crucial time.
Oh and, we need him to sign the damn contract and stay healthy.
Here’s some video of my favorite goals from van Persie this season
From the Arsenalists archives
Everton 1-1 Arsenal; goal of the season candidate
Arsenal 3-1 Plymouth; power goal at the end
Right, we’re almost at the end of this portion of the award ceremonies and I want you all to start thinking about “Goal of Year” and “Match of the Year” if you have suggestions for either/both, please put them in the comments below.
Schadenfreude
I loved watching Man U get beat. I loved watching those smug bastards at the bar sit in silence as Barcelona gave them a full serving of what Wenger’s cooking up at Arsenal. I love the fact that they list that bogus “Club World Cup” and the laughable “Carling Cup” as one of their pieces of silverware this season. I love that people were touting Man U to win the “quint” and all they got was one real trophy. And most of all, I love Crom, Crom solved the riddle of Arsenal yesterday.
After watching Barcelona play I have it all figured out. We have Eduardo/van Persie to finish like E’t’o’o’o’t’o, we have Cesc to play like Iniesta, we have Arshavin to play like Messi (give him the #10 shirt, Cappy), we have Eboue to play like Puyols (the playacting and the Man U fans reactions were f*cking priceless!), we have Song to play like Yaya, and all we need is someone to play like Pique and we are set.
SET I TELL YOU.
Anyway, it was great to watch a blend of youth and experience, grace and power, kick the shiat out of a pack of overrated, scowling, head holding, whining, cunts.
Oh, and Cesc? Watch Iniesta play this summer during your Spain qualifiers. If you can’t do that, at least watch the tape of last night. Last night, he was what you should be; tackling, passing, hustling, and outplaying everyone on the pitch.
He’s only 5’6″ and yet he was the biggest player out there. If you think you’ll get a move to Barcelona while Iniesta, Messi, and Toure are there, you got another thing coming brother.
IT’S A SIGNING
Arsenal have signed a pair of 15 year olds.
Yippie.
Come again?
Arsene Wenger has given a rather strange interview in which he waxed poetic about Thierry Henry saying that Henry would have won them the title last year. It’s about as much an admission from the boss that he screwed up in the rebuilding as we will ever get. It’s also a glimpse into his mind when he states that there’s no way he’ll let these young players go after he spends all this time educating them.
I also just want to mention that with this win Thierry Henry can finally close his trophy case. He has won the league and the cup in three countries (France, England, Spain) he’s won the World Cup, the European Cup, and now the Champions League.
Good night sweet prince.
Club v. Country
Theo Walcott has been called up to play for the U21s which is proof that country wins, every time. My only thought on this is that if he gets injured playing in the U21s I sincerely hope that Arsenal sue the FA.
Sue them until they never call up another Arsenal player ever again.
Oh and hey, good news (this is what people call ‘irony’) Kieran Gibbs earned a call up to the U21s! Good for you son!
Did you see this one?
Evra continues to whine (link pops)
Somebody still needs a nice steaming cup of STFU.
Nice article as always.
You didn’t mention something which I think we can be proud of… In the top 5 assisting players in the league we have 2. Fab and RVP, and RVP is #1 :).
match of the season us against liverpool or the spuds goal of the season bendtner’s goal against bolton (team work that even iniesta would have been proud of
It`s all well and good providing assists but I don`t think Van Persie is as good as Arshavin in the seecond striker position. The little Russian is always taking on defenders and his “chocolate leg” is better too. I really think we could do with more of a goal threat from our front 2 players and I don`t think Ade and Van Persie are the right people for that.
Just randomly looking up player stats in the Champions League and guess who has offsides with a total of 23… Ade! But then again he was joint 5th top scorer with the likes of RVP, Henry, Drogba, Benzema, and Del Piero. Also Fab was tied 5th in assists with Messi.
check this rvp video outhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MicicvKFoXk
GOTY, Ade vrs Villarreal, Nasri vrs Manure (2nd), Eduardo back heel flick,
MOTY, Arsenal-Liverpool 4-4, Arsenal 3-1 Villarreal (CL), Arsenal 0-1 AS Roma (CL) won on penalties, Arsenal 4 – 0 Twente Enschede 2nd leg (CL), Arsenal 6 – 0 Sheffield United, Carling Cup
RVP didn’t do it for me this year. He was profligate in front of goal in the early season which cost us results and after a 1 month wonder spell tapered off and was ineffective in the last third. He has not scored a direct free kick since 2007. I expect a lot more from a player of his caliber.
Amazing thing this year is that there was no 20 goal scorer in the EPL. Can’t remember when last that happened. RVP’s EPL tally of 11 is less than what Pires, a MF, brought to the table every year.
Yes RVP I think is tied with Lamps for most assists in the league which shows he’s essentially becoming Bergkamp-like with assisting and putting in his fair share of goals. Now if only we could get a pure goalscorer to synergize with him and to get on the end of more assists, we’d be back in business – I’m not convinced Ade is really going to stay and/or if he does, won’t be the striker we’re looking for. Hopefully Eddie returns to 110% fitness over the summer.
Regardless of some his profligacy, I love having RVP in our team. He really shouldn’t be leading our line becauase he loses his effectiveness as a player and I think that mentally affects him too and he ends up missing easy chances. He has shown time and time again he is most effective when he plays behind the striker. We NEED a world class striker in our team. As long as Ade is there, we will continue to underperform as a team. Arshavin plays very well off the striker as well but we have to find a way to use both him and RVP on the field at the same time.. and since Andrei isn’t bad playing on the left as well, Arsene needs to keep him there. What irks me is when Wenger plays Cesc in that role. FFS Arsene, you need to stop doing that.
For me GOTY: 1)Andrei’s first goal in an Arsenal shirt. Ridiculous! close 2nd) RVP’s equalizer against Everton. 3) Ade’s goal vs. Roma (this was visually the most spectacular goal but i think it was more luck than anything else)
MOTY: 1)Coming back from behind to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, 2) beating the mancs 2-0 at the Emirates and 3) beating Roma in penalies at the Stadio (ugly game but a defining moment in our season)
RvP will be even better next year. Lets hope he is at Arsenal because when he starts getting his free kicks on target and has Fabregas and Arshavin to feed him, he will dominate.