RVP will not extend.

Since shit hit the fan, I think a new thread will be useful. By now we all know his words.

I'm going to make two points I think are pertinent.

First, it is more important for us to replace Cesc than to replace RVP if he were to leave this summer. We've already bought Podolski and Giroud, and while it still leaves something to be desired I think they can adequately paper over the cracks for a season. It's not as good as if RVP were to be here, but it's better than nothing. But the AM is still a problem - Rosicky is getting old and still has injury problems, and Ramsey is too raw. Wilshere is coming out of a long period of injury and will need time. Cesc was never replaced, and that needs to happen. An AM who can score and create will go a long way.

Second, RVP not signing a new contract can be a blessing in disguise. Most of us are worried about next season while at the same time bemoaning our wage structure: deadwood and the like. But if we were to give RVP a 3 or 4 year contract on record wages, then what? He has a good year next year - not as good as last year, but good enough. Pushing 31, his body starts to give out, starts picking up injuries. By the end of his contract he'll be pulling in megabucks, not contributing so much, and being a drain on our resources. And of course, we won't be able to move him, because he won't make as much anywhere else. If we sell now or let him go on a free next year, we avoid that.

SO, WITH THAT SAID....

Here is what I would do if I were Wenger. Fuck selling him, the money ain't worth it. As long as he's still a professional - and if he loves the club, he will be - I'd keep him around. Remove him from the captaincy of course. Vermaelen as captain, Kos as Vice. And Giroud would be our main striker. RVP? I'd use him where needed - as a striker, as an AM, and on the wings. Rotation. But more as a utility player, you know? Other players will be around longer term, and should be making roles theirs. Since RVP can play all of those to some degree, use him where needed but never build a reliance on him.


The way I see it, there are only two players on the market I would be 100% happy with as a replacement for RVP: Falcao and Cavani. Since none are realistic at the moment, we ought to hold on to RVP, ease Wilshere back in, and see where the team really needs improvement over the coming season. Just wish we could sign Gotze!

Two other thoughts:

- Sell him, to preserve squad unity and morale. Create a siege mentality, challenge the team to step up.

- Let him rot in the reserves. Take a financial hit, but send a message to the other players and to other clubs that we do not need to sell. Set a precedent, make an example.

Great posts Zaid.

I'm siding with keeping him.

Good posts! I'm also for keeping him... Selling him doesn't really do any good...

Totally agreed, keeping him is the best solution for now ! but i still think the board should do everything it can to make him sign, I am still waiting to what Wenger has to say on all this !

There is no way he won't be disruptive if he stays and is moved all over the place. This is a guy who has already made his bed with that statement, he wants out. Now, if we say that we're not selling and he agrees to it, who's to say he will perform 100%? What he said was hardly professional or supportive of the club, so I can't imagine if he were to be rotated or 'left to rot' that he will stay silent about it.

RVP was one of the reasons for a split in the Dutch camp this summer, let's not forget that.

I always felt he would stay another year at least and then maybe leave and the club would agree to it as Wenger wanted the same for Nasri but was overruled by the board. But I can't see it now.

He hasn't said anything that bad really. He said he loves the club and the fans. Huge respect to Mr Wenger.

It sounds like he doesn't like Gazidis. But half of us have bosses we hate but he doesn't have to work with Gazidis every day or even talk to him.

He may have been involved with the split, but can you blame him with people like Sneider and Robben around?

Nasri behaived much worse than Robin, but even Nasri put in a decent shift for the Liverpool game when called upon.

I think Robin could stay, contribute without being disruptive. Not as captain obviously.

Also, how many times can we keep allowing this to bloody happen with letting contracts run down to the final year? I know it's not all black and white, for example, if he signed a long term deal 2 years ago and then got crocked again fans would be up in arms about an injury prone player on big wages. I get that.

But Nasri, RVP and Theo in the last 12 months. Unacceptable. Next season it will be Song. I know we are a selling club but could we at least make it more difficult for the buying club? Ridiculous.

Not the club's fault IMO. The club has always tried to tie up players on long term contracts, more than most other clubs (except for over 30's).

But in all these cases, the players have not been willing to sign. It's because these days all agents are instructing their players this way. Especially those that go to Arsenal, as any player at Arsenal stock's always rise. The agents want them and the player to capitalise on this rise in stock, rather than the club.

Imagine he bought out his contract....

Actually, he'd be mad not to.

Jonathan Prendergast wrote:Imagine he bought out his contract....

Actually, he'd be mad not to.

How I feel about it.....

If I had bundles of money...I would pay arsenal to get rid of him....as some people have said..this feels worse than cesc,Vieira,henry...

In my opinion...they are right.

It feels worse, as he has just come of his best season for us. Where as Cesc, Viera and Henry had not had good season, and had had much better seasons.

But it is not worse than Cesc or Henry. They were better players.

Viera, always frustrated me as every season he'd be itching to move.

Even if we don't bring in a replacement and we sell him, with the right moves in the transfer market we could have just as good a season, if not better:

- Bring in M'Vila; get Bould to work on the defence
- Bring in an AM who can contribute goals - Dempsey, Dzagoev, I don't know.
- Hope Giroud and Podolski can deliver immediately, and hope Chamakh can rediscover his pre-RVP form (he was quite useful, remember)

Less goals scored, but less conceded.

dzeko + 15 million...give him to city

He's 100% off. His position is untenable now and the fans will be unforgiving and won't tolerate him appearing for the club again. Too bloody right. What a classless and disappointing way to go out.

Get rid, reinvest in the squad and actually become a team again, relying on collective quality rather than individual brilliance.

This is so depressing. I thought he was different, turns out he was just as bad as Fabregas and Nasri, if not worse.

Straight swap for Dzeko and everything will be alright again.

He wants to leave, so be it. But avoid a repeat of last season. Bring in some quality players and let's get some trophees...

I'm in favor of keeping him, to an extent. If the offers on hand are the Juventus £8m, then let's keep him. And let him rot for a year. Then, when he goes to Man City they get a player who hasn't played for a full year and will be, at least temporarily off form. And it shows that we're willing to play some serious hardball.

If it's the £25-30m it should be, let him go/swap for Dzeko plus cash/whatever. Attacking midfielder really needs to be sorted out, moreso than bringing in someone like M'Vila, I think.

I'm almost in favour of saying screw it and taking a hardball approach with RvP. City did with Tevez (they had more leeway to), but this is beginning to get absurd. Maybe it will make a player think twice before listening to their agent's advice that running out their contract could mean losing possibly 1-2 years of playing time in their career. Other teams lose interest, they aren't as valued as highly as before, can't demand a large contract, age etc. etc.

Hard pill to swallow that it has come to this. Really hate that player loyalty has flown out the window in such incredible fashion due to money.

Keep him. Play him as long as he is contributing. But once Giroud and Podolski (And Ox and others) step up and start hitting some form, RVP straight to the bench.

As Marlo Stanfield said " You thought it was one way, but it's the other".
WE believed that RVP was different, loyal, honorable etc?
But he's not. For him to come out of nowhere and play hardball tactics to force a move confirms it. It's business. Looking out for himself.

He wants to win and he has determined that he can't do it with Arsenal. Fair play to him. Half of us agree with the underlying point he's making and half still think Wenger knows best.
A lot of what is coming out today, or especially in Arse 2 Mouse's blog, points out that he has been dissatisfied for a while and it was there to see if you looked for it.
But to undercut the club in this manner means he goes from being a potential Arsenal legend to just another player moving on , pulling an Nasri-esque move, no less. Go somewhere to win things, get paid.
I can see the benefit for Arsenal in keeping him and I think this option would do more to ensure future success for the club , but I also like Zaid's point about selling him and creating a siege mentality, upping the club morale.
And buying a ready-made AM (won't happen).
....And doing something about our shit defensive play (come on S. Bould).

Michael Schatzky wrote:As Marlo Stanfield said " You thought it was one way, but it's the other".
WE believed that RVP was different, loyal, honorable etc?
But he's not. For him to come out of nowhere and play hardball tactics to force a move confirms it. It's business. Looking out for himself.

He wants to win and he has determined that he can't do it with Arsenal. Fair play to him. Half of us agree with the underlying point he's making and half still think Wenger knows best.
A lot of what is coming out today, or especially in Arse 2 Mouse's blog, points out that he has been dissatisfied for a while and it was there to see if you looked for it.
But to undercut the club in this manner means he goes from being a potential Arsenal legend to just another player moving on , pulling an Nasri-esque move, no less. Go somewhere to win things, get paid.
I can see the benefit for Arsenal in keeping him and I think this option would do more to ensure future success for the club , but I also like Zaid's point about selling him and creating a siege mentality, upping the club morale.
And buying a ready-made AM (won't happen).
....And doing something about our shit defensive play (come on S. Bould).

Firstly, love The Wire reference!

But, you have to accept we don't know all the info. For all we know, RVP laid it out in no uncertain terms a while ago what is needed to keep him. Arsenal haven't complied. He may have told them a month ago he was not renewing for all we know. All he has done is make it public now. Possibly in the naive interest of giving the supporters clarity.

Regarding Wenger, I don't think he is stuck to an ideology, or at least it is over stated. It really is the wages that kill us. I think he's prepared to pay 30m+ for a player, but paying a new player 50% more than any of the current players is unfathomable for the club.

its saddening to see van Persie of all people who had won over the fans with his loyalty use his own website to plot a move out. Given the situation, I don't think Wenger should hold on to him, the board probably won't allow him to do that anyways.
If it has to be a swap deal though, would Adam Johnson not be a good option?

Several places have mentioned this but I just don't understand the focus (a minor focus, I'll admit, but it's still mentioned) on RVP using his website to make the statement. What difference does it make the medium used to make the statement? Would people be less upset if it had been through the Arsenal website? I don't think so.

I minor point, I know, but I don't understand what that has to do with anything.

And just to top it off.....HE USED HIS OWN WEBSITE!?!?!?!?!