According to the gallows humorists of N5, the obvious candidates to be Arsenal's next captain are Sebastian Squillaci, Marouane Chamakh and Park Ju-young. There is a painfully obvious theme when examining the list of adored skippers since Tony Adams bowed out: Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Cesc Fábregas and now Robin van Persie. Gilberto Silva and William Gallas may have moved along with considerably less drama but it is striking how often Arsène Wenger hands over the armband to a particularly valuable player, only to have to pat him on the back as he exits shortly afterwards.
This episode provides yet more evidence for those who slam Arsenal as a selling club. It pours fuel on to the debate about how ambitious they can ever wish to be with the self-sustaining model they believe in so vigorously. But within the club they will sit tight and wait for it to blow over. They read the updates from Rangers and Portsmouth and feel increasingly sure they are doing the right thing.
They know their place in football's economic table. They know under the current ownership, who believe in running a tight ship, that they cannot compete with the clubs who are bankrolled by oil. They know that, despite Manchester United's controversial financial arrangements with the Glazers, Van Persie's new club make the most of their marketing potential in a way that they currently cannot. They know that keeping hold of a player worth over £20m in the last year of his contract is not an option.
Arsenal are hamstrung by weak sponsorship deals that were struck when they were desperate to generate revenue to fund the stadium move from Highbury and by the vast salaries they are committed to for players who are not required but not shiftable. It is frustrating but it is reality. Their self-sustaining concept is a difficult one to sell when stars turn their backs on it but Arsenal refuse to risk a collapse by overstretching themselves financially.
Van Persie's departure is not welcome and of course Arsenal will miss a player so talismanic last season he played a defining role in the team's elevation from 17th to 3rd. But at least they have had the whole summer to plan their response.
Long before van Persie's statement on his official website, which was basically a euphemistic interpretation of a transfer request, his club were made abundantly aware of the Dutchman's desire to leave. At the end of the last campaign, before the European Championships, he and his representatives sat down with Arsenal and made a set of demands about the running of the club that were so outlandish that the warning signs were impossible to miss. The truth is that Arsenal have expected this day for more than two months. The only issue was when, where and how much. Fans are not programmed to think that way. Directors and beancounters are.
At least in the meantime they were able to be proactive and get down to business to recruit alternative attackers. Hence Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud arrived with unusual haste, to be followed by the new creative spark, Santi Cazorla. This contrasts with the paralysis that hit them at the same stage last season, when they hung on, waiting for Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri to go, before scampering round in search of last-minute reinforcements.
Van Persie has played a minimal part in Arsenal's pre-season. Effectively they have been trying to move on while he was still in situ.
Supporters may have been able to chew over the pros and cons of whether van Persie should have been sold for a smaller sum to a less direct rival (Juventus's offer was much less substantial than United's). It will pain them to see him at Old Trafford, and to see Sir Alex Ferguson's team strengthened at their expense.
There is more to come as Alex Song is expected to finalise his move to Barcelona. Nuri Sahin, the Turkish midfielder surplus to requirements at Real Madrid, is being chased to arrive as his replacement.
Arsenal are rather used to all this by now.
Besides, is it really that much of a crisis? £20m-plus for a 29-year-old with a shaky injury history, replaced by three younger international attackers, does not sound such a terrible piece of business.
Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 15 Aug 12
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