Total Football
“Football basically consists of two things. First, when you have the ball, you must be able to pass it properly. Second, when the ball is passed to you, you must be able to control it. If you do not control it, you cannot pass it either.”
Johan Cruyff
Robin van Persie was the ‘Total Footballer’ in the truest sense of the term. Total Football (Dutch – Totaal Voetbal) is a tactical system in which any outfield player can seamlessly take over the role of any of his teammates without disrupting the balance of the team. When a player moves out of his designated position he is automatically replaced by a colleague, thus retaining the team’s intended organisational structure. In other words every player in the side was capable, and more importantly was comfortable, with this very fluid system of play meaning that every member of the team, with the exception of the goalkeeper, could play in the defence, the midfield or the attack. Rinus Michels, the former manager of Ajax, and the head coach of the Netherlands team at the 1974 World Cup finals, is credited with introducing this system. Possession of the ball, mobility, inter-changing positions and utilising the entire pitch were the trademarks of Michels’ coaching philosophy. The Dutch side at the 1974 World Cup is perhaps the greatest ever national side never to win the competition and comprised of players including: Ajax Amsterdam’s Arie Haan, Piet Keizer, Ruud Krol, Johan Neeskens and Johnny Rep; PSV Eindhoven’s twin brothers, Rene and Willy van der Kerkhof; Feyenoord’s Wim Jansen; RSC Anderlecht’s Rob Rensenbrink and one of the greatest ever players to grace world football, the original Dutch Master, Johan Cruyff, the FC Barcelona player who was the captain of the Holland team that lost 2-1 in the final of the 1974 World Cup to the host nation, West Germany, at the Olympiastadion, Munich, West Germany on 7 July 1974, among their squad.
Robin van Persie had a similar style to the legendary Cruyff who scored 33 goals in only 48 matches for his country from 1966-77. Van Persie possessed pace and skill in equal abundance and like Cruyff he made mesmeric passes and scored audacious goals. His movement was sublime, distinctly elegant as he glided over the pitch like a hovercraft moving effortlessly, but with immense power, over a calm sea. Almost Ballerina like but with the grace and control of a dance ice skater. If Van Persie was Christopher Dean, then his Jane Torvill was anyone he provided a goal scoring assist to throughout his career. Torvill and Dean won the gold medal in the ice dancing pairs discipline at the 1984 Winter Olympic Games hosted by Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. He had a football brain that operated like the microchip embedded in a computer chess game as he imagined moves in his head a few seconds before implementing them which then gave himself or a teammate a goal scoring opportunity. A technicality gifted player who was capable of unlocking a defence with a pinpoint pass, a player whose vision on the pitch was 360 degrees, sniffing out an opportunity like a truffle hog locating and extracting the fruit bodies of the fungi. In a search of the Dutch dictionary a definition of supreme skill will reveal a simple but unquestionable entry reading: Robin van Persie. He celebrated an assist to a teammate for a goal much more than he enjoyed a personal strike. If he had one weakness it was the frequency of his absence from the team due to injury. However, this had nothing whatsoever to do with any impairment in his physical make-up, far from it, but more due to the fact that he was fully committed in every challenge he attempted. His Cruyff-like skill was mirrored by his Bryan Robson style of play, like a Poker King going all-in at the card table at Caesar’s Palace Hotel on the strip at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Robin van Persie was a football purist.
Robin van Persie was born on 6 August 1983 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Some players were born to play for Manchester United such as the ‘Busby Babes’, Denis Law, George Best, Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside, Eric Cantona, ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ and Cristiano Ronaldo, but when Van Persie left his hometown club Feyenoord on 17 May 2004 in a £2.75 million transfer, he stopped off at Arsenal first. His United baptism would have to wait. He made his debut for Feyenoord aged 17 and in season 2001-02 he was a member of the team which defeated Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in the 2002 UEFA Cup final which was staged at Feyenoord’s home ground, Feijenoord Stadium. Nicknamed De Kuip (The Tub) the ground will forever hold special memories for United fans as they beat FC Barcelona 2-1 in it on 15 May 1991, to win the 1991 European Cup Winners’ Cup. Mark Hughes scored both United goals that memorable night. His performances for Feyenoord in season 2001-02, playing 17 games but without scoring, earned him the 2002 KNVB Dutch Football Talent of the Year. But, not long after their UEFA Cup success, which remains the last occasion when a Dutch club won a major European trophy, Van Persie’s relationship with his coach, Bert van Marwijk, went downhill. Communication between the pair effectively came to an abrupt end after Van Persie was not included in the Feyenoord side that faced Real Madrid in the 2002 UEFA Super Cup final. Japan’s Shinji Ojo and Australian Brett Emerton partnered the Dutch duo of Anthony Lurling and captain Paul Bosvelt in the Feyenoord midfield. The Dutch side were no match for the reigning Champions League holders and were beaten 3-1 at Stade Louis II, Monaco on 30 August 2002. Robin van Persie was banished to the Feyenoord Reserve Team. In his first full season with the Dutch club, 2002-03, he scored 15 times in 28 games and helped Feyenoord reach the 2003 KNVB Cup final (the Dutch FA Cup) but they lost 4-1 to FC Utrecht.
The following season his relationship with his manager, Bert van Marwijk, deteriorated even further. However, he did manage to play 33 times scoring 6 goals. Going into the 2003-04 season Feyenoord made no secret of the fact that they wanted to sell Van Persie as a result of his various disciplinary issues. But no club appeared to want to take the risk of buying a player who may end up causing disharmony in an otherwise calm dressing room. When he was 5-years old he joined the youth team at S.B.V. Excelsior near his home but left them when he was 16-years old after a fallout with the coaching staff. Van Persie was considered to have a petulant attitude.
“The great accomplishment of Jobs’ life is how effectively he put his idiosyncrasies – his petulance, his narcissism, and his rudeness – in the service of perfection.”
Malcolm Gladwell, author and journalist, speaking about Steve Jobs who co-founded Apple Inc.
His coaches may have regarded the young Van Persie to be petulant but he was also a perfectionist. In the January 2004 transfer window Feyenoord were contacted by Arsenal about their young Dutch left winger. Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, was looking for a successor to another Dutch master, Denis Bergkamp, who was 33-years old at the time. Negotiations ended when a deal could not be mutually agreed by both clubs. Feyenoord wanted £5 million but Arsenal wanted to pay about half of that sum for a player who was not yet fully established and who had not played 70 games yet for his club. On 17 May 2004, Wenger finally got his man when Feyenoord agreed to accept £2.75 million for Van Persie. A clearly pleased Wenger spoke about his new player: “He can play on the left side of midfield, as a creative player behind the main strikers or as a target man.” Wenger already had it in his mind to convert Van Persie into a striker just as he had done with Thierry Henry. He was handed the Arsenal No.11 jersey.
He joined Arsenal at a time when they were the best team in England, their Invincibles side won the 2003-04 Premier League without losing a single game, 36 wins and 12 draws. Their 2003 Onze d’Or winner, Thierry Henry (France), could not stop scoring goals, netting 30 (in 37 games) in the Premier League to give him the Premier League Golden Boot and European Golden Shoe awards and scored a total of 39 goals in all competitions across 51 games. In the summer of 2004, Arsenal let go three of their strikers namely Francis Jeffers (Charlton Athletic), Nawankwo Kanu (West Bromwich Albion) and Sylvan Wiltord (Olympique Lyonnais). Manuel Almunia (Celta Vigo) and Mathieu Flamini (Olympique Marseilles) signed for the London side at the same time as the 20-year old Van Persie.
Along with Bergkamp and Henry, Van Persie also had to compete with the Spanish international, Jose Antonio Reyes, for a starting place in Arsene Wenger’s side. And just as Bergkamp had struggled to settle into life in the Premier League upon his arrival in season 1995-96, so too did Van Persie in his first season at Highbury Stadium. Indeed, many football critics met his transfer from Inter Milan to Arsenal with scepticism and even doubted that he would make it in Europe’s most competitive league, the Premier League. However, Wenger knew that in Van Persie he had a megastar at his disposal who would soon become the heir to his fellow Dutch striker’s throne when the ‘Non-Flying Dutchman’, Bergkamp, retired at the end of the 2005-06 season.
He made his debut for The Gunners on 8 August 2004 as a second half substitute for Henry and picked up a winners’ medal when Arsenal beat Manchester United 3-1 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales in the FA Community Shield. Arsenal were the reigning Premier League Champions and United were the FA Cup holders. Alan Smith scored United’s goal whilst future Arsenal left-back, Mikaël Silvestre, scored an own goal. Robin van Persie spent 8 years at Arsenal and despite his indisputable quality, a player often likened to the legendary Dutch attacking midfielder Johan Cruyff, he only added an FA Cup winners’ medal in season 2004-05 to his FA Community Shield winners’ medal during his stay in North London.
“Personally, when we played against Arsenal in London, I saw the best forward ever. Robin van Persie. 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.”
Jurgen Klopp, Borussia Dortmund manager when Arsenal beat the German side 2-1 in the Champions League on 23 November 2011 with Van Persie scoring twice
The problem for Van Persie was that despite his God given talent, and some breathtaking displays for The Gunners, he lacked consistency in his first four years in the English capital, scoring a season total of 10, 11, 13 and 9. Henry bagged 30 goals alone in Van Persie’s first season at the club and left Arsenal for FC Barcelona at the end of season 2006-07. But, Wenger and Van Persie persevered and in season 2008-09 he became the team’s talismanic leader on the pitch, although Cesc Fabregas was the club captain, and was slowly becoming a cult hero among the Arsenal fans who voted him their Player of the Season.
In February 2009, the Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, praised Van Persie’s contribution to his team saying: “He is very intelligent and talented but most of all he is passionate about the game. At the start we gave him Dennis Bergkamp as a role model. And he has grown into the Bergkamp role. He is becoming like Dennis in his passing and he scores more goals than Dennis. He respected Dennis and listened to his advice.” Bergkamp is an Arsenal Legend, a player who achieved cult status during his ten years with the club, but it was Van Persie who got the fans to stand up when he was in possession of the ball, not quite knowing if he was going on a mazy dribble, deliver a killer pass of a through ball to a teammate who was clean through on an opponent’s goal or go on a solo slalom run ending up with the ball nestled in the back of the net.
His 2009-10 season was plagued with injuries and he missed much of the first half of the 2010-11 season. But, fortune smiled on him on New Year’s Day 2011, as if he had personally made a New Year resolution to not stop scoring. He scored in a 3-0 win over Birmingham City at St Andrew’s in the Premier League which proved to be a springboard for him as the fulcrum of the Arsenal attack. He netted eight Premier League goals in the first two months of 2011 which was the most Premier League goals in the opening two months of a calendar year, became the first player to score in seven successive away games and equalled the record for scoring the highest number of goals after the turn of the year, an incredible 18.
“I’m sure I could win things at another team in another country, but would it feel like our trophy, my trophy? I’m not sure it would. Anything we win here will come from the heart and that’s what I want. It’s my dream and I see no point in speaking about other teams when I have these dreams. I think other people know that about me. I’m just hungry to win with Arsenal and that’s it.”
Robin van Persie, February 2011
Put quite simply he was on a different planet to every other striker in the Premier League and before the 2010-11 season ended he put his name in the club’s history books under “Spectacular Goals” with his stunning strike versus FC Barcelona. Arsenal welcomed the Spanish giants to the Emirates Stadium for a Champions League Round of 16, first leg tie on 16 February 2011. The Gunners defeated the visitors 2-1 with Van Persie scoring a goal from the left wing when he was practically level with the by-line. He let fire with a thunderbolt of a strike from his magical left foot from a seemingly impossible angle which flew low past Víctor Valdés Arribas in the Spanish goal. If one goal in his career to date summed up his brilliance it was this one and his outstanding volley for United versus Aston Villa would just have to wait for the time being. Interestingly Van Persie and Valdés would go on to become teammates at Manchester United when the Spaniard signed for the Reds in 2014. Van Persie was given a controversial red card in the second leg when they lost 3-1 at Camp Nou.
On 6 August 2011, Van Persie who was celebrating his 28th birthday, scored in Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to SL Benfica at Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal in the Eusébio Cup. The Eusébio Cup is a pre-season friendly football match hosted by the Portuguese giants (European Cup winners in 1961 and 1962, beaten finalists to Manchester United in 1968). The two team tournament is named in honour of the legendary SL Benfica and Portugal striker, Eusébio who scored a staggering 473 goals in 440 games for the Portuguese side from 1960-75. In a Portugal shirt, he was born in Mozambique, he bagged 41 goals in 64 appearances from 1961-74. When Fabregas left Arsenal for FC Barcelona on 15 August 2011, Wenger handed the captain’s armband to Van Persie. Some players are daunted when they are given the captaincy of their team, for some it is a burden which weighs heavy with expectation as though they are somehow now required to alter the way they play. Robin van Persie, aged 28, was not one of these players and relished the opportunity to lead his soldiers into battle. If anything, it made him a better player than before and it most certainly helped his teammates who came under a lot of flack from fans and reporters alike during the 2011-12 campaign when their defensive was heavily criticised and the squad was devoid of world class talent. Arsenal got off to a stinker in the Premier League under their new captain, drawing 0-0 away to Newcastle United, losing 2-0 at home to Liverpool and then a match and a result he would rather forget. On 10 September 2011, Arsenal visited Old Trafford for their third Premier League game of the 2011-12 season. Manchester United versus Arsenal games are historically notorious for each side cancelling the other out, especially when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge of United and Wenger was the boss of The Gooners. But, on this occasion a goal feast was served up when a rampant United side ravaged their opponents with relative ease, the away side were mere lambs to the slaughter. The game produced ten goals with eight of them scored by the home side: Wayne Rooney 2, Ashley Young 2, Jonny Evans, Nani, Park Ji-sung and Danny Welbeck. The Arsenal captain scored in the game and missed a penalty to round off a miserable afternoon when The Theatre of Dreams became The Theatre of Nightmares for Wenger’s side and they returned to London licking their gaping wounds more like Goons than Gooners. He may have been their talismanic leader, a shining beacon to those left gifted around him, but deep down the loss and the performance hurt Van Persie deeply.
“I think you will miss many more chances with your chocolate leg if you think negatively, thinking that it’s not your strong foot.”
Robin van Persie speaking about his right leg
There is an old saying that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. This was true for Van Persie who lifted himself and his team and helped restore at least a little pride back to the North London club. The 2011 calendar year saw him score 35 Premier League goals, the most for a player in a 38 game season and just one short of Alan Shearer’s 36-goal haul registered in a 42 game season for Blackburn Rovers in 1995. Shearer’s proficiency in front of goal stopped Manchester United from winning three Premier League titles in succession (1992-93, 1993-94 & 1994-95) when Blackburn Rovers, bankrolled by the steel magnate and local boy, Sir Jack Walker’s, millions of pounds he poured into the club were crowned Champions of England in season 1994-95. It was the Elwood Park club’s first Championship success since 1913-14.
The 2011-12 season may have been his last in an Arsenal shirt but he left the fans purring with satisfaction as his haul of 30 Premier League goals, making him the Premier League Golden Boot winner, helped them pip their bitter North London foes, Tottenham Hotspur, to a Champions League spot in season 2012-13. The Gunners squeezed their way over the finishing line to a third place finish, one point above Spurs, 70 points to 69 points, and 19 points behind the two Manchester clubs, with City winning the title on goal difference, +64 to +56.
Van Persie deserved more, he knew he did, but unlike other players in similar circumstances he stayed loyal to his manager and his club for eight long years. But when United came calling for his services Van Persie jumped at the chance of playing at Old Trafford every other week and under the guiding eye of Sir Alex Ferguson. In his eight seasons with Arsenal he made 278 appearances and scored 132 goals. In his final season at Arsenal Stadium, he found the back of the net 37 times in 48 outings, 30 in the Premier League earning him the Premier League Golden Boot award.
“Manchester United breathe football. When I have to make hard decisions, I always listen to little boy inside me and what he wants. That little boy was screaming for United.”
Robin van Persie
“I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.”
Vincent van Gogh, a Dutch Artist
In the world of art Vincent van Gogh was a Master. In 2015, one of Van Gogh’s Masterpieces, “L’Allée des Alyscamps,” was purchased by an art collector for £55 million. On 17 August 2012, the Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson acquired his very own Dutch Master when he paid Arsenal £22.5 million for Robin van Persie. The deal included a clause that Arsenal would receive a further £1.5 million if the Dutch international striker helped United win a Premier League title. Only a fool would not have placed a bet on this. It was like having a Blue Chip client on your books.
The £22.5 million fee paid by United for his signature on 15 August 2012, which was the same figure Arsenal sold Nicolas Anelka to Real Madrid for in August 1999, looked to be a bargain. The British record transfer fee at the time belonged to Van Persie’s new teammate, Rio Ferdinand, when United parted with £29.1 million for his signature from Leeds United in July 2002. The Arsenal fans considered his decision to join United as the ultimate betrayal. At his first press conference as a Manchester United player he immediately won the fans over when he said: “I am home. I hope the Manchester United fans forgive me for being late.”
Every once in a while a player comes along who the fans grow to love, adore, worship, sing his name, buy his shirt, make him a cult hero and then treat him like Judas Iscariot. Carlos Tevez received such adulation when he left West Ham United to join Manchester United in the summer of 2007, but then became Public Enemy No.1 in Manchester when he crossed the divide in the city to don a light blue shirt. When Sol Campbell left Tottenham Hotspur in 2001, having spent ten years at White Hart Lane as man and boy, he committed a Cardinal Sin in the mind of all Gooners by joining their most hated rivals, Arsenal. Luis Figo was idolised by FC Barcelona fans during his five seasons at the Catalan club, 1995-2000, but when he left them to join Real Madrid he was Persona Non Gratis. In November 2002, Figo took a corner for Real Madrid at Camp Nou versus his former side and among the objects that rained down on him from the hate filled home fans was a pig’s head. Robin van Persie’s decision to leave Arsenal for Manchester United wasn’t exactly welcomed by the fans of the North London outfit, he wasn’t sent good luck cards or bouquets of flowers from any of his former admirers, but thankfully for United’s new Dutch striker it was beyond impossible to smuggle a pig’s head into the Emirates Stadium or Old Trafford. In the eyes of all Gooners the Dutch striker had gone from hero to zero in a heartbeat.
“He was one of the best I ever managed, a man with exceptional technique.”
Arsene Wenger
Robin was 29-years old when he made his United debut in a 1-0 loss away to Everton on the opening day of the 2012-13 season. Van Persie made his Old Trafford bow in the second game of the season when Fulham were the visitors. An expectant crowd of 75,352 came along to see just what the Dutch striker could do to improve a team which lost the Premier League the season before on goal difference to Manchester City. They didn’t have long to wait when van Persie scored after 10 minutes. He was magnificent on the day, as he would be all season long, with United winning 3-2, Shinji Kagawa and Rafael da Silva also scored. The United fans roared their seal of approval and immediately took to the Dutch striker like the citizens of Rome took to the former Roman General, Maximus, as he exited the Coliseum in Rome after winning a battle against a Gladiator in the 2000 movie of the same name.
“Do whatever you do intensely. The artist is the man who leaves the crowd and goes pioneering. With him there is an idea which is his life.”
Robert Henri
In his next game he walked off the pitch at the end of the game with the match ball under his arm after scoring a hat-trick in United’s 3-2 victory against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium. He made his European debut for United on 19 September 2012 in a 1-0 win over Galatasaray (Turkey) thanks to a Michael Carrick goal. Nani missed a penalty in the UEFA Champions League Group H game, the third miss of the season prompting Sir Alex Ferguson to allocate all future spot kicks to van Persie. Four days later the Dutch Master was ice cool from the penalty spot in the white hot atmosphere of a Premier League game versus Liverpool at Anfield. Steven Gerrard put the home side up in the first minute of the second half even though they only had 10 men after Jonjo Shelvey was sent off in the 39th minute for an awful challenge. But United fought back and levelled in the 51st minute when Rafael scored a superb goal, curling the ball into the net with his left foot. With nine minutes to go United were awarded a penalty when Glen Johnson brought Antonio Valencia down from behind in the box. Van Persie picked up the ball and set it on the spot. His left foot shot ruffled the back of Pepe Reina’s net, a 2-1 win for United. It was the first of 7 successful spot kicks for Van Persie in his three seasons at Old Trafford. His first European goal for United came in Romania when United beat CFR Cluj 2-1 on 2 October 2012. Van Persie scored both goals in the victory.
“Everything Van Persie does is quality and class. Even if he just holds the ball up he makes it look simple.”
Gary Neville
On 3 November 2012, Van Persie came face to face with his former teammates when Arsenal visited Old Trafford in the Premier League. Three minutes into the game he rifled the ball into the back of the Arsenal net directly below the 3,000 Arsenal fans who had made the trip up from London for the game. It was his eighth Premier League goal in 10 games for United. Needless to say he didn’t celebrate in front of the fans who once idolised him. United won the game 2-1 with Patrice Evra also scoring to send United to the top of the Premier League table for the first time since 22 April 2012.
“In time we hate that which we often fear.”
William Shakespeare
Norwich City beat United 1-0 in the Premier League at Carrow Road, Norwich on 17 November 2012 which knocked them off top spot. A week after losing in East Anglia, United went back to the top of the Premier League table with a 3-1 win over Queens Park Rangers at Old Trafford (scorers: Jonny Evans, Darren Fletcher and Javier Hernandez). An undefeated run of 17 Premier League games followed when Manchester City ended it at Old Trafford on 8 April 2013, winning 2-1 (Vincent Kompany scored an own goal). Throughout the run United had not been off top spot once and City’s win merely reduced United’s lead over their neighbours, the reigning Premier League Champions, from 15 points to 12. The blue half of Manchester were not so noisy in season 2012-13.
In their next outing United beat Stoke City 2-0 at Britannia Stadium, Stoke with goals from Michael Carrick and a penalty from Van Persie. When United drew 2-2 away to West Ham United on 17 April 2013, Valencia and Van Persie were the goal scorers, they had played 33 games and accumulated 81 points. Manchester City occupied second place in the table with 68 points from their 32 games and they played again before United. On 21 April 2013, City travelled to London and came home with their tails between their legs after losing 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. With United and City both having five games left to play, United only needed three points from their remaining fixtures to be crowned Champions again. Next up for United was a visit from Aston Villa on 22 April 2013. A crowd of 75,591 made their way to the Theatre of Dreams, dreaming of winning “our” trophy back.
The United side given the task of bringing the Premier League back to the red side of Manchester was:
David de Gea, Rafael da Silva, Patrice Evra, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans Antonio Valencia, Michael Carrick, Shinji Kagawa, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie
Substitute: Danny Welbeck for Rooney, 72 mins
“If everyone has to think outside the box, maybe it is the box that needs fixing.”
Michael Gladwell
In Robin van Persie, Sir Alex Ferguson, a deep thinker himself, had a player who saw moves a few steps ahead of others. When it came down to United needing to get the job done, Robin van Persie was Ferguson’s “Mr Fix-It.” He had already scored 25 times for United during the season, 21 of them coming in the Premier League, and was aiming to retain his title as the Premier League’s leading goal scorer having scored 30 in the previous campaign for The Gunners. He was a stellar striker, he was Top Gun.
Aston Villa were three points above the relegation zone, they eventually stayed up despite some very inept performances which included an 8-0 mauling by Chelsea in December. When United won their previous 12 Premier League titles they did so without ever panicking when it came down to the business end of the season. The City fans were hoping that the United players would show some nerves and give the Blues back an outside chance of retaining the title. But their hopes were crushed after only 83 seconds when Van Persie scored. Rooney started the move which led to the goal when he passed to Ryan Giggs who knocked the ball into the path of Valencia whose cross into the Villa box was converted by Van Persie from all of two yards out. Euphoria swept the Old Trafford crowd with the exception of the small pocket of away fans who must have feared another mauling similar of that to the one Chelsea inflicted on their team. Villa were lucky not to concede again when Van Persie headed over and Rafael struck an upright. A shot by Villa’s Christian Benteke sailed over the bar and then United struck again like a hot knife through butter.
With 13 minutes showing on the Old Trafford scoreboards, a long range pass from Rooney from well within his own half was met by an on running Van Persie on the edge of the Villa box and the Dutch striker hit an unstoppable left-footed volley past Brad Guzan in the Villa net. It was like an earthquake had hit Manchester as the famous Theatre of Dreams shook to its very foundations. The United fans were delirious, their trophy would be back home soon. One of the famous Dutch artist Rembrandt’s paintings is entitled “The Operation (Touch)”. Van Persie’s goal encapsulated Rembrandt’s work of art, he possessed the touch of an artist with paintbrush in hand at his easel and the precision of a heart surgeon with a scalpel in his hand performing a delicate operation. Even the Villa fans applauded the strike it was that sublime. United were flowing like a calm stream down a mountainside, moving effortlessly, evading everything in its path. Twenty minutes after Van Persie created his own Rembrandt, Giggs could have made it 3-0 when he swooped on to a pass from United’s Japanese midfielder, Kagawa. But instead of shooting the only player from Fergie’s Fledglings playing in the game (Paul Scholes was still at the club) passed to Van Persie who steadied himself before releasing an Exocet of a missile shot from his trusty left boot which flew high into the roof of the net. Game over, Premier League title in the bag, no need to keep the champagne chilled any longer. Van Persie’s second hat-trick for United was not only crucial in deciding the outcome of the race for the Premier League title but it meant he had now scored 24 Premier League goals which put him one ahead of Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez in their race to become the top goal scorer in the Premier League.
With 59 minutes of the game remaining, you could forgive the Villa manager, Paul Lambert, from concentrating on damage limitation as goal difference could yet play a major part in who stayed up and who went down at the end of the season. The game produced no more goals and a limited number of chances. When the final whistle sounded, a song from the iconic British Rock group, Queen, belted out over the loud speakers, “We are the Champions,” as the United players did a lap of honour. It was the 13th time the song was heard at Old Trafford in the Ferguson era to celebrate a Premier League title.
The Premier League title was decided at Old Trafford for the fourth time in the history of the competition, more than at any other ground (1999, 2002 & 2009). United won the 2012-13 Premier League with four games remaining. In season 2000-01, United won the title with five games still to play. United’s biggest Premier League title-winning margin is 18 points (1999-2000).
And, the United players would walk the same route around the Old Trafford pitch on 12 May 2013 after defeating Swansea City 2-1 at Old Trafford (scorers: Hernandez & Rio Ferdinand) in the final home game of the campaign. A total of 75,752 fans attended the game and when the Swansea City fans took their seats at Old Trafford they found a surprise present on it. Every seat had a flag on it. The United fans were given a Premier League Champions flag whilst the fans of the Welsh club, managed by the mercurial Danish player Michael Laudrup, were given a 2013 League Cup Winners’ flag to mark the occasion. On 24 February 2013, Swansea City secured the first major trophy in their 101-year history when they thrashed League Two Bradford City 5-0 in the League Cup (Capital One Cup) final at Wembley Stadium, London. A massive banner adorned the front of Old Trafford which read “CHAMPIONS 2013” with the numbers 20 and 13 in different colours to mark United’s 20th League Championship success and their 13thPremier League crown. Interestingly Van Persie wore the No.20 shirt for United and when he chose his shirt number he said: “I took the No.20 shirt because I am here to win the 20th title with Manchester United.”
United drew their final game of the season 5-5 away to West Bromwich Albion (scorers; Kagawa, Jonas Olsson own goal, Alexander Buttner, Van Persie & Javier Hernandez). It was Van Persie’s 26th Premier League goal of the season which earned him back-to-back Premier League Golden Boot awards. He scored a total of 30 goals in all competitions in his first season at United. The game brought the curtain down on the playing career of Paul Scholes and the managerial career of Sir Alex Ferguson when he retired after 26½ years in charge of Manchester United. United won their 13th Premier League title by 11 points over Manchester City.
In the eight years he spent at Arsenal the closest Robin van Persie came to winning the Premier League title was in his first season with the club when The Gunners finished runners-up to Chelsea in 2004-05. Eight months after he walked through the doors of Old Trafford as a Manchester United player he was a Premier League winner. In season 2013-14 he made 28 appearances for United and scored 18 times despite being side-lined for a spell with an injury. The following campaign, 2014-15, he played 29 times and scored 10 goals.
Having played for Sir Alex Ferguson and then David Moyes, it is fair to say that Van Persie never saw eye to eye with Louis van Gaal when he was appointed the manager of Manchester United on 19 May 2014. Van Persie was the captain of the Netherlands at the 2014 World Cup finals when Van Gaal was in charge of the national team. Despite having a year left on his contract and with no intention of leaving Old Trafford, Van Gaal pushed him out the door. According to one reporter at the time Van Gaal told Robin he was surplus to requirements at Manchester United’s annual golf day at the end of season 2014-15.
In December 2020, Robin van Persie gave an interview to High Performance Broadcast and looked back on his Old Trafford exit.
“In my last season, I had a chat with Louis van Gaal whom I had two very good seasons with the national team with. His first season and my last season at Manchester was not great. “He told me; ‘Okay, Robin, our ways will part. I’m the coach, you are the player and you have to go, your time is up’. So I was like; ‘But I still have a contract’ and then he said; ‘Yeah, I don’t care’. Towards the end of it I saw something coming, but not this ruthless and the way he said it as well. A lot of things go through your mind when you get a message like that. I still had a contract, my family was happy, it was my 11th year in England. We love living in England. What’s next?”
The Manchester United fans had their very own special chant for Robin van Persie which was belted out from all four stands at Old Trafford every time he stepped out of the tunnel and which was sung to the tune of Seven Nation Army performed by The White Stripes – Oh, Robin van Persie. Michael van Gerwen, the three times World Professional Darts Champion (2014, 2017, 2019) from the Netherlands used the same song as one of his walk-on songs when he participated in a professional darts tournament. It had the same effect of stirring up the crowd in anticipation of a performance to savour.
On 14 July 2015, Robin van Persie left United and signed for the Turkish side, Fenerbahçe, for a quite modest £4.7 million transfer fee. In his three seasons at Old Trafford he made 105 appearances and scored 58 goals a ratio of a goal every two games.
“I think he did a very good choice. When I was the Netherlands coach, I watched Fenerbahce because of Dirk Kuyt and I was always received in a very warm way. I think Robin will like it, to be in that warm club. I wish him all the best and I have also texted that to him.”
Louis van Gaal
Three weeks after his arrival in Istanbul he made his debut for Fenerbahce along with his former United teammate, Nani, who joined the Turkish side on 6 July 2015 for £4.25 million. Fenerbahçe drew 0-0 with Shakhtar Donetsk in a first leg, third qualifying round tie in the Champions League at their Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in the Kadikoy district of Istanbul. He came on as a substitute for Moussa Sow in the 66th minute. They lost the away leg 3-0. Van Persie then made his Super Lig (Turkish First Division) debut on 14 August 2015, as a 60th minute substitute for José Fernando Viana de Santana (Fernandão) in their 2-0 victory against Eskişehirspor. Then on 20 August 2015, he scored his first goal for his new club, the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win versus Atromitos Athens away in a first leg fixture of the Europa League play-offs. In his first season with The Yellow Canaries he helped them reach the Turkish Cup final but they were defeated 1-0 by Galatasaray at Antalya Stadium, Antalya. On 19 January 2018, the 34-year old returned home to Rotterdam and re-joined Feyenoord after cancelling his contract with Fenerbahçe. He played a total of 87 games for Fenerbahçe and had a decent goal scoring record for them netting 36 times.
On 28 February 2018, Van Persie scored his 300th career goal and it was an important one as it helped Feyenoord defeat William II 3-0 in the semi-finals of the KNVB Cup at their De Kuip home stadium. Feyenoord were managed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst who during his career played for the club, Arsenal, Glasgow Rangers and FC Barcelona. They met AZ Alkmaar in the final which was played in Rotterdam and the home advantage paid off as Feyenoord won the match 3-0 with Van Persie on the score sheet. Wearing the No.32 jersey he played 14 times in the second half of the 2017-18 season and scored 7 goals. On 4 August 2018, he captained Feyenoord in the Johan Cruyff Shield match which saw them beat the Eredivisie Champions, PSV Eindhoven, 6-5 in a penalty shootout after the game ended 0-0. Two future Manchester United players were in the same side as him, Tyrell Malacia and Sofyan Amrabat. In October 2018, he announced that he would retire at the end of the season. Robin Van Persie became the oldest player in Eredivisie history with two goals in a Klassieker, a match involving Ajax Amsterdam and Feyenoord, when aged 35 years, 174 days he helped his side to a convincing 6-2 win at De Kuip on 29 January 2019. One former United player, Daley Blind, and two future Reds, Donny van de Beek and Andre Onana, played for Ajax Amsterdam in the match. Two months later, 3 March 2019, he scored his first hat-trick in the Eredivisie in a 4–0 home win over FC Emmen. His last ever professional game was played on 12 May 2019, but it wasn’t quite the send-off he had been hoping for as Feyenoord lost 2-0 at home to ADO Den Haag in the League. When he came off in the 93rd minute of the match, replaced by Dylan Vente, every single person, away fans included, among the sell-out crowd of 45,000 stood up and applauded the Dutch Master, a Legend of the game. During his second season with Feyenoord after returning to his home city, Robin van Persie played for them 31 times scoring 18 times.
Robin van Persie was part of the Netherlands’ Under-21 team that participated in the 2004 European Championships qualifying competition but the Jong Oranje failed to reach the finals. On 18 August 2004, he was an unused substitute when the Netherlands drew 2-2 away with Sweden in an international friendly. A future Arsenal teammate played for the home side that night, Freddie Ljungberg, whilst a future cult hero for United was on the scoresheet for the home side, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who two weeks later left Ajax Amsterdam for Juventus. Giovanni van Bronckhorst (FC Barcelona) also played in the game. Robin van Persie made his international bow on 6 April 2005, in a UEFA Group 1 game versus Romania to determine qualification for the 2006 World Cup finals hosted by Germany. The Netherlands defeated the home side 2-0 at the Giulești-Valentin Stănescu Stadium, Bucharest which was demolished in 2009, to make way for the Rapid Arena. Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Edwin van der Sar played in the game for the Dutch side with Van Persie coming on as a substitute for the lethal Van Nistelrooy. Marco van Basten was in charge of the Netherlands. Four months later, 6 August 2005, he made his second appearance for his country and celebrated it with a goal when they beat Finland 4-0 away. It was a Group game for qualification for the 2006 World Cup finals.
Louis van Gaal appointed him as the Dutch captain in 2013, a role he held for two years. On 11 October 2013, he scored a hat-trick in Holland’s 8-1 demolition of Kazakhstan in the Amsterdam Arena to put him in 41 goals for the Oranje and overtake Patrick Kluivert (40 goals) as his nation’s all-time leading goal scorer. He had been a major doubt to play in the game, his 80th international, after suffering an injury the previous week playing in a Champions League game for United. Kluivert, who held the record for ten years, was a forwards coach under Van Gaal the Dutch manager.
“It was great especially as I almost didn’t play. We only made the decision to go ahead an hour before kick-off. I had hardly trained this week.”
Robin van Persie
“My record had to be broken eventually. I’m delighted because Robin and I work together ahead of each international. It’s only a pleasure for me as an assistant coach that he scores so often. I held the record for 10 years and I’m really proud of that.”
Patrick Kluivert (79 caps, 1994-2004)
It was a historic calendar month for Van Persie when he scored for United in their 3-1 Premier League win over Fulham at Craven Cottage, London on 2 November 2013, his 128th Premier League strike, to overtake Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as the Dutch player to score the highest number of goals in the Premier League: Hasselbaink -127, Van Nistelrooy – 95, Bergkamp – 87.
On 10 October 2015, he became a Dutch centurion, when 33-year old won his 100th cap after coming on as a substitute for Klass-Jan Huntelaar in the 87th minute of a 2–1 away win over Kazakhstan in a 2016 European Championships qualifying match. He became only the eighth player in history to reach the landmark occasion after Wesley Snejder -134, Edwin van der Sar – 130, Frank de Boer – 112, Rafael van der Vaart – 109, Giovanni van Bronckhorst – 106, Dirk Kuijt – 104 and Philip Cocu – 101.
“Happy to have received the UEFA 100th commemoration cap, the KNVB golden plate and the UEFA 100 Club medal. Proud I had the opportunity to be able to receive this. It has been a milestone in my career.”
Robin van Persie
Three days later, 13 October 2015, he scored his 50th and final international goal for the Oranje, a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Czech Republic in Amsterdam in a 2016 European Championships qualifying match. It was his 101st outing for Holland and he made his last appearance for them on 31 August 2017, a 4-0 loss to France at Stade de France in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match.
He played in six major international tournaments for Holland including the 2014 World Cup finals where he scored a memorable lying header against the reigning World Champions, Spain. At the same tournament he became the only player since 1966 to score a goal with his head, his left foot, his right foot, from a free-kick and from the penalty spot in World Cup history. Hungary were his favourite opposition scoring six times against them, more than any other country he scored against, with 20 of his goals scored in the Amsterdam Arena. Quite interestingly, despite playing for the Netherlands for more than a decade, 2005-17, and in excess of a century of international gamers, he never faced Belgium.
His 102 caps were awarded as follows:
International Friendlies – 35 games – 15 goals – 7 assists
World Cup Qualifiers – 22 games – 13 goals – 6 assists – 3 yellow cards
European Championship Qualifiers – 21 games – 13 goals – 7 assists – 5 yellow cards
World Cup finals Matches – 17 games – 6 goals – 3 assists – 4 yellow cards
European Championship Finals Matches – 7 games – 3 goals – 1 assist – 2 yellow cards
102 caps – 50 goals – 20 assists – 14 yellow cards
In November 2015, The Mail online printed five articles listing who they considered to be the Top 50 players to have played for Sir Alex Ferguson. Robin van Persie came in at No.50.
Robin van Persie was a striker of sheer enigmatic quality whose technique was like poetry in motion. In 1625, the Dutch artist, Gerard van Honthorst, painted one of his Masterpieces, an oil on panel painting, which he named The Matchmaker. Regardless of the club he played for, or in those games he turned out for the Oranje, Robin van Persie was a Matchmaker.
Did You Know That?
In his 19 year playing career, 2001-02 to 2018-19, Robin van Persie played in 593 games and scored 272 goals in addition to winning 102 caps for his country and scoring a record 50 international goals from 2005-17.
Written by John White, the author of more than 20 books about Manchester United and a regular blogger about all things United on his own Facebook page. Check it out – https://www.facebook.com/
