O Captain, My Captain

we've got the best player in the league

It’s hard to believe there were doubts about Robin Van Persie’s credentials as a leader when you look back over the season he is having. Even as a longtime admirer of his playing ability I have to admit that he continues to impress in this regard. Amy Lawrence sums it up rather nicely in her piece for The Guardian. No disrespect to Henry or Fabregas as players but they don’t have a patch on RVP as a captain. He arrived with questions over his temperament and survived questions of his durability and we are now seeing the man, who grew up loving the club he now plays for [see him as a kid in the Arsenal kit on Stuart MacFarlane’s Flickr], emerge as a leader to rival Vieira and Adams. He inspires this Arsenal side. His technical ability was never in doubt. In fact, the likes of Bergkamp, Henry, Van Basten, and Cruyff have testified glowingly on behalf of his footballing skill.

On top of his prodigious talent  his character has truly shown through this season. This is a man who sat in jail having been wrongly accused, who was attacked on the pitch by rival fans while at Feyenoord, and he brought with him a reputation for disruption when he arrived in England to a side that had just won the Premier League without losing a single game. He was cocksure and fiery when he joined, but his development in the team was hampered by his own injury problems and the queue of pure quality in front of him. It’s not easy to displace Henry, Bergkamp, or Pires. On the pitch, it has often appeared that he was trying to do too much. For this reason, giving him the armband might have seemed a poor choice. But as is often the case, Wenger knows.

Off the pitch he always confessed his affection for the club and his alignment with Wenger’s philosophy. Just like the boss, he simply loves football. And while he clearly has tremendous individual skills, he has a deep appreciation for the collective mentality that is key to the flowing one-touch football that has become Arsenal’s trademark under the French manager. He is a team player. His program notes as captain are riddled with praise for his teammates. Youngsters like Yennaris and Ozyakup have come out with stories of support from the Dutchman. Lately when the crowd was giving Theo stick, he bigged him up. I recall a match a few seasons ago against Newcastle, when he played a one-two with Diaby who then went on to score. Van Persie was the first to celebrate with him, big shit-eating grin on his face, yelling ‘Abooooouuuuuuuuu.’ Not only is he a team player, he is a fan of his teammates. That is a leader. 

And speaking of Newcastle and shit-eating grins, this week we saw an example that the hot blood still courses through Van Persie’s veins. But instead of indicating the temperament of one with precocious skill, now it suggests a competitive fire. He is willing this team forward. He is a footballer coming into the peak of his powers. Rather than feeling the pressure of leading a side that has been undermined in the transfer market over the past few seasons, he seems to be more relaxed on the pitch, more confident, more resilient. With every passing week there is increasing conjecture about his future and yet every match he continues to bang in the goals, work even harder for the team, and prove what it means to him to play for Arsenal Football Club. Captain Vantastic, we salute you.


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