Quote Originally Posted by Ice Berg Kamping View Post
Not really. As LDG says - the debacle that was last Summer's transfer season and the subsequent appalling start to the season meant that it would be difficult to blame a top class player (which RVP undoubtedby is) for leaving. But times change. We finished 3rd last season; have CL football again, and RVP had, to all intents and purposes, become captain of a united Arsenal team that had shown that it could compete on the pitch against the top teams. What's more, with the signings of Podolski and Giroud, the club has shown an ambition that appeared to be lacking last season.

Given the change around, it would not have been unreasonable to hope that RVP would wish to remain top dog at a club where he was adored.

Instead, not only was he unwilling to sign a new contract, but he showed that he was willing to damage the club in order to avoid having to play out the final year of his contract. IMO this is a clear indication that this move is about money more than about winning trophies.

Either way, it doesn't change the validity of the questions that I have been criticised for asking - namely whether he will reach the heaights that he has elsewhere, and whether he was the committed captain we all thought he was.
We finished 3rd but really looked toothless towards the end of the season. We struggled to pick up points in our last 5 games. Also, RVP had talks with Wenger and Gazidis about the future of the club and didn't like what he was told. Is that so hard to believe considering what we've heard Wenger say other the past month about needing to sell before we buy, having cover in the middle, applauding our self-sufficiency model again. The players we're signing maybe mere replacements instead of additions. We hope that's not the case. Also, is it far fetched to assume that the RVP fallout has sparked the club into action regarding our summer activity?

But this is a tiresome conversation and fans continue to follow the same train of thought each year when one of our star players wants to leave. Even when all season we've voiced the same concerns. This whole thread is about Wenger and questioning his managerial ability. If we're having such an open debate about this, why wouldn't the players feel the same when more is at stake for their careers?