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Amidst all the brouhaha over Juan Mata’s all but evident move to United, a certain topic has taken a little back seat. But it will surely not be long before the thought pops out and is in discussion again. So, the topic of debate among United fans these days is whether Robin van Persie should be sold while he still has a couple of years of quality football to offer to any other top European side and money can be made by United out of the deal.
His injury woes have resurfaced in this campaign after he enjoyed a season in the pink of health last time round. So why exactly do these fans who went berserk with his goal scoring feats last season want RvP be shown the door? The conjecture is not as random as it first seems. The idea was first planted when there were rumours of RvP wanting out. This was followed by reports of how Moyes was making his players go through hell in training and that some players like RvP felt burnt out.
Next thing we know, RvP gets injured, is brought back prematurely and then ends up on the sidelines for a lengthy time frame. His fitness woes have resurfaced, some believe. During this time, Danny Welbeck has enjoyed a run in the team in his favored position and netted 6 times in 6 Premier League starts. Worth mentioning is the fact that when RvP returns from his injury, he will take up this position which Welbeck has enjoyed so much over the last month, and this I believe, is the fulcrum on which the idea of selling RvP is based on.
Danny Welbeck is that kid from the academy who everyone wants to succeed. For an academy that has produced some really brilliant midfielders and defenders over the last two to three decades, the lack of a quality forward coming through is tantamount to failure. And in Welbeck, the United faithful see this failure being set right. Welbeck seems like a player who should work perfectly well in an inside forward position, or even coming in from wide as he has been used mostly, by first Sir Alex and then David Moyes. But somehow, he has looked barely mediocre in those roles and leading the line is the only thing that brings out the best of Welbeck. He is 23 right now, his best years are ahead of him, and there is fear that Robin van Persie might stifle the growth of this promising lad.
Moving on to the topic of Shinji Kagawa, he has been sparingly used, mostly in an unfavorable wide left position. The next theory says that if RvP leaves, then Rooney can play up top with Kagawa being deployed in his favorite role just behind the striker (what happens to Welbeck in this formation is something I know not, most probably he gets relegated to the bench or to the position he always underperforms in). Interesting again, because Kagawa can really shine in that role, and Rooney won’t be found wanting in the position from where he netted 34 times in the 2011-12 season.
There is a clear thought that the presence of RvP and Rooney in the team disturbs the balance of United. RvP is not suitable in any other role other than leading the attack. Rooney will not give up on his position just behind the leading forward, and hence a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 are the only likely formations possible when both of them are fit to play. These formations expose United’s dearth in quality in central midfield and are only detrimental to United’s chances against teams that have quality in their midfield or chose to flood the team with strong and quick midfielders. So, one of RvP and Rooney has to make way, and Robin is the popular choice of the fans. Robin’s injury history also goes against him when the debate is simmering hot.
Logically, it makes sense to say that selling RvP for a fee in the range of £15m and then investing that money in somebody else much younger and more needed wouldn’t be the worst decision ever taken. But then logic doesn’t hold good at all times. In RvP, United have a player who has the ability to change the outcome of games almost single-handedly, as we have seen him do many times for Arsenal and United. There is no reason why he won’t continue to be the same player over the next two seasons at least, assuming that he will not pick up too many injuries on the way.
Danny Welbeck
Welbeck could face a mighty dip in form; he isn’t exactly dependable right now, is he? Kagawa could find it tough to cope with the physical rigours of playing the number 10 role in the Premiership; the signs so far have suggested that. Rooney might go through one of those phases when he can do nothing right (the last season was one of those times), or we might see that sudden urge to leave United rising within him again.
Rating proven quality of RvP over the probability of success of the likes of Danny and Shinji, my personal opinion on this matter is that during these precarious times for the club, proven players like RvP are needed more than ever. After three years, RvP might have zero resale value, but then, I do not see why we should think on those lines. His value to the team in these tough times is much more than the 15 odd million that can be gained out of him at the moment. There is also a point about RvP’s huge wages but there are plenty of players at United higher up in the pecking order worthy of being offloaded to free up some wage bills before we get down to RvP’s name.
Assuming that RvP is kept for just a couple of seasons more, a fairly possible scenario at that time would look something like this: United would have successfully undergone transition from Sir Alex’s era into Moyes’s and have hopefully regained some lost ground in this time. Welbeck, who would be nearing 26 by that time, would have improved on the aspects of his game that need real attention and will be in the prime of his career ready to take over the goal-scoring mantle from the Dutchman.
What Moyes’s view on all this is remains to be seen, because there hasn’t been any suggestion from the gaffer that would deem RvP surplus to requirements. But if RvP does become available in the market at the end of this season, I am sure the prospect of getting at least good two seasons out of him would attract plenty of suitors.
