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SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 02: Robin Van Persie of Manchester United celebrates the winning goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary’s.
While the number of direct transfers between top clubs in the same league are a rarity, when one of them does happen, fans of both sides give mixed reactions. When Robin van Persie moved from North London to Manchester, Arsenal fans were understandably upset, as were quite a few Mancunians.
Were they expected to forget all those years they had spent hating the sight of the former Gunner and proclaim him as one of their own? Indeed, in spite of their club splashing a lot of money on the Dutch international and with no regard to his proven goal scoring abilities, many United fans secretly wanted him to fail.
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However, in the course of 90 minutes on Sunday night, he proved to his fans, his doubters and the neutrals that he is indeed a true Red Devil.
If a never-say-die attitude, married to a swanky, self-belief driven footballing style that ultimately spawns success has been the trademark of any of Sir Alex Ferguson’s United sides, van Persie showed that he epitomises just that character. On a night when United were once again well below their best, and up against a dogged, determined Southampton side, van Persie made all the difference.
His first goal, cancelling out Rickie Lambert’s early header, was everything we have seen of van Persie during his Arsenal days. Peeling away to the back post, he did extremely well to concentrate on the ball as the defender in front of him slipped. He chested down the cross perfectly and the shot that followed was close to unstoppable.
With Wayne Rooney out injured and United’s new formation focusing very much on getting the ball to the Dutch striker, it was inevitable that van Persie would have more chances to hit the back of the net. Or, as he proceeded to do, miss gilt-edged chances to find the back of the net.
Van Persie should have put United in front early in the second half when a low cross from the right found him completely unmarked in front of goal. However, his attempt to pass the ball into the bottom-right corner went horribly wrong, not for the last time in the day.
Southampton, taking the lead shortly after, would only have piled the pressure on the lanky attacker, but just like many of Sir Alex’s trusted lieutenants over the years, he atoned for his error in emphatic style. But again, not before he gave another scare to United fans.
Having been gifted the opportunity to restore parity following Jas Hooiveld’s rash tackle on him inside the penalty box, van Persie contrived, rather spectacularly, to miss the ensuing penalty. A serial converter of spot kicks, the Dutchman usually thumps balls into the back of the net with power and precision. Instead, maybe in part to prove a point (although to who, is a good question), van Persie went for a paneka over the diving Saints keeper Kelvin Davis, who raised his left hand to swat the ball away with contempt.
The minutes ticked away and despite launching attack after attack into Saints territory, United were not finding a way through. It looked as though this could be ‘one of those days’ when the crucial goals would never come.
Southampton manager Nigel Adkins took off his attacking trio of Lambert, Jason Puncheon and Adam Lallana, who had all put in spectacular performances, and tried to be a bit more on the defensive. After two losses in their first two games, this win and the three points would definitely mean a lot to the newly-promoted home team.
However, as former United star Mark Hughes once said, Fergie’s Red Devils never lose a game, they only run out of time, because they keep fighting till the final whistle blows.
With three minutes of normal time left, van Persie drew them level, doing something his fellow Dutchman, Ruud van Nistelrooy was a master at – being in the right place at the right time. As Rio Ferdinand‘s measured header came off the post, van Persie was on hand to bundle the ball home and ensure United were going to at least return with a point from St Mary’s.
Yet van Persie’s eventful night had just begun and just like the Cantonas, Coles, Solskjaers and Ronaldos of a bygone era, he had to have the last say. Indulging in the glorious United tradition of stealing a win in stoppage time, van Persie got his name on the score-sheet for the third time in the match with a strong header off Nani’s corner and with it, bringing up a personal landmark of 100 goals in the Premer League.
Coming as it did in Ferguson’s 1,000th Premier League game in charge of United, one can say van Persie also has that other hallmark of United legends past and present – a sense for the dramatic and for occasion.
He may have been your greatest enemy for a while but United fans, van Persie is here to stay and you can’t help but like him.
