Do United need RVP?

Robin Van Persie announced earlier on in the summer on his website of his desire to move away from Arsenal and into a side whereby he can challenge for major honours. A month or so on, and many high profile teams have reportedly been interested in the prolific Dutch striker, including the likes of Barcelona and Manchester City. However it turns out that neither of these clubs are lodging a serious bid for Van Persie. Surprisingly it was rivals Manchester United who emerged as front runners in the race for RVP's signature, and it seems as if the Dutchman has his heart set on a move to Old Trafford. But with the world class strike force that United already have at their disposal, do they really need Robin Van Persie?

Having great players such as Rooney around will take the spot-light
off Van Persie

There is no doubt that Robin Van Persie is a great player and last seasons stats work in his favour. But something about Van Persie tells me that he won't have the same impact at United then he did at Arsenal. At Arsenal, RVP was a big fish in a small pond, virtually carrying the Gunners through the season. He was effectively a one man team, and he must take a lot of credit for guiding Arsenal back to the Champions League at the expense of their North London rivals, Tottenham. But at United, he wont be the only world class player in the team. He will, in my opinion, be outclassed by the likes of Rooney and Kagawa, and I think this will mean that he won’t provide the same high quality performances that he did when he was in an Arsenal shirt.

Another worrying factor is that last season was his best season yet in an Arsenal shirt by a considerable distance, but it came in his 8^th season as an Arsenal player. It could be argued that last season was a one off, and that he may never repeat such a prolific goal scoring season again. At 29 years of age, RVP has passed his peak, and it is difficult to say whether he will have the same impact with United. Many players lose their sharpness and pace in their early to mid 30's, and if the same happens to Van Persie, then the reported £24 million fee that is being paid may well be a waste of money.

Van Persie has an impressive goal to game ratio for both
Holland and Arsenal

Manchester United already have 4 world class strikers in their ranks; Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, Danny Welbeck and Dimitar Berbatov. All 4 have the capability of scoring goals when called upon, which makes you wonder why Alex Ferguson is trying so hard to bring him to Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney has regularly been in the top 5 in scoring charts, whereas Both Hernandez and Welbeck have also contributed with a large amount of goals, as has Berbatov when called upon. United finished with a grand total of 89 goals in the Premiership, just 4 goals behind the riches of Manchester City, who narrowly edged out the Red Devils to the title. That total averages around 2.34 goals a game, which is quite an impressive number. With goal scoring evidently not a problem, and with United's upfront 4 chipping in with the majority of their overall goal tally, then surely Robin Van Persie is not needed.

However, RVP can now be considered as a world class striker. His goal scoring record both at club level and on an International stage prove that he is a lethal striker. Just under a goal every 2 games is a brilliant return for any world class striker, and 29 goals from 65 caps for Holland is also not too shabby. Van Persie’s team work and wizardry of a left foot means he possesses a quality that is rare to find in the Premier League, and that sets him apart from the rest. He can not only score goals, but he can set them up too, and the hard work he puts into the team will suit and complement Wayne Rooney too.

RVP will be able to fill the gap left by the departing
Dimitar Berbatov

Van Persie has also seemed to put his injury problems behind him, which I believe is why we have only just started to see his true ability. The Dutchman was an ever present for the Gunners last year, appearing in all 38 league games for the first time in his career. That total is only 3 games behind his combined number of games played in the 2 seasons prior; proving that his injury problems are behind him and that he can give his all for the upcoming seasons. With injuries not persistently holding him back, I believe that he will play with a sense of freedom and may well come close to matching the tally he set last season.

But lastly, and most importantly, Man United will only possess 3 top quality strikers this season. Dimitar Berbatov has been considered the odd one out for the last few seasons, and hasn't made anywhere near the amount of appearances that he would like. As a result, it is very likely that he'll leave; meaning he will need replacing. Van Persie may be considered as the perfect replacement, as not only can he provide a much better alternate to the 'lazy' and 'lethargic' Bulgarian, but he can also emulate; if not better the goals that Berbatov produced when he wore the red shirt.

So do United actually need Van Persie? In my belief, in order to stimulate and overcome the threat of rivals Manchester City dominating the Premier League, I think Robin Van Persie is a necessity. I believe that he will complement his future forward partner Wayne Rooney, and I reckon they'll make a lethal partnership up front for United. Although Welbeck and Hernandez are quality players, Van Persie's class and natural goal scoring touch will prove vital for United this year, and if he performs anywhere near the standard he did last year; expect the title to be heading back to Old Trafford this season.