Finding it hard to agree with Arsene about RvP still being an Arsenal man after that celebration,

[Rich]

tbh.

I must say - I did not react favourably to it.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

What should one expect from a pig but a grunt?

[Monty91]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Would you mind editing?

[Snin]

scoring against a team is even more of an insult imo.. it shows you expect to score/ dont treat them as a threat imo

[redgunamo]

[Classic Jorge]

[Classic Jorge]

[Jake]

Nonetheless it did allow opportunity for a passionate wishing of bad AIDS/cancer/illegitimaterapechild upon himself and his family etc

It was all quite cathartic.

[Monty91]

for showing unbridled joy at scoring a hugely important goal :shrug:

[Maravilloso Marvo]

He says that for him, Robin is still an Arsenal man. Not for Robin. He didn't say he thinks Robin still thinks he is an Arsenal man.

[Berni]

Can't stand those. They're just as much a way of saying 'LOOK AT ME! AREN'T I GREAT?' as what Van Persie did. At least now one can get on with despising the vile Dutchman as is right and proper.

[Classic Jorge]

[Monty91]

described as a mercenary laughable.

[Berni]

against Palace when he'd specifically said he wouldn't - but Palace fans still hate him for it. All footballers are the same. They're professionals who go to the highest bidder. :shrug:

[Classic Jorge]

[Classic Jorge]

[Monty91]

celebrate are likely to be cast aside when you hear your former fans singing that they hope you and your children die, and the like.

I do love the idea that Van Persie shouldn't have celebrated out of respect to the club whose fans now call him a rapist!

[7evens]

to redress the balance, following his successful decision to chase trophies with a better club ?

You may have won silverware last year pal but the club you turned your back on will have the last laugh this time around.

We fell short and he pissed in our chips again, didn't he :-(

[Witharby 2-3 weeks]

Expecting people to think about what is said. Next you will asking for it to be taken in context

[Monty91]

Personally, I tend to feel inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to a player who 1) moves to a bigger club (as opposed to a rich club in a footballing backwater like the middle east, russia or france) 2) is clearly dedicated and hungry to play for that club, rather than coasting along picking up a bigger wage packet

As for whether he owed more loyalty to Wenger. He certainly owes him his appreciation and recognition for the role he played in his development. But enough to deprive himself of a once-only chance to play for Man Utd and win something? Nah.

[Ashberto]

A player may genuinely have some feeling for his old club and might not want to rub it in, however much he wants to do the job he's being paid for by the new club.

A bit cynical to assume that we know how a player feels and that all non-celebrations are somehow bad.

[Monty91]

[Snin]

[Berni]

If you call a footballer a mercenary, why not a plumber, accountant, pipe fitter or any other person? They all qualify by the same criteria. :shrug:

[Monty91]

to not celebrate when you score against your old club so close to the actual transfer, when the wound is still sore (as van persie chose to do last season). A year later, however, you'd kinda expect people to have dealt with the trauma to be able to cope with a footballer celebrating a goal

[Berni]

[Snin]

[Classic Jorge]

And who is able to overlook emotional and professional ties in order to achieve personal goals in favour of collective responsibilities.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

They are just people, and as such good,bad, indifferent, weak, courageous, undignified and hypocritical on occasion, some worse than others, some better.

Like the rest of us.

[Snin]

[Monty91]

mercenary-ness?

[Snin]

[Ashberto]

Rational consuption (at least to a degree) is assumed in usual market models of economic activity. Football fans don't generally switch brands looking for the best deal (those that do are by definition not proper fans).

It's true that 'mercenary' is not accurate either, as the players operate under circumstances closer to normal market activity than fans, but to the tribal fans, they resemble mercs who fight for the country who pays them best, rather than some sense of tribal identity.

[Mack]

[Snin]

on the bench! well not since British Leyland shut down anyway

[Classic Jorge]

See, here's the thing that divides your cynics from your common or garden nihilists. Cynics were hopeless romantics once, and deep down underneath they still are.

[Snin]

:homer:

Robbie Savage: How Man Utd beat Arsenal
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24891724
obviosuly I'm not going to read it..it jsut made me laugh that Mr Savage is now counted as some kind of independent tactical expert....fecking ridiculous

[Berni]

[Berni]

and behaviour.

[Classic Jorge]

And a man who is regularly intellectually bested by people phoning in to 606, no less

[Monty91]

It's hard enough getting through life without fúcking over your most cherished loved ones. Having to apply an equal level of moral propriety towards your fúcking employer is surely a step too far.

[Classic Jorge]

Or at least, from what I could read of what you posted, if you get my drift

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Vile c**ts, to a man, b.

[Ashberto]

And hardly surprising that something rooted in irrationality might, er, lead to further irrationality.

[Berni]

...I think you'll find my syllogism to be flawless.

[redgunamo]