van Persie Out Injured; In Other News, I HATE International Friendlies

By: Martin | November 14th, 2009

Most of you have probably already seen this, but Robin van Persie tore an ankle ligament today, an injury which will keep him out for an estimated 2-3 months.

In what, you may ask, super-important match was he playing in to take on such an injury? Was it the World Cup? Nope. The European championships? Nope. A qualifier for one of those tournaments? Nope. It was a friendly. A completely stupid, meaningless friendly. It’s so good to know that our chances of winning the league took just took a significant hit so Holland could draw 0-0 with Italy a full 8 months before their next significant match.

I don’t really know what to say. I’m just really, really, really angry. But anger won’t actually do any good. I’ll just say that at some point the clubs are going to have to actually make a stand–they’ll never be able to absolutely stop players from playing for their countries (and I’m not suggesting that they should), but it seems perfectly reasonable that a club would have legitimate objections to its players playing in a completely meaningless match at this point in the season. It would be nice if more countries were like Mexico (NOTE: that’s the first time I have ever started a sentence with that clause), who didn’t schedule matches for this international break because it didn’t see the need to interfere with its players club obligations. Most international federations won’t do this, if for no other reason than they want the revenue. Well, Dutch football federation, I hope the money was worth it. But to them, of course it is–they’re not the ones that are going to have to pay van Persie’s wages and cover the cost of his medical care and rehabilitation for the next 2-3 months, so what do they care. And therein lies the problem. But you’ve heard me make this argument dozens of times already, so I won’t repeat myself any more than I already have.

Sigh. Arsene Wenger said it better than I ever could:

Gerard Houllier’s thoughts on the matter [international football] echo mine. He thinks that what the national coaches are doing is like taking the car from his garage without even asking permission. They will then use the car for ten days and abandon it in a field without any petrol left in the tank. We then have to recover it, but it is broken down. Then a month later they will come to take your car again, and for good measure you’re expected to be nice about it.

I know I’m probably just impulsively speaking out of anger, but you know what? I’m tired of being nice about it–at some point we need to think about getting a lock for the garage.

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Category: Arsenal News, Injury Report, Internationals

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Gigi

thx homey and alexinho fore your posotive vibes, and yes, after all we had a lot of goals coming form everywhere, but rvp had a momentum imo, and it still makes me mad,
on the other hand, 4 to 6 weeks isnt that bad, but we do have some important games coming, so key word again is focus,
KW

I'm lost for words..
Gooner

yea i read that RVP himself said that he'll be out for just 4 to 6 weeks and that he does not need a surgery
Alexinho

Four to six weeks!!!! Four to six weeks!!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!
Jack

Sky Sports said six weeks tonight so perhaps it's not as bad as first thought?
Alexinho

I agree with Homey. It isn't season-ending. We'll continue to score goals, but Arshavin, Eduardo, and especially Walcott will need to make serious plays and stay healthy to keep us at our current scoring rate. Chances are they will not, or they will get injured, so expect fewer goals. But this scenario is far better than if one of our only two REAL center-halves get injured, because then we'll not only concede ridiculous looking goals, but also some deserved ones. Almunia without cover is bad Almunia.

Also, a lot of our midfield will be coming back in the next few weeks, including Denilson, who was huge for us last season and will probably be just as good when he comes back. Rosicky will be around on and off, and Nasri is playing his way back into the team. It's a shame that Diaby got hurt, but when he comes back, I expect him to become more consistently good. The goal gap that could result from RvP's absence very well could be made up by strength in the midfield.

It'll be a tough three months, but hey, RvP's been waaaay past due for an injury given his track record. I just hope that it doesn't linger too far past three months. I believe we can keep getting the results, as long as we retain the core of our defense: Vermaelen, Gallas, Song.

Speaking of Song, I vote we keep him out of the Sunderland game. He will be absolutely CRUCIAL against Chelsea, and we can't risk him getting a fifth yellow card. Fabregas, Eboue, Rosicky/Nasri, maybe?
Homey

OK, I'll try to give it a positive look, if possible. What this team hasn't had trouble with is scoring goals. And that's been true even with various rotations of players, with Carling Cup teams, etc. Maybe with Walcott coming back, plus Eduardo, we can survive this one. I think it would be more brutal to lose Gallas or TV5 (or Cesc), because we don't really have replacements there. So yes, it's brutal, but I think we can hold it together.
However, this was the exact reason why some of us wanted another striker after Ade was sold. Someone like Chamakh would have given us some cover there. The transfer window is only a month and a half away, so maybe someone new enters at that point.
Gigi

mike,
i was talking about friendlies, not all (even though we can argue, those for qualifying are meaningful games), i just dont think its fair when the national teams dont train, support, pay, form etc those players they use,
alex,
even with friendlies the nat teams gather little every year, and the good ones manage to play and win, i was talking with my argentine brother in law and he was praising...brazil for doing so!
Alexinho

This is a big chance for Walcott, who according to Wenger (on the website), is going to be back for the next game against Sunderland.

And then, it's Chelsea...
Alex

I'm tired of club football elitists. Friendlies are necessary to try out new players formations and such exactly because international teams don't play week in week out. If you expect international teams to meet up once every 2 or 3 months for two qualifying games and then expect the team to gel and the world cup be amazing, I think you'll be disappointed. Why should international football take a back seat just because some people care more about club than country.

Club teams play in so many competitions anyway. In my book they play too many on top of their own leagues, while the international scene has to do with friendlies every once in a while to make sure their gelling together hasn't rusted over completely. And some people are crying out even against friendlies, which themselves aren't exactly scheduled all the time.

Of course it's annoying to have players of your preferred club injured over a game that means nothing. I'm pissed off as well. But you just have to grow up and realise these players are playing for their country. No one broke into the garage and stole the car. The car has aspirations to leave every now and then on its own and play for the country in which it was made. Van Persie wanted to play, you have to respect that.
Alexinho

FUCK! Where does this leave our forward line???

I have to say it again...it isn't any coincidence that we get AN INJURY PER GAME. All of our plays are counterattacks that have our players run 100 yards for a chance. We score a lot this way, because we're so fit that we just outrun a lot of teams, but this is the cost, and it's too damn high. Yes, it's maddening when it happens with the national team, but many other sets of fans do not worry about internationals like we do. We just KNOW that we'll get at least one injury, and it might be one like this. For many other teams, it's an unpleasant, sometimes crushing, SURPRISE.

On the bright side, Nasri was expected out for three months, and he came back in about two, right?

FUCK!
Abdiaby

im so frustrated, van persie was just hitting form aswell, this was probably gonna be his best season, injury free and pushing for the title. Now he's injured and walcott, Vela and bendtner all injured. we only have 1 out and out striker, Eduardo (arsenal.com dont classify Arshavin as a striker but more as attacking midfielder, whereas Walcott is.) I'm hoping he doesnt stay out for too long, he does sooo much for the team.
if it is 2 or 3 months.
then this will be our starting line up:
Almunia
Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy
Fabregas Song Nasri
rosicky eduardo arshavin
i believe still enough attacking threat, with the likes of fab, eduardo, rosicky, nasri and of course arshavin, we can still be up there. and when bendtner, walcott, denilson, vela, wilshere and hopefully van persie, will all be purring of the prospect of and arshavin-van persie-eduardo front three!
Melanie

These friendlies are stupid and one has to wonder if the parties who set them up should not be held somehow financially responsible if incidents like the Van Persie one of yesterday cause the club sides harm.
avery

fr*ck!!!!!!
international friendlies, world cup qualifiers....sheesh..who even cares about that crap anymore????
a top team from any league would CRUSH any world cup team period!!!
the world cup teams only play together, what, once a year if that...

this crap needs to go, screw FIFA or whoever mandates this sh*te....

go arsenal

get well soon Robin as we know you can:-)
evaldo

there are probably enough AMs in the squad that arsene could cook up something for the short term but if any other midfielders get hurt the team will be screwed.

one thing is for sure: arsenal have a shit ton of injuries right now
Tharshan

i am absoulutely distraught, as a huge arsenal fan I've had enough of injuries wrecking havoc to our chnaces of winning the title. every season this happens. However we need to remain positive it's not like we're going through a crisis. Players like fabregas and arshavin and eduardo are gonna have to perform to thier max. WE CAN STILL WIN THE TITLE. KEEP THE FAITH U GOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gooner

we only have eduaedo as a striker...
Gooner

yea me neither, but i know for sure he's out injured
evaldo

this is terrible news. definitely going to derail any title bid.

i used to have the utmost faith in dudu, but not so much anymore. we really need bendtner and vela to get fit asap or else this could get ugly.

what is the word on vela btw? i haven't heard a word
Peevish

That quote from Wenger/Houllier is bang on the money. It would just be plain bizarre in any other business, that a key member of a team/company can be taken from the people who pay and train and care for him, and used for a worthless game, and then just sent back useless, so the original team can miss out on his services for weeks and weeks.
Its even more annoying, because I can;t remember the last time RvP was injured as a result of playing for Arsenal, yet he has stacked up a fair amount of time on the injury list. He always seems to pick up knocks on international "duty".
So so so frustrating, because this has the potential to have a massive impact on the side in such an important string of fixtures. Its a cliche, but he is one of the two or three names that are written in first on the line up week in week out. I just hope Eduardo can step up big, with Vela upping his game also.
And we still have more matches to look forward to before Arsenal play again.
MoMONEY

Absolutely gutted. Not just for worry about our season but for RVPs career. He was finally getting the recognition he deserves. Hopefully we somehow hold the fort until he returns and we can win the Champs League under his leadership. I love that guy
Mike

Well, that's just the risk you take when you sign the world's best players. Just be happy the clubs don't have to play during internationals any more like other sports. Arsenal will just have to use one of the 40 other players they have on their books.
Gigi

stupid, stupid friendlies, i cannot express how mad i am, man of all the stupidity from coaches of national teams, friendlies deserve top notes, what are we supposed to do now??? rvp was really shining and bringing rthe team to shine with him....man can we sue them??? fk i ll advice them for free to do so!!!
man i cant find more words...but i guess we all feel the same,
Gooner

I've got a question. this 2 months out thing is just what people think "without tests and examining his ankle"? I heard that tomorrow we'll get right news about his injury. Please, I hope that he does not need to be out for 2 or 3 months, the problem is if you saw his face after being tackled it does not look good. anyway I hope him I speedy recovery and hopefully arsenal will be able to get the results while he is out injured