Allowing Robin van Persie to sign for Manchester United in 2012 should have spelled the end of Arsene Wenger’s reign at Arsenal, says Gunners fan Piers Morgan.
The Dutch dynamo was sold for £24million from the north London club to their great rivals United and Van Persie promptly racked up 30 goals to propel the Old Trafford outfit to a record 20th league title.
Wenger was apparently under pressure to balance the accounts at the Emirates but former News of the World editor Morgan – an Arsenal fan since 1971 and never shy to offer his opinion on the club’s ups and downs – poured water on those rumours.
“To me when he sold Van Persie to United and they won the league, that was an absolute sackable offence. How can a manager do that?” Morgan told ArsenalFanTV.
“He’d argue one year left on the contract, the guy wants to go,” replied TV interviewer Robbie.
“I don’t care. Rot him on the reserves bench. You don’t give him to United,” Morgan snapped back.
“Do you think if Wenger had called up Alex Ferguson and said ‘Hey, I want Wayne Rooney.’ How long do you think that conversation would have lasted?
“We did not have to sell Robin van Persie, it’s a complete myth. I have people very close to the ground at Arsenal who tell me we did not need to do that for financial reasons. There’s no excuse for what he did and I think it was an appalling thing to do.”
Van Persie missed out on any silverware last season with United while Arsenal lifted their first trophy since 2005 by winning the FA Cup.
However the Dutchman now has the chance to work with national manager Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford on the back of an impressive World Cup display, scoring four goals as the Netherlands beat hosts Brazil to third place.
Main image courtesy of ArsenalFanTV via YouTube, with thanks.
