well teams always plan for the season, he said he wants to leave or wont sign a new deal so we react, write somthing worth writing about, your a joke, joker

What a load of crap. If Arsenal hadn’t planned for live w/o rvp then the same man would be criticizing the club for not learning anything from last year’s saga!

also its RVP who handeled the whole thing badly by making stupid statements, if he wanted to leave make the club aware in close door meeting, his camp are stupid for andiving him to do what he has done

It’s handled perfect. Dunno what these guys are on.

Happening since we last won a  trophy? Does nobody remember the constant Vieira/Henry stories that ran right until they left, as big name players in the summer. It’s a part of football and has been for a while, now that there are teams that can double our wages it’s only going to get worse too. If it being ‘handled appallingly’ comes down to Grimandi making a statement that most people believed (rightly or wrongly) already then ‘being handled well’ can only be RvP agreeing to work for free.

Heading well into the epoch of incredulity if you ask me.

please be gracious enough and tell us which way u wanedt arsenal to handle the issue?the guy had refused to extend his contract as early as 2yrs ago!it seems he already had made up his mind,the only way arsenal could cushion his departure was to buy early,you guys complain on anything,if arsenal didn’t buy players you would still complain,ie panic buyin!they knew rvp was leaving and it was only a matter of time!

At last an article about Arsenal that has actually got some real quotes in it…………..hang on a minute, they’re quotes by so-called ‘journalists’ who hate Arsenal anyway…………..yet another load of crap after all…….

Totally agree. The club have handled this brilliantly.
There was nothing they could do to get RvP to sign a new contract: the player holds all the aces in this situation.
They’ve bought two high-quality strikers so they are covered if he leaves and in excellent shape if he stays. This means they can afford to let potential purchasers sweat until they come up with the right money.
Now for Theo – we’ve plenty of cover in his position and potentially a much better player in Cazorla if he goes. My worry is nobody really wants him. So no pay rise for Theo in my book!

This article has handled the Van Perise situation appalingly…

Take a hike David Walker (no pun intended)  I think we’re handling the situation very well.  RVP knows he’s still welcome at the club but hey ho if he does go then I think we’re putting some good solid plans in place to move on without him!! 

Oh yeah, lets bash Arsenal guys! It our favourite pass-time after all. The arrogant prat in the middle and an idiot to his right are beyond belief. So now van Persie questions a medical back up he gets? Where did he get that from? What a load of cr*p! There is nothing wrong with the way van Persie has been handled.

 I think you mean Abou Diaby returning from injury not Alex Song but its not like this is the only reason this article has lost any credibility. It’s RVP that’s handled the situation poorly by criticising the club publicly Arsene Wenger and the board have done all they can to keep him and will only accept top dollar for him. What exactly is appalling about that? Even if he doesn’t move on this summer consider the strength of the squad next season Podolski, Giroud, Arteta, Song, Diaby, WIlshere, Vermaelen and Koscielney plus the possible arrival of Cazorla that’s a team capable of challenging next year, especially if Van Persie remains at the club and continues his form, a big if I know. But either way its a win win if he leaves that’s 20 plus million to spend on other players and if he stays thats the best striker in the world last year at the club for another season. “Appalling” article.

Van Persie has handled the situation appallingly not Arsenal.

You’re an idiot. This article should read RVP handled the situation appallingly!!

Cretinism seems prevalent in the press. I havent read an article about the matter that seems to contain any quotes that arent quoting another idiotic journalists opinion rather than fact. Couldnt give a damn what they think or really what happens with Van Persie, if he plays then great, if he leaves then great we move on. Arsenal have been winning trophies for decades one player wont change that, neither ….erm….unless we bought Messi!

First mistake – Jack Wilshire and Abou Diaby back from injury (not Alex Song).

Secondly I cannot believe you are criticizing Wenger for preparing his team without RVP – It’s what a manager has to do.

Please don’t publish this rubbish.

what is there to handle?  RVP says he won’t sign a new deal…..so what, he’s got a year left.  When did it become a given that if you have a year left and don’t want to extend your contract the club has to let you go and forget about the final year you did sign for

more united fans writing rubbish as usual

well David Walker- whose job is to be a sports reporter- is showing a worrying dose of naivety. If RvP has told the club he is off then the club have to a- plan to replace him = Giroud and b- will never admit they are willing to sell, just like that, as it weakens their negotiating position. 

Mr Walker is a typical journo- ie he has no idea of commerciality and lives in a bubble where he actually believes everything he writes is ‘important’ and the the financial process of running a business sadly eludes him.

This is the tosh that we, the fans, have to put up with – the red top bullshit designed to sell papers and make the authors believe they are an enlightened source- rather than just being a ‘paid’ blogger

What is the point this article is trying to make? As far as I can see it all you do is rehashing gutter press nonsense. In other words, you are click whoreing. Consider yourself blocked from my news now feed.

What a lazy piece of so called journalism.

What an appalingly poor article. Sensationalist headline, crap contents

The worst kind of idiot is one with an agenda…..and when they start writing you can be sure the end product will lack integrity.

The only thing truly “appalling” is the article. RvP blinked first; Arsenal have nearly all the cards stacked in their favour. If he will not sign, either sell for a fee that matches his worth (no less than £20m?), or keep him to contract (saving £7m on additional wages and sign on fee in the process). If he signs, then we’ve kept last season’s best striker, who may or may not produce same level of performance) with no transfer fee and all for same incremental  $7m.
To my mind, Podolski and Giroud are just as much about building more meaningful strength in depth (compared to Park, Bendtner and Chamakh) as it is about replacing RvP. That said, if RvP DOES leave then having Podolski and Giroud already means we are not held to ransom over any other purchase or having to do it last minute. 

It is a brilliant object lesson in how to handle the situation

Ian Ridley??? hahahaha! He is yet another clueless cliche ridden lazy assed hack of zero integrity and a questionable output.

No surprises he hasnt got a clue and is simply following the herd with his half baked comments.

Greedy footballers and agents coupled with sugar daddy owned clubs are killing football. Its well overdue that the media concentrated their jaundiced eyes on the facts that wages are increasing at such obscene levels that it wont just be the likes of Rangers going to the wall, it will be an Everton, or Aston Villa.

Either that or the league in England will simply be divied up by clubs owned by shieks and oligarchs.

Sorry, he said they bought 
Olivier Giroud  as a safeguard.  It’s called hedging your bets, but I guess that one is too much for you to understand.  You don’t know what’s going off behind closed door, what’s been said at the table. Maybe RVP wants to stay and has been angling for a mega pay rise, but now they have other options whether he leaves or stays, increasing their hand.  Maybe they are quite happy for him to go at £20-£25M, I would. If the Spanish guy comes and another few good players come then RVP looks like a pr*ck because they are obviously spending decent money on very good players and lack of ambition was his sole reason for leaving.  No, it’s all about the money.

I just hate the double standards and hypocrisy of the Life’s a Pitch panel. Why the heck would Wenger and co say we’re ok with RvP leaving so we bought Giroud and Podolski. Of course, they’re going to say they want him to say so they don’t look weak in negotiations. I do agree the scout coming out saying that was silly but what else is Wenger supposed to say? You guys slaughtered Wenger last season for failing to replace Nasri and Cesc. He plans a future without RvP by beefing up the attack and he’s still in the wrong lol. Unbelievable but I shouldn’t be surprised. You guys say Arsenal’s in a crisis every season yet Wenger manages to defy all expectations. You were banging about Arsenal missing out out on CL. Arsenal qualified for the CL by coming from 13pt behind. Contrary to doom mongers disguised as journalists, I’m quietly optimistic about this season. We’ve got a disciplined old head in Arteta and if we buy Carzola, we have an experience WC winner who’s versatile and can win games single handedly. He was always one of my fav player at Villareal but he was incredible at Malaga last season. Arsenal survived without real winners Vieira, Pires, Gilberto and of course Henry, God willing, Arsenal will survive without a class WC loser who spent more years on the treatment bed than on the pitch. 

Arsenal’s med team can’t be that bad. Look at Ramsey and Eduardo. 

What a strange article – if memory serves me right, Grimandi did make those comments AFTER RVP had given notice in the media that he did not intend to stay with the club!!

I have to say pretty much all of the comments by below have been spot on,these journalists make up constant streams of rubbish and then use that rubbish to back up there facts.grimandi simply said giroud was bought with the van persie situation in mind and never said he was a replacement for him,cazorla can play anywhere across the midfield clearly fifefield has never seen him play can’t even say his name right,all are absolute numptees who just go with popular opinion such as van persie will go to Manchester,great insight walker thanks for sharing,they make out arsenal are in crisis when they have just brought in 2 stellar names and are looking to buy more,morons the lot of them.From a QPR fan

complete twoddle – RVP states openly that he will not sign a new contract….and Arsenal are at fault? RVP states he wants squad improvement – Arsenal buy internationals…and Arsenal are at fault?