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Van Persie’s mental pain

April 27th, 2008 | By: Jan | 19 Comments »

So he did learn to kick a ball from Wenger!

“It hurts to become a better player. It hurts a lot. And I don’t mean physically. Muscle ache and pain in your lungs, you get used that. It’s a continuous process of watching, thinking, coming up with the best solution.”

Van Persie shares more: “It’s a mental pain. The pain to work your way through disappointments. I recently missed a penalty kick. That’s a disgrace for someone with my kicking abilities. The best of the world missed them, I know. Zico, Platini, Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, but as a football lover you can’t accept that. And you can’t try to look for a reason, it doesn’t work. Three days later, there’s another game and you need to clear you head. You can’t take any excess baggage onto the pitch. You can’t allow yourself one little moment of weakness.”

All eyes will be on Rrobin van Persie when Oranje will play their EC this summer. An artistic street player, who has learned to think and act according to the laws of top sport without losing face. He is only 24 years old, but a lot is expected from him.

“Robin has grown, has become a different player,” says Mounir El Hamdaoui (AZ Alkmaar). “Unrecognizable from his Feyenoord period, where he played left winger and tried to make an action every now and then. Today, he is stronger, faster, smarter. The boy has become a man.”

El Hamdaoui grew up with Van Persie in Rotterdam-Kralingen, just like Said BOutahar (former Feyenoord talent, now Willem II). They shared the same school and after school they’d fetch a ball and played until the sun set. El Hamdaoui: “We played matches, but also “Americans” or “goal-to-goal”. With “Americans”, there is one goal and one goalie. He kicks the ball onto the pitch and both teams try to score in the same goal. Goal-to-goal is a game for two players. You are the goalie and try to score in the other goal from distance.”

Van Persie always had that kicking technique. El Hamdaoui: “But he perfected his left even more. Another trick is that fake-kick. He makes as if he is going to shoot or cross but he swiftly pushes the ball with his left - like a sweep - past his opponent. We trained that for hours.”

Former Ajax, PSV and Oranje star Gerald Vanenburg, the ex-King of Street Football: “It’s the basis. Technique, complete ball controll and the vision to think yourself out of tough situations, that’s what you learn on the streets. It’s all about the ball. You play with your heart and you don’t think about anything else than the ball.”

Vanenburg recognizes the pure street player in Van Persie. “Sometimes it looks as if he is a bit taciturn. If a player has that much skills, it seems everyting is easy to him, but it isn’t. Still, these types of players hardly get into trouble and they always see solutions. Sometimes team mates, however, can’t see them and then you get those misunderstandings. Football is getting faster still and it takes a lot of strength. But all matches will still be decided by a couple of brilliant moments and technical skills will always be the decisive element.”

Van Persie has learned to take responsibility as well. The Arsenal striker: “When I play on the right and their left full back is a marathon man running up front all the time, I can’t just wait until he gets back. I can’t play the prima donna and expect my mates to sort it out. They help me, so I help them.”

Although Van Persie has more freedom then most of his team mates, he can’t play without a care in the world anymore. “In today’s game it’s hard to control a ball, due to the pressure of your opponent. So, you’re continiously making these calculations in your head. Can I control the ball or should I play it one touch? Do I have half a yard to turn away? And if so, left or right? What’s the risk for the team if I lose the ball now. Where are my team mates? It’s a proces of constant looking, thinking, coming up with solutions in split seconds. After a match I am totally wasted.”

It hurts to become a better player. El Hamdaoui: “But it’s a sweet pain. I always had the drive to make it in pro football. And now I’m here, I have a struggle with myself every day, trying to improve myself.”

Van Persie: “You never reach your destination. You can’t say: so, this is my level, I want to play like this for a couple of years. You always need to improve yourself, even if it’s half a percentage.”

Van Persie chose Arsenal for Wenger. “I could make much more money at Sevilla. But when Arsenal came, I knew. Bergkamp, Henry but in particular Arsene Wenger. He can make players better. And after a month, he said: you are no winger, you are a shadow striker. He made this plan for me and I started working. But I didn’t play. I was on the bench every week. I trained even harder and better. But still I remained on the bench. Wenger said: don’t worry, your time will come. You will be rewarded. I started with two minute replacements, then 6 minutes and later I got to play whole matches.”

Life has changed for Van Persie. He is now a role model. A leader. One of the players people look at when Arsenal - or Oranje - needs a special performance. But although there’s a huge gap between the streets of Rotterdam and the Emirates Stadium, the love for the ball is as big as ever.

“I could never play for Inter Milan. We played them in the pre-season and these guys were constantly bickering and at each others’ throats. With Arsenal, the fun is foremost. When you play with your heart, you can leverage most.”

source: De Stem

Tags: Arsene Wenger, Background stories, Oranje, Robin van Persie, The Netherlands

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Comments

By Rob | April 28th, 2008 at 12:03 am

Wow - never knew Van Persie grew up playing street football. I must admit, I’m a little surprised because a lot of his game relies on shooting from distance and using that power in the left boot - he’s very different to the futsal-playing Brazilians who go around pulling trick after trick and his game seems ready suited to a full pitch. Just hope he can get some regular games for Arsenal, because since coming back from injury he’s looked very shakey.

Love the comments about Inter Milan too - always struck me as a souless club full of scumbag mercenaries (hello Zlatan/Adriano/Materazzi!) Still, with some of the characters at Arsenal these days I’m not sure that dressing room’s much better. One can only think back to Bentner and Adebayor’s on pitch fight and Gallas (aka the worst captain in the world)’s sit in cry baby protest.

Posted from Japan

By Bruce | April 28th, 2008 at 1:49 am

Great article. He really has grown a lot since his early days.

I was just curious, how many people on this blog actually speak Dutch? How many live in the Netherlands? It seems like there are so many people from all over the globe on this board, and I’d be interested to know who are actually Dutch or of Dutch decent?

Posted from Republic Of Korea

By Lerkot | April 28th, 2008 at 2:24 am

I only know two Dutch sentences and its “Ik rij en overgeladen oude truck vol met baksteen” and “De drank van de Friezen is niet voor de poes”. That doesnt help me a lot though. And I dont live in the Netherlands and I dont have any Dutch relatives.

By bobotoh | April 28th, 2008 at 3:24 am

For me, I only know about Dutch language: “bedankt”. I hope that I have written the right word.

Posted from Indonesia

By Bruce | April 28th, 2008 at 3:29 am

Bedankt is right.

I’m Dutch Canadian (parents and in-laws were both in Holland), so as a result my Dutch is not so good. My speaking is poor, but I can read and understand most Dutch.

Posted from Republic Of Korea

By Jan | April 28th, 2008 at 4:33 am

Interesting thread :-).

@Rob, check out the clip on Robin on the other post and you’ll see his awesome technique on the square meter.

I was born in Holland but emigrated to Australia in 2003. We still speak Dutch at home, but my kids prefer English :-). I can obviously write and read and speak and understand Dutch.

Posted from Australia

By Rob | April 28th, 2008 at 10:14 am

Hey Jan - just got a chance to check out the vid - man, so many ridiculous goals, but not enough in an Oranje shirt. Hopefully the Euros will provide some more material! Incidentally - does anyone know Van Persie’s number for Oranje at the moment? Want to get one of those blue away shirts and I already have a Sneijder from the WC.

As for me - I guess I’m the Jonathan De Guzman of this blog - or something similar. No real connections at all to the Netherlands - I’m almost 100% English. Support Oranje for many reasons. The first footballer I remember seeing was Ruud Gullit and I thought he looked wicked with his dreads. Then, when I got into football, I absolutely loathed the idiot players who represented England, the manager at the time (Terry Venables - grade A crook), and everything about English football culture - it’s so basic and the inability to play possession football is really embarrassing. So I supported the Dutch through Euro 96 with all my heart, idolising Davids and Seedorf - the new Gullits! Cried when Oranje were down 4-0 to England - celebrated when Kluivert got that garbage goal. Followed Oranje ever since - only team I genuinely care about in any sport. There’s something so dramatic and wonderfully self-destructive about the Dutch national team.

I hope you Dutchies don’t mind me tagging along.

Posted from Japan

By Igor | April 28th, 2008 at 11:38 am

my dutch is extremely limited, a few words or a “how are you?” at best…my mom is Dutch but i was born and grew up in Switzerland. however, for a number of reasons i was always an oranje fan. there was the connection with my dutch relatives ofcourse but also it seems that when i was a kid, the swiss national team never did much to impress me (absent from most major tournaments until WC’94 and euro 96, by which time we had moved to canada anyway). instead my first football memories are from euro ‘88 and marco van basten

Posted from Canada

By goose | April 28th, 2008 at 12:23 pm

well guess im the only regular visitor on this blog whos actually dutch and lives in Holland… my dutch is very good!! hahaha

@lerkot; haha..do you know what those lines mean? (losely)
1. i drive a lory with to much bricks in the back
2. one shouldnt underestimate the Frysians liquor

real conversation openers!! haha

btw; since its just couple of weeks before the EC starts; heres a tube with the only real Oranje song ever made…i posted it during the WC, its a must have for any Oranje fan..its sung by Andre Hazes (who died 3 years ago) who was voted together with our friend J.Cruijff as the ultimate dutch symbols…thats before tulips, de wallen, coffeeshops!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUXfXSFTvYY

btw; Inter should be forbidden to be a club by court order!

Posted from Netherlands

By Jan | April 28th, 2008 at 5:40 pm

Great stuff Rob, and please keep on taggin’! It’s cool :-).

That drama connection you mentioned is one of the reason I’m a Feyenoord fan. They are the quintessential bunch of losers :-). And somehow that pain is worth more than the short orgasm of winning, hahaha…

Robin’s relationship with Oranje has always been stressed. As a youngster, the youth teams of Oranje were dominated by Ajax. Whenever Robin played for a young Oranje team, he was always second in command of Rafael, who played left on midfield or shadowstriker. Which was also Robin’s position. So, in those days he was a sub and Robin is not a good sub. Rafael and Robin couldn’t get a long at all! Raf being Ajax’ golden wonder boy and Robin Feyenoord’s. When Robin broke through at Feyenoord, Vaart and Sneijder and all played for Ajax 1 already so when Robin got in trouble with Van Marwijk he blew his chances on Oranje again. Then when he got selected for the big Oranje, he had some clashed with Van Basten who even sent him away when he had his first call up, because of his attitude!

Only later, Van Persie got back in and only weeks before the WC he managed to get in the team.

Posted from Australia

By Ramy | April 28th, 2008 at 6:00 pm

he got subbed again against derby.. Seems like this injury is not over yet..

By Jan | April 28th, 2008 at 7:40 pm

He did, but he also played a good first half with an assist and a goal!

Maybe Wenger spares him a bit for Van Basten :-).

Posted from Australia

By dirk v.d.berg | April 28th, 2008 at 7:51 pm

I was looking around the soccer world and found an article on Luka Modric (I may have mentioned him before). He’s called the next Johan Cruijff by many people, because of his talent and position (or lack of position). I realized while I was searching that he also bares a resemblance to a young Cruijff.

http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/news/kind=1/newsid=689622.html

I don’t know if its just me that thinks so, so I just wanted to ask some others.

Posted from Canada

By alaa | April 28th, 2008 at 10:54 pm

guys believe it or not, this guy van persie makes my heartbeats get to more than 100 when i watch him playing those woderful left foot kicks and that nice dribbling against inter last year when he scored that wonderful goal, his free kick against coite d’iviore in the world cup, and all the wonderful dribblings and more and more. he is my big hope for euro 2008!!!!
in the late eighties and early ninties we had van basten and gullit win the best european player, and since that time no dutch player won it, bergkamp was close a couple of times but didn’t win. i hope van persie can get the prize back as an individual and do something for the orange, such as winning the euro 2008!!!

By Jan | April 29th, 2008 at 12:23 am

Thanks for the link, Dirk. I can definitely see the resemblance. Interesting, we’ll keep an eye for the boy.

Posted from Australia

By alaa | April 29th, 2008 at 1:03 am

i just read the match report(derby-arsenal) on msn.co.uk, it says robin was taken out because he picked a new injury. i am starting to get worried about these consecutive injuries he’s getting.

By Lerkot | April 29th, 2008 at 1:54 am

Goose:
Yes, I know what does meant.. great lines to get girls with.

Posted from Sweden

By Igor | April 29th, 2008 at 11:19 am

i saw the arsenal-derby game yesterday, and robin was only subbed out as a precaution, i don’t think he picked up a new injury. after half an hour he went to the bench apparently to tell them he would like to be substituted but he kept playing until half time, scored a great goal just before half and from his ensuing energetic celebration, i would say that he wasn’t hurting very much at all. he certainly showed flahes of briliance yesterday but he is still not consistent, he missed a chance that he would normally score and lost the ball a few times in situations that should not trouble a player of his skills. he’s slowly getting back to his old self but lets hope he doesnt run out of time before the EC.

Posted from Canada

By Bob | April 30th, 2008 at 8:53 pm

Great blog regarding van Pesie. I am impressed with his ability to grow and change. As others have said, he is very different from his play of a few years ago, although I do not see him as a natural leader. He works hard to make his own performances improve, but unlike other Dutch greats such as Bergkamp, Cruijff and de Boer, I do not think he assists others to reach higher and achieve more than they might have without him. Regretfully, I do not see Robin as someone who can carry the Dutch team through an entire tournament. His skills to not yet rise to that level.

As to a connection with Dutch heritage, I have written before that my ancestors–many differenct families–came to North America in the 1600s from the areas in Europe now known as the Netherlands and Belgium. They were Dutch, spoke Dutch and helped create this American culture. I have been to the Netherlands several times, and belong to several organizations that have a connection to Dutch-American history or genealogy. I have followed Dutch football since I discovered it during the 1974 World Cup, and I have deep respect and affection for the country and its football coaches and players. This blog is a great gift for all of us, and I am grateful for it. Thanks again, Jan.

Posted from United States