Cast your mind back a few years to Henry’s final season at the club, or Cesc Fabregas’. Both had an unmistakable resignation to their mannerisms; an almost sombre celebration would greet a goal. Whilst I’m not attempting to cast aspersions on the will-to-win or determination of either player, I did always get the sense that both individuals had made

The James ‘Raul’ Stokes Big-haired Behemian Thoughts

I hate that banner. When my eyes catch such an egregious conglomeration of language, a little part of me weeps inside for the individual, or collective group of mega-minds, responsible. I mean, seriously; what use would Batman be on a football pitch?

Granted, there is a part of me that would advocate the use of various ninja paraphernalia as a means of preventing Gareth Bale tumbling toward the ground whenever the mood takes him. Having a masked vigilante swoop from the upper tier and repeatedly punch Harry Redknapp in the face would, doubtless to say, be excellent entertainment for the fans. But, taken on purely footballing matters, The Dark Knight wouldn’t be much use on the end of an Alex Song chipped-to-perfection through ball. Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego might be able to protect an entire city from super-villains, but can he execute a perfect volley under pressure? I doubt it. He’d have a fair bit of money to invest, though…

In all seriousness, I thought I’d dedicate this week’s entry to our talismanic Dutchman and the farrago of opinions and views regarding his contract. Unlike the doom mongering few out there in the vast, sprawling Goonerverse, I think he’s going to stay.

When I was watching our triumphant performance against the Geordies, I watched van Persie a bit closer than usual. Ordinarily, I’d intently gaze upon him in admiration of his sublime touch, his excellent movement or because I’m certain he’s greying slightly about the bonce. On Monday night, I watched the way he celebrated.

Cast your mind back a few years to Henry’s final season at the club, or Cesc Fabregas’. Both had an unmistakable resignation to their mannerisms; an almost sombre celebration would greet a goal. Whilst I’m not attempting to cast aspersions on the will-to-win or determination of either player, I did always get the sense that both individuals had made up their minds to leave, and their respective attentions were elsewhere.

Now look at Robin’s.

When he scores, he’s the picture of jubilation. The results matter to him. He’s taken to the role of captaincy in a way that neither Cesc or Thierry truly managed; he’s united the players and is their leader. After his (entirely justified) fracas with urgency personified, Tim Krul, he was noticeably fired-up, ecstatic and geed up the crowd when they sang his name.

Point being, I don’t think he’s ready to leave. He’s found himself a level of adulation and hero worship at Arsenal that he’ll not find anywhere else. His family are settled in London, and, most importantly of all, I believe he is genuinely happy being a Gooner.

With the Podolski ‘signing’ looking potentially to be the first of a few significant arrivals over the summer, it’s a statement of intent from the club. Not only are they looking to build a competitive team to match Robin’s ambitions, but also the parsimonious wage structure may be a thing of the past.

Regarding the contract itself, well, that’s as simple a case as giving the guy what he wants. £150k a week? Done. A hefty signing on fee? Done. Theo Walcott, naked and covered in jam and feathers having to say the phrase, “My, my. What a lovely tea party you’ve put on, Vicar” in a broad southern-American accent? Bit weird, but done.

The grubby advances of the immoral megabucks at City is a slight worry, but I credit Robin as the type who appreciates the rapport he’s built up with the fans. Roberto Mancini’s admissions and the mendacious report in The Times of him already having agreed a contract were nothing short of abhorrent attempts to destabilise the player. He’s not anything like a certain horse-faced lesbian who fled to the Etihad Stadium over the summer months with two huge pound signs in his eyes. A player whose backside has grown exponentially having sat on the bench for the majority of the season – poetic justice, if you ask me.

To summerise (this post is a bit disjointed, isn’t it?), I’m quietly confident he’ll be thundering in the wonder-goals in an Arsenal shirt for a while yet. God knows, I’m sure you all love him like I do. He’s an integral part to the future success of our club.

Thanks for reading, delicious regulars of Arsenal Vision. I’m very happy to be here and I hope you enjoyed what I’ve offered up. As the author of an Arsenal blog myself – shameless self-promotion alert – you can keep up with my daily posts and views via my Twitter account – @_ArmchairGooner.

I look forward to seeing some of you on there. For now, I bid you farewell. I’ll be back next week.