Soccer Premier League

Premier League: Forward Thinking Will Count Against Robin Van Persie

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Smashing home a late, late equalizer in the 94th minute against Chelsea, he had the whole Manchester United team celebrating together with verve and passion; it was a moment to savor, a potentially galvanizing act. That man is Robin Van Persie, and he couldn’t have done more to remind everyone that he remains a product of Sir Alex Ferguson‘s ability to perennially extend his influence. At the same time, it also afforded the Dutch star a few rare personal seconds in the spotlight and a chance to hit back at his growing list of critics.

Sadly, it looks as if snapshots like the one he enjoyed on Sunday evening are going to become even more of a rarity than before. In fact, if anything, his strike could well be seen as a nostalgic blast from the past more so than a signal of intent for the future — much like the one Didier Drogba conjured following the restart.

Why? Well, looking at Manchester United’s bench at the weekend, it was clear to see that youth was the order of the day, and the future.

Even on the pitch, with young Belgian international Adnan Januzaj playing well on the left and right flank, switching his presence at times, Louis Van Gaal had made it clear his plans were ones of forward thinking.

In the end, the former Feyenoord star’s pin-point strike at the death, although pivotal to ensuring they sent out a signal of intent to their title challengers, isn’t exactly the remedy the club needs as a whole. What they really require is someone to come in and provide consistent excellence week in, week out, not just flash-in-the-pan goals.

Fans will be hoping the strike kick-starts his season, of course, but it’s going to take a lot more than one strike do so — and no one will realize that more than the Dutchman himself.

Because while some might chalk it down to mind games Jose Mourinho would be proud of, the reality is that Van Gaal is concentrated on the long-term future of the club. True, the 31-year-old frontman played well for spells and could have set up one or two strikes early on when the match began at pace, but there were also times when you expected him to do a whole lot better with his finishing touch.

With James Wilson introduced for the final 25 minutes as a replacement for the frustrating Juan Mata, there were even more signs that the Red Devils have decided that to complement their big-money signings, they also need to encourage the growth of their youth products and younger stars. Using Liverpool as an example, they won’t want to see their team performances fall through just because one player loses form, gets transferred or picks up a long-term injury.

Make no mistake, in theory, Van Persie can still be a 20-goal-per-season man. However, due to the practicality of drip-feeding the more inexperienced guys during their re-construction phase, it’s also vital that they strive to give them the game time they need to get better, faster and more used to the demands of a club with such a rich history.

Earmarked as the future of the club by the former Netherlands coach, Wilson is likely to feature more prominently as the season progresses, especially now that Radamel Falcao is temporarily unavailable through a knock he sustained in training, and if the 18-year-old continues to prove himself, he could well become a regular Old Trafford figurehead.

Popping up a few times since coming on board, the youngster has forced himself into contention, and although his influence remains heavily restricted by the bigger names on the roster, he’s already proven himself ready to come to the team’s rescue.

In the meantime, it’s Van Persie who will have to satisfy himself with the role of temperamental savior.

Trevor Murray is a soccer writer at www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on twitter @TrevorM90, ‘”like” him on Facebook or add him to your circles in Google+.

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