The RVP effect

What will RVP mean for Manchester United
On the face of it, the prospect of Wayne Rooney playing in tandem with last season’s Premier League top goalscorer and the double Footballer of the Year is mouth-watering. Rooney and Van Persie could form as formidable a partnership as Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, a combination crucial to United’s Treble success in 1999. Similarly, Rooney and Van Persie possess the potential to provide United with the two-man strike-force that enabled United to win the Champions League in 2008. But the potential flip side to Sir Alex Ferguson’s plan would involve Van Persie failing to dovetail with Rooney, who has rarely looked at ease alongside his previous strike partners. Alongside Ronaldo, Rooney sacrificed his attacking instincts to help the Portuguese forward flourish. But, having claimed centre stage at United since Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in 2009, the 26 year-old is unlikely to be willing to play second fiddle again. Rooney rarely looked happy alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy and, although Rooney has shown glimpses of an understanding with Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernández, his best form has been as the focal point of the attack. Who will occupy that role now?
In The Mirror, Gianluca Vialli has backed van Persie to give United the edge in this season’s title race after he completed his “massive” move to Old Trafford. The former Chelsea boss is quoted: “It is a massive signing. Van Persie and Rooney combining in the same team makes for a pretty exciting striking partnership. It will be a very important addition to an already very strong team.”
The same paper also claims Javier Hernandez could be in line for a shock transfer to Arsenal to help fill the void left by Van Persie. The tabloid believes the Mexican has grown disillusioned by a lack of first team opportunities and could seek a move before the summer transfer window closes.