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ROBIN VAN PERSIE has said he welcomes competition from Manchester United’s new striker Radamel Falcao, and has dismissed claims that he needs surgery to solve an ongoing knee problem.
Falcao’s move to United on a £6m loan deal prompted renewed suggestions that Van Persie’s knee trouble could involve an extended lay-off, but the Dutchman said the claims were “total nonsense”.
“I am impressed that people have the imagination to invent something like that,” Van Persie told Foxsports.nl. “I don’t know where it comes from and I can promise that I’m not going to hospital to have an operation.”
Van Persie said he was looking forward to working with Falcao. “I welcome his arrival, he makes us better. At a top club you should always go for the best, which also fits my philosophy.
“It is up to Falcao to fight for his place, as I have to as well. The two of us, plus Wayne Rooney and James Wilson, we must all fight it out to see who plays.”
Meanwhile, the former United defender, Paul Parker, has told Eurosport that Falcao’s arrival would be a “huge relief” for United because they have been “very, very, very poor” in attack – and called for the “awful” Wayne Rooney to be dropped.
Parker said: “Robin van Persie clearly just isn’t right – there’s a lot of talk about him maybe needing an operation, and it sure seems like there’s something big that’s holding him back.
“As for Wayne Rooney, he’s been awful. There he was at Burnley this weekend, supposedly captaining the team – but I saw a player interested only in himself, doing nothing to try to lift his game or inspire his team-mates. The only thing in any way remarkable about his performance is that he collects £300,000 a week to play that badly.
“Once Van Persie is fully fit again, Rooney must be the person to be dropped from United’s new attacking lineup: for me, it’ll be RVP and Falcao every time.” — The Guardian
Online Reporter