I saw no English media when I was in Italy.
No papers, no BBC, no Sky Sports News, no emails, nothing online.
When I got home the first story that caught my eye was in the Metro :
Robin Van Persie is being wasted at Arsenal – Dennis Bergkamp
Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp has claimed Arsene Wenger is misusing captain Robin Van Persie, and has also voiced his disappointment that the club failed to bring Patrick Vieira back to north London.
Dennis knows more about Pat’s influence than we do because he played with him for years.
He also knows more about what Robin can and can’t do, as he trained and played with him. DB10 helped his fellow Dutchman a lot when the younger man joined Arsenal in May 2004
The Dutchman, who is currently an integral part of the coaching set-up at Ajax, insists the Gunners could benefit by fielding a more natural striker to shoulder the goals burden with Van Persie. “When I look at Robin Van Persie, he is the front player, but he is better in my old role. They are missing an out-and-out goalscorer. Now they play with an extra midfielder instead. The midfielders are all the same sort of players. You need one who wants to get in behind Van Persie.”
That’s what I’ve been saying for years. But can Robin play runners in as perceptively as you did, Dennis?
The former Dutch international also revealed his frustration that Manchester City were able to beat his old club to appointing ex-Gunners skipper Vieira as their new football development executive. “There was talk of Patrick going to Arsenal during the summer. I would’ve done everything possible to get him there. Just to get him in and around the dressing room. It would have brought so much to the team.”
Pat loves London, Dennis.
But he has an opinion, as you know.
Only one opinion is allowed at London Cloney.
Bergkamp is currently part of a revolutionary Ajax coaching staff that includes a host of former players, such as Frank and Ronald De Boer, Edgar Davids, Jaap Stam and Marc Overmars, who are short on experience, but ingrained in the club\’s history.
However, the Dutchman has once again admitted the lure of a call from north London may be too much for him to resist.
“The plan is to be settled here (Holland) now I’ve built my house. But there is something that stays with me, something in my body that wants to go back to England one day as part of a coaching staff. That is always in my mind. I don’t miss specific things but I miss the feeling, which I can’t really explain. I haven’t sold my house there yet.”
The Arsenal equivalent of the De Boers, Davids, Stam and Overmars might be Keown, Dixon, Bould, Rocastle and maybe Lauren.
Rocky is no longer with us but there must be other candidates who could help to take the team forward.