Please, wrap Modric and Van Persie up and send them on their way

Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk looks stunned while he gets lectured by Van Persie after he was being substituted during the World Cup in South Africa

COMOX, BC   ●   First it was Fabregas who revolted so in the end he could play for his first love Barcelona, right now Robin van Persie and Luka Modric are pulling a ‘Fabregas’ to force a transfer from respectively Arsenal and  Tottenham Hotspur.

Both players claim they want to move on to other teams to win ‘silver ware’.

Nothing wrong with that you could say, but really all I’m hearing is Jessie J’s hit Price Tag in my head.

Modric has always said Tottenham Hotspur would not be his end station and in fact he may sign with Real Madrid within the next couple of days. On the other hand, last year we heard that Modric was on the brink of signing with Chelsea and we all know what happened then. Nothing.

Modric stayed with Spurs, had a fairly decent season, and saw manager Harry Redknapp after the season ended being replaced by Andre Villas-Boas, the manager who was so keen to get him to Chelsea last season. You would think that would be a score for Modric and Spurs.

The fact that Chelsea by winning the Champions League took away Spurs spot in the most prestigious competition in the world, obviously changed the ball game and it is now hurting Tottenham.

Even luring Andre Villas Boas to White Hart Lane could not change Modric’s mind and now AVB already lost interest in a not interested Modric.

Villas Boas already noted he could live with a Modric departure as long as Rafael van der Vaart stayed put in London.

That really does not show much confidence and trust in Modric, who did not much to help his own case by not showing up for practice and the trip to the USA.

Words were said, fines were issued; not really something you would need as a player and a club at the beginning of a new season and a new chapter. It just gives unnecessary friction.

A couple of miles down the road in London, Robin van Persie who so desperately wants to win prizes is certainly not winning any popularity prizes either.

The captain of Arsenal had a wonderful season for the Gunners in a year he finally was injury free.

Arsenal profited during that horrible opening of the season with Robin van Persie almost on his own keeping the Gunners afloat.

The fans awarded him with a devotion only equaled by Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp in earlier days.

With the four tweeted words ‘I will leave Arsenal’ Van Persie threw all that away. Just like that.

Arsene Wenger, who certainly is not without blame by not willing to open ‘his’ wallet to give a bit more security for Van Persie himself, his wife, his kids, his future grandchildren and great great grandchildren, still is hoping Van Persie will be persuaded to stay at Arsenal.

It seems a bit weak from Le Professeur, but it is also endearing. Wenger still believes in The Greater Good, sees the best in his players, but in the end, like Fabregas before him – Nasri and Adebayor were totally different cases – he will see Van Persie, who also is not traveling with his team, pack his bags at The Emirates.

And maybe he should wrap Van Persie up and send him off to another club. Why put your trust in a player who shows no loyalty and really thinks only about himself and not the bigger picture. You can ask Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk how that worked for him. It eventually cost him his job at the national squad of The Netherlands.

Let the Modric’s and Van Persie’s find other pastures. Preferably not on the British Isles, but if they must, let future clubs be warned. Players like Modric and Van Persie may be appealing, but maybe they should also ask around before letting them in their dressing rooms.

And let’s not talk about what will happen if, Heavens forbid, once again these sulking and dissatisfied players will end up empty handed and with no open bus tour through the streets of Manchester, Madrid, Turin or Paris.

Carla Boers