An optimistic van Persie

“I have learned a lot in the last two years because I have been injured so much. I learned what my body can take and what it can't, so it was an interesting period for me. I hope next season will not be so unlucky with injuries. But at the moment, I just do not want to think about that, the negative stuff. If you think positive, you get positive."

- the (hopefully) injury-free Robin van Persie

When you look at Arsenal's chances next year, Robin van Persie is the answer. He's got the goals in him to push us through to the end of the year. His form in the pre-season games have been encouraging. He's got the potential to form a good partnership with Adebayor. And he's got that bit of magic in him to crack open a 0-0 game.

If he's fit.

That's the rider that's been attached to van Persie over recent years. He's a great player, but gets injured an awful lot. I suspect our physios are doing something wrong, because we've had too many soft-tissue injuries for it just to be bad luck. Still, maybe this year's the year that van Persie shakes his problems and plays a full year for us.

van Persie's right in that positivity plays a big, big part in it. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of his body. He'll never be the fittest guy in the world, but he can nurse himself through 40-odd games a season. His first task is to concentrate on playing every week. There's no need to think about trophies and title challenges and major signings. If he concentrates on playing every game, and concentrates on playing well, then everything will fall into place.

I remember reading a book by Paulo Coelho a few years back called The Alchemist. It's about a shepherd in Andalusia who has a dream of a treasure under a tree. Unlike most people, he believes it. He quits his job, leaves his town and searches for his buried treasure. And as he travels around, he starts to listen to the voice of the universe and things start to happen for him.

That's the funny thing about positivity - things start to happen the moment you start to believe they'll happen. The universe moves to accommodate you. Things fall into place. Good luck runs into better luck. If only you believe, the blind will see and the lame will walk.

And Arsenal will win the Premier League.