When the Sir Alex Ferguson's interest in Robin Van Persie became evident, the majority of the English Premier League fans, Manchester United faithful included, questioned the need for such a striker at Old Trafford, when they were already flush with talented forwards.
Arsenal fans scoffed at the possibility of Van Persie being sold to a club, which has not bought a player from the Gunners since the Arsene Wenger era, while United supporters were desperately hoping the £24 million ($38 million) would be spent to strengthen the midfield.
Both fans were disappointed in completely different ways; the Gooners were angered by the sale to one of their rivals in United, and the Old Trafford faithful were hoping for a midfield general to be brought in instead.
However, on evidence of Van Persie's first two starts as a Manchester United player, it looks like an absolutely brilliant piece of business by Ferguson. The prolific Dutchman has silenced any doubts about his ability to blend in with another side, after being trained in the Arsenal way.
His true class has shone through; first that incredible volley against Fulham from an almost impossible angle, and then the hat-trick of all hat-tricks to not only avoid a loss against Southampton, but also to pick up all three points, points that might prove to be vital come the end of the season.
There is no doubt that United still have a problem in midfield; before Paul Scholes came onto the field, the away side were dominated in the middle by Southampton's midfielders, with Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley, in particular, having an ineffective game. It is only after the evergreen Scholes came on in the second half, that Ferguson's side started to play some nice football. Scholes was the master orchestrator, spraying passes at will, and Van Persie gleefully accepting the service that was lacking until then.
If his first goal was a typically left-footed drive, the second was one any striker would be proud of - at the right place at the right time and perfectly placed to slam home a rebound. The third goal was something that not many have seen from Van Persie too often. At Arsenal, Van Persie would have been most probably taking the corner, instead of getting on the end of one.
The skill shown by the prolific Dutchman, to guide the header from the near post, and also ensure that there was enough power on it to get it past all the traffic, was quite stunning; the fact that the goal came in stoppage time, only made it better.
United might come to regret not investing in a good central midfielder, that can control the middle of the park, but for now the 29-year-old Van Persie is proving that he is worth every bit of that £24 million.
