Arsenal FC: Will RVP's Heroics Be Enough to Lead a Vulnerable Gunners' Side?

The beginning of the season has been one heck of a roller coster for Arsenal. They had a terrifying loss to the Red Devils, Manchester United, and they suffered a loss to Liverpool. These two matches were in the Premiere League.

Although, the Gunners put in some reassuring performances in the Champions League as they took down Udinese Calcio in both legs of the playoff round. With the departure of former captain, Cesc Fábregas, Robin Van Persie has the captain's armband.

So far, the Holland man has put in some decent performances. For his international side, he put in a stellar performance, scoring four goals in the 11-0 demolition of San Marino. The Dutchman will have to put in performances like that all season long if he is to guide his team in the right direction. 

Robin Van Persie has already proved to be a dominant player in all competitions; he just needs to become more of a leader. I mean with Cesc Fábregas being the captain during his Arsenal career, Van Persie has mainly been the vice-captain. Now, it is time for Robin to step up. He has the qualities and potential to be a sensational leader; he has been playing at Arsenal for quite a few years now, so now is the time for his leader instincts to kick in whenever he is playing.

As Robin Van Persie wears the captain's armband this season, he will need to be as helpful to his teammates. He already has this trait, but now as the opportunity has come for him to be the leader; he needs to put it into action.

The more advice one can give to his own teammate, the better he will play. Hearing advice from your own teammate, who you actually play with, is more assuring than hearing it from your coach or manager. Robin can be a great captain, he just needs to support his teammates to prove that he is worthy of the captain's armband.

With the honor of captaincy, Robin won't only have to be helpful; he'll have to inspire his teammates. He will have to play the best football of his life. He might have already passed the peak of his career, but as captain, he'll really need to step up his game. Quite a few teammates could learn from the Dutchman.

New signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a youngster with a lot of potential, and with a captain like Robin, he could really take on some of Van Persie's traits.

Theo Walcott has been in the limelight for Arsenal this year; he has a long career ahead of him and his attacking ability is truly special. He is a player that could notice some of Robin's trickery. Van Persie joined Arsenal a left-winger; now, he can play the center forward position.

Theo Walcott is a great presence on the right wing, but he also has the potential to be a stellar striker. Both players are good scorers, but Walcott could add some tricks to his sleeve. Van Persie usually has some trickery to maneuver around defenders. Theo is great at getting around defenders, but simply getting around defenders isn't always sufficient. Robin is usually able to cut in from the right, as a striker, and that provides him with a variety of options with his left foot. Walcott should also try to find some maneuvering tricks to be able to cut in and create some more high percentage chances.

There is just one problem, Robin's injury cloud. The Dutchman can get struck with severe injuries that leave the Gunners hanging without a star forward. Last season, Robin had a severe ankle injury that left him incapable of playing in his good form from the end of August to sometime in December. In prior seasons, he has also suffered severe injuries in prior seasons that have left him stuck watching the Gunners play instead of playing himself.

Now that Robin is captain, he needs to be up and running for majority of the season. If he gets injured, his attacking abilities wouldn't be at Wenger's disposal. He needs to be present to add some offensive depth to the Arsenal lineup.

Ultimately, Robin Van Persie can be a great captain, but he needs to prove that he truly is the man for the job. Arsenal have upcoming matches against Swansea and Borussia Dortmund, so these matches can be stepping stones for Robin's success as captain. Some people believe that Van Persie isn't the man for the job, but I think he has the experience and the qualities of a good captain. If he can step up his game, he could really be a terrific leader.