What to Expect from Robin van Persie's Manchester United Debut Against Everton

His old team sputtered in the wilting North London sun. Time to see what his new club can do.

Robin van Persie last week traded North London for the red half of Manchester, moving from Arsenal to Manchester United in deal worth a reported £24 million (via BBC Sport).

On Saturday, the Gunners set out on the post-RvP era, and the first returns were disappointing. Without Van Persie—who scored an English Premier League-best 30 goals last season—Arsenal misfired in a scoreless draw on a hot day at home to Sunderland.

Now it's Van Persie's turn. Manchester United open their season Monday night at Everton, and Van Persie is expected to play.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. Here's what to expect from the match.

To Start or Not to Start

United completed the deal for Van Persie on Friday. That means the 29-year-old Dutch striker has had only two full days with his new teammates.

That's just the latest variable in what has been a decidedly irregular offseason for Van Persie. After playing three matches for Holland at Euro 2012, RvP announced on July 4 his intention not to re-sign with Arsenal.

Since then, the summer has been anything but restful. According to AFP, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is saying he hasn't decided whether to start Van Persie, while The Belfast Telegraph reports that Van Persie is not expected to start.

Where Does He Fit?

Another unknown variable ahead of RvP's United debut is where he will play in United's formation.

Assuming Wayne Rooney will play in United's attacking formation, it's unclear where Ferguson will place Van Persie.

B/R's Max Towle has compiled a list of five possible starting formations that would accommodate Van Persie. Sam Tighe, meanwhile, has four more options, along with some insightful analysis about how United can get the best out of Van Persie.

Whatever formation Ferguson chooses, a talented player will be left out. But will it be Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez, Shinji Kagawa or Dimitar Berbatov?

Final Thoughts

Whether or not he starts, Van Persie will almost surely play. He is United's biggest signing of the summer, and he might be the Premier League's most eye-catching capture of the year.

Van Persie scored 30 goals last season in 38 league matches, or one goal in every 1.27 matches. But those goals came for a team he had been playing with since 2004.

Now Van Persie has a whole new set of teammates, and he's had only a couple days to prepare.

That could make a dramatic debut goal seem unlikely, but with Van Persie's talent, nothing should be ruled out.

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