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Robin Van Persie has been slaughtered in his homeland after Holland’s disastrous exit from Euro 2012.

Pundits and fans have accused him of being a poor finisher, ­arrogant and breaking team rules by making phone calls after the Holland ­matches on the pitch and going to kiss his wife in the stands.

The Dutch football public want Van Persie dropped and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar selected as Holland’s main striker.

Now Arsenal boss ArseneWenger has come out to vehemently defend his captain.

Wenger said: “Robin van Persie deserves more credit in Holland than he gets. I think he was still the best striker at the European ­Championships.

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“I watched all his games. If you look at the runs he made, his ­passing, everything really, was very good. He did not take some of his chances but that was down to tiredness. Robin is a class above other strikers. A class above Huntelaar.”

Wenger who, after the Euros, will make a final attempt to get Van ­Persie to sign a new deal with the Gunners, went on: “Robin is not just a great striker or a great player. He is an exceptional player.

“He did not have to prove himself here. I can understand he wanted to prove that he can score goals for Holland. That is an obvious ambition because he is so intense, he loves the game so much.”

Wenger also believes the pressure on Van Persie, and other top players, is massive.

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He explained: “This is caused by the society we are living in. The speed of mass media, social media and internet creates a situation where incidents or things are spread within five minutes to millions. And it leads to opinions from millions of people. Players and coaches are under so much more pressure. The emotion has taken over analysis.

“Players are fighting for their place in the team under this pressure and they care more about themselves than about the team.

“Twenty years ago there was a ‘we’ culture, now there is the ‘me’ culture.”

Wenger has explained why he finds it so important to be at Euro 2012.

He has not taken a holiday yet but is watching every game.

Wenger said: “I have done this since 1982. I think it is unprofessional to not be here. I see the ­evolution of football. I watch my own players too. It is important to see how they react to things when they are with their own countries.

“If they come off the pitch and react differently to their coach, it is interesting to see a different side.”

(Image: Getty)

Wenger’s goalkeeper ­Wojciech Sczcesny was with Poland, Van ­Persie with Holland, Tomas Rosicky with the Czech Republic and he still has Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with England.

Wenger said: “The mental aspect within a squad is so much more ­important these days. It has become one of the most essential things in the modern game.

“It is the magic or the mystery of a team. Is it a good team, half a team or no team at all? I can see here which players are contributing to the team spirit and which players destroy the team.”