Louis van Gaal has savaged the performances of Robin van Persie for Manchester United this season with him urging the player to start delivering – or risk losing his place.
Van Gaal pulled the striker off against Arsenal last week because he was unhappy with his overall display – with the Dutchman only touching the ball 13 times.
With Radamel Falcao now recovered from his calf injury it leaves Van Persie sweating on his starting spot in the team for today’s match against Hull City.
“I do think 13 is too few for a striker,” Van Gaal said. “You can count his touches of the ball. More importantly is how he is playing and it was a very bad game from him.
“That is why I changed him. I believe in the players, so when I change players it is normally because they are doing something not good in their performance.
“It’s a question also of confidence, maybe a question of scoring a wonderful goal,” he said. “You know how strikers are, they have to score goals. They feel like that, but it’s not that I’m asking that.
“I have said to them you have to be at an attacking point. You have to help our team come and search for space. For me, it is not important who is scoring, as long as the team score.”
