Van Persie struggling for confidence, admits van Gaal

Louis van Gaal admits Manchester United striker
Robin van Persie is struggling for confidence after
a bad performance against Arsenal.
Van Persie had only 13 touches of the ball in
United’s 2-1 win against his former club last
weekend, three of which were while taking
corners, before Van Gaal replaced him with 18-
year-old James Wilson for the last 15 minutes.
In the whole of 2014 van Persie has scored only
eight goals in 21 Premier League games and
United manager van Gaal concedes his fellow
Dutchman is stuck in a rut.
“I do think 13 is few for a striker. I want to
improve that. You can count his touches on the
ball but more important is how he is playing,” van
Gaal said.
“It was a very bad game for him. That is why I
changed him. When I change a player, it is not
because he is the best player on the pitch. You
are doing something wrong.”
Asked what van Persie needs to do to get back to
his previous standard as one the best strikers in
England, van Gaal added: “It is a question of
confidence, or maybe scoring a wonderful goal at
the right moment.
“You know how strikers are. They have to score
goals. They feel like that. It is not that I am
asking that.
“I have said they have to be an attacking point
and help our team in the third and fourth phase.
For me, it is not important who scores. The team
has to score.”
Van Gaal, whose side face Hull at Old Trafford on
Saturday, also warned van Persie he will have to
fight for his place as he prepares to welcome
Radamel Falcao back to his squad after injury.
Falcao’s loan spell at Old Trafford has been
disrupted by injuries, but van Gaal is hopeful the
Colombia forward can feature against Hull.
Asked if Falcao’s return would increase the
pressure on Van Persie, van Gaal said: “Every
player in my selection has to fight for his position
and I shall always take the best of the players
and it must also be suitable for the mix of
players. So it is also an obligation of a player that
he does that.”