adminLONDON. — Robin van Persie has criticised his Manchester United teammates for “occupying the spaces I want to play in” after their dismal 2-0 defeat to Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Van Persie gave an interview with Dutch TV channel NOS after the game and made clear his opinions on why his form had dipped.
When asked whether he was allowed deep to collect the ball, Van Persie said: “Our fellow players are sometimes occupying the spaces I want to play in.
“And when I see that, it makes it difficult for me to come to those spaces as well. So that forces me to adjust my runs, based on the position of my fellow players.
“And, unfortunately, they are often playing in my zones. I think that’s a shame.”
The striker’s best chance to score on a difficult and fruitless night in Athens came in the second half when he had a shot on his weaker right foot from inside the box but he wildly hit it over the bar.
“I rushed that shot (to make it 2-1 late in the game)”, Van Persie admitted. “That’s a shame because I don’t get a lot of chances, so when you get one, you have to score.”
He also responded to criticism about manager David Moyes who has been under constant pressure during United’s poor run of results in recent months.
Van Persie said: “He’s working hard at it, and so are we. Sometimes we play well, but not all the time. We don’t have luck on our side. It’s easy to point the finger at someone, but I’m not like that. We have to do better ourselves.
“With all due respect, we should be able to defeat this team 2-0 or 3-0.” — Mailonline.
Online Reporter