Robin van Persie hits back at Michael Owen comments
Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has hit back at Michael Owen’s comments over the performances of the strikers at Old Trafford this season, insisting that the goals will start to come once the Reds get a bit of luck.
Following the draw against Cambridge on Friday night, Michael Owen launched a scathing attack on the Dutch forward as well as Juan Mata saying that they needed to step up for Manchester United.
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van Persie has scored 8 goals in 25 games in all competitions this season and while the 31 year old has admitted that it isn’t good enough for him or from the rest of the team, he says it isn’t for a lack of trying.
"“Obviously we are not scoring enough goals, including me. I have to be honest. “But if you look at [it] – I get chances every game. That is what makes me happy. I get one or two, sometimes three. When you look at the chance, for example, against Cambridge, I don’t think I can blame [Angel] Di Maria for the great pass or blame myself for the way I hit it. I am convinced that if we keep doing what we are doing, because we do create chances, if the strikers just take those chances that we are doing I think we have a chance of scoring again.“I think everyone in the team is responsible. Everyone feels responsible. I do definitely. This year I have played something like 20 [25] games and I have scored eight goals. I am not happy with that. I want to score more. I will do everything, every day in training and during the games I will keep doing what I have been doing for the last 10 years to make those goals. It makes so many people happy. Including me.”"
While van Persie is still the top goalscorer for the side this seasons alongside captain Wayne Rooney, many fans have called for the ex-Arsenal man to get dropped in favour of Colombian loanee Falcao.
Since the World Cup, van Persie has looked off the pace and two steps behind the rest of the team when it comes to the attacking phases of play. While the midfield has been partly to blame too, with a lack of service just as much at fault as the strikers’ form, van Persie has been worse than most this year.
Despite that, the Dutch striker remains confident that he and the rest of the team will turn their fortunes in front of goal around and secure a finish as high up the table as possible.
"“In my last couple of games I didn’t score. But again, can I really blame myself for that? I am always asking myself that question. Against Spurs for example [a 0-0 draw on 28 December] there was that ball from [Michael] Carrick and I had one touch, another touch and another. I went to finish with my right leg.“Normally, nine out of 10 keepers will make a move and it will be a goal. But not that day. Like I said, if I scored that goal it could have happened and we would have won the game. Then we are having a very different conversation. It is a very thin line between scoring a load or goals and only a couple. I know what I have to do to create those opportunities. I will keep doing that. At the moment, it is not enough. I know that. I will do everything I can to improve that.”"
Manchester United will have the chance to get some revenge when they take on Leicester City at Old Trafford on Saturday, following their 5-3 defeat earlier in the season.