Robin van Persie is struggling
The combination of Louis van Gaal and Robin van Persie was supposed to be the inspiration behind the Manchester United revival, but both men look shadows of the duo that led the Netherlands to the World Cup semi-finals.
The Dutchman scored for fun under Sir Alex Ferguson, but has looked more like the player of David Moyes’ short-lived reign as United boss during the opening weeks of the season.
As the Daily Mirror put it: “Whether it be a lack of fitness or lingering injury concerns, Van Persie was still off the pace and needs to get back to his best – for United’s sake.”