VAN PERSIE MAY PAY PENALTY
ROBIN VAN PERSIE has joined Wayne Rooney at the back of t he penalt y queue at Manchester United, and Louis van Gaal is unlikely to be any less ruthless this summer in searching for a striker who can guarantee him 20 goals a season.
Van Persie’s failure to beat Boaz Myhill from the spot at Old Trafford proved costly as United slumped to their third defeat in a row without scoring, a sequence that has not occurred since April 1989. A top-four finish no longer seems quite so assured with three games of the season remaining.
Although Van Persie had converted his previous six penalty attempts in the Premier League, he will now have to make way for somebody else. Not Rooney, though, who was relieved of the duties after Simon Mignolet saved his injury-time effort at Liverpool in March.
‘He is now at the end of the road,’ said Van Gaal of his fellow Dutchman. ‘It is always (like that). Wayne has missed also so when you miss you are at the bottom again. We have a penalty and we miss them.’
Whether it also turns out to be the end of the road for Van Persie at United remains to be seen. He is out of contract next year and this has been another frustrating season punctuated by injury.
The Netherlands striker’s first start in 10 games after an ankle problem produced 10 attempts on goal without success, and he was dropped into midfield for the second half.
Van Persie has now scored 10 goals from 28 appearances. Radamel Falcao, a late substitute on Saturday, has four from 27.
Given how swiftly Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez were offloaded by Van Gaal following his appointment last year, neither player should be feeling very comfortable right now.
Rooney, meanwhile, may have 15 goals in 17 games at Old Trafford, but he has scored only once in the same number of matches away from home.
The United skipper again played deeper in the absence of Michael Carrick but was unable to unlock a stubborn and resolute West Brom defence, just as United had been shut out by Chelsea and Everton.
Despite the money spent last summer and the star names on his team sheet, Van Gaal still feels that he lacks a prolific striker. Finding one will be a priority in the coming months.
‘I miss a striker that scores,’ he said. ‘ Every striker who scores — if it’s Van Persie or Falcao or Rooney — I’m very happy and the team is very happy.’
Former United midfielder Darren Fletcher was outstanding on his first return as a West Brom player, marshalling the defensive effort and winning the free-kick that deflected in off Jonas Olsson. ‘I was supposed to get out of the way,’ said the Swede afterwards.
Fletcher believes that holding off Liverpool to finish in the top f our may be acceptable f or United this season, but warned that the club where he spent 12 years until February need to be challenging for the title again.
‘I hate even saying accepting top four,’ admitted the Scotland midfielder, who mistakenly led his team-mates down the side of tunnel reserved for United before kick-off.
‘The fans and everyone will maybe accept it for one season, but that’s it. They need to be challenging for the league after that. They have to up it a level. Any United side talking about accepting the top four is just not good enough.’