RVP had resurrected his career under Louis van Gaal; it seemed about a year ago at this time. Robin van Persie had a great World Cup in 2014; as he and his Manager for both club and country led the Netherlands to 3rd place in the world’s biggest sporting event.
One year later, Van Persie was driven out of Manchester United and sold to Fenerbach. The 31-year-old forward left for Turkey; one year before was out of contract and could have been had for nothing. So what drove the two friends and compatriots apart?
Van Persie certainly showed no class in the way he blasted Van Gaal after he left. RVP thinks he wasn’t given an honest chance by Van Gaal. Today, we heard Van Gaal’s side of the story.
He said: “People have written that Van Persie is my favorite player and that I protected him and, yes, maybe I have done that.”
“But in the end you always have to evaluate which players have contributed to our fourth place, which players a little bit and which players no contribution and then you make decisions.
“But you make decisions on facts and not on other things. It is a process. It is what we have experienced in the whole season with each other. You have to oversee all the aspects.”
The facts, stats and analysis is all on Van Gaal’s side. Van Persie was indeed in decline.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is part of the FOX Sports Engage Network. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous talk radio stations all across the country.
Follow him on Twitter and Instagram