The Robin Van Persie article is from new TSB contributor Robbie Dunne.
When Robin Van Persie moved to Manchester United at the end of the 2011-2012 campaign, many teams in direct competition laughed at United for their purchase of a 28 year old with a pretty long history of injury plagued seasons. There was never any doubting how lethal he could be when fully fit but the problem was, could United get him in decent enough physical shape to be the 25+ goal a season man they had paid £22.5 million for. It is no wonder that his fitness and training has become a thing handled with much care and concern for the coaches that need him at his best.
Dutch fitness coach Raymond Verheijen has come out on twitter and blasted the “dinosaurs” that are looking after R.V.P at United and claims nothing will ever change in “Jurassic Park” because of their old-school mentality.
The only way to solve this problem in Jurassic Park is to improve education of these dinosaur coaches, fitness clowns & scientific cowboys.
— Raymond Verheijen (@raymondverheije) July 23, 2013
But as long as most dinosaurs are still in denial & ignore how things develop in other countries, nothing will ever change in Jurassic Park.
— Raymond Verheijen (@raymondverheije) July 23, 2013
Hopefully, next generation coaches who do want to make a change in Jurassic Park will get a bigger podium so we get rid of old boys network.
— Raymond Verheijen (@raymondverheije) July 23, 2013
This comes a day after David Moyes publicly admitted that they overtrained Van Persie in order to build up his fitness level. Verheijen goes on to give us an example of a training program for teams and players who wish to be super-fit.
Van Persie, when fit, is one of the best strikers in the world and has shown this last year with United and in his last year for Arsenal. Injuries are part and parcel of a footballers career, especially when he is being called upon by his country to score goals and win games alongside the importance of his role for Manchester United in all competitions, this is the reason for such attention being given to the Dutchman’s training regime.
The United striker’s most sticking injuries to date are thigh/hip, ankle and groin injuries. He started an average of 26 games per season in his time at Arsenal and in his one year at United, he started 40 games.
It is over protectiveness on Raymond Verheijen’s part or is Moyes really a “dinosaur? We will find out this coming season as United look to retain their Premier League title.
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