Moyes: Robin van Persie will only get better

Manchester United manager David Moyes has sent out a warning to the clubs Barclays Premier League rivals that Dutch striker Robin van Persie will only get better as the season gets started. The former Arsenal captain scored 30 goals last season, ending up the golden boot winner for a second successive season. United’s new front man started the season on a high scoring both goals in the FA Community Shield victory against Wigan Athletic at Wembley just over a week ago, then firing twice in the club’s 4-1 victory over Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday, which accompanied a brace from team-mate Danny Welbeck.

David Moyes said he was blown away with the Dutch strikers finishing and overall play since he took over the role from Sir Alex Ferguson just over six weeks ago. He suggested that the 29-year-old is driven to add more trophies to the two he has helped the side win in the year he has played for the club. Robin van Persie also scored 30 league goals in his last season at Arsenal, added to the 25 league goals he scored last season. This season he could have a hat-trick of golden boot awards if he carries on scoring, which I am sure he will.

When asked if Robin van Persie could eclipse the achievements from his first season at the club, Moyes said:

“I hope he can.
“His goals [against Swansea] were top goals, those of a top goalscorer, and in ways you can see the different it makes.
“The performance of the team – we can play better – but I thought his finishes made the difference.”

Moyes also said van Persie, who won his only other trophy in English football when Arsenal won the 2005 FA Cup final, wants to win more trophies before his career is over, the reply was:

“I said to them [United's players] the other day, you know, how many medals had they won?
“Giggsy has won 13, quite a few of them have won five or six and Robin said he’d only won one.
“So for me the challenge is for Robin to keep trying to win medals and I think he’s got it, I think he’s driven to do it.
“He wants to succeed and I’ve been really impressed by him in his training and commitment and in trying to improve himself.”

The United manager also acknowledged that van Persie was ‘one of the best strikers’ he had worked with, but he also made a special mention to Robin’s United team-mate Wayne Rooney, who seems determined to leave the club for Chelsea this summer. Moyes said:

“Look, I worked with Wayne Rooney when he was a 16-year-old boy.
“But I’ve got to say at the moment, the way I’ve seen Robin – world-class is sometimes used quite loosely – but I think it’d be hard not to put him in that category, that’s for sure.”

Moyes suggested that it was not just van Persie’s clinical finishing in front of goal that made him the striker he is today, his overall play of the game and his ability to retain possession of the ball make a vital link between the midfield and the forward positions. Moyes continued by saying:

“Yeah, some of his hold-up play as well,” said Moyes when asked what else had impressed him about van Persie.
“We’re talking about his goals but the balls [against Swansea] when we got it into him and his hold-up play and brought people into the game for us as well.
“So he’s got an all round game and we want to keep supplying him and give him every opportunity to score.”

Manchester United’s French defender Patrice Evra also spoke about his managers praise of Robin van Persie, admitting that he had also be impressed by the relentless quality of the Dutch strikers finishing. Evra said:

“I keep telling Robin to calm down. I don’t know why he can’t start a little more softly.
“He scored two in the Community Shield and scored two again at Swansea.
“He’s a great player and he’s hungry, he wants to win more trophies.”

Despite United’s great start to this seasons campaign, Evra spoke about the cautionary way the squad should take. The next four matches will be tough, that is before you add the UEFA Champions League group stage and a Capital One Cup match to the fixtures list. Evra said:

“We all know what the manager wants. He wants to win everything and that’s the target.
“We’ve gained some confidence from this result but, as I say, it’s only the first game. It’s just the beginning.”

The start to Moyes’ management career at United has been good, apart from the results in pre-season, but at the end of the day, squad fitness was more important than winning a meaningless tour match. The tough climate and teams that United played against must have helped considering the way the club have started their campaign. Two competitive matches, two wins, six goals scored and one conceded. The next match will be important against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea at Old Trafford, but that is nearly a week away from happening and Chelsea face a tough match against Aston Villa on Wednesday because of their participation in the UEFA Super Cup against Bayern Munich next week.