Robin Van Persie Won't Be Allowed to Exit Manchester United Despite 'Lousy' Jibe

Robin van Persie will remain a Manchester United player in the summer, despite calling the team "lousy" after the recent 2-0 Champions League defeat to Olympiakos.

As reported by Rob Beasley of the Sun (subscription required) via Chris Richards of the Mirror, quotes attributed to the striker suggest he is not happy at Old Trafford:

"We are lousy—in a lousy position in the league, out of the cups and this looks a difficult one also," said van Persie. "We are very disappointed. It's a tough season."

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The former Arsenal striker was also filmed questioning David Moyes' tactics in an interview with Dutch television station NOS, per Craig Hope of the Daily Mail:

"

Our fellow players are sometimes occupying the spaces I want to play in.

And when I see that, it makes it difficult for me to come to those spaces as well. So that forces me to adjust my runs, based on the position of my fellow players. And, unfortunately, they are often playing in my zones. I think that's a shame.

"

Even so, Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail reports the unsettled player won't be allowed to leave at the culmination of this disastrous campaign, saying the fallen Premier League champions will "resist any bids" for the man they signed in 2012.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Ladyman also suggests van Persie "was devastated when Sir Alex Ferguson retired nine months after taking him to the club," but Jamie Jackson of The Guardian claims the player "has no release clause" in his contract, giving United the edge when trying to keep hold of him.

Despite scoring 12 goals in an injury-laden season that has seen just 21 appearances across the Premier League and Europe, van Persie appeared out of sorts against Olympiakos. United played terribly as a whole, botched many simple passes and lacked the intensity of a team that are used to challenging for silverware.

Van Persie's inability to link with Wayne Rooney left the striker isolated all night and feeding on scraps. He completed just 24 touches in 90 minutes, the lowest total for any starter on either side, reported by WhoScored.com.

Jon Super/Associated Press

To put this number into perspective, Shinji Kagawa grabbed 18 touches after 29 minutes on the pitch, while both goalkeepers racked up 40.

RvP managed just one pass to Rooney, which came from kick-off, recorded by the FourFourTwo's Stats Zone app and tweeted via Not Match of the Day:

At 30 years old, van Persie needs to make a quick decision. He has one more giant contract left in him—perhaps following on from Rooney's recently signed £300,000 per week deal, reported by Sky Sports—but his manager will be extremely disappointed to see the experienced striker belittle his team-mates in public.

It is suggested Moyes will have up to £200 million to rebuild his beleaguered squad this summer, per Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail, hinting the boss could coax any unsettled stars into staying with the promise of major improvement.

Whether van Persie is planning his escape route or not, the Dutch forward would be wise to clarify his situation before the rumours get out of hand.