How Manchester United Can Get Robin van Persie Firing Again

Robin van Persie has been seriously underperforming for Manchester United in 2015.

Since his run of five goals and two assists in a six-game spell, from 29 November 2014 to Boxing Day 2014, he has managed just two goals—one from a penalty—and one assist, that coming against Cambridge United.

He has started 11 games and has additionally made one substitute appearance in that time. Of those starts, he was partnered with Radamel Falcao on eight occasions. It is a partnership that has been considerably less than the sum of the best of its parts.

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During that spell, he has partnered on one occasion each with Angel Di Maria, Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini. It is clear that Louis van Gaal has been trying various approaches to get the best out of the team as a whole, and Van Persie in particular.

Not all of Van Persie's poor form is down to his own performances. He struggled for service in the early part of his poor run. From the game against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 28 December 2014 to the 1-0 loss to Southampton at St. Mary's inclusive—a five-game spell—Van Persie never once had more than two shots on goal.

Van Persie has not somehow morphed into a different player, one who is more interested in creating chances for others than scoring himself. He made just three key passes in that five-game run, and never more than one per game.

Thus, the statistic is a damning indictment of those players whose job has been to provide the Dutchman with chances, and of the system in which they were playing.

Things started to improve around Van Persie after the replay against Cambridge at Old Trafford. In that game, he had a more normal five shots at goal. He managed four against West Ham United at Upton Park.

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However, then came the game against Burnley, a frustrating affair for Van Persie, whose only shot at goal was the penalty he successfully converted.

By this point, it was clear that his form had regressed to a level reminiscent of his pre-purple patch early-season performances. His final game before injury showed just how off-the-boil he had gone. Finally, he was in receipt of plenty of decent chances, but his finishing was poor. He attempted seven shots on goal, the most he has attempted in any game this season.

Only one was on target, and that was a tame effort that did not threaten the 'keeper. It is understandable if the drought in service he had previously received had impacted his ability to be at his best in front of goal.

Successful forward play relies on confidence. Having gone so long starved of decent approach play, it is no surprise Van Persie struggled when the tap was finally switched back on.

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His best season for United was, of course, his first. His arrival catalysed the players around him, and his joy at being surrounded by champions and managed by Sir Alex Ferguson was visible in every interview he gave.

It has been mostly downhill since Ferguson's retirement, though. Rio Ferdinand told MUTV that Van Persie was the person Sir Alex's departure "hit more than anyone" (h/t Daily Mail).

Van Persie was "the main man" in that season, both in terms of leading the line, mostly without another out-and-out striker alongside him, and in terms of his status within the team. His goals and superb all-round play saw to that.

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He has not been since. Last season, David Moyes lavished attention on Rooney. This season, Van Gaal has sought to balance numerous superstar egos and has desperately sought for a system that can accommodate Van Persie, Rooney and Falcao into the same side.

If he wants to get the best out of Van Persie, he may have to write off the possibility of doing that. Making the Dutchman the undisputed focus of United's attacking play is surely the most likely route to bringing the best out of what is left of Van Persie's time at the club.

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However, to do so would be a huge gamble. Van Persie is 31 now, and he has had a difficult couple of seasons with injury. It does not seem wise to take as read that he can ever have the same impact he did in his first season with the club.

Getting Van Persie truly firing again might require a sacrifice too far for Van Gaal. Given it would probably require not getting the best out of Falcao, Rooney and possibly even Juan Mata, the payoff may not be worth what is lost in the process.