6 Players who regressed this season
Every season we see new players emerge from shadows or players coming of age, but unfortunately we witness players regressing as well. It could be down to the performance of the team as a whole, or to the inability of the player to fit into a system, or a new environment in case the player moved to different league or a different team.This does not mean that these players will not be able to bounce back. With the right atmosphere, right formation and good management, these players can of course bounce back. Just have a look at Dennis Bergkamp’s career, he had a dreadful spell at Inter Milan before coming to Arsenal, but he settled down with Arsenal quickly and as they say the rest is history.Let us have a look at few players who did not perform to their usual lofty standards this season -
#1 Robin Van Persie
After a poor season under David Moyes, Van Persie performed well at the World Cup for Louis van Gaal's Holland. From his goal celebrations it was pretty evident that he and van Gaal had a good relationship. This meant everybody thought the Manchester United boss would inspire him to do the same at club level.
But unfortunately for Van Persie, even his Dutch coach could not inspire him to recapture the form which almost single-handedly led United to the EPL title in 2012-13. The general perception was that he would be appointed as the captain of the side as Van Gaal had made him the captain of Holland as well.
But Van Gaal chose to go with Wayne Rooney instead of Van Persie. Even though he reached double figures for the season, 10 goals in a season for a player of the calibre of Van Persie does not bode well. He was hampered by injuries and fitness issues as well and missed almost a third of the season.
Van Gaal's 3-5-2 system and his experimentation with the starting line up did not do him any favours. The worst bit for the former Arsenal man was that United clicked into the gear in the second half of the season when he was not in the squad.
Even when he came back, he could not play much as he could not displace Rooney up top in the 4-5-1 system. If Van Gaal is planning to continue with the same system next season then Van Persie might struggle to get into the squad.
| Season | Matches Played | Goals | Assists | Key Passes per game | Shots per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 22(5) | 16 | 3 | 0.8 | 3 |
| 2014-15 | 25(2) | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2.8 |