Robin van Persie dismisses crisis talk at Feyenoord despite recent losses, as they prepare to face Celtic in the Europa League amid a partial stadium ban and calls from Luciano Valente for players to step up.
Feyenoord manager Robin van Persie has insisted that his team is not in a crisis despite suffering three consecutive defeats ahead of their Europa League match against Celtic, according to a report from the Daily Record.
Celtic are set to travel to Rotterdam to face the Dutch side, who have been hampered by a UEFA ban that forces them to close approximately a quarter of their intimidating De Kuip ground.
Feyenoord’s latest loss was a shock 4-2 home defeat to NEC, following previous losses to Stuttgart in the Europa League and Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie.
The former Manchester United and Arsenal star was resolute when dismissing the idea of panic:
“You could call it a crisis if you play really poorly and don’t show anything. That’s not the case.” He maintained that his side should have won their most recent game:
“We played a fantastic first half against NEC. We should really have won that match. It’s not good enough, and this isn’t Feyenoord, but every match has its own story.”
However, Van Persie did concede that his team’s recent defensive record is unacceptable, noting: “But we have now conceded ten goals in our last four league matches and that’s too much.”
He added that losing the last three matches “is unworthy of Feyenoord.” Midfielder Luciano Valente echoed the dissatisfaction, stating: “If you want to compete for the title, we simply have to win these kinds of games.”