Robin van Persie complains about Manchester United players playing in his areas

Robin van Persie

Manchester United forward Robin van Persie cut a frustrated figure as United were beaten 2-0 by Olympiakos and claimed that his team-mates keep getting in his way.

United lost the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie with the Greek side last night in what was one of the lowest points of David Moyes’ time as manager. His tactics have been called into question all season but, most recently, he was criticised for his setup against Fulham.

The Dutch striker was well aware of how damaging a defeat it was, especially after missing a simple chance late in the match to end a spectacularly poor performance.

The former Arsenal striker, speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS after the match, said that his performance was not helped by the positioning of some of his team-mates.

“It was quite difficult because my team-mates are often in the area where I want to play,” the United striker said.

“That’s why I have to change my tactics. Unfortunately, they are often in my area.

“It was much too slow today and we only had one shot on target in the whole match against Olympiacos, which is far too little.

“Everyone is very disappointed.”

The defeat means Moyes’ side have to win by three clear goals to advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament.