'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Rotate strikers
It’s difficult for a manager to drop a player who scored 30-odd goals the season before. It’s even more difficult to drop him when you consider the fact that he was instrumental in the team winning the league last season.
But that is all in the past, and the present scenario suggests Robin van Persie is in need of a break. Either he has been overplayed to the extent that he is burnt out, or the motivation to succeed isn’t as strong as last season. Whatever the case, van Persie looks jaded and seems to have lost that edge that made him impossible to defend against last season.
Perhaps rotation is the answer.
In Welbeck and Hernandez, Manchester United have two quality strikers with different characteristics to the Dutchman. While Welbeck is all action and drops back to help in the build-up, Hernandez likes to stretch oppositions and create more space for the likes of Rooney and Kagawa.
A goal or two from Hernandez and Welbeck could certainly to be strong motivation for van Persie to up his game. Why, it only took one special performance by Alexander Buttner to make Patrice Evra sit up and take notice. And after that, Evra’s form improved drastically, no doubt on account of fear of losing his place in the starting XI.
From time to time, even world-class players need the right motivation to go out and play. And giving more game-time to Welbeck and Hernandez could fire up van Persie again.
