Saturday might have been a good day for Manchester United, but the same can’t be said for a former player who suffered the worst loss of his managerial career.
Robin van Persie’s SC Heerenven side lost 9-1 to AZ Alkmaar and broke the biggest-ever defeat record in Eredivisie history.
It was Robin Van Persie‘s fourth game in charge of the club and was made all the more shocking as it came on the heels of a 4-0 win.
However, Van Persie is no stranger to being at the end of big losses and the former Man United striker recalled one such heavy defeat vs United to provide perspective after this loss.
Robin Van Persie on 9-1 loss
The 9-1 loss will reverberate in the history books of the Dutch league for a long time and it is hardly the ideal start for Van Persie’s career as a manager.
He has previously been criticised for his high-risk tactics but nobody saw this coming, especially as AZ were leading just 2-1 at the stroke of halftime.
The team completely capitulated in the second half and Van Persie was left looking for scraps to pick up and get his players ready to go again.
He recalled some of his heaviest defeats as a player to provide perspective and his mind went straight to his Arsenal side’s loss vs his then-soon-to-be team Man United.
Arsenal lost 8-2 to Man United in 2011 and Van Persie would join the victors that day for the next season, where he won his maiden Premier League title and another Golden Boot.
Speaking after the loss, Van Persie said: “I also know how it works. I also lost 8-2 to Manchester United once. That wasn’t fun either, but it’s part of being a footballer. It’s part of everyone’s journey to become the best version of themselves.
“That’s a road of trial and error, but in the end, it’s precisely at moments like these that it’s about owning it like a guy. Towards the boys, the media, your family and friends. The football world can be quite a tough world. Quite a lot of people like it when things go badly. You have to own that. It’s very easy to be happy and put on some music when you win a game. Then everyone is at their best.
“It’s about standing with your chest out in these very situations and being proud of yourself and each other. That’s what we have to continue to do. We remain ourselves, even when things get tough. That’s what I believe in and what the boys believe in.
“This is part of football. I have not been traumatised by this and neither have my players. You want to get the best out of yourself. That involves falling and getting up again.”
Van Persie’s post-playing career
Van Persie will have probably learned quite a few important lessons from this loss in his nascent managerial career.
So far, he has been an assistant coach at Feyenoord, while also taking up managerial duties for their youth rank sides.
This role at Heerenven is his first of a senior team in club football and at just 41, he is one of the younger coaches in the Dutch league.
Since retiring from football in 2019, he has been involved with coaching in only his home country, so a head coach gig in Eredivisie was the natural progression for him.
He will hope that this loss is just a bump in the road for his team and a learning experience for him as he tries to get to grips with his first head coaching job.
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