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Former Manchester United striker Robin van Persie made his first foray into management this summer by taking charge of Dutch outfit, Heerenveen.
After a decent enough start to the season, things came crashing down for van Persie’s new side at the weekend as they suffered a hammering at the hands of AZ Alkmaar.
The stunning 9-1 defeat was a club record victory for the home side and will leave the former United man facing an uphill battle to restore confidence to his troops.
Former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott struck four times for Alkmaar, including three goals in eight disastrous second half minutes, as Heerenveen were comfortably swept aside by their opponents.
As reported by The Mirror, the defeat leaves Heerenveen 13th in the Eredivisie, badly damaging their goal difference in the process.
After a narrow opening day loss to to Ajax, Van Persie appeared to be steadying the ship with a draw to Utrecht and a creditable 4-0 win against NAC Breda.
However, Saturday’s thumping will take some shaking and left van Persie recalling one of his darkest days in football.
The Dutchman was on the receiving end of United’s unforgettable 8-2 win against Arsenal back in 2011 in which the forward also saw a penalty saved by David de Gea.
“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,” said van Persie.
The new coach will now get the opportunity to see how his players respond to a heavy defeat and doesn’t have long to wait before their next test.
Heerenveen travel to FC Twente tomorrow (Tuesday) evening in what looks like a tough fixture, particularly after the weekend’s mauling.
Despite only spending only three years at the club, United fans hold van Persie in high esteem after the role he played in securing the record breaking 20th league title.
The Premier League win in 2013 remains the last top flight success for United and the Dutchman’s incredible goalscoring haul that season will never be forgotten.
There were rumours of a return to Old Trafford in a coaching capacity but the 41-year-old opted for the top job at Heerenveen and will hope to recover from this setback quickly and enjoy a successful season in his first job as a first-team coach.
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