Former Celtic striker Pierre van Hooijdonk believes that Robin van Persie will be battling to hold onto his job when the two clubs he previously played for meet in tomorrow’s Europa League encounter…
Martin O’Neill’s side are heading to Rotterdam to take on a Feyenoord team that are currently on a three-match losing streak.
Ex-Manchester United and Arsenal striker van Persie maintains that his team is not experiencing a crisis as they prepare to face the Hoops in matchday five of the league stage of the Europa League.
However, van Hooijdonk – who spent a turbulent two years at Celtic from 1995, scoring 52 goals in 84 games before a £4.5 million move to Nottingham Forest, and who also enjoyed two separate stints with Feyenoord – believes things are far from right at the Dutch club.
Speaking via FCUpdate, he said: “I think there’s quite a lot of talk going on internally right now at Feyenoord. This isn’t what Feyenoord expected, especially not under Robin van Persie.”
“But I think Ajax is doing a good job of distracting them because they have been so bad. Feyenoord were top of the league, but have gone from having a three-point lead to a six-point deficit. That’s a blow.”
He also criticised Feyenoord winger Anis Hadj-Moussa, saying his display in the weekend loss to NEC fell well short of the required standard.
“He’s made some fantastic moves. Those moves are top-notch,” van Hooijdonk said. “But his end product is seriously below par. The Feyenoord strikers must be really frustrated having such an unpredictable player alongside them.
Feyenoord currently sit 29th in the Europa League after four games and similarly to Celtic, need points as soon as possible if they are to have any chance of qualifying for the top 24.
A quarter of De Kuip will be closed as Feyenoord ultras section of the ground are suspended due to a pyrotechnics display against Panathinaikos earlier in the season.
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