Van Persie: Manchester United are not scoring enough goals

Robin van Persie says both he and his Manchester United team-mates have not been clinical enough this season.

The Dutchman has netted just eight times in all competitions under Louis van Gaal in 2014-15, an alarming dip in form, with the striker having hit 48 goals in all competitions over the last two seasons.

Van Persie’s struggles come at a time when big-money loan signing Radamel Falcao is also floundering in front of goal, and the club have subsequently failed to score in three of their last six games, including the FA Cup fourth round tie against League Two Cambridge United.

And the Dutchman admits that United must find their scoring touch in the coming weeks, and has vowed to do "everything" to start hitting the back of the net on a regular basis.

“We are not scoring enough goals, including me,” he told reporters. “I have to be honest. At the moment, it is not enough. I know that. I will do everything I can to improve that.

“I get chances every game. That is what makes me happy. I get one or two, sometimes three. When you look at the chance, for example, against Cambridge, I don’t think I can blame Angel Di Maria for the great pass or blame myself for the way I hit it.

“I am convinced that if we keep doing what we are doing, because we do create chances, we have a chance of scoring again.

“How many chances do strikers get in games – one or two? So you have to take them. It is a very thin line between winning a game 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 or drawing or losing because it is just based on those little chances. If you take them or not. If we did we could have won 4-2, 3-1, 3-0 against Cambridge.”

Van Persie says that he feels responsible for his missed chances, and revealed that he is dissatisfied with his current scoring statistics.

“Everyone in the team is responsible. Everyone feels responsible. I do definitely. This year I have played 20 games and I have scored eight goals. I am not happy with that. I want to score more,” he added.

“I will keep doing what I have been doing for the last 10 years to make those goals. It makes so many people happy. Including me.

“In my last couple of games I didn’t score. But again, can I really blame myself for that? I am always asking myself that question. Against Spurs (On December 28 at White Hart Lane) for example there was that ball from Carrick and I had one touch, another touch and another. I went to finish with my right leg. Normally, nine out of 10 keepers will make a move and it will be a goal. But not that day.

“Like I said, if I scored that goal it could have happened and we would have won the game. Then we are having a very different conversation. It is a very thin line.”