Heerenveen head coach Robin van Persie said that his team’s 9-1 defeat at the hands of AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie on Saturday reminds him of when he lost 8-2 to Manchester United as an Arsenal player in 2011.
The 41-year-old, who succeeded Kees van Wonderen as head coach in May, has overseen an inconsistent start to the season as Heerenveen sit 12th in the Eredivisie table with one win, one draw and two defeats from their opening four matches.
Van Persie was captain of the Arsenal team that famously lost 8-2 to United at Old Trafford during the 2011-12 Premier League season — a result that then-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger described as “humiliating.” The Dutch forward signed for Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominant United side the following summer.
Saturday’s match saw former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott score four goals in AZ Alkmaar’s record victory.
“I also know how it works. I also lost 8-2 to Manchester United once,” Van Persie said. “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.”
The defeat was Heerenveen’s biggest ever defeat at AZ Alkmaar.
“This is tough. You’ll encounter a number of bumps in your career. This was a very big bump. We learned a few more lessons from this match than we normally would,” Van Persie said.
“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, who won more than 100 caps for the Netherlands, felt that Heerenveen played well in the first half despite being 2-1 down at the break.
“Then it is important that you start the second half well and with sharpness. But the third, fourth and fifth goals [conceded] came in quick succession. For AZ that was fuel to the fire, they saw their chance,” Van Persie said.
But Van Persie told reporters afterwards he had no intention of abandoning his attacking philosophy.
“Even when things aren’t going your way, with three goals in quick succession in the second half, it’s important to keep doing the things you agreed on,” he said. “We’ll keep playing our own game. That’s what I believe in and what we believe in.”
Heerenveen travel to face FC Twente in their next Eredivisie fixture on Tuesday.
Information from Reuters contributed to this report