Robin van Persie faces humiliating 9-1 loss in fourth game as manager

Robin van Persie's managerial debut got off to a rocky start as his Heerenveen team was handed a crushing 9-1 defeat by AZ Alkmaar on Saturday.

Van Persie previously worked as an assistant and youth team coach at fellow Dutch side Feyenoord but has one just won just one of four games since replacing Kees van Wonderen in May.

Saturday saw his tenure hit a new low with Alkmaar registering their record win against Van Persie’s side courtesy of four goals from former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott.

‘This is tough. You´ll encounter a number of bumps in your career. This was a very big bump,’ the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker reflected after the game.

‘We learned a few more lessons from this match than we normally would. 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 was on the end of an 8-2 thrashing from United while he was still at Arsenal, and the Dutchman insisted he would use that experience to help his team bounce back from their disheartening defeat.

‘I also know how it works,’ he said. ‘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.’

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