A dull 0-0 draw between Feyenoord and FC Volendam on Sunday saw rivals PSV Eindhoven crowned Eredivisie champions, increasing the pressure on coach Robin van Persie.
Raheem Sterling failed to stop Feyenoord from conceding on Sunday (Image: ANP via Getty Images)
The pressure is mounting on Robin van Persie after Feyenoord’s disastrous goalless draw with FC Volendam, which saw the Eredivisie title go to rivals PSV Eindhoven. On Sunday, away fans made their feelings clear after the final whistle as Feyenoord were drawn 0-0 by the 14th-placed side, who had lost their last three games.
After their third draw in four league games, which left them 17 points behind PSV, traveling Feyenoord fans chanted “shame on you.” These two points were enough to officially crown PSV as champions.
It was a flat performance for Feyenoord, with Anis Hadji-Mousa and Anel Ahmedžić joining the long-term injured list. Raheem Sterling started on the wing again and fired one chance wide of the post.
The former Chelsea star was replaced by Van Persie, who was furious on the sidelines. The former Arsenal and Manchester United striker complained that his team was not awarded a penalty and was booked.
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Feyenoord are currently just one point behind NEC in the race for second place, which automatically qualifies them for the Champions League. “It certainly wasn’t great. We needed to defend better, we needed to create more shots. We had enough to score one goal, but we should have scored more,” Van Persie told ESPN after the game.
Asked about the fans’ chants towards him and the players, he added: “No, they worked hard. Everyone recognized that. It could have been easier if they had handled the ball more.”
Sterling has struggled since signing with Feyenoord after canceling his contract with Chelsea in January. He is working his way back to full fitness after being sidelined for several months at Chelsea, but has only contributed one assist in six Eredivisie games.
Robin van Persie is under huge pressure (Image: Sonny Lensen/AFP via Getty Images)
Van Persie was behind the decision to sign the 31-year-old and has always stressed the need for patience. But patience seems to be wearing thin in Rotterdam.
Feyenoord midfielder Luciano Valente said: “We made some wrong choices. I was like that at one point too. We need to be sharper in that regard.” “We are already struggling, but in a game like this you have to make sure you finish your chances.
“If you score, you have space after that. We lost the ball too easily. That’s where we show our true potential.”
Raheem Sterling failed to make an impact at Feyenoord (Image: ANP via Getty Images)
Asked about fans’ anger, he said: “We’ve been hearing that for a while. We’re second and it’s clear that the game is not good. The emotions are logical. We can’t do much against them.”
“They’re not wrong, but we have to move forward week by week. We have one goal and that is Champions League football. No matter how strange it is, we are still second.”
Van Persie said before kick-off that Feyenoord were only focused on themselves and not PSV. “No, I haven’t mentioned that part anywhere,” he said. “But our Champions League project does. We say it’s important for the club. We have to work hard to be in the Champions League next year, because that’s what we want.”
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