Heerenveen Player Asserts Robin van Persie ‘Lacks Insight’ Following Goalkeeper Controversy

Mickey van der Hart, the goalkeeper for Heerenveen, has voiced his criticism of former manager Robin van Persie, highlighting his apparent lack of understanding regarding the role of a goalkeeper.

Van der Hart was one of the two main goalkeepers for Heerenveen, sharing duties with the former Dutch World Cup goalkeeper, Andries Noppert. Van Persie, a football icon in the Netherlands, took charge of Heerenveen at the start of the previous season. However, his tenure was marred by on-field issues, with the team struggling for consistency, facing elimination from the KNVB Beker at the hands of amateur side Quick Boys, and suffering a staggering 9-1 defeat to AZ.

It appears Van Persie sought to deflect some blame onto his goalkeepers. He dropped Van der Hart on two occasions in favour of Noppert, notably during the 3-2 cup defeat against Quick Boys, where Heerenveen had once led 2-1. Van Persie justified his decision by claiming that Noppert was superior at dealing with high crosses.

In an interview with Omrop Fryslan, Van der Hart was asked if he believed Van Persie had any knowledge about goalkeepers. The former Ajax keeper’s response was blunt: “No.”

After coming on, Noppert conceded a penalty within two minutes, and Van der Hart watched as his team fell 3-2 after extra time. He dismissed Van Persie’s rationale, stating: “I thought it was a forced moment,” he remarked.

“We were in control of that game after going 2-1 up. Had that substitution not occurred, we would have pushed on. That was simply a tactical error on his part, although I doubt he will admit it.”

The staggering 9-1 loss to AZ in September marked Heerenveen’s heaviest defeat in Eredivisie history. Van Persie’s attacking strategy during the game backfired spectacularly against AZ, although he remained unwavering in his tactics throughout the match.

“Adopting such an aggressive style naturally comes with the risk of total failure,” Van der Hart reflected on the Sportcast podcast. “When you’re down 4-1 in a match like that, you effectively know you’re not winning anymore. Sure, it could end 5-1 every now and then when playing away at AZ.

“However, during that match, it felt as if we were being treated like a youth team, continuing with strategies that had proven ineffective throughout the match. That was the clear message. It appeared to me that he was thinking too much like a youth coach focused on development.”

Van Persie departed SC Heerenveen in February, moving on to take over from Brian Priske at Feyenoord.