Pierre van Hooijdonk – Robin van Persie battling to save his job

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The Celtic Star

·26 November 2025

Pierre van Hooijdonk – Robin van Persie battling to save his job

Former Celtic striker Pierre van Hooijdonk believes that Robin van Persie will be battling to hold onto his job when the two clubs he previously played for meet in tomorrow’s Europa League encounter…

Eredivisie: Feyenoord Rotterdam v NEC Nijmegen Rotterdam – Coach Robin van Persie of Feyenoord Rotterdam during the thirteenth competition round of the 2025 2026 Eredivisie season. The match is set between Feyenoord Rotterdam and NEC Nijmegen at Stadion Feijenoord De Kuip on 23 November 2025 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. IMAGO Photo Yannick Verhoeven

Martin O’Neill’s side are heading to Rotterdam to take on a Feyenoord team that are currently on a three-match losing streak.

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Ex-Manchester United and Arsenal striker van Persie maintains that his team is not experiencing a crisis as they prepare to face the Hoops in matchday five of the league stage of the Europa League.

UEFA Europa league ambassador and former Dutch football player Pierre van Hooijdonk shows the name of Chelsea football club during the draw for the UEFA Europa league quarter-finals draw, on March 15, 2019 in Nyon. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

However, van Hooijdonk – who spent a turbulent two years at Celtic from 1995, scoring 52 goals in 84 games before a £4.5 million move to Nottingham Forest, and who also enjoyed two separate stints with Feyenoord – believes things are far from right at the Dutch club.

Speaking via FCUpdate, he said: “I think there’s quite a lot of talk going on internally right now at Feyenoord. This isn’t what Feyenoord expected, especially not under Robin van Persie.”

“But I think Ajax is doing a good job of distracting them because they have been so bad. Feyenoord were top of the league, but have gone from having a three-point lead to a six-point deficit. That’s a blow.”

He also criticised Feyenoord winger Anis Hadj-Moussa, saying his display in the weekend loss to NEC fell well short of the required standard.

Eredivisie: Feyenoord Rotterdam v NEC Nijmegen Rotterdam – Rain in De Kuip during the thirteenth competition round of the 2025 2026 Eredivisie season. The match is set between Feyenoord Rotterdam and NEC Nijmegen at Stadion Feijenoord De Kuip on 23 November 2025 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. IMAGO Photo: Yannick Verhoeven

“He’s made some fantastic moves. Those moves are top-notch,” van Hooijdonk said. “But his end product is seriously below par. The Feyenoord strikers must be really frustrated having such an unpredictable player alongside them.

Feyenoord currently sit 29th in the Europa League after four games and similarly to Celtic, need points as soon as possible if they are to have any chance of qualifying for the top 24.

General view outside the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Feyenoord and Aston Villa FC at De Kuip on October 02, 2025 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

A quarter of De Kuip will be closed as Feyenoord ultras section of the ground are suspended due to a pyrotechnics display against Panathinaikos earlier in the season.

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