It was all hugs and, almost, kisses with the boss as Robin van Persie broke his Manchester United goal drought at Stoke City – a celebration which has earned him some stick.
The relieved Dutchman ran straight for Sir Alex Ferguson after netting a penalty at the Britannia, having failed to score in the previous ten games.
And defender Patrice Evra has admitted the 29-year-old took some ribbing from his teammates, who were secretly delighted to discover the ex-Arsenal forward’s emotional side.
“It has been difficult for Robin,” Evra told Talksport. “He has had a lot of stick from us. For two or three days we have been getting at him.
“To be fair, Robin told us he was really emotional. He had not scored for 10 games. He just showed the passion and the way he wanted to win.
“He said to us: ‘Hands up guys, it was an emotional game. I did it, it is okay, we can move on now.’
“It was nice. I can see a lot of love and emotion. It is the first time we saw that from Robin. It is good to see love like that on the pitch sometimes.
“I always say the atmosphere at this club is great – that is a big strength for Manchester United.”
And ahead of a trip to West Ham, Evra insists van Persie, Ferguson and co are putting all jokes aside, intent on sealing a 20th league title for the old Trafford outfit.
“The boss is a winner,” Evra said. “He has just told us to win the six games that are left. He said before the Stoke game that the season starts now. That shows you the way he wants to win this 20th title.
“He told us not to think about the title, just think about winning these six games. We can still break the record points total. That is what he wants.
“The challenge for us is to win the six games we have left. It won’t be easy but that is the way the boss wants us to play.”
Image courtesy of Yahoo UK, with thanks.
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