• Premier League

Moyes branded a 'dinosaur' coach

A leading Dutch fitness coach, who has worked with some of the world's top clubs, has launched a scathing attack on David Moyes after Robin van Persie picked up a minor injury on Manchester United's pre-season tour.

Former Wales assistant manager Raymond Verheijen, who has helped coach Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City, branded Moyes' methods "Jurassic Park".

Van Persie was taken off in United's 3-2 defeat to Yokohama F Marinos on Tuesday with a tight thigh, which Moyes described as a precaution, but Verheijen blamed the Scot for overworking the striker, who has a history of injury problems.

He wrote on Twitter: "In Sydney Moyes said: 'We've overtrained Robin this week to build up his fitness'. [In Japan] he picked up muscle injury. It really makes you wonder how these prehistoric training methods can still take place at the highest level.

"All over the world in pre-season you see the pattern 'overtraining-fatigue-injuries'. Always avoid accumulation of fatigue in pre-season.

"But as long as most dinosaurs are still in denial & ignore how things develop in other countries, nothing will ever change in Jurassic Park. Obviously, players like RVP should learn to protect themselves better against 'overtraining' & 'punishing training'."

He also suggested Moyes' fitness coaches were "clowns".

The only way to solve this problem in Jurassic Park is to improve education of these dinosaur coaches, fitness clowns & scientific cowboys.— Raymond Verheijen (@raymondverheije) July 23, 2013

The outspoken Verheijen, who has also worked with Netherlands, Russia and South Korea, has a history of making scathing attacks against Moyes. When the 50-year-old was appointed Sir Alex Ferguson's successor in May, he wrote on Twitter: "The dinosaur of all dinosaurs get a 6 year (!) contract to manage one of the biggest clubs in the world. Only possible in Jurassic Park."

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