Towards the end of Berbatov's United career, Ferguson started to see him as a luxury player, someone to use against weaker teams when United were likely to dominate.

It seems to me Van Persie is in danger of becoming a somewhat similar luxury player if he isn't able to help United more in tough games than he has been doing this season. United aren't playing too good and, for my money, RVP isn't lifting the team as much as he should. His comments that "teammates are getting into my space" sort of reflect an attitude of a luxury player.

van Persie and Berbatov are entirely different players. I know that's not what Morte was suggesting with this thread but I feel the need to say that and get it out of the way and off my chest first and foremost.

With that said, I suppose I can see the comparison in terms of situation at United, but even that has it's fairly obvious limits. Berbatov has never been a player who will run down 50/50s or pressure defenders... he is almost the personification of a luxury player with his languid style that combines brilliant talents with an almost cartoonish lack of work rate at times. RvP has never really been such a lethargic player. He's shown in the past and even last season a willingness to do some leg work both in defense and in chasing down long balls. Add to that that I'm not sure Moyes approaches players as Fergie did... in that Moyes has never really had the opportunity to have/use "luxury" players given his limited resources at Everton. So I'm not sure it will enter his thoughts (prominently, at least) to use a player to help batter smaller sides and not utilize him in tougher matches.

Given his injury issues RvP may be moving toward a situation where he's best utilized in such a role, but I'm not sure that that possibility has really been considered by either him or his manager as it's in neither of their backgrounds to think along those lines.