Sterling was ruthlessly criticised by the Dutch media following his performance for Feyenoord against rivals Ajax as he failed to impress once more for the Dutch side.
Reports stated that the winger “cannot make the difference” and called him “clumsy” plus he contributed "nothing" going forward or in defence as his start in the Eredivisie continues to get worse.
Speaking after the clash, Van Persie was honest about the former Chelsea star who he says must improve sooner rather than later as his short deal comes close to expiring.
“Those two worlds need to align sooner rather than later. We are working on that, where the most important thing is winning matches during this period of Raheem getting fitter and fitter.
“So I do respect and acknowledge where he is coming from, but at the same time we have to deliver as a club. We have to end up second, as simple as that. I believe that he’s making steps in terms of fitness, in terms of what he delivers. At the same time, I want to see more impact off the ball, more impact on the ball.
"We both agreed that the intentions are really clear. It is a deal until the end of the season; we are both really open for the future, and we will see how it goes."
The former Liverpool and Manchester City star has clearly failed to hit the ground running at his new club. As he continues to collapse under Van Persie he may find himself without a club once again when the season concludes.