Andy Cole says Robin van Persie will re-find his form for Manchester United, and won't lose any confidence over the dry spell that has left the striker without a goal for seven games.

Van Persie enjoyed a flying start at Old Trafford after Sir Alex Ferguson purchased the Holland international from Arsenal last summer, and his contributions have been significant as United sit 15 points clear at the top of the table.

Lately the goal scoring machine seems to have lost his touch, but Cole says from his own treble-winning experiences at United he knows this is just a blip.

"Having a barren spell has got to happen. As a centre forward you know it will happen at some point. You just have to keep faith with yourself," he told M.E.N. Sport.

"The way he started the season was phenomenal. He moved to United at a great age. He was proven in the Premier League. He was 29. Everyone knows what you are going to get.

"He is established over here and is coming to a very good team so everyone knows he is going to score goals and he has done that. Nobody is surprised.

"Now he has one in 11, that is going to happen. He has had a purple patch now they've dried up and he will score again."

Cole also insisted that van Persie won't lose his confidence, because he will be well aware that he can't always be on a scoring streak.

"There isn't much you can do to change it. You just know it is going to come back," he explained.

"Missing chances he'd have scored before just happens in football. The way he played last season for Arsenal there was a stage when they dried up but you persevere and then you get back on a goal run again. It will happen for him again.

"At that age you know what a purple patch is all about and when they dry up you don't worry about where the next goal is coming from.

"He didn't go over the top when he was scoring all those goals beforehand and he won't be going over the top with worry now he's not scoring."

Wayne Rooney