The Javier Hernandez Poser
Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez burst on to the scene at the World Cup, lucky then, that Manchester United had already agreed to sign the ‘little pea’ beforehand, for what was a relatively insignificant fee. His performances in South Africa excited United fans, and many believed they had a real prospect on their hands, a reputation that was only enhanced by his impressive displays pre-season. First team starts this season have been rare however, and with United not playing particularly well at the moment maybe it is time Sir Alex Ferguson started giving Hernandez more appearances in the first eleven.
Perhaps surprisingly it has been Dimitar Berbatov who has been the star man in United’s frontline so far this season, netting seven goals in just nine appearances. Wayne Rooney has been struggling for form, so often Berbatov has been starting as a loan centre forward, but the Bulgarian is still somewhat inconsistent and if he is not firing another striker needs to be present.
In last weeks Champions League game against Valencia, Ferguson used a loan frontman in the form of Berbatov, entirely understandable in a tough away fixture in Europe, but until he brought on two strikers United looked toothless up front. Late in the game the United boss brought Javier Hernandez and Federico Macheda on, and an instant impact was made. A jinking run down the right from Nani saw him feed the ball to Macheda, who passed to Hernandez, the Mexican striker controlled the ball instantly, and clinically finished into the bottom corner to win the game for the Red Devils. This is what Ferguson and United’s supporters hoped Hernandez would bring to the table, lethal finishing ability.
After his excellently taken goal against Valencia, many might have expected Hernandez to start against Sunderland on the weekend. Ferguson decided to go with Michael Owen and Federico Macheda as his starting pair however, and in the first half Man Utd offered nothing up front as Sunderland dominated. Berbatov and Hernandez were brought on in the second half, and there was an improvement after the break, but United never really looked like posing a real threat to the Sunderland defence.
It is difficult to always make an impact from the bench though, and maybe Ferguson should consider starting Javier Hernandez in a few more games. The Mexican has lightning pace that is something defenders are always wary of, and has already proven in his young career that he is a more than capable finisher. It is not as if Hernandez is a teenager either, he is 22 years old and thus he needs to be playing regular football at this stage in his career.
After the international break United’s next game is against West Brom at home, and this could be the perfect game for Hernandez to start. West Brom look like a good team this season but they like to attack and as a result they can sometimes leave themselves open at the back, something Chicharito could exploit to great effect. If he could start and get a goal, it would really give some confidence and get his season into gear. Hernandez looks like an excellent prospect, but he is going to have to get starts if he is to improve as a player and get used to the Premier League, I am sure his time will come but Ferguson may want to consider giving him this time sooner rather than later.
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Your article is factually incorrect as it is hardly fair to blame Owen or Macheda when the service from midfield is completely non existant. Also Owen was not up front at all but asked to play so far deep that he was along side Vidic. That is Fergies fault and his alone. I feel it has become obvious that the only reason Fergie signed Owen was to degrade and humiliate a Liverpool great. Fergie has lost the plot and is now a liability to the club.
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@Denise: I think you have lost the plot!
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@Denise-If only you had followed Man Utd pre ’90s then you would realize how much success Sir Alex has brought to the club.
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i agree with dennis time for fergie to hang op the boots
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A couple of away draws and the Johnny come lately fans are calling for Fergies head?????? Why am I not surprised?
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people that are calling for fergies head are not man utd supporters and jsut wait till the second half of the season
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Wait until d 2nd half of d seasn whn we are a million points behind?Fergie has bn tactically poor nowadays…
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people who say fergie is not good enuff and shuld hang his boots is jus ridiculous. If you don’t trust fergie, then u are not a real man utd fan. its bcuz everytime man u starts the season,they start with a slow pace. but generally gets faster. the doubters shuld watch how they win teh league ths season.
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The reason people are questioning Fergie are not so much because of his footballing capabilities but more so his insistence on the fact that the financial chains that the owners have placed on us are not affecting our performances. His statements during the pre-season about youth development contrasts with his choice of players and the echoing “value” line. What Fergie has done is amazing, some of us want to see a neutral stand from him wrt to the Glazers. Pretending that everything’s sunny in Manchester does not cut it. The frustation about the Glazers and the imptotent performances have been channeled to the face of United that is Ferguson. I am sure no fans would forget what he has done and is doing for the club but there is only so much you can stick your head in the sand.
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