On Tuesday night, yet again, it wasn't Wayne Rooney or Dimitar Berbatov who sent United on their way to three points against Stoke at Old Trafford.
Instead, it was Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez who scored his, and United's, third goal against Stoke this season.
With Rooney missing through injury and Berbatov never looking likely to score from an offside, or onside, position, Sir Alex Ferguson's stategy of using the Mexican sparingly paid off when he met a Nani cross at the near post with a cheeky flicked finish.
It seemed strange that Hernandez was dropped from the team upon Rooney's recovery, given his form and how the 22 year old has scored three times more than his team mate this season, but he reacted in good spirits to hit the target again on starting.
He has had what every young striker dreams of upon their arrival at the Theatre of Dreams, good support from the fans, who are already likening him to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the way he seems to score crucial goals when nobody else can.
Hernandez scored on his debut against Chelsea.
Credit; here
Hernandez was a relatively unknown element when he arrived in Manchester in the summer for what was believed to be £7 million but he took to the scene on his first possible opportunity in England, scoring against the at Wembley in the Community Shield, albeit tortuously after impressing during pre-season. Highlights can be watched below.
You wonder when the 'Little Pea' translation will be let loose in the Champions League and, with United set to face Marseille, perhaps that would be a perfect opportunity to test his ability in Europe's greatest club competition after brief stints against Valencia and Bursaspor.
Hernandez is in the unfortunate position of being behind Berbatov and Rooney in the pecking order, two established strikers in England's top flight and he may have to bide his time, rather than consider a loan, for a run in the team, given Michael Owen's return from injury.
One thing the Mexican has, and he proved it to an extent in the World Cup, is quality.
That goal, his first against Stoke and only second in the league, proved that he has the ability to read the game superbly, helping him find positions that the likes of Berbatov find less natural.
Perhaps the best thing about Hernandez is that he doesn't drop deep for the ball.
That is something, when I've watched United, that I've seen both of the other established first-teamers do over the last few weeks.
It seems as though Hernandez has come along at the right time and, with Michael Owen sure to train with him, his instincts can only get sharper with time.
Michael Owen is usually in the right place at the right time and Hernandez seems to have that talent too.
Credit; here
It would be great to see Hernandez being given a run of games in the league but that's a tough ask with United still unbeaten, with Berbatov having played in most of them and Rooney hard to leave out.
Maybe Sunday's game with Liverpool will give him another start at the Theatre of Dreams and, if United use him sparingly, he could be huge come the end of this season or the start of next.
How many goals will Hernandez score this season? Should he be starting for Manchester United? Please discuss below.
Cool blog, Yeah I saw the Man utd Wolves game when it was 3-2, and we brought him on the atmosphere changed and scored in the dying minutes he is the new Ole gunnar.
ReplyDeleteI agree, he seems to bring that sense of optimism, even though I have yet to watch him in person.
ReplyDeleteI think he's got a lot to give and he seems to be a proper centre forward, who will score his fair share of goals?
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