Did not think I would see this on deadline day
The more and more you look at the career of Javier Hernandez, the more you think you’re reading some script for a movie or a telenovela. His career started in one of the biggest clubs in North America and taken him to two of the biggest clubs in Europe. He became a fan favorite at United but the time has come to find greener pastures elsewhere. The loan to Real Madrid with a buy option has many wondering if it was the “right” move. So much that Tomas Boy chimed in for some reason. I stand with the minds that think this is a good move and I have my reason why.
Chicharito scored 59 goals at United for the past 4 seasons, with 50 coming in the first 3. The biggest difference between his first 3 seasons and last season? No Fergie roaming the the sideline, working his magic on the squad. In came the Chose One aka David Moyes. Out went a Champions League spot and European Football. The David Moyes era was a disaster for United and became a lost season to more than just Chicharito with plenty of players having subpar seasons. Moyes only started him a few times in the league and gave him the fewest amount of minutes he has had in an EPL season. Javier came into the offseason with plenty of questions surrounding his club situation.
The hiring of Louis Van Gaal did not improve his chance of playing this year. Getting kicked out of the league cup and having no European football did not help either. Therefore, it was only a matter of time until United (& Javier) accepted an offer for his services. For weeks, the rumors pointed to Valencia, Italian clubs, and mid-level EPL clubs. The Juventus rumors were getting so loud, most of us were ready to purchase this. But an Italian adventure to play in the same league as his captain, Rafa Marquez, was not to be. Someone even bigger than Manchester United came calling, Real Madrid.
My first thought was, “one bench to the next.” Then I looked at their roster and realized they did not have a back up to Benzema, having sold Alvaro Morata to Juventus. The same club we thought Javier was going to go to. Real Madrid being the club most heavily linked with taking Falcao on loan. The same player who was loaned to Manchester United on Deadline Day. The higher you go in European football, the smaller the world gets.
At Real, Chicharito will get a chance at being the #2 striker choice on a team that played 60 competitive matches last year. On a team that will utilize that depth to keep players fresh. On a team that has aspirations of winning back to back Champions League cups. On a team that will try to win every competition it is in. His main competition for the #2 spot is a player not expected to be healthy enough for competitive games for another 2 months. This is a golden chance for him to get his mojo back. It will be hard for him not to rekindle is scoring touch with Bale, James, Modric, and maybe Cristiano if hes feeling generous, feeding him scoring chances. This should help him regain a starting spot on El Tri. A spot that is no longer guaranteed to him with El Cepillo and Gio excelling in their club situations. The battle for spots can get even tighter if Vela accepts a call to the national team in the coming months.
We’ll always have his 20 goals from his debut season