After a very subdued performance in the 2-2 draw against Fulham at the weekend, Javier Hernandez has experienced the battle he needs to prepare for week in, week out for Manchester United.
The young Mexican partnered Dimitar Berbatov in the United attack after Wayne Rooney was withdrawn from the squad following an illness, but Chicharito was unable to get a foothold on the game – quite literally.
He was up against two very experienced center-halves – Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes – at Craven Cottage, and his inexperience clearly showed as he only tried to beat them with his blinding pace, and he slipped almost every time he went to take a step on the wet surface.
In the Mexican Primera División, Hernandez was used to playing on a very dry pitch, which is going to be completely contrasting to the pitches in England and the match this weekend was his first test, because it was not ideal, but typical English field conditions.
There is no questions about the talent that Hernandez holds, but he must learn to have patience and he has the right type of players to learn that from with Ryan Giggs, Rooney and Paul Scholes.
Sir Alex Ferguson will be relying heavily on him to score goals in both the Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League for United, but it is a big ask for young 22-year old in his first season playing abroad.
What has massively helped Chicharito settle in at Old Trafford, and will continue to, is that he speaks English very well, which has allowed him to be able to communicate with his United teammates both on and off the field.
He scored three very well-taken goals for and against United, but he is going to need to work more on his positioning to offset the strength of the central defenders in Premier League.
The Megastore at Old Trafford sold out of Chicharito’s No. 14 shirt prior to the Newcastle United match, which shows that they need to have patience and realistic expectations of the young boy as well.
There is no better manager and a club than Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United for a young, energetic player like Javier Hernandez to learn his trade, but he will have a lot of staying power to handle the pressures and expectations that have placed on his shoulders.
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