Chicharito announces his arrival

I wonder if the winning goal at the Mestalla against Valencia on Wednesday evening was the coming of age of the twenty-two year old Javier Hernandez.

Praise

His manager at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, was full of praise for him after the game.

“The way he took his chance, it was like shelling peas. It was so natural to him. He has work to do on his physique but you cannot take away from the fact that he is a fantastic finisher.”

Hernandez scored a slightly unusual goal in his first appearance for United in the Community Shield win over Chelsea, but hadn’t found the net since then.

Mixed

The striker, known as ‘Chicharito’, has received mixed reviews for his performances the six times he has put on a United shirt, but he certainly raised the tempo of their game and gave them more of a threat going forwards when he went on to the pitch as a substitute on Wednesday.

United became aware of the young Mexico star who was making a name for himself in his home country of Mexico playing for Guadalajara. They planned to watch his development from afar but decided to move for the player prior to the world getting to see him at the Summer World Cup.

Deal

That meant that the deal was done prior to the tournament, which was good news for United as Hernandez did himself no harm with his performances for Mexico.

Chicharito is still a very inexperienced player. He made just seventy-nine appearances for Guadalajara, scoring twenty-nine goals. Having said that, his record at international level is impressive, finding the net ten times in nineteen games.

Delighted

Hernandez was understandably delighted by the events in the Mestalla on Wednesday evening.

“It was a great night. I am so happy about the goal but also it was important to get the win and the three points. I always used to watch the Champions League when I was back home in Mexico. It is one of the most important tournaments in the world, so I was always keeping up with it. The goal will give me so much confidence. I am only at the start of my career with United and to score so early in the Champions League is a big boost. It is great to be a Manchester United player and I want that to continue for a long time.”

It is possible that the £7 million Sir Alex Ferguson spent on the young Mexican striker may turn out to be some of his best business. He has previously described Hernandez as,

“Two-footed, very quick, in possession of a good spring, and a natural goalscorer.”

Pushed

Hernandez already looks as though he may have pushed himself above Macheda and Michael Owen in the pecking order at Old Trafford and with Wayne Rooney going through an injury and/or personal crisis, it could be that he will get plenty of opportunity to work alongside Dimitar Berbatov and show what he can do.

The signs are promising.