Do you remember the start to Javier Hernandez’s Real Madrid career?
It was, for lack of a better phrase, a dream. The kind of start that made Manchester United fans instantly regret ever letting him go. Seriously, he scored both of these in the same game:
Amazing, Long-Range Goal #1:
And just in case anyone in the stands missed that...
Amazing, Long-Range Goal #2:
But, anyone who has followed Javier Hernandez’s spell at Real Madrid since then knows that he has struggled to make an impact. 5 starts, 15 total appearances, and 4 goals, including the two you just saw. That’s not exactly world-beating, savior-of-El-Tri form.
While the dream start certainly raised our hopes for Chicharito, it was not exactly surprising that he has since struggled to establish himself in the first team. You can count the strikers that could supplant Karim Benzema on one hand, to say nothing of Gareth Bale or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Unsurprisingly, as Hernandez rode the bench more and more, the January transfer window inspired the rumor mill. People said that the big boys of Europe thought he couldn’t hang anymore, that he couldn’t produce in the top flight of any country. He wasn’t just going to be dropped from Real Madrid, he wasn’t even going to be able to cut it at Manchester United.
But, we are happy to say, Carlo Ancelotti has blasted such rumors out of the water:
"Chicharito has remained here as we have signed him as we need him," Ancelotti said. "I do not know how much playing time [he will get], but he has told me he is happy to stay here and work for us…If he gets opportunity, he will be ready to play. He has shown great professionalism and I appreciate that."
THIS JUST IN: TEAM NEEDS BACK-UP STRIKER.
Ok, ok, it might not be the guarantee of a starting spot that some of you were hoping for, but it is a show of faith that many players go without, especially at Real Madrid.
If Chicharito remains patient, he will get more chances to play. That being said, the biggest opportunity of his stint at Madrid was always going to be his proximity to world-class players and coaches. With the backing of Ancelotti, he’ll be even more comfortable in his surroundings. He’ll be able to learn and improve more than he ever would have at Manchester United, even if most of that learning is going to happen on the training ground and not match day.
To borrow a quote from Game of Thrones, “If you want to lead, then learn how to follow.” Javier Hernandez is one of the most talented members of the Mexican National Team, but if he wants to lead them to true glory, he needs to go through what he is going through at Real Madrid.
Only then will the “little pea” not be so little anymore.
