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Two young men, two unfinished goods, still displaying raw talent and hailed as the future of Manchester United.
Two years ago, United discovered a bright gem in Chicharito. A year later, Welbeck also started displaying his talent. Twelve months later, Manchester United brings home a star striker by the name of Robin Van Persie, who along with Rooney, is supposed to be a surefire starter in the first team.
With Rooney now being used in more of a midfield role, it has allowed one of these young gems to be used in the starting eleven. But the big question that arises in the mind of every Manchester United fan is: Which one should start?
Alex Ferguson would consider this as a welcome headache. This is the kind of headache he has been missing for many years, since the days of Solksjaer, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham during the treble-winning year of 1999. Thirteen years later, United has arguably one of the best strike forces in England, maybe even Europe. Let us have a look at both these candidates.
Our slightly older candidate is lovingly called Chicharito. Javier Hernandez was a revelation in his first season for the Red Devils. He was a gem that Ferguson unearthed even before the World Cup of 2010 began. By the time the World Cup ended, every United fan was excited at the possibilities Chicharito offered; and he didn’t disappoint.
Scoring goals for fun, he was a constant headache for all the defenders. More than 20 goals in all competitions for United and Ferguson must have been all the more satisfied. His vision and anticipation in front of goal was there for everybody to see and respect.
But his second season would be considered by many a United fan as a disappointment. He started the season after coming off an injury and scored 14 goals in all competitions for United. But the consistency and brightness that he brought to the field during his first season somehow eluded him.
That brings us to this, his third season for the Red Devils. He has been used as more of a substitute. A missed penalty kick and just one goal to date in the Premier League has left United fans disappointed.
Transfer rumours have begun to spring up as well. But all that changed in the match against Sporting Braga. He found his touch, scored a brace and ran at defenders all night long. Now that was the Hernandez that United fans had come to love and respect. Ask any United fan now, and they would not want to part with this guy.
Danny Welbeck
The first thing that all United fans would love about this guy is that he is our very own United product. He is versatile, but still a raw talent. He burst onto the scene last season and he did not disappoint. He and Rooney created a formidable partnership which resulted in Berbatov and Chicharito having to watch from the sidelines for long periods.
His pace and strength helped him seal a place in the starting eleven during the 2011-12 season. He was in the Euro team for England, and his brilliant backheel goal would have done wonders for his confidence.
Sir Alex Ferguson once said about Welbeck: ”He’s got a talent as good as anyone in the game for the forwards. He’s confident, intelligent and certainly got the technical skills. He has a great belief in himself.”
We can all safely assume that his best years are yet to come. But even he hasn’t found his best for United this season. He has been used in both central and wide roles, mainly due to the arrival of Robin Van Persie, and hasn’t really taken the league by storm.
This brings us to the question – Who would start for Manchester United in the coming games? Should it be the natural poacher Chicharito, or the versatile Welbeck?
In the previous games, Ferguson has used Welbeck in the starting eleven and that has worked out for him, with Welbeck, Van Persie and Rooney switching beautifully upfront. The game against Stoke City would be a prime example for this, where Welbeck also found the net with a beautiful header. However, Chicharito has brought himself into the picture with a brace against Braga in the Champions League, and is now a strong contender.
During the course of the season, we would see both these players given their fair share of chances. Using them wisely will be important for Sir Alex Ferguson and his staff. But then, with 26 years of experience as the manager of Manchester United, and countless trophies in his kitty, we can all safely assume that Fergie knows best.
