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Two weeks ago, an article like this would have been laughed at. Javier Hernandez was waiting in the shadows and it seemed like that would have been the story of his Real Madrid career – warming the bench with the thought that a year of his life had been wasted.
And here we are now.
Three goals in the last two games – the all-important winner against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and a brace against Celta Vigo – has spun the tide in his favour. So much that there are talks of Real Madrid signing him permanently once his loan deal is concluded.
But should they?
The former Chivas man was signed by Manchester United in April of 2010 and some outstanding displays of poaching ability at the 2010 World Cup definitely showed that he had ability. And he didn’t disappoint with the Red Devils, scoring some very crucial goals. He ended his debut season with an impressive 20 goals in all competition and a lot was expected from him the following season.
And since then, it has been somewhat of a downside for the Mexican. He couldn’t hit the heights of his first season and his limited skillset as a footballer became the subject of criticism from fans and pundits alike.
Against all odds, however, Real Madrid signed him in the summer of 2014 as Alvaro Morata had left for Juventus and Jese was still recovering from his cruciate ligament injury. Many Madridistas were stunned and didn’t have any sort of expectations from the Little Pea.
He broke his Real Madrid deadlock with a stunning effort that wowed the same people who showed little faith in him. Could there be salvation? Could he turn out to be a good signing? That effort was like a ray of hope which Real Madrid fans held on to.
However, since then, not only did the ray disappear, it was all darkness for the on-loan United forward as fans didn’t get to see him in action at all for weeks. One could have been forgiven for thinking that he didn’t exist or was abducted by a terrorist organization.
Javier Hernandez, as one could perceive, is a very religious man. A Catholic to the core. And God finally answered his prayers when Karim Benzema injured himself. This injury could be classified as a miracle – Benzema has had only one prolonged injury period before this year in his Real career – and it seemed like God wanted an ardent devotee to do well.
And ‘Chicharito’ didn’t disappoint. He took this chance with both hands. When Karim Benzema was injured, Jese was tipped to take his place. The young Spaniard, however, hasn’t been the same player that he was before the injury and hence Ancelotti opted to go with Hernandez.
A look at Real Madrid’s fine roster and one could instantly point out their biggest weakness: a proper backup to Karim Benzema. While Jese is supremely talented, he is not really a center-forward; he is more of a faux 9 who attacks from the left. That leaves Chicharito as the only center-forward – Los Blancos’ only other option.
Make no mistake here – 3 goals in the last 2 games doesn’t mean that Chicharito is a world-beater, quite far from it. So, the question is: is he a good enough backup for Karim Benzema or should Real Madrid look for a better forward?
While signing a better striker would certainly improve the team, the willingness to sit on the bench as back up to the former Lyon man is another entirely different thing.
As it is, Ancelotti struggled to give Hernandez playing time when Benzema was fit, so it is hard to imagine a new striker getting the number of minutes needed to satisfy him and that could cause some problems within the dressing room.
Advantages of having Chicharito on board
With Chicharito, this hasn’t been the case simply because the Mexican is highly professional and knows that he can’t be starting when Karim Benzema is fit. This is one of the greatest advantages of having him on board.
However, all this doesn’t change the fact that he is a very limited footballer and, in the long run, wouldn’t fit Real Madrid. His contract with Manchester United expires in 2016 and this would be another reason why he wouldn’t cost much – certainly way less than what Alvaro Morata’s buy-back clause is.
After a slow start, Alvaro Morata is hitting highs with Juventus. The Spaniard has won the hearts of many Juve fans with his incredible work ethic and sheer talent. It is of no debate that he is the better forward when compared to Javier Hernandez and also knows the club better than the latter since he is an academy product.
However, Real Madrid can only trigger his buy-back clause after the 2015-2016 season, so the Blancos need to wait another year before they can even think of bringing back one of their best youth academy products. In the meantime, Real Madrid will have to either make-do with someone like Javier Hernandez or just abandon the plan of bringing Morata back and sign someone big instead.
Even though Morata has revealed his displeasure at not being shown enough faith on by Carlo Ancelotti, there is still a perception among the Madridistas that he might still have a future with the Whites and hence Florentino Perez won’t just yet sign another big name and close the door on him.
Considering everything, it would be best for Real Madrid to wait another season before making a decision on their backup striker dilemma. Chicharito has only another year left in his United contract and another loan move for him is out of the equation. So Real Madrid will either have to sign him permanently or let him go, keeping their faith on Jese.
Both the possibilities have their advantages and shortcomings – like every possibility in life. Signing the Mexican on a permanent basis could backfire when Real Madrid decide to go for a big gun in 2016 as they would have to release a striker in order to not get overloaded. Whereas, Jese hasn’t convinced enough this season and keeping faith in him is a little more difficult than one would like to think.
However, letting Hernandez go would free up squad space and give Jese more chances to shine. If the past is of any reference, the chances of Jese taking it are high since the talent is there and only a series of games in a row would help him regain his best form.
At this point of time, it is a very hard decision for Ancelotti and co. to make. All things considered, Real Madrid probably would be better off not signing the Mexican and take the gamble of playing a season with only Jese and Benzema as the two recognized center forwards.
A risk, definitely, but a calculated one.
