Will he start of not. Good buy or not.

Considering the likes of Rooney, Berbatov, Owen and other Man utd strikers.

Think he has a lot to offer

I doubt he'll be a regular starter early in the season, unless Rooney's rested. I'd wait til the community shield at least.

I think Ferguson was quoted the other day as saying he's a lot like Rooney, and I'm not sure that's a good thing (from an FPL perspective) when there's already a 1st choice Rooney.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United could have been forced to pay up to £21million for new striker Javier Hernandez had they waited until after the World Cup to sign him.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Ma ... 38415.html

If he was prepared to go as high as £21m then he must be a fan.
Hernandez will probably get decent game time

This reminds me of the same conversation we were having last season about Owen: "He's really good, Fergie has said some good things about him in the press => he must be a good buy". At this stage of the season (i.e. before it starts ) I'd be of the mind to stick to reliable players with a strong FPL/EPL history and pick up the newbies as they emerge as a) first-teamers and b) competent first-teamers.

But surely this goes against the FISO 10 Commandments.



No need to rush in on this one. Wait and see. If he plays, and if he plays well, then make a move. Not before.

Ishnid beat me to it but hes got it right:

He was saying that was likely to be his value after the world cup, it doesn't mean he would of paid 21m for him (I can tell you he wouldn't of)

In the world cup he was always on the shoulder of the last defender, not the same player as rooney but it's a wait and see for me

I could see this guy starting the games if Rooney isn't fit, and even starting ahead of Berbatov in some games. He sure is 'one to watch' at 7.5, but of course he is a CK, so just wait a few to see how he'll get on.

He just banged in another one this time AGAINST United for his old club. No gimme either, cracking finish from 20 yards.
He looks like a young Owen, as someone said, always on the shoulder of the last man, quick as hell when the ball is played in and very composed when he gets there, very impressed.

I expect he will play in the charity shield, though unless he performs as well in that as he has in the friendlies, maybe something along the lines of super-sub will be his role.

Cleverly is another kid that should break the United Team this year. Abit like park, can play left, right or att mid, very creative, scores often and great goals. Will probably be used as much as Gibson last year so maybe not great in fpl but throw in afew injuries and you never know.

Cleverley will be slowly introduced as the season goes - he will play an odd 10 minutes here and there.. he isn't ready to command the midfield quite yet.

Hernandez - every time I watch him play I get more and more convinced that he is going to be a really good player and I could easily see him playing alongside Rooney. Berbatov is having a horrible game at the moment... back to his hot and cold self.

SAF likes Hernandez and his pace is absolutely terrifying - He was the fastest player at the World Cup too

The feeling around United is that Cleverley is going to go out on loan as he is not as you say ready yet to play regular.

How much playing time Hernandez gets this year has me kind of stumped, he does look good in the pre season, but Ferguson has always brought the young kids on slowly. I have had second thoughts about that fastest player at the World Cup quote since I saw that Frank Lampard was the fourth faster player. There must have been somebody on the sidelines selling pies when they timed Lampard that day.

I've slotted him in for now.

He's going to be more match-fit than Rooney and if there's any truth in the rumours about Berbatov's brother then he's not going to be in the right frame of mind.

Will keep him if he starts the Community Shield.

Does Macheda fit in anywhere? He was the darling last pre-season and had a brace against the (very weak) MLS All-Stars. He's still very young, but with all the other talent, what does he do this year (reserves)?

Apparently kidnapped by mobsters back in Bulgaria - gambling and coke issues.

Oops, he should have stuck to Pepsi?

I've been switching between him and Nani for a few days now, as mentioned above I think the final choice depends on the community shield and any news on Rooney's fitness.

Hasn't looked good pre-season, every now and again he shows the kind of touch he showed at the end of the season before last but for the most part his touch and movement has been poor. Granted he's only just getting up to speed but still.
I'd like to see him go out on loan to a championship team this year.

The guys at espn told me that Cleverly was MVP( ) at Watford last year, if he goes out to a lower Premiership team this year, that could turn up nice

This guys got three in three!

Very sharp finish from 'Chicharito'.

Valencia's had a good game tonight, playing from the start, and after a bit of jinking on the right he swept a low cross into the area. Hernadez put in a spurt of instinctive acceleration, was always getting in towards the near post ahead of his man, and finished high and hard past the keeper.

Definitely one to consider if Berbatov or Rooney get injured. Don't want to read too much into pre-season but he has to be pulling ahead of Macheda and even Owen in the pecking order.

ETA: Valencia's just scored to make it 4-0 to ManU; he hasn't looked at all stretched this evening.

ETA+1: Hernandez just won a penalty, turning sharply in the box and drawing what looked like a foul. Nani (on for Park) scored from the spot. Valencia looks set to finish the whole 90 minutes.

And people said he was not worth having in my RMT?!
Yes I know it's only pre-season

Valencia just won the man of the match award.

With a couple of minutes to go, it's 1-7 to Manchester United. Farcical, but a good confidence booster ahead of Sunday.

I imagine Chelsea will provide a somewhat tougher test than the League of Ireland's finest, although going by the Blues' pre-season form, they'll dominate the game before losing thanks to a couple of awful defensive errors.

Any idea of the assists in this game?

Just read, Nani scored from the penalty spot.
Rooney went off before the pen was awarded though.

Hernandez looking like he will feature (maybe not 90 mins) in their plans quite heavily from the start.

Is there any talk of Bebrbatov leaving? Seems hard to believe you sit someone like him.

Is that American for "leave him sitting on the substitutes' bench"?

As for assists, here's the goals with assists in brackets as confirmed by the oracle that is Yahoo/Eurosport... (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/04082010/ ... seven.html)

1: Park (comical Irish defending)
2: Owen (Park)
3: Hernandez (Valencia)
4: Valencia (His own work?)
5: Park (Evans)
6: Evans (Valencia)
7: Nani (Penalty, foul on Hernandez)

Nani also hit the bar from distance but must be feeling at least a little threatened by the Valencia/Park axis on the wings. Let's see who starts Sunday...

Yes - "sitting the bench".
"Where's Berbatov?" "He's sittin' the bench".

Fergie's said there's a good possibility of either a 4-3-3 formation, or Hernandez partnering Rooney upfront, good times


Where Chicharito's future lies in terms of a precise role within the team remains to be seen, of course. Sir Alex was quizzed at the press conference about the prospect of deploying the Mexican in a three-pronged attack.

"The 4-3-3 formation suits us in some games, particularly in Europe because it's important to guard against the counter-attack and keep possession," replied the United manager.

"I think Chicharito can play as a lone striker, there's no question about that. He did it in the World Cup for Mexico. But there are big possibilities of a partnership with Wayne Rooney and other players."

CK until proven otherwise. Give him half a season.

Agreed, CK for now. If he starts, plays and scores, he'll be in mine, yours and your mother's teams. Until then, he won't.

Interesting to read Daniel Taylor's review of yesterday's friendly drubbing of a load of part time physiotherapists and tarmaccers in the Guardian today, in which he writes "in football there is nothing quite so exciting as the first time you see a prodigiously talented player in the flesh and realise you might be seeing something special".

And he ain't talking about Chris Smalling here folks.

eh, no.... unless he does something really sensational. Like starts, plays, and scores quite a few. Will keep my eyes open, but it seems it will be Rooney (and one or even maybe two ManYoo defenders) for the season.

And Daniel Taylor and his United-based ramblings... that guy converted me to Berbatov for the whole of last season.

I can't be sure if Hernandez is going to start many games this season. Will look to see if he starts the Charity Shield and if he does well there he maybe worth a punt. But he's on my watch list til I know he will play and if he can continue his preseason form.

He'll be one of those players who when he plays will most likely score.. but he won't play every game simply because of the way SAF gradually introduces his new young players into premier league football.

He'll have plenty of opportunities in the FA cup and Carling Cup teams though