Green Street Hammers
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Javier Hernandez is about to be paramount in West Ham’s season

By Adam Smith

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 08: Javier Hernandez of West Ham United celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Crystal Palace at London Stadium on December 8, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 08: Javier Hernandez of West Ham United celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Crystal Palace at London Stadium on December 8, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images) /
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West Ham having problems with strikers? Say it ain’t so! Unfortunately, it’s a storyline Hammers’ supporters are far too familiar with. Now with Marko Arnautovic possibly going on a player strike the bulk of the weight could fall on Chicharito to be West Ham’s main man.

In a not so cryptic Instagram post this past week Javier Hernandez put a picture of him training after a long absence with a back injury, headed by the line “more focused than ever…” Was it a shot at Arnautovic? Was it a shot at West Ham? Was it just a man trying to get back into top form? We’ll likely never know, and that’s okay.

We won’t know because it really doesn’t matter. What does matter is that West Ham’s little paceman is back in game shape. His back injury sustained against Watford has kept him out until a 30+minute appearance against Bournemouth. Despite looking a little disheveled in the appearance Chicharito managed the Iron’s only shot on a net – a bouncing shot from range.

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Why Chicharito is so important right now is because he wants to earn his own move away from the club, and there is an opening for him to do so. As mentioned, Arnautovic has taken his ball and gone home, so the club needs a replacement for him. Chicharito isn’t a carbon copy of him (far from it) but few are as clinical as he is in the box.

This opportunity provides Chicharito the chance to prove he is a good professional, which I believe he is, and prove that if Pellegrini should grant him his request to leave in the summer that they won’t feel short-changed by the transfer.

It isn’t ideal but Chicharito may be West Ham’s best option as a solo striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation that Pellegrini seems to like using. He is good in the box, Nasri can use him to bounce passes off of, and Felipe Anderson plus Michail Antonio/Diangana like to get forward into the box, too.

As well, Chicharito may be deployed as a secondary striker alongside Andy Carroll. Call it a 4-2-2-2 or a 4-4-2, either way, Chicharito is a solid choice to clean up alongside Carroll or any other “big” striker option we have.

Next. Joe Powell sent to Northampton Town on six-month loan. dark

It hasn’t been a storybook relationship between Chicharito and West Ham since his arrival under Bilic, let’s not get confused here. But, the story can have a solid ending to it with the Hammers getting goals from their striker and him earning a move to sunny Spain in return. It’s time for Chicharito to be given the keys to the castle and for him to take control of the attack.