Javier Hernandez has been almost frozen out from Manchester United’s season so far because the little Mexican simply hasn’t done enough to warrant a regular starting XI spot.
However, it hasn’t stopped the club from using him as the poster boy for Manchester United’s 2014/15 pre-season USA tour, both for the original announcement of the tour and for United’s double Italian header against Roma and Inter Milan that has now been confirmed.
BREAKING: We can confirm this year’s #mufc pre-season tour will take place in the United States. #mutour pic.twitter.com/9Mf2C2P71a
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 4, 2014
#mufc will play AS Roma & Inter Milan in the International Champions Cup this summer. https://t.co/lfN5fpm00l #mutour pic.twitter.com/yagxD8dTkY
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 20, 2014
Hernandez’s poster boy status is down to the large Hispanic following in USA which is a shrewd move by United, and it can be seen as an indication that the club are not going to sell him in the summer. Sure, Park Ji Sung was used on a promotional poster back in 2012 before he was subsequently sold to QPR and removed from posters, but he wasn’t used as the poster boy.
Of course, it would be even more strange if United didn’t put Hernandez on the posters given his links to USA but United could have just as easily used a selection of players on the photos instead of focusing solely on Hernandez. Would they really do that safe in the knowledge he wasn’t going to be going on the tour?
Image: Twitter/laaficion