Bayer Leverkusen ace Javier Hernandez slams Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal

JAVIER HERNANDEZ has accused Louis van Gaal of not giving him a fair chance at Manchester United.

Posted Wednesday, December 16, 2015 by Express.co.uk

Bayer Leverkusen ace Javier Hernandez slams Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal
Manchester United's former Mexican striker in on fire for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga

And the Mexican striker's scoring blitz for Bayer Leverkusen is heaping embarrassment on top of frustration for the under-fire United boss.

With his team suffering an acute goal shortage, Van Gaal's decision to sell a proven marksman like Hernandez in August is coming under serious scrutiny.

In his last 12 games, the striker has scored 15 goals - five more than the entire United team have managed in their last dozen matches.

And after his stunning 13-minute hat-trick against Borussia Monchengladbach at the weekend, his total for the season in all competitions is now 17 - 10 more than United's leading scorer Wayne Rooney.

Hernandez, who was loaned to Real Madrid last season and sold to Bayer for £7.3million on his return in August, made only two starts and three substitute appearances in two seasons under Van Gaal, playing a total of 202 minutes.

He said he had no option to leave when he claimed Van Gaal gave him only a "one per cent" chance of starting games, despite goalkeeper David De Gea saying recently he is the best finisher he has played with at Old Trafford.

"I didn't have the intention to leave for Real Madrid in 2014 but I wanted to more playing time," said Hernandez. "Van Gaal told me that he already had his strikers, that I would have to fight for a place but could take an offer if an opportunity arrives.

"The board told me that I could go on loan to Real and it was not a difficult decision for me. Then I returned to Manchester and I started to have opportunities but one day I spoke with Van Gaal and I had only a one per cent chance of playing so that meant I needed to make magic! So I moved to Bayer."

Hernandez said he had no regrets about joining United initially and that former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who signed him from Chivas Guadalajara for £7m in 2010, always kept him involved.

"I had an incredible start at United with many opportunities but it ended badly because of a lack of opportunities," he said.

"I'll always be grateful to Ferguson. He is the best manager in history the way he managed his players. He gave everyone a chance and understood that a player cannot finish a season with only 15 games."

Hernandez's fate was sealed when he came on as a substitute in United's Champions League play-off second leg in Bruges in August and missed a penalty. Van Gaal's damning sideways look to assistant Ryan Giggs, was captured by TV cameras and the player was transferred five days later.

But Hernandez has not looked back since moving to the Bundesliga because he has felt wanted. "I have been confident since the first day and I feel more important here, not only for the goals, but in all the games I watch I see myself in the line-up," he said. "This is an effort from the whole team, not just me."

Hernandez's form contrasts with the struggles of Rooney, Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay, who have managed only seven Premier League goals between them this season.

Bayer Leverkusen ace Javier Hernandez slams Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal
Former Arsenal and Manchester United defender Silvestre has backed Giggs to help Anthony Martial

Former United defender Mikael Silvestre believes assistant boss Giggs holds the key to helping Martial fulfilling his early promise.

"At a club like Manchester United, there are expectations. At some point, Anthony will start to feel the pressure. He will improve and then people will not forgive him if he doesn't score in two or three games in a row.

"Even though Ryan was a winger, he played with strikers. He knows their attitudes, their movements, he knows how to read the game. He will have the words and the will to build a good relationship with Anthony to help him improve."