Hernandez form could send Rooney to the bench

AMIDST the furore and excitement of Manchester United’s victory at Blackpool there was one thorny issue which lay only temporarily forgotten and, now that the euphoria of a dramatic comeback has ebbed, must be addressed with the utmost urgency: What to do with Wayne Rooney.

Rooney’s performance at Bloomfield Road has gone largely unnoticed, which is apt because his contribution was so minimal that it deserved little recognition. He started on the left, where he struggled to find his touch, moved to the centre and then, having failed to hit a single shot on goal all match, was substituted after 66 minutes in favour of Javier Hernandez.

And therein lies Alex Ferguson’s biggest conundrum, because Hernandez — as all season — produced the kind of cameo performance that makes you wonder if it is time to do what in the past would have been unthinkable — drop Wayne Rooney.

Hernandez’s case to play at Southampton in the FA Cup this weekend, and indeed at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League after that, is strong. Whereas Rooney has struggled all season to score goals and find form, the Mexican has shown the self-confidence, technique and ruthlessness of a striker who cannot be ignored for much longer.

His energy, clever running and, ultimately, his crisp, unerring finishing were the difference at Blackpool as United came from 2-0 down to win 3-2, even if Dimitar Berbatov took the plaudits and the headlines with two of the three goals.

So the decision now is how much longer can Rooney hang onto his place in the starting line-up before his manager finally loses patience? Ferguson has dealt with Rooney’s difficulties this season in textbook fashion, sheltering him from the media furore that surrounded off-field controversies, sticking by him through a highly public contract wrangle and, ultimately, showing immense understanding over equally thorny problems with fitness and form.

He has tried everything since Rooney’s injury against Bayern Munich last March dramatically halted the best season of his career and ended with him performing miserably for England in the World Cup.

Rooney has spent time on the bench, he has spent time improving his fitness in America, he has been rested, pampered and given a huge pay rise; but still no goals and no real sign that he is about to rediscover the form that made him only last year the most feared striker in football.

Who could possibly have predicted that by January 2011 he would have contributed only three goals to United’s new season, two of those from the penalty spot? Or that he would follow up a promising display in United’s rampant victory over Birmingham last weekend with such a quiet display at Blackpool three days later?

Hernandez, by contrast, is fresh, confident and surely ready for his big chance. “That is up to the boss,” he has said recently, willing to take a back seat for now. “But I know I can score goals if I am given chances and I am working hard to improve. I’m always happy to take responsibility, it’s not a problem.’’

It’s remarkable how much things have changed at Old Trafford this season because not so long ago all the talk was about who would partner Wayne Rooney. Now, undoubtedly, the choice is who partners Dimitar Berbatov following the Bulgarian’s excellent start to the campaign that has seen him score 20 goals already.

It would be foolish to suggest Rooney’s disappointing form can go on forever or that he will not one day rediscover the genius that makes him still one of the most popular and talented players ever to pull on a United shirt — and he has continued to create goals even when he has been unable to score them. But, given the quality of his understudy, how much longer can reputation keep him off the bench.