ISL 2022-23: Why Javi Hernandez could be a pivotal signing for Bengaluru FC
Since beginning his stint in India with ATK in 2019, Javi Hernandez has slowly evolved into a footballer who carries all the hallmarks of his Spanish roots. After returning to his creative best last season with Odisha FC, the attacking midfielder has now found a new home -- Bengaluru FC.
Sorry, you've had to wait because his route to Kanteerava was via Silk Board. Now, finally, Javi Hernandez is a Blue! 🔥
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Under the tutelage of Simon Grayson, the Blues have been making rapid strides in the summer transfer market. They have been filling the glaring holes in their squad and in some fashion. The Karnataka club lacked an out-and-out creative midfielder who could unlock defenses. Javi Hernandez fits the bill perfectly.
The Spaniard has prior experience in the Indian Super League and could be a vital investment for the Blues.
Javi Hernandez's revival season at Odisha FC is proof of his mettle
The former Real Madrid Castilla midfielder moved to India in the 2019-20 season and was a vital member of the ATK squad. Hernandez played across the midfield in his first season and registered five assists on the way to his maiden ISL title. Even after the merger, Javi continued with ATK Mohun Bagan under Antonio Lopez Habas.
The Spaniard played in a much deeper role however, and had an underwhelming season. Although ATKMB had a decent campaign finishing runners-up to Mumbai City FC, Javi only scored a single goal and assisted once during the campaign. His only goal of the season came in the Kolkata derby against SC East Bengal in the 89th minute.
The Salamanca-born soon fell out of favor with the Mariners and jumped ship to join the Kalinga Warriors.
His time with the Juggernauts began on a high note as the Spaniard scored twice against Bengaluru FC in the opening ISL game. In the following game, he scored directly from a corner kick against East Bengal and registered two assists to continue his great start. Playing further up the pitch, Hernandez improved in leaps and bounds with the Juggernauts.
While Javi continued to impress throughout the season with his silky-smooth skills, technical dribbling, and defense-splitting passing, most of the other players in the squad couldn't complement his performances. Odisha FC finished a lowly seventh as a result, 11 points off the knockout spots. But individually, the 33-year-old showed that he still possessed the ability to impress in the ISL.
Bengaluru FC lacked a creative force last season
Despite the underwhelming results, Bengaluru FC, helmed by Marco Pezzaiuoli, looked like an industrous side in the previous season. The players displayed disciplined pressing and seemed like a cohesive unit.
However, the Blues lacked in two attacking areas -- creativity in the final third and finishing. Both the problems could be interdependent as BFC kept winning possession in forward areas, but couldn't move the ball forward well in the opposition half.
In Europe, where football is played at considerably higher speed and intensity, a No. 10 or pure attacking midfielder does not have a similar impact anymore. In defensive transitions, these players are often more of a liability.
However, football in India is not up to those technical levels yet. Hence, having someone in the mold of Javi Hernandez sitting between the lines allows teams to break down opposition defenses more easily.
Statistically, Javi had his finest season in the country in 2021-22. He bagged six goals and five assists. The Spanish maestro had registered 1.6 key passes per match throughout the previous season and had more than 45 touches per 90 minutes.
Hernandez also completed 1.9 successful dribbles every game, showing his ability to carry the ball into the final third. While he played in a deeper role in his final season at ATK Mohun Bagan, Javi was closed down by opponents more often and had a drastically low 0.6 completed dribbles per game.
Bengaluru FC's new boss Simon Grayson has historically preferred the 3-5-2 formation. The formation opens up a natural No.10 role for Javi behind the two strikers. The position itself will allow the Spaniard to drop between the lines and pick out the forwards with his razor-sharp passing.
If Grayson feels too adventurous, the Englishman could even opt to play the former Salamanca midfielder as one of the strikers in the two-forward system. The numbers do show that there's a real possibility of the Spaniard flourishing, but Bengaluru fans will do well to tone down their expectations for now.