He arrived last January, as part of a winter transfer window of some paucity. Straight away Leeds United fans knew that they had someone special, someone with a spark of pizazz.
Hernandez signing from Qatari side Al Arabi during the January 2017 transfer window, later signing a permanent deal for the Whites. His first half-season as a Leeds United player returned an impressive six goals and eight assists, earning him a contract extension for this season.
He’s not doing too bad this season either, in fact he’s fair chugging along with his five goals and six assists. This included a brace of assists that brought Leeds United level in the home game against Bristol City in mid-February. In fact, had Pierre-Michel Lasogga have scored with his last-gasp header that cannoned back off the bar, it would have been a hat-trick assist for Pablo that day.
His performances this season, having carried on from last season, have shown that consistency that fans have long known was there. It is the sort of consistency that fans love to see and the consistency that clubs can begin to build around. That was plain to see today in the diminutive Spaniard’s 85 minute display against Reading.
As an attacking force it was more than just the goal that poked Leeds United into the lead, briefly, it was much more than that. With 42 passes, Hernandez was behind a lot of the best of Leeds’ probing as they looked to rescue a ‘going down the pan’ season. What was impressive was that he had eight passes (from his overall 42) that led to team shots on goal – meaning 12% of his passes led to chances.
Hernandez vs Reading – snapshot figures
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- Passes 42 attempts, 23 (55%) passes targeted to final third, 5 chances created
- 57 touches
- 2 interceptions
- 2 tackles
- 2 clearances
- 2 blocks
- 4 shots
- 1 goal
Pablo Hernández GOAL v Reading #PayForPablo #LUFC pic.twitter.com/ibfwlCFPix
— #WALMOT (@WALM0T33) March 10, 2018
Leeds United fans urge club to sign Pablo
https://twitter.com/RhysWyn19/status/972552020975644673
@andrearadri Please can you tell us what is happening about Hernandez? Us fans deserve to know what is going on.
— Jake (@jake_lufc1) March 10, 2018
this doesn’t need to be complicated, if hernandez wants to stay they had better give him a new bloody deal end of #lufc
— corbywhite (@gandalflufc) March 10, 2018
Announce Pablo Hernandez new contract @andrearadri @LUFC @APOPEY @NoelDavidWhelan
— Rob (@AKA_RobDockerty) March 10, 2018