West Ham aren't giving Javier Hernandez the service he needs, says former Manchester United coach

Former Manchester United coach Mike Phelan says West Ham are not providing the service required to make the most out of Javier Hernandez.

The Mexican striker consistently weighed in with crucial goals over four seasons at Manchester United and is back in the Premier League with West Ham, who secured his signature in a £16million move from Bayer Leverkusen last month.

However Hernandez has struggled to hit the ground running at the London Stadium, scoring three goals in his first 10 games of the season but only one since August 19.

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has experimented with several systems in a bid to give Hernandez the service he needs, most recently deploying the diminutive striker nicknamed Chicharito (little pea) alongside target man Andy Carroll to mixed success.

But Phelan, Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant during Hernandez’s time at Old Trafford, believes Bilic must fix the West Ham supply line to get the best out of his striker.

“If you're looking for a centre-forward with a history of scoring goals, it doesn't get any better than Javier,” Phelan told Sky Sports.

“But there is another side to it: Can you provide the service for him to score the goals? If the service is there for Chicha in and around the 18-yard box, you can guarantee he's one of those players who will hit the target more often than not, which means he'll score more goals than he'll miss.

“It's just a question of how you play to him.”

Earlier this month Hernandez felt compelled to deny speculation that he wanted to leave the club in January, tweeting: “I'm very happy at West Ham!!”