Real Madrid's Villarreal Loanee Denis Cheryshev Desperate for Validation
Cast out, forgotten and overlooked, Denis Cheryshev is in his 12th year at Real Madrid yet still seeking validation on loan at Villarreal.
"Whatever my chances of getting into the first team, I dream of playing for Real [since I was 11 years old]," Cheryshev said, per Moskovskie Novosti (h/t Marca). "I'm going to keep working to achieve it."
| Russia | LW/CF | 23 | 5'11" | 163 lbs |
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
"Denis is a very stubborn boy," Dmitri Cheryshev—Denis' father—said, per Paul Bryan of UEFA.com. "You can be sure he'll fight tooth and nail in order to prove that he can be a regular first-team player at Madrid."
"Stubborn" is a precise description of Cheryshev's playing style for Villarreal: Shoot on sight.
In a 1-1 UEFA Europa League draw against Borussia Monchengladbach, Cheryshev was flagrantly wasteful. Starting up front with Luciano Vietto in Villarreal manager Marcelino's 4-4-2, Cheryshev opted for individual glory rather than playing for the team.
Going 1-5 in shots on target, Cheryshev was selfish, inefficient and displayed low awareness levels by failing to collaborate meaningfully with Vietto. Cheryshev and Vietto totalled 2-8 in shots on target yet only combined once from eight shots.
Forcing shots and playing with a tunnel-vision mindset, it was as if Cheryshev was chasing a scoring record, like Oleg Salenko did against Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup.
"It's a position [centre-forward] I don't have a great amount of experience playing in," Cheryshev said, per Jamie Kemp at Inside Spanish Football. "I don't feel uncomfortable though, I'm just happy to continue playing."
The rashness, tension and urgency he displayed can be partly explained by Marcelino handing Moi Gomez, 20, a start on the left wing, which is Cheryshev's natural position. Gomez rivalled Gladbach deep-lying forward Max Kruse in inventive passing.
| Max Kruse | 4 | 47 | 87 | 50 |
| Moi Gomez | 5 | 32 | 69 | 50 |
While Gomez's passing was wayward, giving away possession 31 percent of the time, he led the game in key passes (pass leading to scoring chance).
His promise poses a big threat to Cheryshev's starting position on the left flank. Gomez possesses a Santi Cazorla-esque genius on the ball, whereas Cheryshev is a volume shooter.
Since receiving an 8/10 player rating from Marca during Villarreal's 2-0 win over Levante—he poached a goal courtesy of an incisive pass from Gomez—Cheryshev's shooting has been out of control.
Cheryshev averages 3.3 shots to 0.5 key passes per game in combined La Liga and Europa League league play. His plus-2.7 shots differential is even higher than Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo (plus-2.3 shots differential; 5.3 shots to 3.0 key passes per game in combined La Liga and UEFA Champions League play).
Cheryshev's conspicuous need to demand the ball and shoot may have roots in his injury-riddled loan spell at Sevilla last season, per Sasha Goryunov at The Telegraph:
"Sevilla decided to take a chance on him [Cheryshev] and took him on loan.
More misfortune followed when he finally started against Rayo Vallecano at the end of September, another hamstring injury forcing him off only quarter of an hour into the game. ...
The winger was free to play in the Europa League, starting against Maribor last Thursday. Result? You've guessed it, another injury, this time to his ankle. Happily, it was not broken but he was ruled out for three weeks and will now miss the Armenia game [for Russia].
"
Taking a now-or-never approach, Cheryshev increases his chances of scoring for Villarreal but risks turning into another Jefferson Montero. Montero is one of the most dangerous dribblers in the world, though his inability to function cohesively in a team was a main factor why he never made it at Villarreal.
A tremendously gifted left-footed winger with technique comparable to Andrey Arshavin, Cheryshev's talent is not in doubt, hence why Real have kept him on their books.
It is Cheryshev's application which lets him down.
Yet as he goes through frustratingly bad games—like he did against Gladbach—he will continue counting his stars in his bid to turn into another Antoine Griezmann-like scorer in La Liga.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
