Diamond in rough: Why Denis Makarov deserves bigger role in Cherchesov’s EURO 2020 plans – scout report

Going into the EURO 2020, Russia will face a difficult challenge living up to the standards theyve set for themselves at the last World Cup. But despite having an ageing squad that heavily relies on their veterans, there are certain young players there that could give them a big boost. One such player is Rubin Kazan’s Denis Makarov, a 23-year-old winger who’s having difficulties registering meaningful game time for his country.

He wasn’t used in Russia’s latest two friendlies at all, signalling Stanislav Cherchesov doesn’t have him in his plans. But why is that so and should it change soon? This tactical analysis will give you a full scout report on Makarov while also trying to see how he could benefit Russia’s tactics at the upcoming Euros.

Player overview

Before diving into the tactics, we first have to understand what kind of a player Makarov is. At 23 years of age, he is entering his prime and represents a genuine breakout potential within Russia’s squad. Standing at 181cm, the Rubin Kazan man is technically gifted as well as being quite agile and pacey.

We’ll start the analysis by taking a look at some of his stats, which will help in identifying strengths and weaknesses. Let’s inspect the graph below.

Quite clearly, he is a volume dribbler and within club football, Makarov is in the top 7% in sheer volume while still cracking the top 8% in success rate. This is undoubtedly his biggest weapon and one Russia should be using more within their tactics. But looking at expected goals and goals per 90, we can see that the 23-year-old offers quite a presence up front. Dribbles are closely connected to his progressive runs too and when combined, they form a powerful tool for advancing up the pitch.

Defensively, he is not out of this world but still decent. He engages in an above-average number of duels, both in the air and on the ground, but his success rate is not as impressive. Similarly, his pressing through PAdj (possession-adjusted) interceptions is good as well but can result in many fouls. As a great volume dribbler, he gets fouled often himself.

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