Much has been said about Florentino Pérez’s decision to splash the cash on Gareth Bale instead of a recognized number nine. The selling of Gonzalo Higuaín and the dip in form of Karim Benzema has left Real Madrid searching for a dependable striker. Uncharacteristically, Pérez decided to put his faith in the youth instead of placing a summer bid for Luis Suárez. A decision that gave hope to many fans, a decision that symbolized a promising post Mourinho era.
Jesé Rodriguez and Álvaro Morata, could they change the trend? So far Jesé has been restricted to bench cameos, while Morata has only started on one occasion. Ancelotti has employed a rotation policy with the duo, that sees one being included on the bench while the other watches from the sidelines. This uncertainty is clearly not helping anyone. Can it be that the two starlets are holding each other back?
It’s like a line from a Clint Eastwood movie “This town ain’t big enough for the both of us.” Both forwards are fighting for the role of Benzema’s deputy. Jesé is more of a versatile player, being able to play anywhere in the front three and even behind the striker. Morata is a classic striker, who can guarantee you goals.
Morata put in a top drawer performance against Málaga, to only be only left out of the squad for the Clásico. Jesé made most of his opportunity against Barcelona, by scoring a late consolation goal for Los Blancos. The trend however, was not to be changed as Morata was granted a bench role against Sevilla despite Jesé’s goal versus Barcelona. This not only breaks rhythm but demoralizes a player. Jesé went from goalscorer at the Camp Nou to a spectator. If scoring against the league leader does not grant you a place on the bench, what is there to play for?
So far the duo have shown great patience. A couple of days ago, Morata stated “I am not disappointed at my lack of playing time, I am still young and my time is yet to come.” Morata would not mind being the understudy of Karim Benzema, at the tender age of 21. But this constant struggle with one of his closest friend has to be frustrating.
With Benzema still looking shaky, it would not be a surprise to see Florentino splash the cash on a striker next summer. Where would that leave the young dynamic duo? Keeping them both at the club at the current time looks to be a waste of talent. Think of it as raising two plants. If you only have a certain amount of water, you could either keep both of them alive or you could allow one to flourish. Minutes at the Bernabéu are not easy to come by, even more so when you are sharing them with someone else.
Whether it is a loan or a sale with a buyback clause, one of them should be shipped out as soon as possible. Many people might consider it a risk, keeping in mind injuries that might occur. But even if one of the stikers gets injured, Ronaldo is more than capable of playing down the middle. Not to forget that Madrid can call upon starlets such as Raúl de Tomás and Cristian Benavente from Castilla. A temporary change of scenario for one of the two could possibly benefit both.