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Artyom Dzyuba: Can the struggling Russian star revive his career with Zenit?

  By O-Posts Team | May 27, 2024 - 17:22 | , , , ,
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Just what has happened to the good old days of Russian football? You know, when CSKA Moscow and Zenit Saint Petersburg took the UEFA Cup, when Andrey Arshavin wowed Europe, when the national team stormed to the UEFA EURO 2008 semi-finals. Those days seem far back in time now as the Russian Premier League struggles to make its expected progress, however if you look deep into the league there is cause to believe that the potential could be realised. One of those reasons is 26 year old imposing forward Artyom Dzyuba, who is very soon going to make a move to Saint Petersburg.

Indeed it is a transfer that created many a headline in Russia. Although he’s already 26, Dzyuba has long been touted as the next big thing to come out of Russian football, and this impending change of scenery to Zenit could be just what he needs. After making his breakthrough with Spartak Moscow well back in 2006 he has had rather a rocky road making his presence felt, and after a bust up with then Spartak head coach Valery Karpin he was sent out on loan to perennial struggles Rostov.

That’s where he really began to make people sit up and take notice, and in Russian league and cup games combined he hit the net on 18 occasions while also winning the cup. Following that success, and with Karpin out of the picture, Artyom returned to his hometown club in mid-2014 and immediately impressed. In 14 games he notched seven goals, and he made an impression with the national team scoring a couple of markers (admittedly against Lichtenstein and Moldova).

And then it all went sour again. Rather sharply he fell out of favour with much maligned Spartak manager Murat Yakin, and for the second time Dzyuba was booking his ticket to Rostov for another loan spell. That’s where it started to get interesting though, and newly crowned Russian champions Zenit made a surprising move to take in the forward on a free transfer when his contract runs out in summer this year (meaning he continues to play for Rostov until this current season ends).

Any transfer between huge rivals Spartak and Zenit never goes unnoticed, and even Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko personally pleaded for Artyom to give Spartak another go. Dzyuba wasn’t having any of it however, and admitting he’s taking a huge risk he penned a deal with the Saint Petersburg outfit. Have Zenit been too hasty though? Is he really worth the fuss?

To be honest, I really don’t know. On one hand Dzyuba has shown glimpses of huge potential, but on the other he doesn’t score enough goals and isn’t the type of player Zenit really need. Dzyuba is a tall, powerful header of the ball, but Zenit already have strong Venezuelan Jose Salomon Rondon who arguably possesses a lot more class. It’s hard to see the two playing together especially given how Zenit play, and head coach Andre Villas Boas may have a few headaches coming his way.

Another factor is that Artyom has little experience of playing in big pressure games. Performing for Rostov at a decent level is one thing, but producing the goods for a top club in the UEFA Champions League is another ball game altogether.

Maybe the most interesting issue of all however is the fans. Supporters of Spartak and Zenit absolutely loath each other, and any player who makes a move between the two clubs is hounded upon by everyone involved. Former Zenit winger Vladimir Bystrov will be the first to tell you that, as when returning to Zenit from a spell in Moscow the Saint Petersburg faithful bullied him relentlessly for years. There is huge doubt over if Dzyuba will be accepted at all by Zenit’s hardcore supporters, and he can expect a tough time of it.

Going back to matters on the pitch, Dzyuba’s career has the potential to finally kick off. Being almost 27 he’s moving into the peak of his career, and if he’s going to take that step on to the next level it has to be now. However as already mentioned his main strength is in the air, and at times his lack of raw technical ability has held him back.

Zenit, a team that generally love to keep the ball on the ground and let leaders Hulk and Danny work their magic, may struggle to adapt to Dzyuba’ s rigid style of the game. Are there good chances of Dzyuba making it work in Saint Petersburg? Probably not. There’s a higher probability of Artyom being left on the bench for the majority of the time, but he does have an opportunity to prove me and his critics wrong.

It’s the chance of his life to make something special of himself, and with the right attitude he could make it happen.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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HEADS UP: Below are the answers to last week’s Serie A crossword puzzle.

Sardar Azmoun: The Iranian Messi?

  By O-Posts Team | March 12, 2024 - 16:44 | , , , , , , , , ,
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Iran haven’t always been rated as one of football’s superpowers, but the nation has been on a bit of a rise recently. A very promising 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign in Brazil was followed up by an impressive Asian Cup performance this year, as they made the quarterfinal stage after topping their group with nine points. Indeed that Asian Cup performance raised many eyebrows, as a certain 20 year old stood out from the crowd.

That 20 year old is Sardar Azmoun, a talented and rather slightly built forward who has been ruffling a few feathers in the Russian Premier League. After moving into football at the age of nine he was offered his first professional contract with local side Sepahan, and although he didn’t made an appearance for the first team he did win the national title in 2012.

Despite never actually taking to the field two time Russian champions Rubin Kazan saw enough to take a punt on the 17 year old, and that’s where his rise really did begin. In his first season in Kazan head coach Kurban Berdyev opted to train him up with the youth team, and he eventually made his first team debut in July 2013 in a UEFA Europa League qualifier.

His first goal didn’t take long to come either, as in just his second game against Molde he found the net. That persuaded Rubin to give him more playing time, and he slowly became a first team mainstay scoring in the Russian league for the first time in October of the same year.

His gradual progress was already attracting attention from all around Europe, as Rubin came out and publically stated that he wasn’t for sale despite offers from the likes of Arsenal and Internazionale. Newspaper reports in Britain have been touting him as the ‘Iranian Messi’, and while that may be a bit steep, you can see the comparisons.

Just like his Argentinian counterpart Azmoun has a low sense of gravity, and is exceptional with the ball at his feet. A perfect example is his wonder goal against Qatar in the Asian Cup group stages, where he quite beautifully twisted away from his marker. His raw technical talent has pushed him to the fore of Asian talent, and just in January this year Liverpool and Tottenham were rumoured to having offered Rubin £5 million for his services.

And then something rather strange happened. In late February Rubin decided that for whatever reason he would be sent out on loan to struggling Rostov, a team that are languishing in 16th and last place of the Russian league. Why? Even I am struggling to work this one out. In Russia it made very few headlines, as few seemed bothered by the move.

The only problem in his game though, and a potential reason for the loan deal, is his lack of goals. Yes, he’s full of talent and ability, but this campaign he has hit the target only once (and that was back in August 2014). Rubin are a team that traditionally struggle for goals, and they will be hoping that Sardar can start scoring with more regularity with Rostov.

Even the fact that Rubin were prepared to loan him out shouldn’t put off potential buyers. He is still only 20 years old, and those flashes of potential which we have seen have been enough to show what he is capable of. The main question for him is when to make the move abroad.

In Russia you can progress to a certain extent, but to realise his potential to the full a move to Western Europe will be needed. Some players though go either too early and get lost somewhere along the line, or opt to go too late when nobody wants them. His technical ability would suit a team like Arsenal perfectly, however his small frame would make it difficult to compete in such a physically demanding league.

This summer will surely see more offers coming up, and if the price is right, Rubin will have no other option than to give up their hottest talent. The only issues that remain are when the right time to go is, and where is the best place to let his talent flourish. Two issues that are going to decide how big he is going to become.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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Romulo: The Low-down on the Arsenal-linked Spartak star

  By O-Posts Team | January 22, 2024 - 19:00 | , , , ,
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Russian football isn’t what is used to be. No teams left in the UEFA Champions League, the 2014 FIFA World Cup fiasco, and the struggle to qualify for UEFA Euro 2016. The country has certainly seen better footballing days, although all isn’t lost yet. Yes, the domestic championship isn’t progressing, but the Russian league does hold some unhidden talent who should have a big future ahead of them.

One problem stands out from the rest – Russian footballers of this generation, and seemingly the next, are nowhere near the level of the team which reached the Euro 2008 semi-finals. There is no Andrey Arshavin to weave some magic, no Roman Pavlyuchenko or Pavel Pogrebynak to bag the vital goals when it counts, and goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev is paying for never leaving hometown club CSKA Moscow.

Even Zenit Saint Petersburg with all their millions flattered to deceive, with the likes of Hulk, Axel Witsel and Ezequiel Garay failing to help the team achieve success in the Champions League. There are still some positives which can be found however.
Spartak Moscow have been slowly losing their place amongst the Russian elite, but they have a midfield gem in the shape of Romulo Borges Monteiro or, simply, Romulo. The 24 year old Brazilian defensive midfielder has made only 25 appearances for Spartak in two and a half years due to injury, but that has been enough time to make a real impact.

Spartak themselves are having another shocker of a campaign. Despite the best efforts of owner Leonid Fedun, including the building of a new state of the art stadium, they have been average at best lying in sixth place on 29 points. Star midfielder Roman Shirokov has left after a bust up with head coach Murat Yakin, and the departure of promising forward Artyom Dzyuba looks to be on the cards.

Spartak fans need something to be positive about, and Romulo is just that. After gradually working his way back into the team he has added class to their midfield, and he netted a fantastic goal against Ural in December. He took aim from the edge of the area, and curled beautifully into the right hand corner for his first league goal since August 2012.

Many Brazilian players are lured to either Russia or Ukraine from their home country when young, and sometimes it works out. Vagner Love, legendary CSKA Moscow forward, is a perfect example of someone who made their name in Eastern Europe, while Shakhtar Donetsk’s Bernard is suffering for being greedy. Romulo so far doesn’t fall into either category.

He hasn’t managed to set the world on fire in Russia, but at the same time it’s clear to see that he has something special. Indeed back in 2012, he really captured Europe’s attention. At the Nou Camp against Barcelona, a Spartak 2:3 defeat, he scored a wonderful goal as the Russians threatened to cause a huge upset.

It was almost the perfect start, but then disaster struck. Torn knee ligaments put him out for the best part of a year, and it put paid to any hopes of a further move to Western Europe. Finally he looks to have fully recovered though, and two years on he is proving just why he made so many fans sit up and take notice. Although he does have a wonder goal in him, his main job is to sweep up the danger in the middle of the field, in the meantime allowing the forwards to do their stuff.The sort of player that every team needs.

His current side Spartak have just been downright unlucky with Romulo though – had it not been for that terrible injury back in 2012, he could have really improved their fortunes. And as soon as he is back on form, Europe’s big guns are after him. A tidy, clever and competent defensive midfielder with an eye for a killer pass is just what Arsenal are crying out for, and the English outfit are rumoured to be heavily interested in his services.

But would Spartak let him go now? In just a couple of months’ time the Russian winter break will come to an end, and the Muscovites face a race against time to make European competition for next season. The majority of Spartak’s woes come from a shaky back line, and a fully fit Romulo, hanging just in front of the defence, will only help shut down the likes of CSKA’s Seydou Doumbia and Zenit’s Hulk.

Still, for the right price even Russians aren’t going to say no. Romulo was bought from Corinthians for around eight million euros, and if I were Leonid Fedun, I would be demanding around double that for him now.

Not too long is left in the winter transfer window though and Arsenal, as well as any other potential buyers, are going to have to speed up to get any sort of deal done. Romulo isn’t the finished article yet, but he has all the potential to become one of the best defensive midfielders in the European game – sharp tackling, alert reactions, and the ability to swiftly set up counterattacks.

Spartak better start making use of him, as they may not have his company for much longer.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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Andre Villas-Boas: The hapless, former Spurs boss makes swift return to management

  By O-Posts Team | March 19, 2024 - 00:48 | , , , , ,
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It’s finally happened. Luciano Spalletti has been fired from Zenit Saint Petersburg after months of chaos within the Russian giants, and the club really do look to be going through a transitional period. Just one win in their past 12 competitive fixtures just isn’t good enough for any team let alone a side that has won just about every title possible, and time for change has arisen.

Spalletti has left big boots to be filled but Andre Villas Boas, the ex Chelsea and Tottenham manager, has been the man entrusted in which to do so. Zenit’s season is on the verge of falling apart as the club has fallen to second place of the domestic championship and looks to be heading out of the Champions League, and Villas Boas has a real task on his hands.

Take a trip to Russia though and you won’t find too many who are overjoyed about his appointment. Despite doing a simply fantastic job with Porto a few years ago and being treated highly unfairly in the English Premier League Villas Boas’s reputation has been tarnished somewhat. Zenit’s fans were happy to finally see the back of Spalletti but they so far seem very reluctant to be positive about their new manager to be, and I really cannot understand that.

Yes, with Chelsea and Tottenham not a lot went his way, but it’s a poison chalice being a manager in English football. Villas Boas just wasn’t given enough time to construct the team he wanted both at Chelsea and Tottenham, and you really can’t blame him for that.
One thing he can’t seem to handle though is controlling big egos.

At Chelsea his - at times - questionable team selections ruffled a few feathers, and when dealing with strong characters it’s never going to be simple. And he won’t have it any easier at Zenit. The Russians have had their fair share of disruption inside the team, with high profile Russian midfielders such as Igor Denisov and Roman Shirokov taking their leave because of off-field matters.

What does play into his hands, though, is his friendship with Brazilian superstar Hulk, which stretches back to when Villas Boas coached at Porto. And if he can return the harmony within the team, more than half of his job would have been completed.
Just what he can do with the play on the field remains to be seen.

Zenit have long based their game on quick sharp counterattacks, but as the years go on and opponents start to respect Zenit more, the Russians are forced to play with the initiative and it hasn’t proved easy to do so. And the over reliance on Hulk is starting to become ridiculous.

If Hulk doesn’t play well the team doesn’t play well and it’s simply because that every single other player relies on Hulk to produce a miracle, and although he’s good he isn’t quite Lionel Messi.

Villas Boas just has to find a way to get through to the team that everyone has to take responsibility and to put some heart and character into every performance. Zenit have, in recent matches, resembled a team that is in meltdown without any desire whatsoever to win, but a new fresh face should help to inject some life into what is a very talented group of players.

Many in Russia though are somewhat angered by the fact that interim manager Sergey Semak, incidentally himself only 38, has not been given a chance to prove himself. Semak only last summer decided to finish his playing career and is looked upon as a true legend of Russian football and a very likeable character.

In my opinion, though, he needs time to gain experience. Zenit is a club that needs results not only tomorrow but today, and while Semak may be the man to provide that in the future, right now it’s not worth the risk.

Villas Boas may himself be young but he isn’t short of experience. Having started out in his managerial career at the tender age of 21 he has gone on to coach Porto to Europa League glory as well as taking charge of Chelsea in the Champions League, and he really knows how top level football works.

Zenit, though, will be a different kind of challenge. Russian football is not something for the faint hearted to get involved in, and just how Villas Boas will fit in and get accepted in something that will be very interesting to watch unfurl .

Zenit does however possess the potential to fulfil all of the high ambitions that the club has set out before themselves. The eventual goal is to win the Champions League, one of only two trophies that the club has yet to win along with the Club World Cup. Villas Boas has been lured in by such lofty ambitions that match his own, and this could be a match made in heaven.

It won’t be an easy job to somehow take control of a team that doesn’t know whether it’s coming or going, but there aren’t many better men for the job.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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Keisuke Honda: AC Milan’s gain, CSKA Moscow’s loss

  By O-Posts Team | January 25, 2024 - 01:10 | , ,
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It may have been on the cards for a long time, but finally Keisuke Honda has decided to make the step up from CSKA Moscow to one of the world’s biggest clubs, AC Milan. Honda for already around 4 years has been capturing the attention of many of a big club, but only now has he decided that the time was right to make that move.

And for Milan, the transfer has come at a perfect time. The Italians are currently having their worst Serie A campaign for a very long time and only just squeezed into the last 16 of Champions League, and even if Honda can’t compete in Europe for them yet having already played for CSKA, they will be hoping that he can help turn around their domestic fortunes.

If you think that Milan are having a bad enough season, Honda’s already former club CSKA are not faring much better. Despite being the present holders of all three Russian trophies, the Russian Premier League, the Russian Cup and Super Cup, they have seriously flattered to deceive this time around.

Although they have gained ground on current Russian league leaders Zenit Saint Petersburg recently, in the Champions League they had a group stage to forget. Being drawn in a group alongside Manchester City and Bayern Munich didn’t do them any favours, but losing out to Czech minnows Viktoria Plzen for the Europa League spot was rightly so deemed simply unacceptable. And they still had possession of Honda at that time.

Not that he had been looking himself in the last few months of his CSKA career. As soon as he returned to Moscow from the Confederations Cup in Brazil last year, rumours starting circling that his departure for AC Milan was imminent, even Honda himself came out to the media stating that he had already started learning Italian.

CSKA weren’t willing to let him go, even though they knew full well that they would not make any profit on him at all when his contract ended in the winter and the player would be free to go where he wanted. And when a player knows that whatever happens he’ll be moving on, it’s hard to give 100%.

That’s exactly what happened, with Honda giving pretty poor performances not only in the Russian league but in the Champions League too, where he missed some guilt edged opportunities against Manchester City and Bayern.

That didn’t put Milan off though and why should it, he’s already shown time and time again that he is a playmaker of the highest calibre. Honda can strike a dead ball well as he has shown plenty of times in a Japan shirt, and for Milan he’s a player that can help them a lot right now. Just the thought of Kaka running at them and Honda sitting just behind the forwards ready to make an incisive pass at any moment should start to make their opponents scared of them again.

If it’s going to solve all of Milan’s problems though, it’s a different question. In the last few years Italian football has been gradually slipping further and further behind the rest of Europe, and it doesn’t seem that a repeat of Milan’s Champions League triumph in 2007 is forthcoming any time soon. And with Honda being cup-tied for the Champions League this season, the move certainly doesn’t help them out in that respect.

But in Italy the move could help them out to get back to winning ways. With Stephan El Shaarawy still sitting on the sidelines the Milanese have lacked a bit of star quality in recent weeks and to rely on Mario Balotelli every game just isn’t good enough.

Honda will take up the mantle of being playmaker in chief along with Kaka, and the two should complement each other. While Kaka is at his best when moving at speed with the ball, Honda will get in the right positions either waiting for an opportunity to score himself, or to be in a great position to make a cutting pass.

How long it takes them to build up team chemistry is of course the big question, and also if new coach Clarence Seedorf will trust Honda enough to give him a lot of playing time. Things certainly haven’t started off to badly, with Honda having already bagged his first goal for the club in a 3-1 Italian Cup win against Spezia.

In the long run, despite Honda already being 27 years of age, it should turn out to be a very good bit of transfer market business. Maybe he should have already a long time ago made the move to a supposedly bigger club than CSKA, but his chance has arrived and he will now have more pressure on him to produce the goods than ever before.

Milan may not be the force they once were but it’s a club steeped in tradition, and with such a player on their books, they should look into the future with a bit more optimism.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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Anzhi: Swoops for Kokorin and Denisov spell bigger ambitions for the Dagestani side

  By O-Posts Team | July 6, 2024 - 17:11 | , , , , ,
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After causing so much trouble last autumn, the departure of Igor Denisov from 3 time Russian champions Zenit Saint Petersburg has been something which has looked ever more likely, but just as the situation looked to have blown over, the Russian national team captain has shocked the whole of Russia by making the move to Dagestani club Anzhi Makhackala.

For a fee of around 12 million euros, the former Zenit icon has decided to switch the blue and white of Saint Petersburg for the yellow and green of Makhackala, and it isn’t just Denisov that has been lured by the ambitions of Anzhi.

New Russian hope Alexander Kokorin of Dynamo Moscow looks all but to be certain of making the switch to the south west of Russia, and Anzhi’s rivals are just starting to get seriously worried before the start of the upcoming new season. I’m looking into laying some wagers at the Freebets blog as one club seems intent on ruling over Russia for a long time.

Having finished in third place, and gaining bronze medals for the first time in their history, Anzhi were left half satisfied after last season, and only half satisfied because it could have been even better.

Trailing eventual champions CSKA Moscow by just 3 points coming into the second half of last season’s championship and having a firm grip on second place, a desperate run of form including a heartbreaking defeat in the Europa League allowed Zenit to overtake the Dagestani club and take a coveted Champions League place away from them.

In the Russian Cup, it was a similar story, taking CSKA all the way to penalties in the final, only to come up short when it really mattered. This season they seem determined to put that all right though. While able to tempt potential transfer targets with only Europa League football, Suleyman Kerimov’s deep pockets seem to be enticing enough.

Almost every player which has any sort of calibre and quality about them seems to be linked with Anzhi, but the purchase of Zenit’s Denisov is something which came as somewhat as a shock. Since the fiasco in which Denisov froze himself out of the Zenit side following the arrival of Axel Witsel and in particular Hulk, the 29 year old midfielder had managed to work his way back in Zenit’s good books and to all of us, everything seemed to be patching up nicely. But this move came as a real bombshell.

Zenit players Vyacheslav Malafeev and Alexander Kerzhakov themselves spoke of how they didn’t believe it was happening until it was officially confirmed, and with his departure a big hole has been left in the heart of their midfield, a void which will be helped to be filled by the return of 34 year old Ukrainian midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk from Champions League winners Bayern Munich.

For Anzhi though, it’s a major coup. Signing the Russian national team captain from a club like Zenit is just yet another statement of their intentions, as their craving for instant success becomes stronger and stronger.

Ex Zenit bad man Alexey Ionov has also made Anzhi his new home, signing from last season’s surprise package Kuban Krasnodar, and with their main man Samuel Eto’o looking sure to stay for at least another season, they’re starting to look strong favourites for the new season which starts in already just a week’s time. And before they’re done in the transfer business for this summer, reports have emerged which seem to be indicating that Anzhi have snapped up Russia’s brightest hope for the future.

22 year old Alexander Kokorin has been steadily making his name in Russia with Dynamo Moscow in the last few years, but last season, he really shot to fame. While only scoring 9 goals, his excellent approach play and skill saved Dynamo from what could have been an absolutely disastrous campaign, and in turn propelling himself to the top of many a clubs’ shopping lists. Italian giants Roma were said to be interested, especially when Kokorin himself recently posted online a photo of himself in Rome, but like so many others in the past 18 months, he has fallen under Anzhi’s spell.

With an 19 million euro release clause in his contract, Anzhi have taken full advantage, and with personal terms seemingly agreed upon, it seems to be just a matter of time before Anzhi officially announce their new star signing. Add Kokorin into an attack which already includes Eto’o and Brazilian magician Willian, and a side that is starting to look capable of dominating Russian football for a number of years is starting to come together.

Kokorin.... strengthens an already lethal attack.

Kokorin…. strengthens an already lethal attack.

But for many Russian fans, the rate at which players are willing to make the switch to Anzhi is becoming distinctly alarming. Especially when you take into account that for at least another year, they won’t be rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite in the Champions League.

For 90% of top players just the fact of being stuck in the Europa League is enough to put them off making the move, but for Denisov, Kokorin and many others, the lure of even more money than what they were already earning has proven too big a temptation. Anzhi’s pockets are never ending, and while they are taking full advantage of having that asset, they are heavily contributing to football becoming much less of a sport and just purely business, in an age where money like never before, is taking over our beloved sport.

That’s not to say Anzhi are breaking the law in any sense. They’re just taking advantage of what the law allows them to do, and in doing so, sooner or later trophies lay in wait. Competing in just the Europa League doesn’t seem quite fair for a team that is full of such rich pure talent, but success in the Russian Championship has to be a priority, and with the squad that they have at their disposal, gold medals have to be waiting just around the corner.

Zenit and CSKA may have something to say about that, but Anzhi’s power is looking even more menacing, but just how a club that one day had nothing and now suddenly everything, is infuriating just about every Russian football fan.

Whether that’s born out of jealousy or genuine concern for the sincerity of Russian football though, is a very debatable question.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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Russian Premier League: 2012/13 Team of the Season

  By O-Posts Team | June 28, 2024 - 23:22 | , , , ,
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After 10 months of thrilling Russian Premier League action, finally, the season has come to a close. While it will always be remembered for the title returning to Moscow for the first time in 6 years with CSKA Moscow, there were plenty of other moments which will prove hard to forget.

Mordovia and Alania have gone back to where they came from, the First Division, and Moscow giants Dynamo failed to recover from their disastrous start quick enough to take a European slot for next season.

So many players managed to catch the headlines, but here is my own personal opinion, of which players deserve to be in the team of the season. 11 places doesn’t give enough space to include everyone who should be there, but here are the players, which were just too good to ignore.

 

Alexander Belenov- Kuban Krasnodar, goalkeeper; a Spartak Moscow reject, he has gone on to establish himself as one of the leading goalkeepers in Russia.

Standing at a commanding 1.95 meters, he’s got the ideal figure for a great goalkeeper, and has proven to be one of the key reasons why Kuban have been punching above their weight all season, finishing eventually in 5th place and gaining entry to the Europa League.

There’s a snag for Kuban though. The Krasnodar outfit seem to be resigned to losing their star keeper to giants Anzhi, and if he can prove his worth there, then just maybe Russia coach Fabio Capello will start to finally take more notice of him.

 

Alexander Anyukov- Zenit Saint Petersburg, defender; ever reliable, the right full back has been one of the star men for Zenit this season. One of the few players who very rarely makes any mistake of any kind, his solidness in defence and clever runs in behind opposing defenders on the attack have made him the most indispensable player in Saint Petersburg.

While Zenit may have lost their champions title to Moscow rivals CSKA and gone through many a crisis throughout the course of the season, the marauding right back managed to quietly get on with his business, and despite being in the wrong side of his 30’s, his reliability is showing no sign of letting up.

 

Nicolas Lombaerts- Zenit Saint Petersburg, defender; having gone 6 matches in a row at one point without conceding a goal, it’s no surprise that two Zenit men are present in my defence. And the lanky Belgian has been no less reliable than Anyukov, going on to reinforce his status as one of the best if not the best central defender in the Russian Premier League.

Lombaerts has charisma in abundance and has been a rock at the heart of the Saint Petersburg defence all season long, nullifying the threat of many a dangerous forward.

He may not be quite such a presence in the other half of the field that Anyukov, but he is no worse at the defensive business, and with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur rumoured to be on their radar, Zenit need to sign him up to a new contract sooner rather than later.

 

Sergey Ignashevich- CSKA Moscow, defender; already 33, he may be getting on a bit, but with age his game is getting no worse. Generally regarded as the leading central defender hailing from Russia, he has been almost error free in CSKA’s surge to a 11th Russian title.

While the Berezustkiy brothers who partner him in defence may not always look like the most gifted of footballers, Ignashevich is technically skilled, and as well as being an excellent defender he also has a powerful shot in his arsenal.

CSKA will one day in the next few years have to find an adequate replacement, but if he can play like he has done this season for a few more years at least, the Army men have nothing to worry about.

 

Dmitry Kombarov- Spartak Moscow, defender; the better half of the Kombarov double act, he has been one of the bright sparks in a pretty poor season for Spartak.

Already having managing to establish himself in the national set up for just over a year now, the 26 year old is just coming into the prime of his career, and without him Spartak would have been even lower than 4th place.

And just like Anyukov on the right flank, on the left Kombarov is a real threat in the attacking third with 7 goals and 6 assists to his name this season, and scoring a real contender for goal of the season with an unstoppable free kick against Volga early on in the season.

 

Ivelin Popov- Kuban Krasnodar, midfielder; the second Kuban player included in my team, and just like Belenov, Ivelin Popov has been one of the biggest reasons behind Kuban’s highly successful 2012/2013 season.

The 25 year old Bulgarian can play on the wing or as a supporting second striker, and he has been a real thorn in the side of many opposing defences.

He has been most effective on the left flank, finding gaps and taking advantage of them, in particular scoring a wonderful goal from a seemingly impossible angle against Anzhi on the final day of the season to guarantee European football next season.

 

Roman Eremenko- Rubin Kazan, midfielder; when speaking about Rubin’s midfield, Bibras Natcho may immediately spring to mind, but Roman Eremenko has proven this season in particular, that he is no less vital to the 2 time Russian champions.

With 6 goals and 8 assists to his name this season he has been a great weapon in Rubin’s effective if not thrilling attack, and possessing the ability to unleash a wonder strike, in particular scoring a fantastic long range effort early on in the season against Zenit.

Rubin on the last day of the season managed to secure a place in the Europa League for next season, and why it may not have been a headline making season for the Tatarstani club, Eremenko has managed to force a lot of the attention onto himself.

 

Rasmus Elm- CSKA Moscow, midfielder; in his first season with the Muscovites he has managed to be able to call himself a Russian champion, and at the same time cementing his place at the heart of the CSKA midfield.

His place may already be engraved in Swedish football history after scoring the equaliser in that incredible 4-4 draw against Germany. He has made a promising start to his CSKA career and has becoming one of the most reliable figures in the Army men’s midfield, with his most memorable moment: scoring one of the most important goals of the season in the 1-1 draw away to Zenit.

 

Yury Zhirkov- Anzhi Makhachkala, midfielder; only 29 years old although he seems to have been around forever, the Anzhi full back is still proving to be very dangerous to play against.

While he didn’t make the grade at Chelsea, and earning more enemies than friends when moving back to Russia with Anzhi, Zhirkov has been a key figure in Anzhi’s breakout season in the Russian Premier League.

He may not be able to quite rekindle his glory days with CSKA, but on his day he is still as technically gifted and as talented as ever.

 

Hulk- Zenit Saint Petersburg, striker; after making his jaw dropping £40 million pound move to Zenit big things were expected from the Brazilian superstar.

Things didn’t get off to a good start, with the infamous Igor Denisov incident, but the Brazilian has managed to find his feet and assert himself as the most powerful player currently playing in Russia.

His ability to easily shrug off defenders and having one of the most powerful shots in the world has just by itself taken Zenit to second place, and the Saint Petersburg club will just have to hope that he doesn’t get tempted with a move away to England or Spain this summer.

 

Ahmed Musa- CSKA Moscow, striker; the Army men have a long and successful association with black and African players, and Musa is living up to the legacy that his predecessors left.

His raw trickery and skill has been a key factor in CSKA’s title triumph, and with 11 goals he can certainly lay claim to that.

Living up to the high standards of fellow teammates Seydou Doumbia and Vagner Love was always going to be a hard thing to do, but Musa has pulled it off with relative ease.

 

Conclusion

These 11 players are but a few, that have been simply fantastic over the past 10 months. Dynamo’s Alexander Kokorin is turning into the next big Russian star, Yura Movsisyan has been outstanding for both Krasnodar and Spartak, and CSKA’s captain and goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev has been practically unbeatable at times.

Whatever way you look at it, this season has been exciting and enthralling to watch from beginning to end, and all that’s left to do is wait and see who’s going to be making all the headlines in next season, a season which commences in just a few weeks time. Time waits for no one.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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Zenit St. Petersburg: One hell of a season

  By O-Posts Team | June 10, 2024 - 21:21 | , , , ,
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It has been one hell of a season for Zenit Saint Petersburg. From the major coups of world-class stars Hulk and Axel Witsel, to the Igor Denisov fiasco, the 3 time Russian champions have experienced just about every emotion that there is possible this season. And as the saying goes, all’s well that ends well, finishing in a credible 2nd place in the Russian Premier League and getting another shot at the Champions League for next season.

Not retaining their champions title for the third time in a row has cast a dark shadow over the season though, and while there has been plenty of calls for dramatic changes to take place within the club before the start of the new season, it’s practically impossible.

In just 8 weeks, Zenit will begin their 2013/14 Champions League campaign in the qualifying rounds, as well as beginning the new Russian championship, leaving no time for anything meaningful to be changed. If there is actually any need for major changes to occur though in the first place, is a debatable question in itself.

After claiming the Russian title for the second time in a row last year, as well as getting all the way to the last 16 of the Champions League, expectations going into this season were pretty high. And when the record breaking signings of Hulk and Axel Witsel were announced, these expectations only went through the roof. Looking back in hindsight however, it seems these purchases may have inadvertently scuppered all chances of success.

Not that it has got anything to do with how Hulk and Witsel performed on the field themselves, though.

Zenit old boys Igor Denisov and Alexander Kerzhakov felt highly threatened by the fact that these new kids on the block were going to earn just a bit more money than the ‘real’ Zenit icons themselves, something which in the end has gone on to ruin Zenit’s season completely. Denisov was frozen out of the team for a number of weeks, while Kerzhakov came to his senses a bit sooner. But Zenit’s game suffered seriously as a result, performing poorly in the Champions League with only managing to grab third place in their group, and falling off the pace in the domestic league.

The in team fighting didn’t stop there either. Right at the end of the year, in the game away at Milan in the CL, Hulk appeared to gesture that he had had enough at Zenit after being substituted. The situation was eventually resolved in time for 2013, but it’s hard to remember a season where there were so many problems within just one team.

Hulk and Witsel.... big-money duo catalysts for club in-fighting.

Hulk and Witsel…. big-money duo catalysts for club in-fighting and tensions.

 

Just a couple of weeks ago, in a vital Premier League clash against Rostov on the road, both the outspoken Roman Shirokov and normally amicable playmaker Danny made strong gestures against head coach Luciano Spalletti - both refusing to shake his hand after being substituted. Shirokov went one step further in last week’s home game against Volga, being sent off after making an obscene hand signal to the stands after scoring Zenit’s third goal in a 3-1 victory.

Shirokov’s future with the club is now not surprisingly, in major question. One thing you can’t get away from, is that Zenit would seriously miss him. Shirokov possess the unique ability of being able to play football in such an elegant manner, and trying to replace that sort of player will be a very hard challenge indeed. Fans seem pretty divided about the issue too, some would be only pleased to see the back of him, while some are very well aware of the void that he would leave.

In the case that he does decide to end his controversial stay in Saint Petersburg, Zenit just have to look at their own youth system to find a replacement for him. Pavel Mogilevets, a young 20 year old attacking midfielder made his Zenit debut a few weeks ago against Volga, and has already been audaciously dubbed the ‘Russian Messi’ by some.

That is just what the club has to do much more, make use of their own talented products that they are producing themselves, rather than spending ridiculously large amounts of money on foreigners. Hulk at least has at last started to prove his worth at the back end of the season, scoring a stunning hat trick against Alania in a recent 4-0 win, and almost single-handedly taking Zenit within a whisker of winning a third title on the spin.

Second place isn’t quite first, especially for a club that is used to only winning all the time, but claiming silver medals and fighting off new European force Anzhi for them, is a real success in itself. Anzhi will frustratingly have to deal with only the Europa League again with a team that is well equipped for the Champions League, but Zenit have yet another chance in the tournament in which they are yet to really make their name in. A group stage exit and going on to only reach the last 16 in the Europa League isn’t quite what everyone expected going in to this season, but the dramatic victory against Liverpool in the Europa League last 32 is something which will live long in my memory without a doubt.

What has to be done to improve showings in Europe, is a puzzle that since the UEFA Cup and Super Cup triumphs in 2008, no one has been able to work out. And trying to negotiate the notoriously challenging Champions League qualifying rounds in the summer will be no simple task. Spalletti’s future will most probably depend on what results await in the summer, and there is just no time to change things around now. Eradicate the pure self-greed of certain players, and this season let alone next season, could have been a real success.

But calling a second placed finish a failure is just a sign of the strength that Zenit possess, you would be hard pushed to find any other club that would turn their noses up at earning medals of some colour, and qualifying for the biggest club competition on Earth at the same time. In my book, that’s no failure whatsoever.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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Russian Football: Corruption still a gloomy hindrance on the sport’s rapid progress

  By O-Posts Team | May 13, 2024 - 21:37 | , , , ,
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It may be the biggest country on Earth, but one of the most, if not the most, controversial. Russia has a long and dark association with corruption, and issue that is not showing any signs of going away.

From Vladimir Putin’s blatant rigging of public elections, to being one of the few capitalist countries with no freedom of speech, the country is never far away from causing heated debate. But in sporting terms, the corruption is becoming ever more and more evident.

This season’s Russian Premier League has been overshadowed by some of the worst refereeing that has been seen for a long time, and even for Russian standards, the referring has been exceptionally poor. And the recent Russian Cup semi final match between Zenit and Anzhi has highlighted all the problems that Russia faces if it is really going to make it as a world footballing superpower.

With the game taking place in Saint Petersburg, Zenit were the clear favourites to advance to the final, where CSKA Moscow laid in wait. Zenit didn’t waste any time in trying to live up to their pre match tags, attacking right from the first whistle.

While the score after the first half was 0-0 nothing looked too suspicious despite Zenit failing to score, but there was already a feeling it just wasn’t going to be their day. Hulk rattled the crossbar with a rasping long range drive, and Vladimir Gabulov was working miracles in the Anzhi goal, fending off numerous shots as Zenit laid siege to the Anzhi goal.

In the second half though, the script was torn up. Samuel Eto’o slotted home a 20 yard drive into the low left hand corner and with that, Anzhi held on and claimed their second place in the Russian Cup final in their relatively short history, and leaving Zenit with the probability of being left without a trophy for the first time since 2009.

Why Anzhi won though, is quite clear to everyone who watched the game with open eyes. For me personally, this match was the most clearly fixed for a very long time. Look a bit more into the politics of the whole situation though, and everything starts to become more clear.

The Cup final this year will take place in Terek’s relatively new arena in Grozny, and with the game taking place in the Chechen capital, it was pretty obvious why it was decided that Anzhi would be in the final before the semi finals took place.

If Zenit had progressed to the final, not too many fans would have been able to make the trip to Grozny from Saint Petersburg, and a final that involved CSKA and Zenit wouldn’t had of attracted too many football fans in Grozny to buy a ticket either. But with Anzhi in the final, it’s a totally different story. Dagestan and Chechnya are two of the most troubled places in the world let alone in Russia, but they support each other.

At games of Anzhi or Terek, you can always spot a banner in support of the other teams in these southern Russian regions, and with Anzhi competing in this final, the stadium is sure to be pretty full. Anzhi fans can make the short trip over to Chechnya without many problems, and Terek fans will be out in force.

And of course, how great this will look for the Russian football union! A packed out stadium for the Cup final, it’s the image they really want to project out to the rest of the footballing world! Can you imagine what sort of terrible image would had been portrayed of football in Russia if the stadium would have been half empty with only CSKA and Zenit competing!

Sergey Karasev, the referee for the day, didn’t do a good job of hiding all this however. For Anzhi’s winning goal, no less than two clear fouls were committed leading up to the goal, which included Samuel Eto’o taking out Zenit defender Nicolas Lombaerts before unleashing his shot.

It didn’t stop there, as throughout the game clear fouls against Zenit players were just not given, leaving everyone in a state of disbelief, and Saint Petersburg’s new star man Hulk couldn’t hide his feelings against Karasev after the game, allegedly smashing down the door to the referee’s changing rooms.

Although with Hulk, his reputation does go somewhat before him. Needing just the smallest of contact to throw himself to the floor, he himself has been the centre of many controversial decisions which unlike this match, have gone Zenit’s way.

Corruption is Russia’s middle name, and you start to understand more and more just why many top footballers are seriously reluctant about making the move east. Hulk himself has been the subject of rumours for the upcoming summer transfer window, and if I was Hulk myself, I would be making a quick exit. The worst thing about the whole thing though, is that the Russian football union don’t realise how they are restricting themselves.

Russia is now one of the most powerful footballing countries in the world, and it isn’t just because of the money. The country continues to produce talent of the highest calibre, potential that is being wasted and overshadowed by the selfishness and just plain cheating by Muscovites in particular. Moscow is the corruption capital of the world, and not just in political terms. The Russian football union is controlled by corrupt Muscovites, and it is only becoming even worse and worse.

The only hope is that finally, someone from somewhere, will highlight these problems and at least start to eradicate them. Russia possesses more potential than most countries, but the people with the power seem determined in ruining their own country in turn for their own selfish greed.

And for football fans, it’s not the nicest of situations when you full well know, that you’re watching a game that has had its result predetermined in an office with dodgy crooks well before the game took place.

But to be left with your pride, is more important than anything.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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Russian Premier League: The Second Half Commences

  By O-Posts Team | March 22, 2024 - 16:49 | , , , ,
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Following on from what actually felt like quite a short winter break, the Russian Premier League has returned. And with now another 9 rounds to go, the table is now just starting to sort itself out once and for all.

Atop the pile sit CSKA Moscow, who hold a solid seven point lead over second placed Anzhi, while reigning champions Zenit sit 8 points adrift in 3rd. Right at the other end of the table, Alania and Mordovia, both stuck on just 12 points each, are just starting to be cut adrift.

But the first two rounds of the championship played this year have been nothing less than engrossing. Mordovia themselves managed to provide the biggest sensation of the season so far, beating high flying Anzhi 2-0 in Saransk in a result that shocked Europe let alone Russia.

CSKA are extending their lead at the top with every passing week, but Anzhi and Zenit aren’t done yet. With Russian clubs struggling in Europe as whole this season, you could be forgiven for assuming the level of football in Russia has taken a dip, but the football in the first two rounds this year in the Premier League have proven otherwise, in what is shaping up to be a climax to the season that is going to be thoroughly intriguing.

Talk that CSKA can already call themselves champions however, may yet be a bit early. After what has so far been almost a perfect season, the Muscovites find themselves closing in on a first league title since way back in 2006. Despite being without star striker Seydou Doumbia for most of the campaign, the Army men have powered their way into first place and show no sign of letting their grasp on the title slip.

Already having won an impressive 77% of their matches, they win just about every week without fail, and have started this year off in good fashion, finishing up on the winning side against both Krylya Sovetov and Krasnodar. One of their main men so far this season has been Swedish midfielder Rasmus Elm.

The 25 year old made his name with Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar before making the move to Moscow, and in his debut season, his passing in midfield has made CSKA more coherent in the attacking third. He has also weighed in with a few goals also, with 5 to his name, which included a crucial equalising goal away to Zenit at the end of last year.

Elm.... impressive for the league leaders.

Elm…. impressive for the league leaders.

At the other end of the field they are proving themselves to be a force as well, conceding just 17 goals so far, the best record in the league, and to many it’s come as a bit of a surprise. A defence which consists of the Berezutskiy brothers, Alexey and Vasiliy, and Sergey Ignashevich hasn’t always had the best of reputations, but this term they have most certainly proven their worth, and Swedish full back Pontus Wernbloom has added muscle and strength into the back line.

The reasons for CSKA’s success so far in this season though could be quite simple, and it could have nothing to do with just how good the Muscovites are. Since August, when AIK Solna from Sweden somehow managed to knock out the Russian giants from European football until the next season, CSKA have been able to focus all their attention on to just domestic matters.

The same can’t be said for closest challengers Anzhi and Zenit though, who have both had to juggle their eggs between two baskets up until last week, when they both got beaten in the last 16 round of the Europa League. Anzhi have been in European action incredibly since last July, and recently, it’s been looking like it has finally taken its toil on their weary players.

Positioning themselves in second place and ready to pounce on any mistake that CSKA would make, and qualifying for the knockout stages of the Europa League, Anzhi made 2012 a year to remember. But they have started this year just how they wouldn’t have wanted. Tumbling out of Europe to a last minute goal against Newcastle in the last 16 stage was bad enough, but losing to minnows Mordovia and only getting a 1-1 draw at home to Krylya Sovetov in domestic affairs has already almost ruled out any change of silverware this season.

It’s not only Anzhi who have had a rough start to 2013. Current Russian champions Zenit Saint Petersburg haven’t quite had the start to the year that everyone dreamed of, just like Anzhi their European adventure has already come to an end at the last 16 stage. The defeat to Rubin in the first game in Russia this year has prompted many to already fully rule out Zenit from the title race, but a vital 1-0 home win against Mordovia last weekend has kept hope alive among the Saint Petersburg faithful at least.

Zenit still have to sort out internal affairs though if they want to have a realistic shot at defending their crown. Roman Shirokov publically criticised much maligned team mate Hulk after Shirokov himself missed a crucial penalty in the match against Basel, and such problems have been present in the team ever since Hulk and talented Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel joined in big money signings last summer, two transfers which were meant to enforce Zenit’s chances of glory even more, but have proven to do quite the opposite.

Anzhi and Zenit have to be looking over the shoulders as well though. The chasing pack which consists of Spartak, Kuban, Rubin and Dynamo are just starting to close in, in a race for the European places that looks set to go all the way down to the wire. Rubin are in particular looking in good shape.

A European quarter final against Chelsea in the Europa League is looming on the horizon, and it isn’t just in Europe that they have made a good start in this year. A 1-0 victory against Zenit and then a goalless draw against Terek in Grozny have helped bring Rubin within striking distance of the Saint Petersburg club and on the verge of clinching a definite European slot.

Rubin..... definite European place looks set and locked in.

Rubin….. definite European place looks set and locked in.

Looking downwards, and the action doesn’t get any more dire. Mordovia and Alania are stuck down at the bottom and are looking more and more certain to go down, despite Alania’s headline winter acquisitions of ex Real Madrid man Royston Drenthe and BATE Borisov star Renan Bressan.

Above them though is the battle to avoid the relegation playoffs, which will be played against the 3rd and 4th placed team from the First Division, and the battle is heating up. Any two of four teams could be sucked into fighting for their Premier League lives in a playoff later on this season, with Volga and Krylya Sovetov currently occupying these unwanted slots but Amkar and Rostov have no reason to sit comfortably, with just 5 points separating 14th placed Krylya with Amkar.

A thrilling last couple of months are upon us, and make any firm predictions at your peril. CSKA may be sitting pretty but chances for Zenit and Anzhi will come, especially when the Army club have 3 challenging games in a row, against Dynamo, Spartak and Rubin. A series of games in which it is almost certain they will drop valuable points.

The Muscovites may have it all in their own hands, but that is just when life starts to become more dangerous.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

Follow Shaun on Twitter @zenitfan93

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