Round Table: Leonid Slutsky, Kuban Krasnodar and the Title Race
Question 1: Is Leonid Slutsky the right head coach for the Russian national team?
Joel: The return of a Russian born head coach to the helm of the National Team is definitely good news for a nation that is seriously risking not booking a place in the upcoming European championship that will take place in France next year. Nevertheless, not everything is good news for Russian football, since the appointed manager, Leonid Slutsky, is far from being the best option for such a demanding role, as far as I am concerned.
Is Slutsky such as remarkable as people say he is? Honestly, I don’t think so. He is at helm of one of the best Russian teams and he has plenty of top quality players at his disposal, so it is not a particularly brilliant achievement to have won two RPL titles, two Russian Cups and two Super Cups. One has to wonder if someone such as Kurban Berdyev, Aleksandr Borodyuk or even Gadzhi Gadzhiyev wouldn’t be a more considerate choice than the one Vitaly Mutko and his lot have made after Capello’s farewell.
Andrew: Short answer, yes. He is respected for his great record at CSKA, is still very young, and works with a large part of the squad on a daily basis through the season. I understand the concerns many have with him juggling two jobs at once, and in principle I am against the idea, but if one considers that all that is needed in the short term is a steadying hand to guide Russia to Euro 2016 qualification, there really isn’t time for anyone to bed in and instill their philosophy, so it is not such a bad option. His salary demands are not likely to be extortionate given he is already a club manager, so the financial burden won’t be as heavy. I would like to see him bring in one or two other coaches to assist him in scouting and preparing the national team, but overall I think he will get the job done.
Toke: The Russian Football Union didn’t have a lot of options after they sacked Capello as they limited their search to Russian coaches only. In addition to this their budget was limited, and Slutsky is almost working for free. In Slutsky they get a coach who, unlike Capello, won’t demand a lot, and rather than trying to reform the Russian football world he will most likely accept the madness.
When that is said Slutsky’s work with CSKA has been good, as he has managed to build a strong team on limited budget. Furthermore, and this I believe is very important, he has created a fighting spirit within the CSKA squad that will certainly help Russia. The team has looked awful for a very long time, and I believe Slutsky can reignite the players.
When that is said it is important to remember that Russia’s problems doesn’t disappear just because they change their head coach. Without defending Capello’s poor call ups and tactics, the country’s problems are deeper than just Capello.
Johan: Since the search for a new head coach was limited to Russian managers, Slutsky is probably the best choice. That doesn’t mean that Russia will have a good national team again though. It’s still a very average squad without any star players and the start of the 2015/2016 season doesn’t change my mind. Oleg Shatov is one of the few Russian players who has impressed but in the national team he won’t get to play with Hulk or Witsel. Slutsky will have one chance of grabbing the second place in the group, and he has to win the game against Sweden in September. But I don’t believe that he can transform this team into a winning side in just a couple of weeks.
David: I don’t see why not. The Russian team needs a Russian coach. Historically they play better under a coach of their nationality, even when it comes to league football. Slutsky comes with a great pedigree and knows to pick his strongest team rather than risking pride by playing his young, inexperienced talents (Golovin, Chernov under Capello).
Question 2: How big a role will Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko play for Kuban Krasnodar this season?
Joel: So far, both Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko are having a mediocre influence at FC Kuban Krasnodar. The heroes of the 2008 Euro Cup don’t have the pivotal influence they used to have and their physical form is clearly far from being acceptable at the moment. Dmitri Khokhlov has a Herculean task ahead of him at Kuban and the former Russian internationals will certainly not be of great use for him to successfully overcome such task.
Andrew: I want them to have one last swansong before retirement, but their signings are starting to look very silly in light of the financial hole Kuban are staring into. It is easy with hindsight to criticise a double move like this, but the most surprising factor for me has been how little they have been used. Fitness shouldn’t be a reason to use them so sparingly at this stage of the season, and the longer Kuban’s poor run continues, the more scapegoats will be found, and the easiest targets will be the expensive, ageing new recruits. Of course, there is still time for them to be a part of a revival, but I question how much stomach they have for a really gritty backs-against-the-wall fight to drag themselves back up the table.
Toke: Neither of them has done anything special yet, and when the season is over I think we will look back at the signings as two expensive failures. With Kuban’s fragile financial state they need to make better use of their money than splashing them on out on washed up players like Arshavin and Super Pav. I am especially critical towards the Pavlyuchenko signing, as he has shown very little since he returned to Russia. Arshavin had a small revival towards the end of last season, and he might be worth a gamble, but signing Pavlyuchenko was simply foolish.
Johan: Arshavin showed glimpses of his talent last season but it was a reason that he rarely got to play for Zenit, and it’s not because André Villas-Boas didn’t like him. Pavlyuchenko was on the brink of retirement when Mutko changed the foreigner limit which guaranteed players like Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko another big contract, because it isn’t younger players who benefits from 6+5, it’s the older players who past their peak 4-5 years ago. Oh, their impact on Kuban? I will always wish for the best for Andrey Arshavin, but if he starts more than 10 games this season I would be surprised. If Pavlyuchenko scores more than one goal, it’s one more than I would expect.
David: Judging on their performances so far, not that big. Kuban have put all their eggs in one basket and they’ve not looked the part so far. They both have undoubted quality but they are physically behind their team-mates, and Arshavin’s lazy attitude that he had at Arsenal has seemingly kept with him. There is still time for them to gel with the rest of the team and kick on, but so far their foreign stars Melgarejo and Balde are looking better.
Question 3: How close are CSKA and Zenit after Doumbia has returned to Moscow?
Joel: Seydou Doumbia is a fantastic footballer and his presence constitutes a major asset for any team. The Ivorian forward’s return to the Armeitsy will force Leonid Slutsky to produce some deep changes in the team, in order to be able to field him and Ahmed Musa simultaneously and the Russian manager is definitely not very good with those processes.
CSKA Moscow and FC Zenit are very even teams at the moment and I don’t think that a single player, no matter how good he is, will lead his to glory on his own. The most consistent team will be the one to be crowned as the new champions at the end of the season.
Andrew: Very. Doumbia was the obvious signing for CSKA to make, as Musa just isn’t an out and out number 9, but with a muscular front man to offer more outlets for the midfield’s creativity, the magic formula is complete again. Admittedly, Zenit have a deeper squad, but I feel the negativity starting build around Andre Villas-Boas might start to affect the team as he will dig his heels in and continue with his self-preservation. I see CSKA winning the title now they have brought back the Ivorian, although any serious injuries and the Army Men could wobble. If they are going to make a sustainable challenge to usurp Zenit, I feel they will need to not rely entirely on Doumbia though.
Toke: CSKA have needed a prober striker ever since Doumbia left the club last winter. Ahmed Musa is not a natural striker, and neither Alibek Aliev nor Carlos Strandberg is good enough to represent the first team at the moment. If Doumbia gets back on his old level he will bring CSKA much closer to Zenit, and when you compare the two starting lineups I think CSKA are, at least offensively, almost as good as Zenit. The big difference is however the depth in the squads where CSKA are really struggling. The Muscovites are relying heavily on a few players, and they have very few players on the bench who can actually make a difference in the big matches, something we for example saw against Sporting earlier this week.
Johan: It depends on which Seydou Doumbia they are getting. Is it the one who left CSKA or the one who left Roma? But even if Doumbia can get back to his old form, I doubt that CSKA could challenge Zenit over an entire season. The squad is too small and in my opinion they have only 3-4 players outside their starting-XI that could actually make a difference and challenge for a starting role. Even if CSKA weren’t to qualify for the Champions League, they would pay a lot of attention to the Europa League and I doubt that this squad is big or good enough to play three games every week. If Doumbia plays at the same level he did before he left CSKA, maybe they could challenge Zenit until April. Otherwise I think the league will be (almost) decided by the end of March.
David: It’s hard to tell. Doumbia might lack fitness and confidence after a poor spell in Italy, but Zenit have had a shaky start after the new limitations have forced them to rethink their squad. I think it could be closer than last season, and their first meeting will be a very interesting affair which will provide a better insight, but that Zenit will still be stronger.
What is your opinion on the questions we have just discussed? Please share it, and join the discussion.
| RUSSIA: Premier League | |||||||
| 14:00 | Fin | Amkar | 1 - 3 | Spartak Moscow | (0 - 1) | ||
| 17:00 | Fin | CSKA Moscow | 2 - 1 | FK Rostov | (0 - 1) | ||
| 19:30 | Fin | Anzhi | 1 - 1 | Ural | (0 - 1) | ||
| RUSSIA: Division 2 - South | |||||||
| 15:00 | Fin | Dynamo GTS | 0 - 1 | Spartak Nalchik | (0 - 1) | ||
| 16:00 | Fin | SKA Rostov-on-Don | 4 - 1 | Maykop | (2 - 0) | ||
| RUSSIA: Division 2 - West | |||||||
| 16:00 | Fin | Tver | 1 - 0 | Solaris Moscow | (0 - 0) | ||
| RUSSIA: Youth League | |||||||
| 12:30 | Fin | Rubin Kazan U21 | 4 - 2 | Zenit Petersburg U21 | (2 - 1) | ||
| 17:00 | Fin | Ufa U21 | 1 - 3 | Lokomotiv Moscow U21 | (1 - 0) | ||
| 18:00 | Fin | Krasnodar U21 | 2 - 1 | M. Saransk U21 | (0 - 1) | ||
CSKA extend winning run, Spartak sink Amkar
© Getty Images
Russian Premier League leaders CSKA Moscow battled from a goal down to beat visiting Rostov 2-1 on Saturday to extend their winning run to six.
Goals from Nigerian Ahmed Musa and Russian Alan Dzagoev set CSKA on their way to a morale-boosting win ahead of their midweek UEFA Champions League return play-off clash with Sporting Lisbon. The Red Army side stay top with a 100 per cent record, five points ahead of second-placed city rivals Spartak, who beat 3-1 Amkar Perm earlier Saturday.
Reigning champions Zenit St. Petersburg, who play Rubin Kazan on Monday, sit third one point further back.
Elsewhere, a brace by the Dutch midfielder Quincy Promes and a goal by Armenian international Yura Movsisyan set Russia's most successful club Spartak Moscow on their way to a confident win at Amkar Perm. Movsisyan put Spartak ahead after 20 minutes from 12 metres out off a pinpoint pass by Roman Shirokov before a double from Promes sealed the win. Poland's Janusz Gol got one back for Amkar with 12 minutes remaining.
The final match in Russia on Saturday saw Anzhi Makhachkala battle to a 1-1 draw with Ural.
Спортинг сыграл вничью с Пасуш де Феррейра
Лиссабонская команда перед ответной встречей с ПФК ЦСКА не удержала победу в матче чемпионата Португалии.
Подопечные Жорже Жезуша вышли вперёд в первом тайме: на 41-й минуте отличился Андре Каррильо. Долгое время счёт оставался неизменным, однако на 79-й минуте «Пасуш де Феррейра» реализовал 11-метровый, назначенный в ворота «Спортинга» за нарушение защитника Жоуа Перейры, получившего прямую красную карточку.
Чемпионат Португалии. 2-й тур.
«Спортинг» (Лиссабон) — «Пасуш де Феррейра» (Пасуш де Феррейра) — 1:1Голы: Каррильо, 41 (1:0). Пеле, 80, с пенальти (1:1).
Состав «Спортинга»: Патрисиу, Перейра, Жефферсон (Х. Сильва, 72), Оливейра, Налдо, Мариу, Аквилани (А. Силва, 63), Каррильо, Слимани, Монтеро (Мартиньш, 46), Руис.
Предупреждение у «Спортинга»: Слимани, 45.
Удаление: Перейра, 79.
«Спортинг» (Лиссабон) — «Пасуш де Феррейра» (Пасуш де Феррейра) — 1:1Голы: Каррильо, 41 (1:0). Пеле, 80, с пенальти (1:1).
Состав «Спортинга»: Патрисиу, Перейра, Жефферсон (Х. Сильва, 72), Оливейра, Налдо, Мариу, Аквилани (А. Силва, 63), Каррильо, Слимани, Монтеро (Мартиньш, 46), Руис.
Предупреждение у «Спортинга»: Слимани, 45.
Удаление: Перейра, 79.
CSKA Moskva v Sporting CP background
CSKA Moskva trail by one goal as they welcome Sporting CP, the Russian side needing an improvement on their recent home form to make it to the group stage.
CSKA Moskva must put an end to a sluggish run of European home form if they are to make it past Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League play-offs.
Previous meetings
• Islam Slimani hit the winner as Sporting CP beat CSKA 2-1 in the first leg, Seydou Doumbia having equalised for the Army Men after earlier seeing his penalty saved by Rui Patrício.
• Islam Slimani hit the winner as Sporting CP beat CSKA 2-1 in the first leg, Seydou Doumbia having equalised for the Army Men after earlier seeing his penalty saved by Rui Patrício.
• In the sides' sole previous encounter, Valeri Gazzaev's CSKA beat José Peseiro's Sporting CP 3-1 in the 2005 UEFA Cup final, held at Sporting CP's Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Aleksei Berezutski, Yuri Zhirkov and Vágner Love scored after Rogério's first-half strike as CSKA became the first Russian club to claim a major European trophy.
• The teams for that game on 18 May 2005 were:
Sporting: Ricardo, Miguel Garcia, Enakarhire, Beto, Rogério (Douala 80), Pedro Barbosa, Rochemback, Moutinho (Hugo Viana 88), Tello, Liedson, Sá Pinto (Niculae 73).
CSKA: Akinfeev*, A Berezutski*, Ignashevich*, V Berezutski*, Odiah, Aldonin (Gusev 86), Dani Carvalho (Šemberas 82), Rahimić, Zhirkov, Olić (Krašić 67), Vágner Love.
Sporting: Ricardo, Miguel Garcia, Enakarhire, Beto, Rogério (Douala 80), Pedro Barbosa, Rochemback, Moutinho (Hugo Viana 88), Tello, Liedson, Sá Pinto (Niculae 73).
CSKA: Akinfeev*, A Berezutski*, Ignashevich*, V Berezutski*, Odiah, Aldonin (Gusev 86), Dani Carvalho (Šemberas 82), Rahimić, Zhirkov, Olić (Krašić 67), Vágner Love.
* still registered to play for the club
Form guide
• CSKA are without a win in six European home games (D3 L3) since a 3-2 triumph against Viktoria Plzeň in October 2013.
• CSKA are without a win in six European home games (D3 L3) since a 3-2 triumph against Viktoria Plzeň in October 2013.
• Sporting are without a victory in 14 European matches on the road (D4 L10), their last win coming at Zürich in a September 2011 UEFA Europa League group stage fixture.
• CSKA have lost three of their four competitive home games against Portuguese opposition – all three of those defeats coming against Porto in Moscow. Their only home success against Liga opponents was a 2-0 against Benfica in a 2005 UEFA Cup contest staged in Krasnodar.
• Sporting's two visits to Moscow ended in a defeat and, more recently, a draw against Spartak Moskva.
• Sporting CP went down to Fiorentina on away goals in their sole previous UEFA Champions League play-off in 2009/10.
• This is CSKA's first UEFA Champions League play-off.
Links and trivia
• CSKA right-back Mário Fernandes and Sporting CP left-back Jefferson started their careers together in Brazil at São Caetano.
• CSKA right-back Mário Fernandes and Sporting CP left-back Jefferson started their careers together in Brazil at São Caetano.
• Sporting CP's Slimani netted for Algeria in a 1-1 draw against a Russia side featuring CSKA's Igor Akinfeev, Sergei Ignashevich, Vasili Berezutski and Alan Dzagoev at last summer's FIFA World Cup.
• Sporting CP right-back João Pereira figured in a 2004/05 UEFA Cup round of 32 tie against CSKA with Benfica. His team lost 2-0 in Russia then drew 1-1 in Lisbon.
• New Sporting coach Jorge Jesus oversaw six matches against Russian sides in his previous role as Benfica coach. His charges lost all three of their games in Russia, while their home record in those ties was W2 L1.
TOURNAMENT STATISTICS
TABLE
| 1 |  | PFC CSKA | 6 | 10-2 | 18 |
| 2 |  | SPARTAK M | 6 | 10-5 | 13 |
| 3 |  | ZENIT | 5 | 10-4 | 12 |
| 4 |  | LOKOMOTIV M | 5 | 8-3 | 11 |
| 5 |  | ROSTOV | 6 | 8-5 | 9 |
| 6 |  | DINAMO M | 6 | 9-8 | 9 |
| 7 |  | KRASNODAR | 5 | 4-2 | 8 |
| 8 |  | AMKAR | 6 | 5-7 | 7 |
| 9 |  | UFA | 5 | 5-6 | 5 |
| 10 |  | TEREK | 6 | 3-6 | 5 |
| 11 |  | URAL | 6 | 6-10 | 5 |
| 12 |  | KRYLIYA SOVETOV | 5 | 2-6 | 4 |
| 13 |  | RUBIN | 5 | 1-7 | 3 |
| 14 |  | MORDOVIA | 5 | 3-5 | 3 |
| 15 |  | KUBAN | 5 | 3-6 | 3 |
| 16 |  | ANJI | 6 | 5-10 | 2 |
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