Everyone is strong, but someone has to lose RPL.
A match is not informative for global ratings. But the common problem of Karpin, Fedotov, Jokanovic and Ivic is that we judge not by one match, but by the totality of the season’s events. Mentors who, in other circumstances, have licked their lips at number two RPL and a ticket to the Champions League, because in terms of capabilities they are not inferior to Spartak without an alternative and completely run the risk of being, if not in the situation of Lokomotiv, then in its status. It becomes a disappointment of the spring segment in the league. Let’s think about what they need to change tactically so that this doesn’t happen.
“Krasnodar”
Caius, probably from an ancient family of wizards and sorcerers. How else to explain the blindness in evaluating his performances as a central defender? While the “citizens” have a defense that, according to the moments granted, is adjacent to Lokomotiv, Ivic may not dream of any breakthrough in the spring. Sure, you can trivially bet on the skill of individual artists. Well done Safonov, Spertsyan, Kordoba and Akhmetov. But the big picture is the same.
Krasnodar have won one of their last six matches in RPL he is lost CSKA on the sum of two matches in the Cup of Russia. Serbian mentor Ivic is seen to be working with the fundamental problems of the team. The wingers looked a little better because both are experienced players. But the lack of a strong defensive midfielder and competent centre-backs is dragging the team down. After a home draw with outsider Torpedo with goals from veteran Lebedenko, it is important for them not to lose against Dynamo. If they lose to Muscovites, fly out of the Cup from Akhmat and lose to Dziuba in Moscow, the season will be de facto completed and destroyed.
“Dynamo”
What football does Jokanovic play? It is logical to ask about this on the eve of the match in Krasnodar. Judging by his denial of possession, the Serbian has opted for a defensive style. Linked to problems creating quality chances (xG six points under number of goals scored) and wild marriage. Every fourth pass is inaccurate, like Lokomotiv’s. But it has nothing to do with a squad where all the young central defenders work at the top. Dynamo have arrogant Ngamalyo and Makarov, like in a team that likes to attack from position. Skopintsev and Dasa are suitable for 3-5-2 in their style of play. And there’s Zakharyan, who is tenacious but is an attacking midfielder, not a central midfielder.
Dynamo urgently need a series of well-deserved, and not forced victories, like against Krylia Sovetov in the last match with Shunin’s saves. Jokanovic’s results are better than the match. But this is a dangerous state. Dynamo have three away games in a row: Krasnodar, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. We know one sad truth about Muscovites’ away football. Jokanovic has two away wins all season. For comparison, Spartak have seven away wins.
“Rostov”
Pleasantly surprised. We kept key players, there was no winter sale. But the departures have been postponed to the summer. It will be tough to keep Glebov and Osipenko. Now the composition has become Russian, because the pupil of “Rostov” Bayramyan has two passports in his collection. Of the legionnaires, only Khoren and the Belarusian Selyava. but what does he say? It has become more difficult to attract high-quality foreigners to Rostov-on-Don, such as Hashimoto, Bashtush, Almqvist, Norman, Hadjikadunich. Not to mention Shomurodov, Navas and Eremenko. Karpin squeezes the most? Most likely, but after the first part of the season they warned that Rostov had a critically large difference between points expected and points scored.
They earned penalties, other standards worked – Utkin’s passes to Komlichenko. But now Ural and Dziuba have shown that they will have to start from scratch. The calendar is at hand. But if suddenly Karpin is not lucky against the middle peasants in the next rounds, then Zenit, Spartak and Sochi can take them to the middle of the table in the spring. In this case, you only have to bet on tactics. “3-4-3” is unlikely to be the best scheme. We also need an ideal game of leaders who were grossly mistaken with Lokomotiv. Glebov, Utkin and Komlichenko must save in every game, otherwise Karpin will fall into the black streak without having a powerful bench for the substitution.
CSKA
Muscovites have more resources than Rostov, but the results are RPL worse. Fedotov has a three-game losing streak in the league after meeting Berdyev. Sochi lost to the former mentor three times during the season, but made the most of the fourth attempt. Now it is important for the army team not to repeat Dynamo’s mistake on the eve of the matches against Osinkin. Neighbors played their series poorly against Krylya Sovetov. Fedotov will play against Zenit in ten days. Little time for analysis. Objectively, the loss of Diveev and Zainutdinov in defense affects, but the mentor is also to blame. Medina, Mendez and Zdelar do not carry on. Carrascal can slow down a lot, Jorge has always played in waves. Hope for Chalov and Akinfeev, as usual.
This list cannot include Lokomotiv. Muscovites can only pleasantly surprise, and new failures will not be a surprise after the fall. But if in the spring it drowns in floods CSKA, so they will remember a good start and the best segments of successful games. So the “army team” had football not at the level of “Zenith”, but at the speed of “Spartak”. With the neighbors he can play the final of the Camino twice RPL in the cup tournament. Fedotov needs victories RPL and the grand finale in Luzhniki. Only in this way will the owners of the club find motivation for new expenses and the search for a bridge between fifth place and the fight for the title. They say that Zenit will be the first club in the table for many years. But that doesn’t mean inside CSKA they should sit with folded hands. Dynamo also applies.
