Xavier (@AxeMurderer60) - French Russian football fan and CSKA supporter
Pavel (@russianpotter) - Nizhny Novgorod-based young journalist and Spartak supporter, Volga attendee
Andy (@AndyShenk) - Moscow based writer and Russian language translator, Andy supports Anzhi
Connor (@Con_027) - Russian Football follower, CSKA supporter, England resident
Ashraff (@serapdesengal) - A Loko supporter and student in Moscow
John (@JohnSager) - Russian Football follower, Zenit supporter, California resident
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1) Top 6 at the end of next season (most likely will mean qualifying for Europe):
XAVIER: 1) Zenit 2) Anzhi 3) CSKA 4) Spartak 5) Rubin 6) Lokomotiv
Anzhi has already been named as a favorite, and Zenit do not want to re-live a season like the previous one, so I think these two clubs will be leading the championship. I think Zenit has more experience and will properly manage competitions, while for Anzhi, there are many new players, it will be difficult to get them played together correctly from the beginning.
I appointed CSKA as third, but I hope they will seek a higher place, having the desire to retain the title. There are a lot of quality players, and the return of key players like Seydou Doumbia and with players such as Musa and Dzagoev, 3rd place would be the bare minimum for CSKA. Managing European competition will be a key factor for these three clubs.
Spartak has already recruited two interesting midfielders, in a defensive stance with Tino Costa, and another more offensive one with Denis Glushakov. I’m not a fan of the decision to lend Dzyuba to Rostov, but it is my personal feeling. I think that this player has a lot of talent like Ananidze, who has also has great potential.
Rubin Kazan continues its quiet recruitment, the arrival of a pretty good player with Kulik, and Yann M’vila who can finally make a full season. It would be interesting if they keep Roman Eremenko, who is the “Technical touch” of the team. Also the new stadium should give a boost to Kurban Berdyev’s team.
Lokomotiv recruited the perfect technician to revive the club with Leonid Kuchuk. I think after the disastrous season they just lived through, they will be finally able to return to the Europa League next season. There are quality players in there, more than enough to help Kuchuk pull Lokomotiv 6th at the end of the season.
I think Kuban is going to fall out of the Top 6. there are many uncertainties about the new coach Dorinel Munteanu and they lost key players like Ionov and Kulik.
PAVEL: 1) Anzhi 2) CSKA 3) Spartak 4) Zenit 5) Dynamo 6) Rubin
ANDY: 1) Anzhi 2) Spartak 3) Zenit 4) CSKA 5) Dynamo 6) Krasnodar
CONNOR: 1) Anzhi 2) CSKA 3) Zenit 4) Rubin 5) Spartak 6) Krasnodar
Anzhi are signing with intent, Kokorin is a great signing despite the cost and Samba returning will make their fairly weak defense stronger and as it was when they were top of the league in the first part of the season.
Alternatively Zenit haven’t strengthened despite adding to their squad. CSKA losing Honda will make a difference and their aging defence might not be as strong as last year.
Elsewhere Rubin and Spartak will be in contention for the Europa League places as per usual and Krasnodar have a strong squad which I think will get the better of cross town rivals Kuban.
ASHRAFF: 1) Anzhi 2) Zenit 3) CSKA 4) Spartak 5) Dynamo/Krasnodar/Rubin/Lokomotiv for the last two.
Given the quality and the money they have, there is no way other teams can break the dominance of top 3 teams last season. It is time for Anzhi, to provide stability and consistency, after years of settling down and improving as a big money club. Spartak can break the top three if they do not slip to smaller clubs anymore, and the right transfers will determine Rubin and Loko’s chance.
JOHN: 1) Anzhi 2) Zenit 3) CSKA 4) Rubin 5) Spartak 6) Krasnodar
This is still early - a lot depends on the rest of the transfer market - but I think Anzhi just might tip Zenit for the title. CSKA will be consistent all season, and good once again, but I do not think they beat out Zenit for the second spot. Rubin will be stronger this year than last on the basis of some solid signings and excellent coach. Dynamo and Loko fail to crack the top six, as Krasnodar continues to build and reclaims a European spot from Kuban.
2) What two teams are going to be relegated?
XAVIER: Ural Ekaterinburg, Tom Tomsk
Achieving an excellent season in the “First Division League” is not enough to stay in the Russian Premier League. We saw that last season with Mordovia Saransk. For me, the gap is too big between these two leagues and I think both teams will return to the second division at the end of this season.
PAVEL: 16. Tom Tomsk. 15. Ural Ekaterinburg
ANDY: Tom Tomsk, Volga Nizhny Novgorod
CONNOR: Krylia Sovetov Samara, Ural Ekaterinburg. Obviously all the usual suspects will be in and around relegation but I think Krylia will be relegated for the first time due to their lack of strength compared to the rest. Ural will struggle and the signings they have made don’t fill me with confidence that they will survive.
ASHRAFF: Tom Tomsk and Ural Ekaterinburg. It is just difficult for newly-promoted clubs to get their feet off on the right foot every season. But if they can manage to catch some promising loans, just like Serderov, there is no reason for them to stay at least for another year. Tomsk had also managed to rock up their shopping list with the signing of Panchenko from Mordovia. Krylia and Amkar could slump down to the lower-tier football.
JOHN: Tom and Krylya. I see Rostov improving with their loan signings. I see Ural as a strong team, that represent a large city, who will establish themselves as an RPL regular. I think Volga has enough Premier League experience to stay up and that Amkar has an excellent coach to make the most of their talent. That leaves Tom and Krylia as the poorest two sides. Krylia has been sputtering with little forward movement for years now, and Tom is short on talent and experience. While the powers in RPL may want them both to stay in the RPL, I think the deck is stacked against them.
3) Surprise Club of the Year?
XAVIER: Anzhi is not really a surprise team, because many people expect a big season for the Dagestan club. But I think the surprise will come from their journey in the Europa League. They have a great coach, very good players, and a great effective qualitatively and quantitatively.
In a smaller size, Lokomotiv may be the surprise in the sense that they could practice good football and by winning major matches return to the Europa League.
PAVEL: Rostov. After nothing went right last season and Božovic is still with them, they will need just a couple of decent transfers (and by loaning Artem Dzyuba, they already made one) to blast out.
ANDY: Krasnodar. They’ve been a surprise club for several seasons now, but I think they will make it to Europe next year, so long as a top-six side wins the Russian Cup. Why? They have a stable coach in Slavoljub Muslin, unlike Lokomotiv and Kuban, and they play more exciting, aggressive football, which will become more and more important as the quality of the Russian league improves. Rubin’s stubborn defense has been effective for several years, but I think time is up for then, given improved pitches and more attacking talent in the league. Krasnodar have really only lost midfielder Vladislav Ignatiev and newcomers like Pizzelli, Ricardo Laborde and Artur Jedrzejczyk will make the team better.
CONNOR: Krasnodar. I think if they keep their squad together, i.e. Joaozinho and Wanderson, then they could go very far this year and upset a few clubs into the European places.
ASHRAFF: The rise of Kuban and Terek last year give us hope that some day the other club would do the same. For me, Krasnodar has been busy this summer strengthening their squad, it will be interesting to see whether they can surprise us and break the dominance of Moscow clubs and Zenit or Anzhi.
JOHN: I think Rubin will bounce back as a competitor for the top three. Tactically they will be strong and will challenge the new strength up top. Losing Rondon was a big blow, thus their success will be somewhat of a surprise. I also think Krasnodar, Terek, and Amkar will have better than expected seasons.
4) Disappointing Club of the Year?
XAVIER: Dynamo Moscow. The loss of several promising young players such as Solovjev or Kokorin may be an important element in the future season of Dynamo Moscow. A season that already looks very difficult if senior players like Kuranyi, Noboa and Fernandez are not at their true level. In my opinion, they will finish 7th or worse.
PAVEL: Have I already said that Lokomotiv continues to fall down? Now they shifted to a new level of idiocy again, taking a 30-year old Ukrainian who is not wanted by the third team of Ukraine, and a 24-year-old who was scored 10 in 13 matches in the Ukrainian second tier. I’ll say it again - they sold Glushakov to sign those two. Loko fans, get ready for another hopeless season. There are going to be more of them in the future. Plus, there are sound doubts about who built the Kuban team that Kuchuk lead to Europe, and what Kuchuk actually can accomplish as a coach.
ANDY: Rubin. It’s not that Kazan will be that much worse than they were last season, but I see them finishing 8th or 9th in the league due to improved showings from Dynamo and Krasnodar. The league will not be as clearly defined - Rostov, Amkar, possibly even Ural could break into the top 10 and Rubin will be stuck with them. Rubin have done little to improve thus far at a time when their trademark conservatism is losing its relevance.
CONNOR: It’s hard to look past Lokomotiv for this one after last season’s awful performance. I think the teams that finished above them last season bar maybe Terek will finish above them again so it will be a disappointing season again for them.
ASHRAFF: Krylia Sovetov, it just have to be them. Struggling in the bottom of the table, and sometimes financial trouble flying around the club. If they fail to hold on to Caballero, whom definitely will choose chasing Lazio over Samara, Krylia will find themselves in the relegation battle again this season.
JOHN: Spartak face a tough road to get back into the top, and now battling with Kuban and Krasnodar amongst their usual competition will not make it any easier.
5) Will CSKA repeat for the title?
XAVIER: CSKA will not repeat for the title, in my opinion, because its very hard to retain a title in any league, and the Russian Premier League is not an exception. They will lose energy with the Champions League, and this season rivals are even stronger like Anzhi and Spartak. Qualification for the Champions League at the end of the season with a second place will be like a title, but they shouldn’t consider themselves already as losers before the beginning. They will do everything to keep that title, but its going to be very, very difficult. I also think that keeping the Russian Cup is an important goal, too, and CSKA have more chance to retain that title.
PAVEL: A year ago I predicted a new champion - and I was right. I have the same feeling now. And by saying “new” I do not mean a team that has never won it. I mean one of the 15 sides. CSKA’s standard players - Ignashevich, Berezutskis - are all getting older, and I think this past year was the last league title for that group. However, they are going to compete for the title and, probably, finish high.
ANDY: CSKA will not repeat for the title because of its Champions League commitment and increased threat from Anzhi, Zenit and yes, its crosstown rival, Spartak. Zenit are not as likely to be sidetracked by off the field scandals next season, Spartak have made some solid improvements, while Anzhi have bought up half the Russian national team it seems. CSKA will hang in there, in what could be a thrilling title chase, but they won’t repeat.
CONNOR: As said earlier, Anzhi have a stronger squad this year and I think that these improvements will allow them to go the distance this year providing Samba or anyone else leaves them in the lurch during the winter break. CSKA losing Honda will affect them, it will be close but I, perhaps pessimistically due to my allegiances, don’t think they’ll retain the title.
ASHRAFF: Honestly, it’s a no from me. Unless a big signing for an attacking midfielder is on the cards this year they will struggle up front. Some matches CSKA rode their luck last season, with last minute goals or sloppy opponents’ defending. Their defensive unit is set, but if injury hit one of the starters, it will be hard to look at the bench to replace them. This season they will play in Europe, which often affected them during previous seasons. It will be a long, hard season for them. Anzhi look likely to win, but CSKA have the funds to do so, too. It just a matter of time.
JOHN: CSKA will come close, but fall short. The league as a whole will improve from last year, and it will take something special to win it. I don’t see CSKA improving on last year’s performance.
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