Otkritie Arena Foto: Anton Akulov
Spartak should win the RFPL this season. Yes, they “should”, because they will never get another chance to. Here is why I think they will be champions.
Why Spartak?
Spartak have a manager they need. Massimo Carrera is a guy who loves to win, win big and win always. For a few years he was in the shadow of Antonio Conte at Juventus and Italy, now he has the chance to prove what he’s made of to the footballing world. Carrera is an experienced coach. He has worked with the best team in Italy, won a scudetto, and worked with the national side. Alenichev of course didn’t have the pedigree of Carrera, who is like a conductor of an orchestra on the sideline. For over 90 minutes on Sunday, the one time he sat down on the bench was for only a couple of seconds. The whole match he ran and jumped up and down on the sideline, barking orders at his charges, prompting them in almost every play. And in the moments when the ball ended up in the opponent’s net, he ran out into the middle of the pitch and celebrated like a kid, so much so that in the post-match press conference Carrera was soaked in sweat.
Carrera loves to win big, evidenced in the 90th minute of the match, when Spartak broke on the counterattack with Promes. The player pulled up in the hope of wasting time and ran the ball into the corner. Carrera screamed at him and ordered the whole team to push forward and score a third.
The rivals
Their rivals this year are weaker, than in previous years. Zenit have lost the talisman of their team, and have a new manager, who cannot bring about any kind of order in attack. Lucescu is a good coach, but he needs time, and that’s in favour of Spartak. There is CSKA - who I’d say won’t be champions this season. They have no strength in depth, an ageing team, a slow defence, the Traore enigma, and furthermore against Zenit last week two of their first team players got injured in Tosic and Fernandes. Yet again it’s all in the hands of Spartak. Krasnodar are a good team, but do they have enough strength?
In the press conference, Krasnodar head coach Kononov said that his team had not fully recovered from the match with Partizan in the Europa League. Spartak don’t have any European football, in contrast to their competitors. CSKA are in the Champions League, Zenit and Krasnodar in the Europa League, Rostov will also be in the European competition, but at the moment it’s still not clear in which tournament. On the subject of Rostov, the departure of head coach Berdiyev, their challenging schedule in Europe and limited squad is also to Spartak’s advantage.
The team and self-appraisal
At the moment Spartak have a lot of players performing well, and who should win a championship medal. They have a lot of young players, who want to show themselves. They have old-timers of the team, who have never won anything in earnest. They have a good second string, who are not far off the first team. Spartak players should redeem themselves to the supporters for the AEK disgrace…a disgrace which they will wash away with the championship.
The fans
Finally, it’s time to win it for the fans. At the match at the weekend there were more than 30,000 people, after the match with AEK I thought that the attendance would plummet, but no, people came, supported and believed.
That is why I think Spartak will be the 2016/17 champions.
Piece written by Anton Akulov
Translated by Danny Armstrong: @DannyWArmstrong
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