On the eve of the central match of the week in the RPL, we spoke with former player and general director of Spartak Sergei Shavlo about his favorite club and the situation in the Russian championship.
— Do you like “Spartak” by Stankovic? “Something is changing for the better.” Yes, the position in the table has worsened a little, but in terms of goals conceded we are in good condition, before we lost more. In the first games we conceded three or four goals. There are quite a few quality players in the central zone, but among them you have to choose who stays. It seems to me that even taking into account the injuries, there is too much for the position. Four players in the central zone is too many. One of Stankovic’s main problems is choosing the optimal composition.
In attack, at first everything was good, they scored and then there was a drought. It seems that in the last games they gave hope that things are improving. Stankovic’s main task now is to balance attack and defense. Maksimenko plays well and consistently, but in defense it is still not like that. Sasha helps out a couple of times during the match.
—Does Spartak really have fewer problems in defense? — Yes, we started to play with more confidence, discipline appeared. Although moments arise at our doors. But Stankovic has established the interaction between the players, although the full-backs change all the time. If we take our generation, everything rested on the middle line. As they say, show me who plays in your midfield and I’ll tell you what kind of team you have. If we don’t stabilize the game, there will be a problem. Hence the situation with the attack. Midfielders practically do not score, which is unusual for Spartak. Yes, Umyarov finally scored against Rostov. But Spartak began to play more aggressively. There was pressure, even high pressure. Barco makes many passes and calms the game. This is a good purchase. It is not clear why Prutsev does not play. He is the most consistent of the team in terms of runs and play.
– Why is Spartak, with a good game, only in sixth place? — Other teams are playing well: Krasnodar, Lokomotiv, Dynamo, although they still lack stability. It seems like they are reaching the top, but at the decisive moment they lose. CSKA also accelerates with Nikolic. Spartak was knocked down by the match against Lokomotiv. I thought we would win, but we recovered. A victory would allow us to be close to the top three. Now we have to score points against Krasnodar.
—What happened in the derby with Lokomotiv? — Mainly they were goals in the Euro Cup, but the question is why they let us shoot. The consistency of the defenders disappoints us. Denisov plays a good game and then, as happened with Lokomotiv, he falls. It doesn’t create anything in front and behind there are gaps. Daniil is still young, he needs to gain experience to play in this position. We have always been taught that if you play from defense, you should contribute 0 from behind. If there is an opportunity to connect, attack. An example for us was Sochnov, who scored and assisted. Parfyonov is the same. They worked well from the back and went on the attack. But Spartak has no such problems against small teams.
Dejan Stankovic
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
—After a match like this, can we talk about competition with Zenit? — We played well with the Saint Petersburg team. A completely different game. Competing for first place is one thing, but playing individual matches is another entirely. We won against Dynamo, but we lost the victory. Spartak must have stability and concentration not only with Zenit, but also with other rivals. It is difficult to play against those who leave the “bus” behind. We need to find moments, win one by one. Until now, few of us are able to do this. It is surprising that Spartak, knowing the other attackers of the opponent, cannot distinguish who can score. Teams study players and know who to look at. And we give them the opportunity to score. They probably won’t do what they’re told.
— Is the progress of Medina, Ryabchuk and Nicholson this season a credit to Stankovic? “For me it is important that the coach trusts me. If you see potential in a player, you believe in him, the player gives everything in training, you have to give him a chance. The boys convinced Stankovic that they were ready to play. At first they came on as substitutes, but now they are in the starting lineup, Nicholson notes. We don’t have many forwards that we can change. José is not yet fully ready, even though he scored against Dynamo. Maybe he’s not used to the type of work Stankovic wants to see. But Willian is little by little coming to life, becoming animated after the goal. I hope the coach finds an approach to him. Nicholson could have scored more against Rostov. He is showing that he is a first team player.
Boat was a bit lost. Little by little he is getting used to the Championship, but the opponent already knows how he plays, trying to keep him firmer. In Makhachkala he was constantly abandoned and the judge looked at him calmly. Referees go to the game to protect the players who create the game. Some allow a high level of fighting, but it should not turn into demolition and logging. Somewhere the referees should be more attentive to the players directing the game. Spectators don’t come to see who cuts off their legs.
How Barko played before the RPL:
Officially
Strong transfer from Spartak! Which Argentine did Stankovic bring for 12 million euros?
—Who would you compare Barko from your Spartak to? —Maybe he also haggled with Cherenkov. But Barco can do more: beat at high speed, take on two or three people. This is South America, a little different. Gavrilov could pass the ball, but had less dribbling ability. Ilya Tsymbalar is more similar, but this is a different generation. We play more in passes, on walls and in passes.
— Did Spartak do the right thing by not selling Nicholson? — When Sobolev left for Zenit and Meleshin was loaned to Sochi, the question of attack arose. The sports director thought that José would come and take the position, but he is not ready yet. I hope that by the end of the year he will be in shape. They began to trust Nicholson, that’s how he felt. Little by little he began to come to life, score goals and a different emotional state appeared. This happens to everyone. But without the trust of a coach it is very difficult. I repeat according to Prutsev: I was one of the presenters and then I stopped appearing. What has happened? This is inexplicable to me. But Martins proved his worth in the last few.
Shamar Nicholson
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
—Is bringing an unsuspecting José a mistake by the sports block? -They chose a normal player, a Brazilian with good results in Spain. There’s a serious league there, and he scored and assisted. But before bringing it in, they had to find out what condition it was in. Do I need to prepare him or will he be able to play right away? A mistake was made here: bringing in a 32-year-old player for a lot of money, who still needs to be prepared… Perhaps they are not fully prepared. It is one thing to play in Spain and another to play in Russia. The level of the players is different, they are also overweight. At Spartak you have to press, Stankovic forces you to move, but he is not ready. Yes, he scored against Dinamo and decided the result. Psychologically it has become easier, but physics suffers. José is a powerful striker. He doesn’t have the speed of Ugalde or Nicholson. His type is closer to Lewandowski: he runs little, he is a player in the area. Stankovic forces you to press high and for this you need to be physically prepared. Let’s see how it goes. I wish Willian a recovery.
The story of Willian José:
Spartak’s first transfer with Stankovic! The former Real Madrid footballer arrived in Russia
— Have you ever been punished for being overweight? —Considering our financial conditions, this was not the case. They could have deprived me of the bonus, but this rarely happened. Yes, they checked my blood pressure and weight, but there were no extreme problems. They could have scolded him and not put him in the main lineup in a separate match. Now each player has a contract that stipulates the conditions and salary. If you do not fulfill your obligations and do not follow discipline, there is a fine. How else? With such conditions and salaries, this is the only way to do it, otherwise you will not be able to manage the players. Before it was just a salary, there weren’t even contracts. They could have said: “You are not suitable for us, find another team.” There were no managers or anyone. If they knew he was a worthy player, other teams might intercept him. And so you are left alone, no one takes you by the hand.
If they do not fulfill their duties today, they should be fined. Africans and Brazilians often return late from vacation. They say something happened, but then it turns out nothing happened. If you’re playing while others are working, be kind enough to pay.
—How would you evaluate Spartak’s summer transfer campaign? – It’s hard to say yet. Barko is the only one that stands out. I like Marquinhos. Unfortunately, he is not efficient, but he is diligent, gets the job done, and is disciplined. It needs time. It’s still hard to draw conclusions about Mangash, but Abena is fast, I liked him. Let’s see how they continue to show themselves.
—Who will fight for the medals in the RPL? — The first six teams. So far, Lokomotiv, Krasnodar and Zenit are ahead. But others are not far behind. The potential leader in terms of budget and squad is Zenit. In addition to the club’s centenary this season. I think another resource will be included as well.
— Why is Dynamo so unstable at the beginning of the championship? — The distance is long, everything can change. They are similar to Spartak. Last season it was enough for Dynamo to tie with Krasnodar in the championship, but they could not do it. I like their game, but now they have slowed down a little, Tyukavin started scoring less. In any case, all three may be trapped. The question is how Lokomotiv and Krasnodar will play.
—What do you think of Sobolev at Zenit? — It is difficult to come to the field of a football rival with whom Spartak does not have the best relations. We saw this on the example of Bystrov, who came to us and then returned, but he is from St. Petersburg. The attitude towards Sobolev is different. It’s hard to get in. We need to score. Radimov correctly said that Sasha must score one or two goals in each match to be recognized. He is a professional and must do his job, although psychologically it will be difficult. He has good qualities and at Spartak he showed it in his best games. But Sobolev’s last games were not the most successful. Maybe he didn’t want to stay in Spartak anymore, so he went for the championship. But will he play? It is difficult to sit at that age and the competition there is different.
Alexander Sobolev at Zenit
Photo: RIA Novosti
— Were you surprised by Dzhikia’s move to Khimki? “We don’t know what financial conditions Georgy proposed. Not every team can invite a Spartak player. I think there were certain problems. If Georgy had had the opportunity to travel abroad, he probably would have done so. “Khimki” is now in its usual state: there are changes all the time. It seems that they recruited players, the Spanish coach, they started well, but in the last games they conceded a lot. Jikia is not completely ready yet. He’s had some injuries lately and hasn’t had enough game practice. I would like to wish you good luck. At Spartak he was an outstanding player and played for the Russian national team. I want to get in shape. With his experience, Georgiy can help the team in the locker room.
—What is the secret of Lokomotiv? — Young people scratch their helmets when they want to play. They have this opportunity and they don’t want to miss it. They bought a few more people, Lantratov plays steadily. The team looks good. They began to praise Batrakov, but we will have to wait a couple of years. If it gains stability, it will deserve attention. This was the case in Soviet times. And now we have two or three successful games and he is already a star. Although Alexey has good qualities, he notes.
Where did Batrakov come from?
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— Do you think the Russian champion will change this season? – There are many nuances: the centenary of Zenit, for example. If everyone plays honestly and with dignity, maybe we will see a change. Krasnodar has been striving for this for a long time, the Lokomotiv and Moscow clubs will compete. I would like the champion to be determined on the football field.
