A couple of years ago, Alexander Kokorin issued a challenge. He went to Fiorentina and played there so rarely and uselessly that the media had to count how many times he touched the ball. There was simply no more information about his performances in Italy. This does not happen with Arsen Zakharyan at Real Sociedad and this is already a victory.
The midfielder regularly practices matches and lately he is usually in the starting eleven. He has many touches of the ball, there is no need to count them. But at the same time, Arsene only has one effective action: assist in the game against Villarreal. And that was largely accidental: Zakharyan probably got it right, but his teammate Subimendi intervened and corrected the ball into the net.
As was:
Zakharyan’s best game in Spain! The Russian gave an assist and set up another goal
Why is this happening? There is playing time, in the last games there has been more and only one assist. Let’s figure it out.
The most important question: why did Zakharyan start playing more? Is it because he finally adapted and drove out all the competitors? No. Of course, Arsene is getting used to Spanish conditions and assimilating Imanol Alguacil’s demands, that is evident. But this is still not the main reason.
Alguacil puts Zakharyan in a very forced starting position. Arsene’s main competitor, Ander Barrenechea, was injured. Mohamed-Ali Sho, another competitor on the Russian team, also had health problems. That is, the point, first of all, is not that Zakharyan has improved drastically, but that circumstances have cleared a spot for him at the beginning.
Barrenechea and Sho, direct competitors of Zakharyan at Real Sociedad
Photo: Getty Images
At the same time, Sho’s injury turned out to be less serious than Barrenechea’s. But even in cases where both Sho and Zakharyan were available, the coach chose Arsen as a starter. And this, in turn, suggests that Zakharyan is making progress. He plays with discipline, he presses, he throws himself into defense.
I remember that in the match against Rayo Vallecano the midfielder came out last, he had a poor performance in defense, and from his zone Rayo scored a goal and reduced the match to a tie. After that, by the way, there was a meeting with Barcelona, and Arsene spent it entirely on the bench. That is why now, as time has passed, it is difficult to imagine a situation like the one against Rayo being repeated. Since then, the Russian has not allowed himself to back down.
Some will say: a little. But in fact, the adaptation is made up of those details. The coach sees that Zajaryan follows instructions and gives him more playing time. No other way.
How Zakharyan arrived in San Sebastián:
Exclusive
“We agreed on everything, but the SVO started.” New details of Zakharyan transfer saga
Another important thing is the environment. If at Dynamo Zakharyan quickly became one of the most prominent names, at Society he is one of many. The level of partners in the new team is much higher, in this context Arsen’s talent shines less. Now it is impossible to travel exclusively for skills, as sometimes happened at Dynamo. I need to work! And the boy does it. And for that he can be praised.
For now, in the Society, Zakharyan is a cog in the system. At the moment, he simply cannot claim the role of footballer that he decides. Kubo, Oyarzabal, Merino are there for this. Zakharyan today is not superior to any of them. Once again: Arsene started playing mainly because his main competitor, Barrenechea, dropped out. Which, by the way, he also decides this season along with Kubo, Merino and Oyarzabal.
Zakharyan not only plays with the stars, but also against the stars:
The Champions League draw featured several interesting matchups. Zakharyan will play against Mbappé!
In a context of stronger partners and much stronger rivals than in Russia, Zakharyan still cannot be a leader. For him, the only way to go out on the field with the San Sebastian stars is to help drag them. Perhaps, after Dynamo, Arsen is not very familiar with this and even feels uncomfortable. But here you have to choose: an imaginary state or practice and game results. And I am very glad that the Russian chooses the latter. Let it continue like this.
Let’s take as an example other national footballers who currently play in important championships. Which of them started in Europe much brighter than Zakharyan? Alexander Golovin? At the end of the first half of his debut season in Monaco, he had two assists. He also received a red card, a disqualification for several matches, he was expelled from the Champions League with the team and moved to the relegation zone of League 1.
Alexander Golovin in Monaco in the 2018/2019 season
Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
Yes, that Monaco was very problematic. But at the same time, Golovin came away as a much more mature player than Zakharyan. Alexander had a victory in the Russian championship behind him, several seasons in European competitions, as well as the European Championship and the 2018 World Cup at home. However, in Monaco it was very difficult for him at first. The midfielder scored his first goal for the club only in January, already in the second half of the season.
Alexei Miranchuk? He scored Atalanta’s first goal much faster, but at the same time he did not become a full-fledged first-team player. Although, like Golovin, Miranchuk came away with experience playing in European cups and the national team.
Why did Kuzyaev choose Le Havre?
Exclusive
“We couldn’t wait any longer.” Exclusive details of Kuzyaev’s move to France
There is also Daler Kuzyaev, who started playing in Le Havre from scratch. But Kuzyaev, of all the above, left as the most mature and experienced. Furthermore, Le Havre is a much less ambitious team than Real Sociedad, Monaco and Atalanta. There is less competition there. This does not detract from Daler’s merits. Simply comparing his history in France with Zakharyan’s history in the Society is incorrect.
It is not necessary to expect everything from Arsen at once. So far so good. Zakharyan is a support player and is constantly on the field. This is already good. Let’s start by at least establishing ourselves in the current position. And then we can talk about goals and assists.
