Zenith is “poor” before the match with Spartak. Is this a clever plan?
Georgy Ilyushchenko August 22, 2024, 14:20 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Glushenkov, Wendel, Pedro – is it really possible that none of the team’s leaders will take the field?
“Unfortunately we cannot count on Glushenkov, Wendel or Pedro. Rodrigao and Ilzat Akhmetov, who were previously injured, will also not be able to play. So you will have to do it for yourself and for that boy,” Zenit coach Alexander Medvedev said about the upcoming match against Spartak in an interview with TASS.
The losses are truly colossal. It seems that Spartak now has the best chance in 12 years to finally snatch victory from St. Petersburg. Glushenkov is Zenit’s top scorer, Wendel is the main passer. The match against Khimki showed how difficult it is for the team without them. At the same time, Medvedev focused attention not only on this pair, but also on Pedro, Rodrigao and Akhmetov. Why?
The two Brazilians cannot be considered irreplaceable, but Akhmetov… Do you even remember that there is such a player at Zenit? It turns out that yes. In six months in the RPL, he has played only 28 minutes. And that was in March. He has not been injured in all this time.
Ilzat did not play against Khimki. Perhaps that is why Zenit did not win:
Zenit’s worst day of the season. We lost Glushenkov, made our first mistake and barely escaped!
Against Khimki, Zenit looked like last season: there was little sense, speed and constructiveness ahead. And here we have to fight with Spartak, which has gained decent momentum: Barco instantly got used to it, Ugalde finally started scoring, Babich is still in great order, etc. What can we say if Stankovic repeated Romantsev’s record of crushing victories in the first matches (four out of seven attempts)? And Spartak does not miss five matches in a row in all tournaments – a record for the club in this century. And it is still good for St. Petersburg residents that Karavaev has recovered – in the Moscow region, his substitute Volkov looked very bad.
It is logical that Medvedev has found an excuse in advance: for the first time in many years, the favourite in this match is not clear. Zenit have enough qualified players, but even Real Madrid and Manchester City do not have two equivalent squads. Can you imagine what would happen if you suddenly took Bellingham and Vinicius away from the former, and De Bruyne and Haaland away from the latter? Obviously nothing good. It is unrealistic to rebuild the game in a week and still keep it productive, given two similar defeats. Whether you are Guardiola, Ancelotti or Semak.
Wendel and Glushenkov after the damage
Photo by: RIA Novosti
In the RPL, there is no one who is equally capable of replacing Wendel, even if Zenit goes crazy and enters the domestic market with 30 million euros, as happened to Danny in 2008. What can we say about the St. Petersburg store? And here, too, he is absent along with the striker who scored seven goals in five games. In addition, the CDC can disqualify Claudinho for insulting the referees. Then there will be complete despair. For complete “happiness” all that is needed is for Letts, Nino, Santos and Barrios to do something.
But maybe it’s not that simple? What if Medvedev is simply confusing Spartak’s coaching staff? As bobsoccer.ru wrote, the probability of Wendel returning this Saturday still persists. Willian de Oliveira said in an interview with Championship that Wendel “feels good.” And here are today’s words from Sergei Semak:
Sergey Semak
Zenit coach – before the match against Spartak
“Maxim joined the team after the operation, but it is clear that his participation in the upcoming matches is excluded. Rodrigao is only involved with the medical staff. Akhmetov, Pedro and Wendel are not yet working in the general group. Karavaev starts training today. Let’s see how his condition is after the illness. The rest of the players worked in a group and are preparing for the match.”
If Glushenkov is clear about this, then “they don’t work in the general group” does not mean “they won’t be able to play”. And it has already happened that Medvedev was disingenuous. For example, he said that Zenit supposedly did not have a mandatory purchase of Izidor. Why did this happen then? Did the St. Petersburg coaching staff really appreciate the Frenchman’s performance last season? So much so that they immediately sent him to Sunderland. Or how the Zenit coach denied Krugovoy’s imminent transfer to CSKA, without having yet reached an agreement with him on a new contract? Perhaps something similar is happening now.
Medvedev’s words about the absence of five players look like mind games. He announced in advance that almost half of the team was not ready, and even mentioned Akhmetov in the spotlight. There is no shame in losing points in such a situation; winning is equivalent to showing heroism. And he motivated the rest of the players. If any of the five mentioned continue to play, it cannot be attributed to their mistake, but to the bravery of Wendel, Pedro or Rodrigao. Having fooled Spartak in the process. It is a win-win situation.
Do you remember Glushenkov in Khimki?
Glushenkov’s joyful six months at Khimki. He scored against Spartak, Dynamo and retired scandalously
