Contours of the season: between the streams

FROM 10 by 12 – places for special emotions. Here's the joy of avoiding a play-out, and disappointment from missed opportunities to climb higher. Complex, all in all, range of feelings. And the anticipation of the next season brings with it a complex combination of anxiety and hope..

Legionnaire club pleasantly surprised: the champion of Belarus turned out to be very, very competitive in the Russian Super League. Victories over Lokomotiv and St. Petersburg Zenit, and most importantly, an interesting and original game made many Russian fans love and recognize the team. Hitherto unknown names of players are now well known and, Consequently, dismantled from St. Petersburg to Surgut.

Failing to get Enisey into the playoffs, Shakhtar lost the lion's share of its squad at the end of the season, almost all leaders. At the moment, we can only note the arrival of setter Slavi Kostadinov. That's all for now, what is known about the new Shakhtar.

Superleague will somehow survive on its own human resources, brother? / We can only hope for Victor Bekshi's coaching instincts, to that, that he will be able to maintain his signature tenacious style, and also for successful selection. Without her, Shakhtar's chances in the new season look at least vague.

Weakness. / Marchenko's finishers, Bogatko and Masko were so good, then they put the Serbian legionnaire Mehich in deep reserve. There's no one left now, including Mejich. The game will be restored, probably, at the expense of legionnaires - it was not for nothing, reluctantly, sent to Kuzbass central Fiel.

Questions? / The face of the new Shakhtar is visible to a maximum of a third, hence the questions. To begin with - who? Then - how?

Nova returned to the Super League two years ago and tries to build muscle with each transfer campaign. There has been quite a strong rotation, in which there must be tangible losses, in theory, blocked by recruits. Instead of the Australian Dosanj, there is the Serbian national team setter Jovovich, well known for his performances for Dynamo-LO., instead of Papazov - Ufa veteran Rybakov, instead of the Italian Antonov and Purin - another Ufa veteran Feoktistov and the legendary Titich, the updated line of middle blockers is led by the experienced Ananyev.

Superleague will somehow survive on its own human resources, brother? / Oleg Sogrin reconfigured the team for himself, and it's good in terms of contact and controllability. At the same time, one cannot say, that the composition is completely new, there remains a strong foundation: Litvinov, Shpilev, Shcherbakov, Eremin. It could be an interesting combination.

Weakness / After “Nova” from the time of Bryansky, a certain outsider complex is felt in Novokuibyshevsk - the team loses rather resignedly to stronger opponents. Last season, the Volga team lost to the first seven teams from Kazan to Novy Urengoy at home.. And on a visit, even if not dry, lost to everyone, who was higher in the standings.

But we didn’t allow breakdowns in games with equal or weaker opponents. In other words, the team plays against the opponent, taking “what’s yours” and not biting what’s “someone else’s”, that is, quite predictable.

Questions? / Very interesting, How will Rybakov and Feoktistov perform in their new place?. Both spent almost their entire careers in Ural., and a change of scenery can be a plus, and in minus.

Disclaimer required: in this case, I in no way reflect the position of the management and coaching staff of the Surgut team, everything written below is my own inventions, which Rafael Talgatovich kindly considers a valid point of view.

Surgut residents solve a non-trivial problem in the off-season every year, trying not just to minimize the next personnel losses, and surprise the Super League with something or someone in a new capacity. Usually, it succeeds: guys from the major league “A” are transiting through Surgut to top clubs, from the reserves, from the youth team... Ozhiganov and Shakhbanmirzaev followed the same route.

In the case of a binder, this means, that the time has come for Maxim Kirillov, Ural graduate Artem Ivanov, who played last year in Yekaterinburg, taken, rather, to balance this position. Here's a new interesting project for you: another restart of Vitaly Papazov’s career, which the, obviously, will bear the main load diagonally.

An important link in the chain between veterans appeared in the final game (Rodichev) and youth (Korotaev, Skvortsov) – 27-year-old Belarusian Artem Masko. Plus another young talent, 19-summer Georgy Sedov from “Academy-Kazan”. In the center we welcome the return of Nikolai Beskrovny, but we are still waiting for the necessary strengthening.

Superleague will somehow survive on its own human resources, brother? / The strength of Gazprom-Ugra lies in that very courage, which I touched on, speaking about “Fakel” and mentioning Kazan. The difference is, that for Kazan, courage is additional weapons, for Fakel – one of the main, for Surgut residents this is alpha and omega. Without the proper attitude, we lose at home to ASK and Neftyanik, with him we beat Kuzbass and Yenisei, we give a fight to the capital "Dynamo" and the same "Torch", We beat Ural and Dynamo-LO twice each. The magical infusion of “beast meat” is “brewed” personally by Rafael Talgatovich, letting the team breathe the mixture before the game. It's a joke, but, as known, There's something else in every joke.

Weakness / In the new season the court will be young again, which means it is unstable. This is an inevitable side effect of professional growth., so we need clamps like Rodichev, Papazova or the same (why not?) Masko.

Questions? / Will it be possible to build and maintain the necessary balance between youth and experience?? Every year Gazprom-Yugra “drags” players to the top, often sacrificing the result - not intentionally, and if necessary. We can't afford ready-made stars, so we grow our own, and this process is often painful and unpredictable.