Krylya keep Tikhonov ticking over
Monday, May 12, 2008
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FC Rubin Kazan and FC Zenit St. Petersburg may be dominating Russian headlines, but FC Krylya Sovetov Samara have been quietly making their presence felt.
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Major investment
The big stories in Russia are still Rubin, who top the league after ten games, and UEFA Cup finalists Zenit, but over in Samara, a quiet revolution is taking place. Funded by the state-run Russian Technologies Corporation, Krylya Sovetov have emerged as a handy side despite making 14 pre-season signings and bringing in former FC Moskva coach Leonid Slutskiy. Just 37, Slutskiy was regarded as the José Mourinho of Russian football for his achievement in turning Moskva into a competitive side, but given the scale of the renovation work required, many regarded his switch to Samara as a disaster in waiting.
Promising start
As things stand, his side have gelled quickly, sit sixth and have proved that they can compete with the best in Russia. "I don't know if it's easier or harder than at Moskva," said Slutskiy. "Every team is different, but the knowledge and experience [gained at Moskva] has helped me at Krylya. A third of the season is behind us now, and I can't say that we were awful in any game. There have been setbacks - the defeat against [FC] Khimki, for example, showed that sometimes we just lack class."
Evergreen Tikhonov
They certainly do not lack quality players, with a good mix of youth and experience. Their oldest striker, Eugeni Savin, is just 24 while one of the stars of the team is vice-captain Andrei Tikhonov, who turns 38 in the autumn. The former FC Spartak Moskva left winger is on fire, with four goals in ten league games, and is even being touted for a place at UEFA EURO 2008™.
Injury concerns
Things are good for Krylya Sovetov, but they could have been even better had a rash of injuries not unsettled them. Jiri Jarošik, a winter signing from Celtic FC, missed the first seven matches of the campaign through injury while fellow midfielders Leilton, Denis Kovba and Aleksei Skvernyuk have all picked up knocks as the Premier-Liga has progressed.
Summer work
Despite all their pre-season signings, Slutskiy is ready for more newcomers in the summer as he builds towards a long-term goal of competing for medals. "I won't say where we need to strengthen," he said. "The break in league action will be devoted to serious preparations. Unfortunately, this will mean that we can't go and watch the European Championship." Some sacrifices are worth making.