Dual focus for Lokomotiv

By Pavle Gognidze

The new Russian season is still four weeks away but the pressure is already on FC Lokomotiv Moskva. The Premier-Liga's only survivors in the UEFA Champions League, Yuri Semin's side need success on two fronts if they are to continue their recent love affair with European football.

Twin focus
While battling to regain the Russian title from PFC CSKA Moskva will be a major focus for the club in 2004, a more immediate concern will be their first knockout round meeting with AS Monaco FC later this month.

Major achievement
Reaching the second group stage of last season's Champions League was a major achievement for the Railway Men, but there was a price to pay. Forced to start their preparations for the 2003 campaign earlier than usual, Lokomotiv's results suffered in Europe and in Russia, where they sank towards the foot of the table.

Costly success
While Lokomotiv gained ground in the second half of the domestic season, they could only finish fourth behing CSKA, FC Zenit St. Peterburg and top-flight debutants FC Rubin Kazan. That meant that, unless they win the Russian Cup or the Champions League itself, they will not be in European competition next season.

New arrivals
Consequently, the 2002 Russian champions have been keeping their scouts busy this winter. Young Lithuanian midfield player Deividas Cesnauskis has arrived from FC Dinamo Moskva, along with FC Torpedo Kutaisi's Georgian Under-21 international Roman Akhalkatsi and CSKA defender Denis Evsikov.

Key departure
However, Lokomotiv were dealt a major blow when Russian international defender Sergei Ignashevitch rejected a new deal and joined CSKA. The loss of the versatile Ignashevitch left Semin reeling. "With Sergei's departure we will lack some tactical options," he said.

Defensive cover
The defence is not a major problem, though. Russian internationals Gennady Nizhegorodov and Dmitri Sennikov, Uzbekistan's Oleg Pashinin, and classy wing-backs Jacob Lekcetho and Vadim Evseev are so reliable that former AS Roma player and Belarussian international Sergei Gurenko is restricted to the bench.

Striking problem
Up front, things were more problematic. Supporters made it clear that the club lacked firepower, but Lokomotiv took their time in signing a new player. It was worth the wait. Allegedly costing over €4m from Olympique de Marseille, 20-year-old Dmitri Sytchev is perhaps the hottest prospect in Russian football.

Russian titan
The only star of Russia's dismal 2002 FIFA World Cup campaign, where he scored one of Russia's goals and set up the other three, Sytchev has scored in his first two friendly appearances for the club. However, having already played in this season's competition with Marseille, Sytchev will not be eligible for Champions League action.

Obiorah returns
Sytchev, it is hoped, will be Lokomotiv's decisive weapon in domestic competition, while Nigerian striker James Obiorah - freshly returned from a one-year loan spell in Spain with Cádiz CF - may be the man Lokomotiv call on to work wonders in Europe.

Old guard
However, while new blood could be a decisive factor, Lokomotiv's destiny is still in the hands of the club's old guard - the likes of playmaker Dmitri Loskov and goalkeeper Sergei Ovchinnikov. If they can perform to the best of their abilities, Semin's men will have a good chance of progress. And if Lokomotiv can improve on their performances at the start of last year, they could yet earn a place in Europe for 2004/05.