The RPL finally returns – after an actually relatively short and quick break? We’ve assembled our panel to discuss the summer signings and predict the season ahead.
The panel consists of:
James Nickels: @JamesNickels
Richard Pike: @RichDPike89
David Sansun: @RFN_David
Who will win the RPL title and the Russian Cup?
JN: Right now, it is truly hard to see past Zenit doing it again. Despite Loko beating the Blue-White-Sky Blues in the Super Cup recently – over the course of the season, the current Champions have far too much quality. Sardar Azmoun and Artem Dzyuba is a frighteningly good striking partnership while they arguably also possess the strongest spine in the league.
The cup is an absolute lottery and almost impossible to predict – especially after recent finalists include Shinnik Yaroslavl and some small team in Siberia who play in Orange (all shade intended Andrew Flint). I’m going to go for Sochi as hopefully, they’ll do a Tosno and immediately cease to exist – then Dinamo St. Petersburg could hopefully return to where they should be… St. Petersburg.
RP: I am tipping Zenit to retain their title, the additions made to their side mid-season last time out such as Wilmar Barrios, Yaroslav Rakitskiy and Sardar Azmoun will have had a full pre-season under their belt now and can only improve further. I expect another signing or two alongside left-back Douglas Santos and winger Aleksei Sutormin before the transfer deadline too. Though Krasnodar will push them close.
As for the Russian Cup, I am going to go for Krasnodar to win – they will specifically target the competition to win their first silverware and is very much a doable outcome.
DS: It’s hard to look past Zenit really. They’ve only strengthened after last season, and they were comfortably the best team in the last six months of it. Lokomotiv look strong too though, their mix of experience and youth is coming together well, but the Miranchuk twins will have to continue their excellent form to give them a chance.
Along with those two, Krasnodar complete the top three in terms of cup winners. Even without Claesson, and with a Champions League campaign on board, they still look very strong.
Surprise Package of the Season and which sides will struggle?
JN: Despite my joking above – Sochi may be one of the surprises of the season. They have the full attention and backing of Boris Rotenberg’s money, are getting huge favours from the RFU, Gazprom and Federal Government and have shopped smartly thus far, bringing in Dmitri Poloz, Elmir Nabiullin, Yevgeni Frolov, Ibragim Tsallago and Vladimir Obukhov. Young left-back Pavel Shakuro finally made the step-up in a summer deal from Tyumen – after years of terrorising FNL defences from left-back. They also signed Ivan Novoseltsev but the less said on that the better.
Spartak will struggle. They are an absolute mess, are selling their best players left, right and centre and will struggle to adapt to the new foreigner limits at first. Oleg Kononov was an uninspired choice to replace Massimo Carrera and Leonid Fedun is outright insane right now. That being said, the squad is full of exciting youngsters for the future and Denis Glushakov is finally, finally dead (I mean at Akhmat).
RP: In terms of a surprise package, I think that Dinamo Moscow will finish sixth. Their recruitment so far has been impressive and I expect another few arrivals at Dinamo stadium before the transfer deadline.
On the other hand, Krylia Sovetov may struggle. Their squad is paper-thin and they only just survived last time out. Orenburg has lost Evgeni Frolov and Aleksei Sutormin – arguably their two best players – and still have yet to adequately replace them.
DS: I would have to agree with Richard and say that Dinamo could be the surprise. While I suppose technically it may not be a surprise, considering their spending compared to last season, they could be a real force thanks to the additions they’ve made this summer.
Krylia and Tambov look like they will be prime relegation candidates based on pre-season. Krylia have lost a lot of players and have not done well to reinforce during the transfer window. They only made the playoffs last season, and this weaker squad look like they’ll struggle.
How will the newly promoted clubs fare?
JN: Tambov has done an Alenichev. Win the league? Yes. Proceed to create a Frankenstein’s monster of players from relegation fodder a la Enisey’s Amkar/Tosno horror last season? Absolutely. Become the new whipping boys and go immediately back down in 16th? Most likely. Aside from this, it’ll be interesting to see how Danil Klenkin makes the step-up after years languishing at Tyumen and in the FNL.
Sochi is my surprise pick for the season, so will probably do well. I just hope I’m wrong. I’m also genuinely dumbfounded they didn’t sign Lord Rotenberg this summer.
RP: Both Tambov and Sochi have undertaken very different recruitment strategies for their debut season in the RPL. Tambov have feasted on the relegation of Anzhi by signing 4 of their squad from last season. They have also scoured the FNL and other Eastern European leagues, resulting in getting 15 free transfers. Sochi, on the other hand, has recruited RPL fringe players thanks to the wealth of VTB.
I predict a season of difficulty for Tambov, 15 players may have been recruited but just as many were let go from their promotion-winning squad. A huge amount of upheaval can sometimes create problems & I am not sure just how much quality one can find in that list of 15 players. However, I feel Sochi will survive comfortably and surprise a few bigger teams along the way. Their recruitment so far has been impressive and they also have space for some overseas signings yet to further strengthen their squad.
DS: Tambov will have some issues for sure. Their squad is weak and lacks proper RPL experience. They’ll also be playing in Saransk instead of Tambov to begin with, another disadvantage. I’m intrigued to see how Nigerian winger Benito gets on through, he’s had a terrific pre-season, though primarily against sub-par Belarussian teams.
Which Russian Club will perform best in European Competition?
JN: CSKA. It seems weird to call them the current European specialists after a decade of being absolutely woeful in the competition, but they will have learned from last season, still have the majority of that exciting, young squad and still have Valsic & Chalov. Expect them to go far in the Europa League. It’d also be delightful to see if Krasnodar and Arsenal Tula could make their respective group stages and help the RPL coefficient.
RP: Of course it will be Zenit, Semak has had a whole year now to implement his ideas and tactics on the squad. A lot of the deadwood is now cleared off the payroll and the likes of Barrios, Rakitskiy and Azmoun are now all fully settled in after their January moves. Plus Semak once again is strengthening impressively where necessary. It is also worth noting that Zenit will be seeded for the Champions League too, there is a chance with this of reaching the knockout rounds. If they were to finish third in the group and drop into the Europa League, a run to the Quarter-Finals or even the Semi-Finals of that competition is not beyond the realms of impossibility with a good draw.
DS: Lokomotiv’s showing last season was dreadful and another Champions League group stage full of defeat beckons, especially now they’re lower seeded. I’d love to see Krasnodar make the groups of the Champions League, but if they don’t, I can see them and CSKA having good runs in the Europa League.
Which Summer Signing are you looking forward to seeing?
JN: Naturally it is difficult to look past the huge impact the three big money signings could make: Nikola Vlasic at CSKA, Tony Vilhena to Krasnodar and Douglas Santos to Zenit. All three are players of excellent quality and will vastly improve each side.
However, one of the more underlying deals could be Dmitri Zhivoglyadov to Loko. The Railroaders are currently revamping an ageing squad; Manuel Fernandes, Igor Denisov, Dmitri Tarasov, Vitaly Denisov, Taras Mykhalyk, Igor Portnyagin and Alan Kasaev are all at the wrong end of 30 and thus have been let go.
Zhivoglyadov is just 25 and alongside Murilo will dramatically reduce the ageing Loko defence, while some veterans still remain. He has quietly been one of the most efficient full-backs in the league while at Ufa and it will be exciting to see his full attacking potential unlocked at an elite side.
RP: For me, two stand out, firstly Nikola Vlasic, I was impressed at his displays all throughout last season for CSKA and I’m delighted he is back on a permanent deal. He has been unfortunate at Everton, getting in their team ahead of the likes of Sigurdsson and now Gomes is such a tough task for a young player. Vlasic has the potential to fill the void left by Aleksandr Golovin’s sale to Monaco and I am predicting him to have a big season.
The second player I cannot wait to see is Tonny Vilhena at Krasnodar. Finding a way of incorporating him into their formation and a role for him in such a formation will be important. However, when they do this, I am confident he will be arguably the best midfielder in the whole league. Fifteen Dutch international caps say it all, he has the makings of the signing of the season about him.
DS: Any of Krasnodar’s new boys, Vilhena included, look like they could be great additions to the RPL. Outside of that, Ponce at Akhmat, Szymanski at Dinamo, Saplinov at Rostov, and any of Rubin’s new Georgian trio of Davitashvili, Kvaratskhelia or Mikeltadze are guys I’m looking forward to seeing in action.
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