“Rubin” in the fall is at the level of “Zenith”. What is the secret of Rakhimov’s brilliant team?

“Rubin” in the fall is at the level of “Zenith”. What is the secret of Rakhimov’s brilliant team?

Dmitry Zimin November 26, 2023, 09:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.

It’s not just the newcomers the coach was expecting.

Rubin has 13 points in the last two months. This is more than Krasnodar, CSKA, Dynamo and Spartak. Only Zenit has the same number (statistics before the matches on matchday 16. – Note from the “Championship”). It turns out that Kazan is one of the best teams in the RPL in the autumn season. A thesis like that at the beginning of the season would have seemed crazy. Rakhimov pleaded for the newcomers, planning to upgrade 70% of the squad. But they were denied. The coach then had an internal corporate battle with the sporting director, won it and eventually received a raise at the end of the transfer window.

This was the most important moment in Rubin’s transformation. The team is already in eighth place. Three points from third. And the plus of the relegation zone is 10. Rakhimov right now is simply a king and even talks about the future. Naturally, in the context of new transfers. True, now the coach’s requests are more modest: to update the equipment by only 20-30%. For total customization and a leap forward.

Rakhimov resigned from the rotation and Rubin stopped conceding goals. And then the goals came.

In the first 10 rounds, Rubin didn’t even know the defense existed. Those who did not play in the central zone: Martynovich, Ashurmatov, Gritsaenko. But the technician could not find the optimal combinations. However, when four from Spartak, three from Rostov and the same number from Zenit are lost, it is important to recognize the problem and start working on it.

Rakhimov, although with great difficulty, found the optimal option. Nothing obvious. For greater reliability, it was necessary to put the experienced Martynovich on the bench. Now Kazan’s three defenders are Vuyachic, Teslenko and Gritsaenko. Full mutual understanding. Plus some unrealistic form of Dupin. With Ural, for example, Rubin definitely scored one more goal. But the goalkeeper was too good.

Igor Vuyachic and Yuri Dupin

Photo: RIA Novosti

Another important nuance is related to tactics. If in the first rounds of the championship the Kazan team, out of habit acquired in the First Division, flew forward, hoping to score points with aggressiveness and dominance, now everything has changed. It quickly became clear that even a powerful newcomer would be naive if he counted on playing as number one. The number of goals conceded quickly brought the team down to earth. Therefore, Rubin restructured and began to act on behalf of the opponent. This gave results. Furthermore, the strategy is completely uncompromising. The team gave the ball to Ural 65% of the time. But not only them. Even in the match against Sochi, the Kazan team had less possession, but more efficiency. Rakhimov taught the players to immediately take advantage of mistakes, launch counterattacks (newcomers Čumić, Randjelovic and Vada are largely responsible for this) and take advantage of even small opportunities. A clear and simple recipe for victories. The main thing is that it works.

Another surprise of the season:

Exclusive

“Leaving Spartak is my choice.” Another autumn discovery in Krylia Sovetov

Rubin signed key foreign players on the last day. But they adapted quickly

This is an incredible moment, but three important Rubin players joined the team on September 15, the last day of applications. We talk about Randjelovic, Vada and Chumic. No other club has registered multiple players so late. Especially the key ones. Others, however, did not arrive much earlier: Drezgich on the 14th, Rakhmonaliev, Sorokin on the 13th. So it was not easy with the new management’s deadlines.

But how quickly new actors got involved. In three of the last five games it was the newcomers who gave the team victory. The magnificent Vada buried the chances of Baltika and Ural through individual actions. Chumich “finished off” “Akhmat”.

Despite these results, Rubin still has problems in attack. The two forwards, Fameye and Daku, scored only six goals between them. Therefore, it is likely that the first will gradually settle into the reserve. But Rakhimov really believes in Daku. But it is not known whether his hopes will be justified from a distance. They began to completely forget about Lisakovich. It is obvious that the boy has a difficult relationship with the coach. Like Sorokin. But as long as Rakhimov is so high, no one cares about his opinions.

Before the winter break, Kazan has three matches: “Fakel” (at home), “Dynamo” and “Baltika” (both away). With all the possibilities of taking points. And if Rakhimov manages to drag the team into the conditional top 5 before the winter break, then it will already be a great success. Especially compared to another newcomer, Baltika, who is still at the bottom of the table.

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