Football Season Guide

Krylya Sovetov flirted with relegation for long periods of last season but at the end just about avoided a spot in the bottom four. They were one of the better teams on the ball but the incredible lack of clinical touch cost them in too many games. It was not a good campaign overall and Igor Osinkin will want to make the team more assured and confident in and around the box for the campaign ahead. Yet, it all seems pretty much the same for Krylya in terms of squad at the moment as there have been no real comings and goings up to now. Aleksandr Kovalenko is out after breaking through 18 months ago and becoming a regular presence in midfield but he is not exactly irreplaceable. The likes of Dmitry Tsypchenko and Vladislav Pisarskyi will have to perform better up front as a whole to give this team a better chance of winning games. The team's main strength remains in the wide areas as Glen Bijl and Yuri Gorshkov are some of the better full-backs in the league while Benjamin Garre and Roman Ezhov have provided excellent service further up the field. Ivan Lomaev will hope to rediscover his best form on goal after a poor season last year while Roman Evgenyev and Aleskandr Soldatenkov will need to play better defensively to give the team a backbone. Overall, the team looks pretty decent on paper and should secure a spot in mid-table without too many issues.