Football Season Guide

Rostov hope to enjoy much better season this time around, they had to wait until very late last term before securing their safety, with this about to be the first full campaign for coach Kaprin in charge. Using his connections with his ex-team Spartak the gaffer made the loans of two young midfielders permanent moves this summer, with the experienced centre-back Sigurdsson also making his move permanent. This means that an Icelandic duo is likely to operate in the heart of the defence, with a third player from Iceland the main hope for goals at the other end of the pitch. Sigurdarson is the only typical centre forward in the squad, although both Shomurodov and Orazsakhedov were converted into strikers by Karpin last season and they will be the two main supporting options up front. The gaffer also shopped in Sweden this summer with the arrivals of both Hadzikadunic and Saletros making it five Vikings in Rostov for the start of the new campaign. The RSMs look certain to continue using a lone striker up front, with the formation choices varying from 4-5-1, 5-4-1 to 3-4-2-1. Karpin has been experimenting different things during the off season and the only certain thing is that only one striker will operate high up, while on most occasions three inner midfielders should be crowding that area of the pitch. With as many as seven very solid centre-backs, Rostov might be tempted to play with three in the heart of their defence, but this doesn’t mean that the wide defenders will be pushed high up. In this case the back line will be of five players on many occasions and at least based on recent evidence when Rostov sit back they become an extremely tough nut to crack. Veterans Gatcan (34) and Kalachev (37) hope to have one more season of regular starts in them, with the former very important in the middle of the park and also he is the team’s captain.