Football time limit – MK

While the country was discussing the results, and experts were discussing the content of the matches, part of the country was interested in the very fact of the existence of the institute of national teams. Or rather, their functionality. Why do we need national teams in the current circumstances? Why do guys tear muscles, nerves and families, if in the coming years Russia does not shine European cups, European and world championships? The guys, it turns out, think so themselves, they are just embarrassed to say so. If not all, then many. Some.

Calling such a point of view irrational, stupid, harmful, and further on the rise is the same as not calling it in any way. With all the wealth of choice, she has no right to exist, that’s the whole discussion. But since conversations do take place, and a modern football player is more often a pragmatist than a patriot, I consider it necessary to give arguments and facts in favor.

About patriotism, which was a symbol, but should become a tool

Personal main argument: I am always optimistic. The desire and ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel helped in many situations – both on the football field and in life in general. Today, innate optimism supports more than ever, because without faith in a bright future, life is not interesting.

When relations between the RFU and the international community improve (not if, but when), football Russia should be fully armed. Both at the club level and at the national level. Most likely, this is a long way, definitely not an easy one, but sooner or later it will be passed. And here is the first starting point of the new era: a test of the very patriotism that in recent years has become more of a symbol than an instrument.

My generation, generations of predecessors and descendants – were we made of a different dough? Were our arms and legs screwed on in a different way, were they provided with heads of a special form and content? No. But for some reason we played football better, if we didn’t argue in vain, but believed the protocols and scoreboards, which never lie. World and European Championships, the Olympic Games, club tournaments – Soviet football knew its worth, and it was appreciated in return.

So why did they play better? Not least of all – because they fought for the Motherland. It was not customary to talk about this even among themselves, but no one managed to break the Soviet football player. Defeats and victories were not divided equally, we hit much harder and more often than they hit us. And every football player dreamed of conquering the peak of his career: gaining a foothold in the national team, winning as many matches and tournaments with it as possible.

Perhaps I am simplifying the logical chain, but I convey the essence exactly. Patriotism is a great force, today more than ever in demand, so the best will get into the Russian national teams. Including the best mentally. You won’t get into everyone’s head, but I’m sure that most guys dream, as we dreamed, of drawing attention to themselves, getting into the national team, gaining a foothold in it and winning something significant. This is how sports work, it is impossible to remake the foundation: either you are fighting for a place in the sun, or no one knows you.

About the quantity and quality of fresh blood

Reference point number 2 – the number and quality of candidates for the national team.

Football players are not flowers, not mushrooms, they do not grow by order and after rain, sometimes strong generations have to wait a very long time. Just our case. But Russia seems to have overcome a protracted personnel crisis, and this is not just my opinion. I don’t remember such an influx of fresh blood in the RPL clubs (and probably in the clubs of the lower leagues, but they are not considered in the context of the national team), as in the 2022/2023 season.

What is it – a coincidence, a game of chance or a natural result of the work done? Or maybe it’s just an illusion – after all, we can’t compare with Barcelona, ​​Manchester City, or the Italian team now? We do not have, as they say, physical capabilities.

And what a fair turn of the topic. In this regard, I ask myself: how many matches from last season will be remembered, which left a trace in my memory, and in textbooks – a chapter? Or vice versa: have there been many matches, which, let’s say, are boring to watch?

And in development: why doesn’t the high level of interest in the RPL championship No. 31 subside (again, not only personal experience; in fact, I haven’t heard other opinions)? Here immediately with the answer: because the amount of fresh blood is supported by its quality. I will not even open the list of players who have made significant progress in a short time – it will be difficult to close it without offending anyone. Let me just say that they are in almost all league clubs, and the geography of small homelands is the whole of Russia.

About the psychology of the coach and the decommissioned “bus”

The third starting point is psychology. Firstly, the psychology of the coach, that is, the very approach to football that your team is ready to demonstrate.

Colleagues, including those working with RPL clubs, confirm that the fear of making mistakes in trusting young players let go of many. Or lets go. There is noticeably more trust, hence the effect: the young man, making inevitable mistakes, takes a step forward, and the coach – the next correct conclusions.

If you like, Russian football has become more sincere. There is now noticeably less anti-football, the “bus” has ceased to be considered an innovation; everyone strives to come up with something, to surprise with something. A seemingly simple fact: there are almost no teams in the RPL that regularly practice the initial goal kick. Everyone strives to go on the attack through a pass, and the obligatory participant in the combination game in the initial stage is the goalkeeper, who is also a libero in the old classification. This is a global trend, but we caught it quickly and, in my opinion, are implementing it successfully.

Secondly, the collective psychology is breaking down before our very eyes: the Russian championship, by the will of circumstances, has acquired primary value, as it should be in a properly organized economy. Ask any Englishman: give him the Premier League or the Champions League? The answer will be in 100 cases out of 100: your own – dearer, closer.

Next in the logical chain are club leaders. I would like to continue pleasant conclusions: they say that the leader has now gone different, understands everything, does not interfere with the work of his coach, who is raising a worthy replacement. But no, why deceive yourself? At the managerial level, Russian club football loses at best half of its potential. Professional management is one of the most important problems.

The example of Lokomotiv, which did not give a damn about traditions, hounded successful coaches, ruined a lot of money and several years of life for incomprehensible experiments, is pure madness, there is no other word for it. On the other hand, who knows what goals are set by the people who are leading the process of the collapse of Lokomotiv from behind the scenes? Maybe they are doing everything right and it will soon become clear that in order to revive the glorious club, why not, a new stadium is needed, and the old one needs to be demolished …

About the Russian team, which can be two

Starting point number 4 is philosophical: any crisis is a time of new opportunities.

There are actually more opportunities for Russian football than it seems at first glance. Particularly for teams. Life confirms that far from the whole planet unequivocally assesses the events taking place in Europe, and football is the most suitable tool for rapprochement. There are no rivals in Europe – you need to look for them in Asia, and besides Asia there is Africa with South America. There are clubs that will be happy to take part in a commercial tour of the Russian team, say, in Argentina. As a direct participant in such tours, I am ready to confirm their quality and mutual benefit.

In short, you must play! And the more the better. It is necessary to extract the maximum benefit from the current situation, namely: as long as the players are not pressured by responsibility for the result, teach them not to be afraid of either themselves or their opponents. A team created on a healthy sports basis is half the success.

Let me remind you just in case: 6:1 with Belarus and 2:1 with Kazakhstan are the results of the U21 team led by Mikhail Galaktionov’s headquarters, but in fact in a new composition. In the new one, compared to, say, the one that, in excellent style, outplayed Spain in Moscow with an advantage (November 2021, not even a year has passed). The former youth squad is already pressing the core of the national team, and late talents like Alexander Sobolev from Spartak, Vladimir Sychevy, nicknamed Krymteplitsa from Orenburg, Artem Makarchuk from Sochi, and further down the list, which we agreed not to open, are blooming around.

Again, within the framework of professional logic: since there are so many candidates for the national team in Russia (even without taking into account Alexander Golovin, Alexei Miranchuk and several other players “frozen” in the West), why don’t we have a second team? As an option – under the leadership of two different, independent coaching staffs. Preferably with different concepts.

Even in terms of a show that needs to go on, isn’t that an option? I have no doubt that the Russia-Russia match will be sold out even at the Gazprom Arena, if England does not want to come to St. Petersburg. Or Bosnia and Herzegovina. And a mini-tournament with connection to two national youth teams and, say, the RPL legionnaires’ team will bring more benefits to our football, as well as money to the RFU cashier, than all sparrings combined.

About the forgotten limit and its consequences

Finally, the fifth point is memories of the past. Namely, about the limits of the limit on foreigners, the most important topic of our time, as it seemed to many recently.

The limit in the RPL is now virtually unlimited, but who even remembers it? The word “limit” has disappeared from the professional lexicon, as if it never existed. The positions vacated by the foreigners who have left are filled with young Russians rushing to the national teams, and, unfortunately, partly by foreigners who are far from the level that our league needs. Actually, only to the legionnaires of “Zenith” there are no serious questions. Or rather, there are no questions to the club’s management, which follows the line chosen in transfer matters, and does not rush from side to side.

What is there, by the way, with the market prices for a Russian passport? I remember that we were promised: the free limit should cool down the overheated market, the competition will do its job, the young Russian football player will fall in price. Let the market cool down or warm up according to the laws of economics – the main thing is that it shows an upward movement in quality, as it is today. Including the quality of foreigners, which are sometimes impossible to look at without tears.

Conclusion: if the formula “13 plus 12” is provided with objective, fair barriers to the quality of foreign players invited, the issue will be closed completely.