“You need to play in Glasgow as Barcelona: Pavlyuchenko - about the match between Russia and Scotland and the character of Cherchesov

- The Scottish team suffered two devastating defeats in four matches of the qualifying tournament, castled on the coaching bridge and forced experts to talk about the crisis in the attack . Why do Russian footballers call this team their main rival for leaving the group?

“Yes, maybe that sounds a little strange.” But I think that the guys only mean that games with the British will become 95% likely to be decisive in the struggle for a ticket to Euro 2020. If you argue sensibly, at the moment, neither Cyprus nor Kazakhstan looks so convincing as to be taken seriously. In addition, the team of Stanislav Cherchesov already beat both of them.

“But is Steve Clark’s squad strong only on paper?”

- Yes, the current Scottish team and the one that made a rustle in the mid-1990s are two big differences. Previously, they were really afraid of them, but now there are no objective reasons for this. The team does not show stable results, has not taken part in the final stages of the Euro and World Cup for a long time, and most importantly, today it is inferior to our guys in many ways. The Russian team, unlike the rival, has only recently added to skill.

- Is the class difference so big?

- Of course not. Despite the problems, the Scots, as a representative of British football, are a strong middle peasant. It is difficult to play with them, they rely on physics and struggle in all parts of the field, but no more. So the main task is to take control of the ball, make them play without it.

- The captain of the Russian national team Artyom Dziuba has already stated that the team understands that it will be a difficult match, which will be difficult in many respects due to the unusual atmosphere of the British stadium.

- Yes, here he is absolutely right. I know firsthand how sick in England. Scottish players will get just crazy support from their native stands. I really don’t know how this will affect their performing skills. Most likely, driven by the audience, they will run headlong and will play rudely. But you should not be afraid of this, because in fact this is where the strengths of the opponent end.

- In what scenario will the match develop, should we expect an open game with a large number of goals, or will the teams concentrate on defense?

- This development of events really should not be ruled out. Personally, I do not expect many goals. The game will be very viscous, teams will have to spend a lot of effort to fight in the center of the field. Most often, the Scots play on horseback, use diagonal translations and innings. It is unlikely that with such tactics they will be able to break into our defense. In addition, everything that I said above is also known to the coaching staff. I am sure they took this into account in preparation and will build their game on the basis of this aspect.

- The Scottish team will try to put pressure on all sections of the field. Does the Russian team need to try to score a quick goal in order to feel more comfortable?

- Yes, this can immediately remove questions about the winner. But if our guys do not do this in the first 15-20 minutes of the meeting, then the opponent can get a slight advantage. At least in physical terms. We are not able to run across them; in this they are objectively stronger. At the same time, according to tactical thinking, individual skill and team interactions - Cherchesov's team is better.

- You said that the Russian team is inferior to the opponent in physical fitness and speed. It will not be a big problem, it's not a secret that some players arrived at the location of the team after hard work in clubs. This is primarily about the representatives of Spartak and Krasnodar, who took part in the qualification mats of the Europa League and the Champions League.

- I am not a supporter of the theory of fatigue at the beginning of the season. As a former Premier League player, I just don’t understand how it can appear in two months? For example, in England I often played in two days, or even a day, and was in perfect shape. At the same time, I admit that the guys could have experienced an emotional decline, but I am sure that Cherchesov has already dealt with this. He is a great psychologist.

- But what about the fact that the home team is a priori faster than the players of the Russian national team?

- To win this match you do not need to run a lot and quickly. That is, you need to play like "Barcelona" - to correctly place yourself and not rush around the field headlong. This should be done by an opponent trying to take the ball away and losing his strength at that time. By the way, that is why the first, quick goal will be extremely important. In this situation, the home team will likely slow down, will play more accurately and may still miss.

- In that case, is it worth expecting Cherchesov to go all-in and decide to release two forwards on the field?

- It is doubtful that a bet will be made on such a scheme. I bow to the figure that I was at the World Cup and in recent matches. That is, Artyom Dziuba pushed to the forefront and two attacking midfielders underneath. The choice in favor of two nominal attackers for me looks a bit adventurous. Still, we play away and with such a difficult opponent. We must not forget about defense. Strengthening the attack is better to expect closer to the match with Kazakhstan, well, or in the event that the team will lose and urgently need a hammered ball.

- And is there no point, given the strong qualities of the Scots, to think about saturation of the supporting zone?

- It’s also unlikely. The Scots, as supporters of British football will attack from the flanks, so that the coaching staff will rather focus on strengthening the edges. Three oporniks could be played only if they came to Glasgow for a draw, knowing Stanislav Salamovich - he came to win and force the team to attack, he has such a character.

- Speaking of Cherchesov. He has already stated that he will bet on proven players. Do you think that Zelimkhan Bakaev and Nikolai Komlichenko have a chance to play, which are already difficult to call team newcomers.

- It’s hard for me to talk about Komlichenko, I’m not very familiar with this striker. Bakayev has seen in the case more than once. Zelimkhan gained excellent shape, it’s a sin not to use it. He has a good kick from his left foot, he can not only break through, but also give a subtle pass, a very smart and gifted guy. A valuable player who can benefit. Yes, it’s unlikely to reach the starting lineup, but I will replace it with a very high probability.