Forward to the past: why the appointment of Berdyev is a risk for Sochi

Why did Sochi decide to change their mentor?

Last season for the team was the best in history.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Fedotov, Sochi sensationally took second place in the RPL, ahead of Dynamo by a flag.

However, in the summer, the mentor left his post and headed CSKA, and the team itself lost two key performers.

Mateo Cassierra and Rodrigao went to Zenit.

And although new players were subsequently acquired in their place, they cannot be called an equivalent replacement.

In this regard, there were practically no prerequisites for repeating the success of Sochi.

Against the backdrop of intensified competitors, he looked even less competitive, and the appointment of Vadim Garanin, who had never worked in the major leagues before, to the post of head coach (albeit unofficially) only strengthened the fears that later came true.

Barsy finished the first part of the season in ninth place, ten points behind third-placed Rostov.

At the same time, Dynamo, which is in the fourth position, is only four points ahead of them.

It would seem that nothing terrible happened.

The team is not far from the leaders and at the same time demonstrates a very nice and modern football with an emphasis on possession of the ball, and also creates dangerous chances in large numbers.

In terms of expected goals (xG), Sochi are second only to Zenit, Spartak, CSKA and Orenburg.

However, this was clearly not enough for the leadership, so already in November there were rumors about Garanin's resignation.

When did it become known about the choice in favor of Berdyev?

For the first time, information about the arrival of Kurban Berdyev in Sochi appeared in mid-November.

At that time, he combined the positions of head coach and technical director of Traktor, which ranked seventh in the Iranian Pro League table after 11 rounds.

At the end of the month, the specialist asked to accept his resignation.

The mentor openly admitted that the matter was in negotiations with one of the RPL clubs, but as a motivation for returning to the Russian Federation he called not money, but “moral duty and the needs of Russian football.”

The press hastened to call Berdyev's appointment to Sochi a fait accompli.

It was said that the leaders of the team, including Christian Noboa, Soslan Dzhanaev and Ibragim Tsallagov, personally insisted on his candidacy, and Kurban Bekievich himself had already been introduced to the team.

And although managers usually prefer not to disclose such information until official confirmation, club owner Boris Rotenberg acted differently and at the end of November announced an agreement with a 70-year-old specialist.

It is difficult to say for what reason, but we had to wait about a month for an official statement from the club.

Only on December 25, Sochi issued a press release announcing the start of cooperation with Berdyev.

At the same time, not a word was said about the fate of Garanin and Alexander Tochilin, who was de jure at the helm of the team.

How suitable is Berdyev for Sochi?

For many years, Berdyev was considered one of the most pragmatic Russian coaches.

At the forefront, he put a strong game in defense, and in attack he relied on the creativity of his star players.

In Rubin, Alejandro Dominguez and Christian Noboa were responsible for this, and in Rostov, a bright duet with the Ecuadorian was Serdar Azmun.

However, high pressure and ball control are not about Berdyev.

And in this regard, his invitation to Sochi looks a little strange.

In fact, it indicates either a change in the course of development, or that management did not pay much attention to such subtleties when choosing a new mentor.

After all, Berdyev's vision is in stark contrast to the ideas of Fedotov and Garanin, who were trying to instill modern football in Sochi with a stake in high pressure and lightning-fast transitions from defense to attack.

Yes, the bet on Berdyev can be partially explained by the current problems of the "leopards" in defense.

In expected goals allowed (xGA), they are sixth from the bottom (27.02), and fifth in real goals conceded (32).

And the leadership probably believes that an experienced coach will be able to strengthen the defensive line.

However, there are serious doubts about this.

What form is Berdyev in?

The main reason is that at the moment it is not known what state the coach is in.

Yes, Berdyev is still remembered and respected in Russia, and some still consider him one of the strongest domestic specialists.

But this is based more on his work during the first arrival at Rubin and a bright stage at Rostov.

In recent years, Kurban Bekievich was far from being so successful.

First failed in Kazan, and then went to Kazakhstan and Iran.

And even though he won the Cup of the country with Kairat, it is impossible to call his return to the club successful.

Under his leadership, the yellow-blacks won 14 victories in 32 meetings, and at the time of his resignation they occupied only eighth place in the national championship table.

Thus, the current form of Berdyev raises serious doubts.

Of course, in terms of experience, he will give odds to anyone in the RPL.

The question is how well he is familiar with new trends and whether his methods will work in the current conditions.

Sochi does not have a wide selection of top players, and there are simply no such players in the defensive line.

Therefore, it is extremely difficult to imagine whether the mentor will be able to build a strong defense without having conditional Cesar Navas and Roman Sharonov at his disposal.

Will Berdyev be able to work with the leadership of Sochi?

In addition, an important aspect is the interaction between the specialist and the club's management.

Throughout his career, Berdyev tried not to limit himself solely to the control of the training process and the choice of line-up for the match, but also took part in solving selection and other issues related to building and recruiting a team.

Indicative was the eight-year stage at Rubin, during which he combined the positions of mentor and vice president.

If you believe the rumors, he did something similar in Rostov, although he was not officially in both posts at the same time.

However, there are big doubts that in 2023 Berdyev will receive such carte blanche in Sochi.

Recently, in football, there are practically no managers of the caliber of Alex Ferguson, who would close a number of processes within the team.

Tasks are evenly distributed between different departments, and although the coach is able to influence the transfer campaign, he still plays a far from the main role.

And it is not always easy for specialists of the old school to adapt to new realities.

This was clearly seen in the example of Yuri Semin, whose last period of stay at Lokomotiv was remembered for constant scandals with Ilya Gerkus.

The question is under what conditions Berdyev came to Sochi and whether he will be able to get used to the new realities if his powers are not as wide as before.

The contract for 2.5 years assumes that Kurban Bekievich is trusted and ready to allow him to calmly and systematically build a strong team.

But whether he is able to do it not on his own terms is a big question.