Vladimir Ponomarev, a former CSKA and USSR national team player, offered strong critique of CSKA’s performance in their sixth-round clash with Orenburg in the Russian championship. He indicated that the game reflected issues that go beyond individual mistakes, emphasizing a lack of collective balance and timing in the team’s play. Ponomarev noted that the squad appeared to operate like separate soloists rather than a cohesive unit, with players acting out of sync and lacking the urgency and precision that a successful European-style game requires. In his assessment, the match failed to produce any real spark or rhythm, leaving the field with a sense that the players were merely going through the motions rather than executing a disciplined game plan.
On the field, CSKA settled for a 1-1 draw with Orenburg on August 25, with Moises and Lucas Vera leveling the score for the visitors. After six rounds in the Russian Premier League, CSKA managed to claim another point but remained in the mix for a top-three finish, sharing third place with Dynamo and Zenit. Krasnodar led the standings after a draw with Fakel, while Ural stood just one point behind, with a match against Zenit scheduled for August 26 looming large on the calendar. The table at that stage underscored how tight the league had become early in the season, with several clubs tightly packed and every point carrying weight in the early sprint toward the winter break.
In a separate note regarding the team’s lineup decisions, a former CSKA goalkeeper addressed the ongoing discussion about who is between the posts. He suggested that the club should not shoulder the responsibility for the squad’s struggles solely on the replacement for Akinfeev, instead urging a broader look at defensive organization and overall form across the team. This perspective underscored the belief that results are driven by a combination of individual performances, system coherence, and the depth of the squad, rather than the performance of a single player alone. The commentary highlighted that resilience and teamwork would be essential for CSKA to reverse struggles and reestablish themselves as a consistent threat in the league. This line of thought aligns with broader discussions among analysts who stress the importance of a stable defensive structure, effective transition play, and timely decision-making across the entire squad when facing top-tier opponents.