The former Spartak Moscow and USSR national team goalkeeper, known for his keen eye on both attack and defense, offered a pointed assessment of the red and white’s recent form. He emphasizes how the team looks when Promes operates on the field, noting that Spartak often presses forward confidently and consistently finds the back of the net at a level you would expect from a top club.
On the defensive side, his critique grows more stringent. He describes the back line as unsettled and describes how defenders’ body language and the gaps they leave behind frequently disrupt the team’s ability to control passing sequences. The new arrivals in the defensive unit, he argues, have yet to internalize the tactical demands the coach places on them, and that disconnect is costing points and sapping the players’ confidence.
His verdict on defensive protection is blunt. He calls Spartak’s rearguard a sieve, insisting that even a legendary shot-stopper like Buffon could not compensate for the kind of lapses he is seeing. These remarks, relayed by RB Sports, reflect a frustration born from recurring mistakes rather than isolated missteps.
Historically, the concerns about defensive organization align with the club’s record. In the 2022/2023 season, Spartak conceded 32 goals over 25 matches, while Zenit Saint Petersburg conceded only 13 in the same span, highlighting a clear gulf in defensive solidity across the league.
At the 25th week of the Russian Premier League, Spartak occupied third place with 49 points. The gap to the league leaders, Zenit, stood at 12 points, while Rostov sat just one point ahead in second with 50 points. These standings help supporters understand why the critique resonates and why consistency on both ends of the pitch remains a priority.
Meanwhile, another former Russian national team player, Andrey Tikhonov, used the spring portion of the season to spotlight Spartak’s difficulties. His analysis mirrors the same period of the campaign that exposed challenges in sustaining momentum and delivering results against stronger opponents, a topic that continues to influence discussions about potential changes to squad structure and match strategies.