In the Karpin team, the experiment mode. The line-up is constantly changing, the game against not the strongest opponents looks suboptimal, and the results are not encouraging. There have even been talks about the possible resignation of Valery Karpin, but the victory over Iraq will give the head coach a break. He can continue to build in the national team what he started last fall.
What is strange in the national teamEvery time questions arise even at the stage of announcing the list of invited players. Under Karpin, the logic of the call is not always obvious, but one thing remains unchanged — a large number of Rostov players are involved.
On the one hand, this makes sense. There are no legionnaires in Rostov, and the coach has plenty to choose from. Karpin would probably invite more players from Zenit, but only Kuzyaev, Karavaev and Mostovoy play there from the Russians. Rostov players are familiar with Karpin's requirements and it is easier for the coach to work when at least some of the players initially understand what needs to be done on the field. But it looks like some players have «reservations» for getting into the national team.
There are questions about the choice of composition. Karpin constantly changes the starting combination, and only a couple of players (again from Rostov — Glebov and Osipenko) enter the field in almost every match. The scheme does not change, but finding logic in choosing the basis is not always easy. It seems that the instability of the composition also affects the quality of the game.
In every match, the national team tries to control the ball, but this almost does not bring dividends. The team fails to dominate on the field: victories over Kyrgyzstan and Iraq turned out to be classy, and in the game with Iran, the only strong opponent, the Russians were much closer to defeat than to victory.
What Valery Georgievich Karpin is building stubbornly requires the players to play on the bottom. Karpin cites psychological problems after the defeat to Croatia at the end of 2021, when the team got scared of the opponent, pressed against the goal and began to play «simpler». It did not end well, and Karpin is trying to change this in the minds of the players.
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“We are leaving the defense through a pass, why? We have only one problem — with psychology. It may not be removed in years. Errors when exiting the defense must be trained. Let them make mistakes, but don't be afraid to make them,» says the coach.
That's why there are a lot of Rostov players in the national team. Karpin is trying to put on a rather difficult football, and he really needs players who are accustomed to this football. Not only those who better understand the requirements and principles of the game, but also those who are not afraid to make mistakes.
That is why Glebov and Osipenko always play at the base. For Karpin, they are not only one of the best in Russia — the coach draws his line through them. Glebov is generally a key player in Rostov, who plays in a hybrid role and, according to the situation, takes the position of either a defensive midfielder or a central defender. He has the same role in the national team, which operates on the same principles as the Rostov team.
In other RPL teams, this kind of football is practically not played. This is largely due to the constant rotation of the starting lineup by Karpin. He tries new players and combinations, the goal is to understand who perceives his requirements better, who acts more confidently in such a game. When else to experiment and select the right players, if not now?
The process of changing psychology cannot be quick. But Karpin has nowhere to hurry. It is not known when the national team will start playing official matches, and for now, you can just leave the team and the coach alone and let them work in peace. Let the coach bend his line, sort out the players and change the psychology. Let the players make mistakes now, in friendly matches. And maybe when the national team returns to world tournaments, our players will not be afraid to play modern football.