I think Guus Hiddink choose a very usual lineup and is likely to use a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-1-3-1-1 formation.

The selection of Akinfeev and Gabulov is quite expected, however the omission of Malafeev may be a signal that Hiddink is looking for another goalkeeper. It is possible that Gabulov has stepped up to be No 2 and Hiddink is looking at possible candidates for the third spot.

The back line is as expected. Hiddink will probably use the four man defense consisting of Anyukov, Kolodin, Ignashevich, and Zhirkov. But it is possible that we may see one of the Berezutski twins or Yanbaev feature in the game. I think that Hiddink should begin looking for a candidate to replace the aging Ignashevich. Even though he still has a high level of performance his age will begin to show.

There are numerous possibilities for the midfield, Hiddink will likely want to attack. If a 4-4-1-1 formation is used Semshov and Zyrianov will partner in the center along with Bystrov and Denisov on the wings. If Hiddink decides to use a 4-1-3-1-1, Aldonin, Semak, or Semshov will play as defensive midfielders. Zyrianov will likely play as the central attacking midfielder with Bystrov and Denisov on the flanks. There might be an opportunity for Dzagoev to play in as an attacking midfielder or maybe even for Zhirkov to move up to one of the flanks.

The forward line will most likely feature Arshavin as a second striker and Kerzhakov as the target man. Hiddink is only taking four strikers to the Lokomotiv Stadium and Pavlyuchenko and Porgrebnyak are the only other candidates to partner with Arshavin. Hiddink may be looking at getting new strikers into the national team because Pogrebnyak and Pavlyuchenko are not up to their usual standards at the moment but it is possible that Sychev and Saenko will return in the near future.

Thats all I have to say for now. Look for another post with pre-game analysis and my prediction.

I look forward to your comments.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeyev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Dynamo Moscow)

Defenders: Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Alexei Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Vasily Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Yuri Zhirkov (Chelsea), Denis Kolodin (Dynamo Moscow), Renat Yanbayev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexander Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg)

Midfielders: Igor Semshov (Zenit St Petersburg), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Igor Denisov (Zenit St Petersburg), Sergei Semak (Rubin Kazan), Vladimir Bystrov (Spartak Moscow), Yevgeny Aldonin (CSKA Moscow), Alan Dzagoyev (CSKA Moscow)

Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham Hotspur), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Zenit St Petersburg), Alexander Kerzhakov (Dynamo Moscow).

from reuters.com

Roman Pavlyuchenko is now rumored to move to Chelsea after newly appointed manager Carlo Ancelotti will be looking to increase the firepower considering they are looking to offload Didier Drogba. I think that Pavlyuchenko will be a good addition to Chelsea and a good partner with Anelka.

Yuri Zhirkov is also rumored to transfer to transfer to Chelsea after it became apparent that the they will need a good player to improve the left sided capability. In my opinion Zhirkov is proficient in both roles. He plays as a left-winger for CSKA Moskva and as a left-back for Russia. However with Ashley Cole as the established left-back, I think that Zhirkov can play well as a left winger providing dangerous crosses and run ins into the box.

Thats all I have to say for now. I will blog more as rumors become more evident. But anyway I look forward to reading your comments.

The back line in Russia’s formation was very strong but I think Finland lacked their usual firepower. Johnasson lacked his ability to produce for Finland from their previous games. However Kolodin and Ignashevich did well to suppress the rare Finnish attacks. Ignashevich was also instrumental in providing the pass which allowed Arshavin to assist Kerzhakov in scoring the first goal. Zhirkov can also be noted in making several supporting runs into the Finnish half.

The midfield and forward lines did well to attack the Finnish goal. Arshavin was able to keep the Finnish defense out of position in order to clear Kerzhakov for the shooting opportunity into the box. The Tihinen-Hyypia center-back partnership was slow and could not close the gaps in time to stop the Russian attack. Finland was very poor in marking their opponents which allowed Zyrianov to score the third goal. Bystrov and Zyrianov did well to play on the wings providing good passes to threaten the Finnish defense. Obviously up front Kerzhakov and Arshavin provided the cutting edge to produce goals. Pavlyuchenko came on late for Kerzhakov and shot just wide of Jääskeläinen’s goal.

Overall this solidifies the group to allow Russia to pursue Germany for first place. Finland may threaten the top two teams again but they will have to defeat Germany in Hamburg. Russia can now look forward to their more serious games against Wales in Cardiff and Germany in Moscow.

Goalkeepers
To start off from the the back, I think the selection of Vyacheslav Malafeev and Vladimir Gaboulov is expected. They are both fit for their clubs and I think Gaboulov will improve upon joining Dynamo Moskva. Malafeev has proven himself after Zenit’s UEFA Cup campaign.

I am concerned about Igor Akinfeev. Watching him play for CSKA Moskva, his form is questionable. He conceded too many goals and his particular weakness are one-on-one situations in which he was unbeatable at before his injury in 2007. He did however inpress against Kazakhstan and Serbia. I think that if Hiddink wants Akinfeev in the squad, he should deputize for Malafeev and Gaboulov.

Defenders
Hiddinks defensive lineup is as I expected. The strong back line is anchored by Sergei Ignashevich and the Berezutsky twins. I was satisfied with Hiddinks selection of Aleksandr Anyukov and Denis Kolodin. Anyukov is a good wing back and Kolodin is solid in central defence who can cover for Igashevich. In addition I think that Roman Shirokov is also a good central defender or defensive midfielder. I think the one advantage Hiddink has with Anykov and Shirokov is both can be utilized as midfielders or defenders. I don’t know much about Renat Yanbayev other than he is a starting left defender for Lokomotiv Moskva.

Midfielders
Like I wrote in my previous article, Hiddink is using the midfielders from qualifier squads with the exception of Sergei Semak. I am pretty surprised at his selection as his last cap for Russia was against Spain on May 27, 2006. But he is in good form for Rubin Kazan as they are at the top of the table in the Russian Premier League (RPL). I am also a bit surprised that Marat Izmailov was omitted given his form for Sporting Clube de Portugal. I think he is quite impressive especially with his long range goals. I think that the other players selected is as expected.

Strikers
I was sure Aleksandr Kerzhakov secured his place in the squad after returning to Russia to join Dynamo Moskva. He scored two goals in nine apearences and gives numerous assists to Dynamo’s other strikers. However since Hiddink is an experieced manager I trust him in Kerzhakov’s omission. Kerzhakov does have a chance to be included if Pogrebnyak withdraws after injury against Serbia. The other strikers are as usual with the exception fo Roman Adamov. Adamov has been one of the leading goal scorers of the RPL and has been helping FC Moskva in the RPL.

I am also glad to see the selection of Ivan Saenko as he is terrific at crossing from the midfield for the strikers.

I’ve shared my thoughs on Hiddink’s 23 man squad and I’d like to hear from you.

Since the announcement of the squad is approaching, I just wanted to share my ideas on possible players Guus Hiddink might choose for his 23 man squad for Euro 2008 this summer.

Goalkeepers
To start from the back, I think Guus Hiddink has made it clear that his prefered goalkeepers are Igor Akinfeev, Vyacheslav Malafeev, and Vladimir Gaboulov. Hiddink’s favorite goalkeeper as everyone already knows is Igor Akinfeev. Having watched him in previous seasons at CSKA Moscow, he his truely amazing. But unfortunatly injury cost him nearly the entire 2007 season with club and country. Malafeev has recently proven himself to be in top form against Bayern Munchen in the UEFA Cup. It’s possible that he has already secured the No. 1 shirt. As for goalkeeper No. 3, I think that Gaboulov is a good choice. He recently transfered to Amkar Perm and has elevated the club in the Russian Premier League.

I think that Hiddink is possibly going to bump Malafeev to No. 1 and Gaboulov to No. 2 simply because Akinfeev has found it difficult to find his previous form. Given his recent performances for Russia and CSKA Moscow, I believe his chances to be in the squad are quite limited. This opens up the No. 3 spot in which Hiddink might choose another goalkeeper. I think possible candidates include Ivan Levenets (Lokomotiv Moscow), Veniamin Mandrykin (Tom Tomsk), and Anton Shunin (Dynamo Moscow).

Defenders
Hiddink’s defence is pretty solid with Sergei Ignashevich and the Berezutski twins. Other regulars include Aleksader Anyukov and Denis Kolodin, all of whom have shown terrific form. Hiddink has usually chosen six defenders in the qualifier squads. I dont see him changing that so the sixth spot is wide open with a large pool of candidates. I’m not sure who Hiddink will pick but my favorite is Roman Shirokov from Zenit St. Petersburg. He has clearly been converted to a defender and has shown brilliant form during Zenit’s UEFA Cup campaign. Other possible candidates include Sergei Efimov, Ivan Tranaov, and Renat Yanbayev, all of whom have been called up by Hiddink for training sessions.

Midfielders
For the midfield, Hiddink has a large pool to choose from but I think he will probably go with the players he used in the qualifying campaign. That includes Konstantine Zyrianov, Igor Semshov, Yuri Zhirkov, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Vladimir Bystrov, Dmitri Torobinski, and Marat Izmialov. Hiddink is likley to pack the midfield and may include eight or nine players of his 23 man squad. Like Ivan siad in his previous article, foreign based players Viktor Budyanski and Ivan Saenko are not getting enough playing time. I think possible alternatives include Igor Denisov and Evgeni Aldonin. Denisov has obviously been in form with Zenit so Hiddink is likey to cap him soon. Evgeni Aldonin is a valuable choice simply because of his vast experience and leadership skills. But like I said, Hiddink has large pool of midfielders to choose from so there are countless possibilities.

Strikers
According to euro2008.com, Hiddink has stated he will choose only five strikers. This is why I guess you see all the strikers across Russia striving to be fit. In qualifying, Hiddink was consistent in using Andrei Arshavin, Aleksandr Kerzhakov, Roman Pavlychenko, Dmitry Sychev, and Pavel Pogrebnyak.

I think that Arshavin was lucky to only get a two match ban otherwise as Hiddink stated, he would not have included him in the squad. Its quite obvious, Hiddink will choose Arshavin simply because he is the best striker who can play on the right side. Arshavin has also been the marshall in Zenit’s attack in their UEFA Cup campaign. Arshavin’s partner Pavel Pogrebnyak is currently the top scorer in the UEFA Cup and may have already secured his place in the squad.

Since moving back to Russia from Sevilla, Aleksandr Kerzhakov has reestablished himself as a candidate for the squad. He was Hiddink’s favorite striker since his appointment as Russia manager. It is imprtant to note that Kerzhakov has tournament experience having played in the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. I think the advantage of pairing Kerzhakov up front with Arshavin is their mutual understanding while playing together at Zenit St. Petersburg. Kerzhakov also adds a bit of foriegn experience to the squad having played at Sevilla FC for a year. In short, Kerzhakov has regained form with Dinamo Moscow and is likely to be included in the Russian squad.

Pavluchenko is a stong candidate to having been utilized by Hiddink in qualifying. He has shown top form for Spartak Moscow and is thier all time leading goal scorer. Pavlyuchenko showed his pace and firepower against England and hieght gives him aerial capibility. However I think that he is unlikey to get a starting place as he is second to Kerzhakov as right striker.

Sychev, like Kerzhakov, adds tournament experience having played in the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. He is likley to compete for the right striker position with Kerzhakov, Pavluchenko, and Pogrebnyak but can be utilized on the left as well. He may be Arshavin’s replacement for the first ro games but it seems Izmialov has taken that role. But I think that if Hiddink rotates between Kerzhakov, Pavlyuchenko, Pogrebnyak, and Sychev it will keep the Russian attack nice and fresh.

I think that all five strikers listed are probably the best strikers Hiddink has at his disposal. However they have not avoided competition. In my opinion the best alternative from the usual five is Dmitri Bulykin. Although his last cap for Russia was in September 2004 and was a one of two goal scorers for Russia at Euro 2004, I think that he has a strong chance be in the squad given his form at Bayer Leverkusen. He has not been getting enough playing time but has scored crucial goals in the Bundesliga to keep Leverkusen in the top five.

Other candidates include Roman Adamov and Evegeni Savin. Both of whom will be called upon incase one of the five usual strikers are deemed unfit.

Anyway, I think that Hiddink is likely to go his usual lineup up front.

Well, I have given you my thoughts on a possible lineup Hiddink my reveal this week and I am interested in reading your comments.