It's that time again. The season is starting. Here's the UEFA rankings: Based on it, this is what FSU top 15 should look like: 1. Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) 2. CSKA Moskva (RUS) 3. Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS) 4. Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) 5. Spartak Moskva (RUS) 6. Metalist Kharkiv (UKR) 7. Rubin Kazzan (RUS) 8. Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS) 9. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR) 10. Vorskla Poltava (UKR) 11. Dinamo Moskva (RUS) 12. Sibir Novosibirsk (RUS) 13. Amkar Perm (RUS) 14. Tavriya Symferopol (UKR) 15. Metalurh Donetsk (UKR) Of course, this table only concerns UEFA competitions and may be leaving out some better teams (NOW) that have not played in Europe. Here's my list: 1. Shakhtar Donetsk 2. Dynamo Kyiv 3. CSKA Moskva 4. Zenit St. Petersburg 5. Rubin Kazan 6. Dinamo Moskva 7. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 8. Spartak Moskva 9. Metalist Kharkiv 10. Anzhi Makhachkala 11. Tavriya Symferopol 12. Lokomotiv Moskva 13. Kuban Krasnodar 14. Karpaty Lviv 15. BATE Borisau
I would put CSKA above DK but I can't argue with that list. I don't know anything about Tavriya but one can't argue against Loko's current form or lack there of.
Tavriya, I think, on paper, is better than Karpaty, for example. They had several very nice acquisitions at the UPL level. I do not know whether they will turn out to be better.
I know a lot more about the top teams than I do about how to realistically compare the lower reaches. I'd go 1. Shakhtar Donetsk 2. CSKA 3. Zenit 4. Dynamo Kyiv 5. Dinamo 6. Metalist 7. Rubin 8. Dnipro After that I'd be lying if I said I know who was better. My notes, from the last year, I don't really know how Dynamo can be rated higher than Zenit or CSKA. Dynamo haven't really played well in a few seasons, by their standards. Dinamo gets above Metalist simply because they are keeping pace at the top of the Russian table. Not sure how Metalist aren't above Dnipro when Metalist finish 3rd every year. Shakhtar are clearly far and away #1 right now.
Anzhi is better than Rubin and probably Spartak and probably Dinamo. Registration window this August will help them as well
You're probably right. My knowledge of Russian football sort of comes delayed and rests a lot on legacy picks. Sort of like all start voting. I didn't even realize how well they'd been doing this year till i checked the table.
The reason I place Dynamo above Zenit is Dynamo's decent second half of the last season and a higher EL finish. The same goes for CSKA but I would not complain much if CSKA are ranked above Dynamo - CSKA is on the hell of a run right now. I placed Dnipro above Metalist ONLY as an advance for their recent additions. I would not complain if they trade places. And, yes, Shakhtar are #1 in FSU and, by extension, in all of Eastern Europe.
It's a bit ironic that as the rest of eastern europe joins the EU, their football leagues are completely in the tank. A region that produced European champions in Bucarest and Belgrade. Now they are all falling apart. Then again, I shudder to think of what Ukrainian and Russian clubs would look like if they had to fend for themselves financially.
We saw it in the 90's and it was as night and day as something can get if we compare it to the past 10 years.
Well, one thing for sure, pretty soon we'll know where Dynamo and Rubin should be in relation to each other.
Not taking into consideration anything in the past, just how good the teams are right now moving forward. 1. Shakhtar Donetsk 2. CSKA Moskva 3. Zenit St. Petersburg 4. Dynamo Kyiv 5. Dinamo Moskva 6. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 7. Metalist Kharkiv 8. Rubin Kazan 9. Anzhi Makhachkala 10. Spartak Moskva 11. Karpaty Lviv 12. BATE 13. Lokomotiv Moskva 14. Kuban Krasnodar 15. Tavriya Simferopol
Anzhi has to be higher. They have the second best foreigners in the RPL besides CSKA and maybe Zenit, and will bring in more. They play Zenit this week, we'll see what happens, but they are a good team.
Blah blah blah Shakhtar blah blah blah. All these teams have a strong homegrown identity apart from Shakhtar.
No way dude, I don't think their chemistry is that good at all yet, think its more of a product of Spartak and Loko being way too subpar. Their just hyped cause their what's hot right now. I bet BATE would take care of them over 2 legs tbh
They have good chemistry, I watched their last few games. They just need a better strike. Look at their place in the standings right now despite some stupid draws in the last couple of games. They play Zenit this weekend, big test for both.
Lol but dude BATE is like 75% Belarussian NT who are pretty damn good the last 3 years especially. You remember them in a group with Zenit, Real and Juve? They handled themselves really well, they would take care of Anzhi I think. Yea their getting better but I don't think their anything that special as of right now. I think its that typical new sports team that gets hot (no matter what sport) and everyone likes over hyping the fresh new story. Their good but can't say they are better than Rubin, Metalist or Dnipro though.