Football Season Guide

CSKA Moscow ultimately had a forgettable last season as they never managed to threaten the top three in the standings and seemed like a side in desperate need of attacking flair and some creativity. Vladimir Fedotov did a decent job with the Army Men in the two seasons he was there but his time came to a natural end at the conclusion of the season and now Serbian Marko Nicolic comes over as the new man to lead the team. Nikolic did quite well with Lokomotiv a few years ago and the expectations are that he will bring more attack-minded football and excitement to the VEB Arena. CSKA's squad last season was quite short on options and quite a lot of young players got to play minutes. Yet this summer the Army Men are more proactive and aggressive in the market and already brought in three players expected to be regulars in Daniil Krugovoy, Rifat Zhemaletdinov and Sekou Koita. The latter is one of the most intriguing new signings in the whole league as he has quality in abundance and could be one of the best strikers around but injuries have held him back so far in his career. Ask long as he sdtauys fit, he has the potential to turn CSKA into one of the most potent attacking units, provided that Fedor Chalov stays around too. At the back, Igor Diveev is hoping to stay fit for longer periods than before as him and Willyan Rocha are an excellent pair. The team is a bit shorter on quality and options in central midfield or the wings but the nucleus of a successful squad that go places and compete in the top end of the standings is there.