Going into his third season as Amkar Perm head coach, 70-year-old Gadzhi Gadzhiev has built one of Russia’s most solid sides, which has been developed slowly but steady. It is therefore no surprise that Amkar are currently occupying the second place in the RFPL four games into the season, although they are unlikely to do a Rostov and keep that position once the season is over.
With the exception of a short break in the late-1970’s, Gadzhiev has been coaching ever since 1972, which makes him the most experienced head coach in the league. Like many other coaches in Russia, he has a cautious approach to the game, and the goal of the visitors at Petrovsky will therefore first and foremost be to keep the sheets clean, which they, as the only team in the league, have managed to do in all of their games so far this season.
One should however not be tricked by Amkar’s defensive approach into thinking that they are harmless offensively speaking. Last weekend saw the Perm side defeat FC Ural in the Ural derby after a winner by debutant Darko Bodul. The Austrian-Croatian striker signed with Amkar before this season after a disappointing stint with Dundee United. 27-year-old Bodul is however a talented player with great technique, and he is best known for being offered in a trade for Gareth Bale back in 2009. After some meager years as a journeyman, Bodul and Amkar hopes to finally fulfil the potential that made him one of the stars at Ajax’ academy, with whom he signed in 2008, in the last decade.
Other than Bodul, Amkar’s squad consists of an interesting mix of experienced and young players. Guys such as 29-year-old midfielder Fegor Ogude, 30-year-old Janusz Gol and 30-year-old Petar Zanev being among the team leaders, while the 22-year-old goalkeeper Aleksandr Selikhov, 24-year-old right back, and former Zenit player, Brian Idowu and 23-year-old midfielder Alikhan Shavaev could all be future Russian internationals if they keep developing.
When that is said, the current Amkar side is far from the level of Miodrag Bozovic’ 2008 side that achieved the club’s best ever result as they finished fourth, while also losing the cup final to CSKA Moscow. Back then, they even finished above Zenit, but such a result remains unlikely despite the promising start to the season.
Coming to the game, the guests are without journeyman striker Stanislav Prokofjev, defender Ivan Cherenchikov, and midfielder Janusz Gol, leaving them vulnerable and without the same options on the bench as usual.
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