A tough week for Artiga: first a Cup setback, then a draw with Orenburg

A tough week for Rubin and Frank Artiga

Last week, Rubin received an unpleasant slap from Rodina in the Russian Cup (0:5).

Yes, Kazan fielded a reserve lineup in that match, but losing by such a score is unacceptable for a team that is still trying to advance as far as possible in the tournament, not just limiting itself to the group stage in the RPL Path.

Apart from the crushing defeat in the capital, Rubin's emotional state was significantly shaken by the transfer of the team's main star — Mirind Daku — to Spartak Moscow.

This autumn, Kazan will have to learn to play without the Albanian, on whom Rubin's football was previously very heavily dependent.

Rubin or Orenburg — who lost points in the match?

Yesterday, Frank Artiga's team faced Orenburg. A crisis-ridden squad, but one capable of rattling any opponent in the RPL. It would have been naive to expect an easy walk for Rubin, as the final result showed.

Kazan stumbled, drawing against Ildar Akhmetzyanov's team 1:1. Though, it depends on how you look at who lost points in the match.

At the post-match press conference, Ildar Akhmetzyanov did not hide his frustration — his players could easily have taken three points from the capital of Tatarstan. Orenburg was more interesting in the first half and deservedly took the lead at the start of the second half through Emil Tsenov.

But then the visitors, perhaps frightened by their lead, ceded the initiative to Rubin. With a bit of luck, Kazan still found their chance to restore parity, with Jacques Sive scoring. More precisely, the Frenchman headed the ball after a corner, and it deflected off Alexei Tataev into the Orenburg net.

Who to replace Daku with is one of the agonizing questions for Frank Artiga

The match gave Rubin's head coach Frank Artiga plenty of food for thought.

Firstly, in the upcoming rounds, the Spanish coach needs to figure out who to fill the center-forward position with. Against Orenburg, Nazmi Grippshi played as a “false nine.” In this role, the Albanian midfielder was excellent in last season's spring matches against Krasnodar (2:1) and Lokomotiv (3:0), when Kazan managed to beat RPL giants without Daku.

But yesterday, Grippshi failed to deliver a standout performance. The Albanian was inconspicuous and did not create enough sharpness in attack. It seemed that Grippshi is still more comfortable playing as a “playmaker” or an inside forward drifting into the center, rather than a “false nine.”

Sive, who came on in the second half as a classic striker, looked much more convincing in attack. The Frenchman was eager to prove himself and show Frank Artiga that he deserves a regular spot in the starting lineup. In Daku's absence, Sive must unlock his potential; otherwise, it will become clear that his transfer to Rubin last autumn brought no dividends to Kazan.

“I expect we will have transfers”

The second, no less important question that Frank Artiga certainly asked himself after the match is who Rubin needs to strengthen with before the transfer window closes.

Several key positions in the Kazan club are in deficit. And if the Spanish coach does not get reinforcements in September, Rubin is unlikely to be able to hold onto 7th-8th place by the end of the first part of the season and, consequently, fulfill the task for the current Russian championship.

“I expect we will have transfers, but I don't know when that will happen. We will have to look for new solutions. There is Sive, but he is a different kind of forward. If you remember last year, I said we wouldn't change the system. The squad is selected for a five-defender style of play. And we would like to take the next step towards a more attacking profile. And that depends on the personnel. We have reinforcements: Ignatiev, Samoshnikov, Nacho. These reinforcements are not of an attacking profile. I would like reinforcements for the central midfielder, perhaps a number ten, perhaps a forward," Frank Artiga stated at the press conference.

“I want more”

A difficult autumn awaits Rubin. Artiga burst ambitiously into the RPL last spring, firmly establishing Kazan as a potential top-5 contender in the championship.

The Spanish coach clearly does not want to lose face and fail to justify the trust of Rubin's management. Therefore, the stalling that Kazan encountered last week, both in the Russian Cup and in the RPL, does not please him.

“I want more” — these were the words Frank Artiga exchanged with journalists as he passed through the mixed zone with his family.

The coach wants to implement bright Spanish football that will delight fans not only with results but also with elegant play. However, for this, Rubin needs quality players. This is as clear as day.

Rubin (Kazan) — Orenburg — 1:1 (0:0)
August 9. Ak Bars Arena
0:1 — Tsenov, 48
1:1 — Tataev, 60 (own goal)
Rubin: Staver, Teslenko, Rozhkov, Arroyo, Vujacic, Maldonado (Ivu, 59), Saavedra, Samoshnikov (Sive, 46), Khoja, Bezrukov (Yukic, 75), Grippshi (Kuznetsov, 59)
Orenburg: Ovsyannikov, Tataev, Palacios, Sivis, Tsenov (Vedernikov, 65), Bolotov, Puebla, Rybchinsky (Kasadzhikov, 65), Golybin, Kul, Guzina.