Russia concerned by state of team ahead of Confed Cup

Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov has been placed under the microscope after his side’s loss to Ivory Coast at the weekend, the first time Russia had lost to a team from the CAF region. After the defeat on home soil, serious questions have been raised about Cherchesov’s ability to lead Russia in the 2018 World Cup.

Cherchesov and his dispirited squad were whistled off the pitch by furious fans in eastern Krasnodar after Premier League-based pair Jonathan Kodjia and Wilfried Zaha fired Ivory Coast to a 2-0 friendly win.

It was Cherchesov's third defeat in six matches since taking over in August -- the other two coming against Costa Rica and Qatar last year.

And it has also led to doubts about the ability of Russia, ranked 60th by FIFA, to compete among the elite with the Confederations Cup just three months away and the World Cup -- for which they qualify automatically as hosts -- next year.

The 53-year-old former Soviet goalkeeper took over after Russia's disastrous Euro 2016 campaign.

But with the clock ticking he faces a daunting task with the defeat in front of a capacity 34,000 crowd last Friday exposing serious problems in the team coupled with a dearth of young emerging talent.

The coach and squad were lambasted in the Russian press on Saturday.

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Russia showing "obvious lack of creativity"

"I'm disappointed," Russian coach Valery Nepomnyashchy, who guided Cameroon into the 1990 World Cup last-eight round, told Sport Express daily. "The team showed obvious lack of creative moves and sharp passing. There was no balance between the attack and defence."

Nepomnyashchy added: "But we shouldn't give way to despair. This defeat may be very useful for the team. And don't forget that Russia have played without a number of first-line players."

But former Soviet footballer Gennady Orlov, now a television pundit, saw a "team that lacked devotion".

"Football is a game of courageous people, while our players showed obvious lack of courage," said Orlov. "I'd say everything is wrong in Russia's current football system. The players should fight hard for a place in the line-up, while they all look self satisfied."

Foreign player limit blamed

Italian football agent Marco Trabucchi blamed the domestic league's limit on the foreign footballers for generating the weakest crop in the country's history.

"Don't scold the Russian team, it's their true current level," Trabucchi wrote on his Twitter page. "It's the weakest generation in the country's history. We should thank the limit - super idea!"

Russian Premier League rules limit the number of foreign players on the pitch at one time, and some experts believe this stifles competition in the league.

"Because of the foreign-player limit, [Russian] players don't face competition for a spot in their club's line-up," Sport Express columnist Igor Rabiner told AFP, adding that the national squad was not accustomed to pushing its limits.

Cherchesov has work to do with Belgium -- ranked fifth in the world by FIFA -- next up in a warm-up match on Tuesday.

Two more friendlies against Hungary and Chile are scheduled before the Confederations Cup kicks off on June 17.