Euro 2012 Expert View: Russia by Andrei Kanchelskis

What is the expectation back home like? What does the nation/you think is a realistic achievement?

I'd say expectations here are not very high, but then again, I remember that they were not very high four years ago either, and Russia went all the way to the semi-finals of Euro 2008. I think it is certainly realistic for the Russian team to qualify from their group and reach the last eight. After that, though, I wouldn't make any firm predictions. However, I'd say that if they get beyond the quarter-finals it would be something of a surprise. But as we've seen in the past with the likes of Denmark and Greece, it's not always the favourites who win.

How popular is the manager with the fans/the players?

Dick Advocaat is not as popular as his Dutch predecessor Guus Hiddink, but he has done a decent job, is a proper professional, and commands respect. However, the fact he has already announced his intention to step down after the Euros has not gone down so well.

What have been the big talking points regarding player selection and tactics over the past year or so?

Some of Advocaat's selection choices have been conservative and the team has lacked the same amount of flair it showed under Hiddink. In the qualifiers Russia showed they were very good at keeping possession and restricting the chances for their opponents, but they didn't create enough chances, and the attack lacked fluidity.

Under Hiddink the three-pronged attack was very fast and fluid, with players swapping places; that has mostly been missing under Advocaat. The other big talking point has been the form of captain Andrey Arshavin, who didn't feature much at Arsenal and has not done a great deal for Russia recently. We can only hope that his return to Zenit St Petersburg on loan during the winter will have a positive impact for the national team this summer.

Who could you least afford to lose to injury/suspension?

I would say Alexander Kerzhakov. He is a very experienced striker and he is our main source of goals at the moment. We really need him to continue with the form he's been showing for Zenit St Petersburg during this last season when he scored a lot of goals in the Russian Premier League. But I'd also pick out another Zenit player, Roman Shirakov, who has been showing really good form in midfield - he's a very creative player and would be a big loss.

What are the teams' great strengths and weaknesses?

We have a lot of experience, and the spine of this team has already played in one European Championships four years ago. So a lot of the players know what to expect from such a tournament.

Advocaat has the squad well-drilled and well organised, and they will be motivated to do well, I think. On the other hand, you could say that we have an ageing squad, so there could be some issues with fitness.

I'd say the weakest area of the pitch is definitely the defence. It's really important for us that the main defenders stay fit, because there are only six defenders in the squad in total, and we don't have any real alternatives to the likes of Alexei Berezutsky and Sergei Ignashevich.

Tournament Bet
Russia to score under 3.5 goals in the group stages @ 2.01/1