What’s wrong with Zenit?

So far Zenit (Saint Petersburg) are doing not so well in the title chase. Zenit has played 10 games in Russian Premier League (20 games are left to play). With 15 points Zenit occupies 7th place in the table. Rubin (Kazan) stand first with 21 points. CSKA (Moscow), Krylia Sovetov (Samara) and FC Moscow come next, each team has 19 points.

Zenit has won 4 games, drawn 3 times and lost to FC Rostov, FC CSKA, Dynamo (Moscow). Zenit failed to win against worst rivals (Spartak, CSKA, Lokomotiv).

Several forces may ruin Zenit expectations this season.

Lost leaders

Andrei Arshavin joined Arsenal. Danny, a player bought to replace Arshavin, will presumably miss the rest of the season due to a severe injury. Captain Anatoliy Tymoschuk will probably join Bayern Munich in summer (Russian mid-season).

Misfit expectations

Igor Semshov, one of Russian national team leaders, has played just 481 minutes (out of 900) in the current season and still hasn’t established himself as a key player for Zenit.

Szabolcs Huszti has played just 152 minutes and clearly hasn’t yet impressed Zenit coaching staff. Now with Danny injured Zenit needs Huszti to put on pace.

Fatih Tekke, Turkish international, was moved to the reserve team and has been put on transfer list. That makes Pogrebnyak the only forward in Zenit squad.

Squad unbalanced

Zenit has a lot of brilliant midfielders, just enough defenders, but lacks players in the attack. Pavel Pogrebnyak and Fatih Tekke are the only forwards, Szabolcs Huszti is the only attacking midfielder fit.

Unsettled speculations

Dick Advocaat, reportedly, reached an agreement with Belgian Football Association and will take charge of Belgian national team after the season.

Pavel Pogrebnyak and Anatoliy Tymoschuk may leave the team in summer.