SATURN TARGETS TOP SIX FINISH

The countdown has begun and with the start of the Rosgosstrakh Russian Football Championship less thana week away it is clear that the fight for the top spot has never been greater.


On the surface CSKA and Zenit appear to have to big winners in winter signings and both, along with Spartak and Lokomotiv are likely to give Rubin fits in their efforts to claim their third consecutive championship. Powering into the top six is no easy feat but one club that can certainly surprise and create their share of problems is Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast.

The Ramenskoe-based side were more than a shock last season. After a miserable start under Jürgen Röber, that saw them run off the grounds by Rubin Kazan and Spartak Moscow in consecutive weeks, Andrey Gordeev was handed the managerial reigns on 20 May. Though only retired from his playing career a few years early, the thirty-four year-old manager injected intensity and discipline usually reserved for a long-term leader. Saturn quickly ran up the table and though they were troubled with late injuries, climbed remarkably to a seventh-place finish.

The young manager's brilliance is quite obviously his tactical knowledge and unique connection with his players that allows him to get the most out of veterans. The clever mix of Dmitri Loskov, Andrei Karyaka, Dmitri Kirichenko and Marko Topić gave Saturn the veteran experience to handle the most trying conditions within an attack able to break through the staunchest defences. One year older, the test is whether Saturn's veterans can do it again and threaten the top six of the table. To bolster Saturn's efforts, they have added to their reserve of veterans, Denis Boyarintsev and Slovakian Martin Jakubko. Both showed flashes of brilliance last year and should they continue to play at the level they have in the past, manager Andrey Gordeev could have his side ready for a surprise run towards a European berth.

Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast opens the 2010 campaign as they visit Alania Vladikavkaz on 14 March.