One more big European transfer has been completed this week, and it's one which a lot of Premier League sides might end up ruing not taking a more positive stance on while they had their chance.

French midfielder Yann M'Vila completed his move (via the Independent) to Russian Premier League side Rubin Kazan on Wednesday, leaving the likes of Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal to wonder if they might have made their interest a little more concrete and their offers a little more attractive.

The now-former Rennes central midfielder has been on the shortlist, if not an actual target, of the Gunners for at least two years. Recorded interest in him dates back some time, and even only 18 months ago Arsene Wenger was credited as being "close" to signing him for £22 million (via Daily Mail).

M'Vila has joined Rubin Kazan for just £10 million.

Capped more than 20 times by France at aged just 22, there is little doubt that M'Vila is an extraordinary talent, but his off-field behaviour has led to a suspension (from Yahoo.com) from his international team and apprehension from other managers in whether to take a chance on him.

Even so, given that his transfer market value has dropped by around 60 percent in little more than a year, it is incredible to think that there were not more teams who took a gamble on him.

At his best, M'Vila is a powerful yet refined midfield character, capable of anchoring the centre of the park from deep or playing in a more adventurous box-to-box role, utilising his physical capabilities.

He is not short of technique either, loving to play long, searching passes and change the tempo of the game.

As recently as Wednesday, the day before the transfer was announced, there was continuing interest from England (as per Sky Sports). Teams are clearly aware of his capabilities—and his short-comings—and it is widely known that he favoured a move to England over Russia.

Indeed, Zenit St. Petersburg were credited with an early interest in signing him, which was quickly rebuffed (via ITV.com). Perhaps no surprise when one considers what M'Vila might have faced from his own set of overly-selective supporters.

How many Premier League sides are blessed with such a high-quality midfield then, that they could afford to ignore a player who could feasibly be one of the biggest talents in Europe?

Arsenal have yet to rediscover any kind of their steel of old in midfield. Spurs have lost Sandro to a season-ending injury. Liverpool have, more than once, found out the cost of losing Lucas Leiva to a similarly long spell on the sidelines.

And Everton? Sunderland? The French Republic of Newcastle?

Are we to believe that even Manchester City, with Yaya Toure absent and Jack Rodwell perma-crocked, believe a cut-price M'Vila to be more risky than trying to retain their title with Gareth Barry and Javi Garcia as their only midfield options?

This is a £10 million, Champions League-standard central midfielder we're talking about. Yes, he has had problems, largely of his own making. And yes, he is paying for them one way or another.

But it remains staggering that after seeing his value plummet, not one club was brave enough to step up and offer him another chance—it's not as if he's kicked a ball boy, for goodness sake. Or an owl. Or another player. Or an official.

Had a Premier League team signed M'Vila and things had not worked out after a couple of seasons, if he failed to adapt or rediscover his best form, or even if the personal problems continued, the buying club would still have made their money back.

M'Vila would be only 25 at the end of the 2014-15 season, and with plenty of time left on any normal contract he could be sold for anything from £6 million upward—the quoted price that Premier League teams were willing to pay for him (per CityAM.com).

If he was to impress, they could treble their initial outlay in an instant within the same time frame. Or, of course, simply retain a top quality player.

Moving to Russia means M'Vila will continue to play in a competitive and growing domestic league, but Rubin Kazan are not one of the superpowers of the division. Sure, they came from nowhere to win the title in 2008 and 2009, but they finished outside of the European spots last season and are a relatively anonymous seventh this campaign.

A good run could see them take a Europa League spot again—they're only one point off at present—but they will not challenge the likes of Zenit, CSKA Moscow or Anzhi Makhachkala for a Champions League place.

Their top players include defender Cristian Ansaldi, midfielder Gokdeniz Karadeniz and the talented but unpredictable forward Salomon Rondon. M'Vila will add to their quality, quite significantly, but there are not enough top players in the squad to reach the top three again, as they last did in 2010.

What Rubin will get though is a solid player with a point to prove, time away from the focus of the French media and room to improve his own performances. The safe bet is on him performing well, showing that he has matured and attracting interest from overseas once more.

Don't be surprised then when English teams are linked with him once more in 18 months or two years—and when the price has once again inflated to double what Rubin have just splashed out on him.

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FC Barcelona failed once again to register a victory against the Russian side Rubin Kazan. That is quite an understatement, as Barca trailed for large part of the match. A first half penalty gave Rubin Kazan the lead but a second half penalty from Villa equalised for Barca. We once again had the most of the possession and had some seriously good chances to put the match to rest. But faile dto take any. With a 5-4-1 formation Rubin kazan's idea was to choke Barca and had to admit that they seriously managed it for the most part of game. Contrary to expectation Guardiola brought in Mascherano in place of Keita. We thus had a mmidfield of Xavi, Mascherano and Busquets and it was destined to lack creativity and it did show up throughout the first half. The defense had the now familiar look of Pique, Puyol, Alves and Maxwell. The attack had Villa, Pedro and Iniesta.

Barca completely choked by a defensive Rubin Kazan

The first half was yet again a familiar story, with Rubin Kazan having 5 in defense and 4 in midfield. And that effectively choked us to death. Once again Guardiola extensively used the modern libero concept, this time with Mascherano. I still haven't got the idea of using a that floating position against a team with 9 in midfield and defense. If he is interested in using an extra man in midfield to break the formation, then the best option have to be a 3-1-3-3 formation. Leave that for the time being. For all Rubin Kazan's choking strategy we had a couple of decent chances but wasted all of them in the first half. In the 12th minute Pedro ahd the best chance of the half but his intelligent scoop had a bit of deviation and ended hitting the bar with the goal keeper and defense beaten. Villa's through ball which set up Pedro for that scoop was exquisite. In the 26th minute Villa came near when his volley from an Iniesta corner went inches wide. In the 29th minute Rubin Kazan was awarded a penalty after Dani Alves and Pique combinly brought down Kaleshin. Noboa converted the penalty but Valdes will be cursing his luck after the ball deflected off his leg into the goal. That goal brought back memories of our defeat to Rubin Kazan at Camp Nou. In the 34th minute Pedro and Alves played a neat one-two on the right before Alves sending in a good cross in to middle. Unluckily Villa couldn't reach that. Two minutes before the break Pedro had a great chance to equalise, but ended shooting wide after a Villa header set him up.

Villa equalises for Barca from penalty

Second half started the same way, with we having all the possession but with no end result. We passesd and passed but not a single ball got into the fin al third. In the 59th minute Iniesta was brought inside the box and we were awarded the penalty. Villa squeezed past the goal keepr, was quite lucky as it lacked much power and the goal keeper got a hand to it. Immediately Guardiola introduced Messi in place of Mascherano. In the 62nd minute Alves wasted an absolutely brilliant chance after he cleverly intercepted a back pass to goal keeper. His anticipation of that back pass was unbelievable. If you have got time watch the replays of the same. In the 64th minute Iniesta send in a floated cross to Alves inside the box, Alves headed it back to Villa's path and the goal keeper did well to intercept that. Again with the goal we looked more comfortable and was looking in total command. In the 71st mminute Iniesta send in a great ball into box looking for Messi, defender Bocchetti could not deal with it completely but Messi's shot was blocked by keeper. With Mascherano off and Messi in we were playing much quicker and that was shown in the better performance in the second half. In the 85th minute Guardiola brought in Bojan for Villa. In the 87th minute Martins physical and aerial strength troubles our central defense which ended with Martins header hitting the post. That was pretty lucky. In the 89th minute Bojan wasted a great chance to win the match for Barca but he couldn't direct his header properly. The match ended with a great move and chance. Messi played the ball to Iniesta in the box, Messi played it back to Iniesta who tried to curl the ball which went just inches over.

As I wrote in the preview a draw at this ground should be considered as a great result. This is one of the most toughest match in the group and I would say it is a job well done. There are so many positives to be taken from this match. First of all we showed tremendous character to come back from a goal behind. And we had decent enough chances to win the game also. We still remain pretty much in a good position in the group. Coming to individual performance, I have to admit that this is one match which seriously underlined the importance of Iniesta. Against a stubborn defense, he can creat one or two moment of magic which could be crucial. How we all wish he was there for that match against Inter. Messi looked good in his brief time and most importantly pretty fit. Pedro wasted a couple of good chances and was pretty quiet especially in second half. But that was expected especially against a team like Rubin Kazan, but he made his presence felt in first half. Martins with his physique and pace troubled both our center back and it has to be said that Pique had a pretty poor match. He was sole responsible for that penalty and looked shaky indefense throughout the match. The rest of the team gave a decent account of themselves but not anything great.

The name Rubin Kazan does not invoke happy memories for Barça fans.

Last season, they were the one of the few teams who managed to gain an upper hand against us. Even against Inter we had a record of two wins, 1 defeat and a draw. But Rubin Kazan visited Camp Nou and shocked us all with a victory, and the return visit to Russia ended with a goalless draw.

Barça hopes this year will be different.

Lionel Messi, who was in doubt for this clash, has got the all-clear from the medical team. He has been included in the squad, but will start the match only from the substitute bench. It would be better if he does not play in this match.

Guardiola would be pretty much happy with the effort put by his team at Athletic Bilbao. This is the third extremely difficult away match within the last two weeks. First to Atletico Madrid, then to Bilbao, and we all hope this visit ends up with a similiar result.

Rubin Kazan will present a considerably difficult challenge to Guardiola in terms of tactics. They are definitely going to be more physical than any of the opponents we have faced this season. Moreover, Guardiola also hasn't have registerd a victory against them.

Guardiola has announced the list of 19 players who would make the trip to Kazan - Valdés, Pinto, Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Milito, Maxwell, Abidal, Busquets, Mascherano, Keita, Xavi, Iniesta, Thiago, Pedro, Jeffren, Bojan, Villa and Messi. Abidal and Messi has returned to the squad, but Adriano is missing due to injury.

Guardiola might opt for Abidal instead of Maxwell to give some aerial cover. It's no secret that we had serious trouble dealing with aerial balls in our last match. That means we will mostly back to our traditional backline of Alves, Puyol, Pique and Milito.

The rest of the line up should remain unchanged with Busquets, Keita and Xavi in midfield and Villa, Iniesta and Pedro upfront. Rubin Kazan currently lies second in Russian league and would be quite a tough opponent to crack.

Our first match victory gives us some leverage, and Iniesta's and Xavi's recent form is good news for Barca, but I still think both the teams will settle for a goalless draw this time—and that won't be such a bad thing.

Tough Job ahead at San Mames

FC Barcelona will be looking to continue with their winning streak continuiing when they visit San Mames on saturday. Our last visit to San Mames did end up in a 1-1 draw, but the fans will be hoping this time the score resembles something like Bilbao's visit to Camp Nou. That match we won 4-1 (FC Barcelona -4, Athletci Bilbao - 1), with Bojan Krkic scoring twice. It was from that game Bojan started to appear as a genuine option for Guardiola last season. The kid will be hoping and definitely need a similiar effect from tomorrow's clash. He has been below par in last two matches and had to start turning it around as soon as possible. Again it has to be seen whether he get any playing time in this match. Athletic Bilbao currently lies at the seventh position with just two points behind us. With only just four match into the season, those statistics doesn't mean anything. The way this season is shaping up again it will be a dog fight between Barca and Madrid and for that every point matters the most.

Guardiola has announced the squad that will be travelling to Bilbao. Abidal and Messi are the absentee from the squad. Thiago has been a surprise inclusion. The entire squad list is Valdés, Pinto, Adriano, Maxwell, Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Milito, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Iniesta, Mascherano, Jeffren, Bojan, Pedro, Villa, Keita and Thiago. Guardiola will go with his strongest defense in this match with Alves, Pique, Puyol and Maxwell. Busquest once again may play the modern libero role. I have serious doubts about this new tactics. Ok, it's good against team which have very good attacking front line. But it won't be that easy against teams who can press in midfield. The best way to break such a tactis isto press Xavi hard, that will leave Xavi with only one outlet and that is Dani Alves on right. That will neautrilize Xavi as an attacking threat. Something Inter Milan did well last season at San Siro. I would expect Iniesta and Xavi to form the midfield in this match. The frontline would be for me Pedro, Bojan and Villa. Many would like to see Bojan off the line, but I still believe he can turn things around. I would predict a very tight game but I am confident Iniesta and Co pulling it off. I predict a 2-0 victory for us. Meanwhile the news is that messi is recovering weel and may make the trip to Rubin Kazan.

FC Barcelona fans received a good news today with the club's medical staff confirming that Messi could be back in action in two weeks. After an MRI taken this morning at the Hospital de Barcelona, doctors have concluded that Leo Messi has a sprain in the internal and external ligaments of his right ankle, but confirmed that there is no damage to the bones. The early fears were of a fracture, but Guardiola confirmed yesterday itself that it's not the case. Lionel Messi could return back to action as early as in the Champiosn League encounter against Rubin Kazan. But that is definitely subject to the speed of his recovery. At this point Messi will definitely miss the matches against Sporting Gijon and Athletic Bilbao. Lionel Messi has been the inform barca player of this season and it to be seen how we cope with his injury.

All eyes in Russia were on CSKA Moscow this week, and for good reasons. The Army Men headed to Milan and the San Siro for the first Champions League quarterfinal in club history. 

While Leonid Slutskiy's side struggled to produce any offense, they defended very well, got some great goalkeeping from Igor Akinfeev and what could be an enormous goal-line save by Aleksei Berezutskiy late in the match. 

A 1-0 result isn't ideal, but quietly Slutskiy must be pleased with the result in a few ways. His side kept the score reasonable when they hardly played their best match and only allowed one goal in a very challenging environment against a superior side.

He has to feel like if his club, even without Milos Krasic in the second leg, plays slightly better in every category at the Luzhniki, they have more than a chance to advance.

Vasili Berezutskiy duels with Inter goal scorer Diego Milito.

After an unconvincing domestic result against Anzhi, it was certainly top marks to every defender against Inter, Akinfeev most of all. 

On the home front, Rubin Kazan slipped up for the first time, playing to a draw with Terek Grozny while Spartak Moscow earned their first victory of the season with an early blitz. 

The other Spartak, from Nalchik, continued their dream season, taking over possession of the top spot in the table after a 2-0 road win over Sibir. 

But let's get to the Week Four action in Russia. As always, home sides are listed first. A "1" stands for home victory, "X" stands for a draw and a "2" stands for an away victory.

1. Amkar Perm (9th) - Sibir Novosibirsk (15th): 1.

Saturday, 3 April 2010, Zvezda Stadium

Amkar have been good, if not special, at the Zvezda Stadium over their last few matches. They have not allowed a goal in three of four matches, with the only team to score there being Spartak Moscow. They also earned a 1-0 victory over Fulham in the Europa League, although losing on aggregate score.

The krasno-chernye have also historically been able to beat the teams they should: clubs below them in the table. Despite having one of the worst offenses in the league, they always seem to find that one extra goal at home.

The Siberians however, have not won a match in the Russian Premier League, even though they showed signs of life in a 2-0 home loss to Nalchik. The final finishing has really not been there for them.

It's also been a challenging task for Sibir to get through the entire 90 minutes at the same pace they begin it, as over half the squad is over 30 years old. 

Former Spartak goalkeeper Wojciech Kowalewski has been a lone bright spot so far though, as he has kept his club in matches they really had no business being in. Their minus-four goal differential could really, and probably should be, much worse.

2. CSKA Moscow (4th) - Zenit St. Petersburg (3rd): No Pick.

Saturday, 3 April 2010, Luzhniki Stadium

The match has been postponed until April 14. But we will leave you with a pair of superb goals from last weekend's frivolities.

First, a disgusting pass from Serbian striker Danko Lazovic finds Danny for Zenit's first goal against Dinamo.

Next, Japanese sensation Keisuke Honda does it again with a magical free kick to level the match against Anzhi in Dagestan. That's a "Hondagol! " according to Sergei Bondarenko if you'll ever see one.

3. Anzhi (14th) - Alania (12th): X.

Saturday, 3 April 2010, 

A region that has made headlines for all the wrong reasons in the past week, the two Caucasus area foes are separated by less than a two-hour drive. 

So far, there has been nothing impressive on paper about Anzhi's performance this season.

They've only scored once in three matches and honestly the goal was handed to them on a plate, as CSKA's Igor Akinfeev mishandled a cross to give Andrei Streltsov an empty netter.

The Dagi were also heavily penalized for fans throwing stones at CSKA's bus on their way out of Makhachkala.

Alania has been slightly more impressive, earning home draws against Amkar and Saturn, two solid mid-table squads.

Alania manager Vladimir Shevchuk has stated that it is of the utmost importance to his club that they come away with all three points. They have the skill to compete and win against lower-level opposition, but it hasn't translated to wins yet.

In the First Division, this matchup has been entirely unpredictable. This will be no different.

4. Spartak Nalchik (1st) - Rostov (10th): X.

Saturday, 3 April 2010, Stadion Spartak

Nalchik has been without any doubt, the most pleasant surprise of the season so far. Considered by many a primary relegation candidate, they currently sit at the top of the table, thanks to the stellar play of 21-year-old attacking midfielder Vladimir Dyadyun. On loan from Rubin Kazan, Dyadyun has scored twice, provided an assist and currently sits at the top of the league in points.

But their credentials will be put to the test - at least more so than in the first few weeks. All three of their first opponents were newly promoted squads. Rostov, while certainly not a favorite for European play, will pose more of a challenge.

The Selmashi faltered early, but turned the ship around with an impressive victory over Saturn. A roster dotted with players on loan, new center back Isaac Okoronkwo has made an instant impact on the back line. The Nigerian veteran was a part of FC Moscow's brick wall defense in 2009.

Aleksandr Pavlenko, on loan from Spartak, has also had a very nice impact on the midfield.  

Nalchik has gotten the better of the meetings so far but there's no way not to like what Rostov is doing at the moment.

5. Tom Tomsk (5th) - Spartak Moscow (7th): 2.

Sunday, 4 April 2010, Trud Stadium

If the second week loss to Rubin Kazan is eliminated, Tomsk have won their past five matches. Former striker Sergei Kornilenko, who is on loan from Zenit St. Petersburg, has been a flawless fit in the offense.

They also responded in style, going down 2-0 in Samara last week only to come back to score three times before the half.

After a slow start, Spartak has also came on strong. A convincing 2-1 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow has supporters believing in their club again.

New Brazilian striker Ari scored his first since arriving from AZ while manager Valery Karpin has remained fully committed to the youth movement, starting numerous players under the age of 23.

Ari nets the game-winner for Spartak.

Young keeper Soslan Dzhanaev has been great so far, but star midfielder Alex is still looking for a grove.

It might come a little easier this time around - Spartak has never lost to Tomsk. While Tomsk has put up much more of a fight at the Trud Stadium with some very early starting times (the match is scheduled for 11am MSK), Spartak just has too much firepower and will have loads of confidence after beating the Tomis 5-0 in their last meeting.

6. Terek Grozny (6th) - Krylia Sovetov Samara (16th): 1.

Sunday, 4 April 2010, Sultan Bilimkhanov Stadium

Politics aside, Terek has consistently been a very tough opponent at the Sultan Bilimkhanov Stadium with the zealous home fans. That support should be even greater given the club's inspired performance against Rubin Kazan last weekend.

Shamil Asildarov has lead the way in his return to the Chechen capital with two goals, while Bolivian Juan Carlos Arce has filled in superbly off the bench.

The pain for Samara continued as they blew a two goal lead at home. They've been playing like a chicken with its head cut off, running around aimlessly and accomplishing next to nothing offensively in 270 minutes of play.

Star striker Evgeni Savin has had no help at all. They are also the only team to lose all three matches to begin the season and sport a league-worst minus-five goal differential.

Oddly enough though, the teams have never played a match with a shortage of goals, and the home side has won nearly every meeting this decade. But Krylia Sovetov are still attempting to figure out how to play without Jan Koller and Jiri Jarosik.  

7. Saturn (13th) - Rubin Kazan (2nd): 2.

Sunday, 4 April 2010, Stadion Saturn Ramenskoe

To say that Saturn has been one of the most disappointing teams in the league is an understatement.

A club that is widely considered the best non-Big Six team in Russia, their attendance has been way down, their performance has been lackluster, and have shown very little that indicates they are a decent team.

Even though the Aliens' back line isn't close to full strength, the offense has really let them down. Their age has really shown through, as well as lack of creativity.

Facing Rubin Kazan will do them no favors whatsoever. The defending champions were rampant against Saturn in 2009, outscoring their opponents 10-1.

Kurban Berdiyev's men will also be back to full strength, as team captain Sergei Semak is expected to return. Erasing the bad taste from a scoreless draw last weekend with Terek is high on the manager's to-do list, so there should be no lack of motivation from his side.

8. Lokomotiv Moscow (11th) - Dinamo Moscow (8th): 1.

Sunday, 4 April 2010, Lokomotiv Stadium

It's been night and day for the Lokomotives in 2010. They were beaten twice convincingly on the road, once by Rubin and the next by city rivals Spartak, but demolished Krylia Sovetov 3-0 in their home opener.

That's not a new trend however, as Lokomotiv has arguably been the best home club in the league over the past few seasons.

Oddly enough, the last time they lost a home match was in 2008...to Dinamo.

Strikers Dmitri Sychev and Peter Odemwingie haven't been on the same page so far, but newly acquired Ukrainian Oleksandr Aliev has picked up the slack, scoring three goals in three matches, a mark that leads the league. They are still without two key players although, in center back Rodolfo and playmaking midfielder Wagner.

Dinamo continues to run the gauntlet, as they have already faced Spartak, Zenit and CSKA, earning mixed results. They spoiled Spartak's home opener, earned a draw with Leonid Slutskiy's Champions League side then were torn apart in a horror first half against Zenit.

Young manager Andrei Kobelev still doesn't seem convinced by the play of former Liverpool man Andriy Voronin, as he has consistently felt the need to play another striker up front along with him.

The defense has been solid for the most part but they're going to need a more inspired performance than they delivered against Zenit if they want to hold down the east Moscow club for 90 minutes. 

Last Week: 4-4 (.500)

Season Record: 11-13 (.458)

Current Champions: Rubin Kazan (4)

Rubin once again defended their crown as the best team in Russia, but it was in much less convincing fashion than they had hoped.

With the chance to win it's first three matches and go to the top of the table, the Tatars stuttered in Kazan, playing to a scoreless draw with Terek.

Despite firing 13 shots, they were unable to beat Andrey Dikan. 

2009 Record: 19-6-5, 63 points (first place, Russian Champions, and UEFA Champions League Group stage)

Rubin defied all odds in 2008, winning their first Russian Premier League title when the club had never even been a part of the Soviet top division. Under superb management, Kurban Berdiyev continued to take whatever he got and transform them into winners by playing some of the finest counter-attacking football ever seen by a Russian outfit.

It was nearly asking the impossible to win the championship again in 2009, but Berdiyev did that and so much more. The name Rubin Kazan echoed around the world after an incredible 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

Although his side ultimately could not climb the mountain out of the Group of Death, Rubin locked up a date in the Europa League and a return ticket to the UCL in 2010.

Led by an all-RPL back line and two 16-goal scorers in Alejandro Dominguez and Aleksandr Bukharov, they held off all threats to their crown after stumbling slightly out of the gate. After assuming first place in mid-July, the Tatars held off the annual powerhouses before lifting the trophy again in Kazan following a 0-0 draw with Zenit St. Petersburg

But new challenges await in 2010. Dominguez has departed for Valencia and the club must adapt to life without him. Does Berdiyev have enough magic tricks up his sleeves to win the title three times in a row?

Manager: Kurban Berdiyev, 9th season, 96-53-61 (only RPL matches are included, he managed one season in the First Division as well).

Captain: CM Sergei Semak

Stadium: Central Stadium Kazan (30,133)

RFU Top 33 Players Returning: 7 . GK Sergei Ryzhikov, CB Roman Sharonov, CB Cesar Navas, LB Cristian Ansaldi, CM Sergei Semak, RM Aleksandr Ryazantsev, ST Aleksandr Bukharov.

Key 2009-10 Departures: ST Alejandro Dominguez (to Valencia), CB Aleksei Popov (to Amkar Perm), DF Stjepan Tomas (to Gaziantepspor).

Key 2009-10 Arrivals:  CB Jordi (from Celta Vigo), ST Fatih Tekke (from Zenit St. Petersburg), GK Ilie Cebanu (from Wisla Krakow), CM Bebars Nathko (from Hapoel Tel-Aviv), ST Bahodir Nasimov (from Samarqand-Dinamo).

Lineup and Roster

Goalkeeping

Sergei Ryzhikov will take most of the starts. He received his first Russia call-up during World Cup qualifying against Wales, but he had honestly deserved one much sooner than that. The 29-year-old started 29 of 30 RPL matches for Rubin in 2009 and there's no reason to believe that will change any time in 2010. Berdiyev has complete faith in him.

Moldovan newcomer Ilie Cebanu will be the backup, but the 23-year-old isn't likely to see much time on the field outside of practice.

Defense

In 2009, Rubin lived by the words "defense wins championships". With three of the starting four defenders featuring on the annual RFU Top 33 list, this unit is not only highly skilled, but brutally efficient as well. Cristian Ansaldi has established himself as far and away the finest left back in the league and the tough tackler should only improve even more in 2010.

Towering center back Cesar Navas came over at the beginning of 2009 from Spanish side Racing Santander and fit in like he had been with the club for 12 years. His huge presence on the back line along with partner Roman Sharonov formed the most powerful duo in Russia.

Georgian veteran Lasha Salukvadze looks to round out the unit in admirable fashion.

Jordi, the 22-year-old Spaniard, should find a quick home as the first central defender off the bench. Dato Kvirkvelia should also see significant playing time as a reserve, and his ability to play any defensive position is a great asset to Berdiyev.

Midfield

The midfield was not Rubin's area of supreme strength in 2009 and if they are vulnerable in any place, this would be it. But the unit still is no laughing matter as they have quite a mix of skill, speed and toughness.

With the departure of Dominguez, creative attack-minded players like Christian Noboa of Ecuador and veteran Turkish international Gokdeniz Karadeniz will be even more important to the success of the team. At 33-years old, Sergei Semak is still playing some of the best football of his life and should continue to play a vital role as the holding midfielder.

But arguably the biggest upside comes in the form of Aleksandr Ryazantsev, a 23-year-old who can score from anywhere but also play a bruising brand of defense. The sky is the limit for him and if any manager in Russia can help him get there, it's Kurban Berdiyev.

Bebars Nathko, Petr Bystrov, Macbeth Sibaya, and Rafal Murawski should form a very potent bench, as all four players have the potential to start on a full-time basis. Once again, Berdiyev has put together a combination of many different skills and a perfect blend of veterans to young players.

Strikers

Aleksandr Bukharov is the head man. It's incredible that this man has not received more Russian caps in his career. He is a prototype center-forward with immense size at 1.92m (6'3"), but for as dominant as he is in the box, he can be very dangerous in the open field as well. Extraordinarily difficult to bring down, he's faster than he looks and twice as powerful.

Two Turkish strikers should occupy the first bench roles, in veterans Fatih Tekke and Hasan Kabze. Tekke can still score even though used as a substitute for Zenit, as seen by his eight goals.

Young Uzbek striker Bahodir Nasimov is more of a project at this point and will probably only see the field in blowouts, meaningless games or Cup matches.

Analysis

Rubin's schedule did them a lot of favors, as they only play two of the fellow five Russian goliaths before the World Cup break. It's set up perfectly for the club to accumulate quite a number of points before June.

On paper, this is not the most talented of clubs in the league but there is absolutely no question that it's the best coached.

As long as they have a tremendous defense and a striker who can dominate the play, this team has a chance to win an awful lot of games. The worst thing that could possibly happen is if the RFU snatches Berdiyev away and makes him the Russian national manager.

Projected Finish: Third