…as we look ahead of the quarter finals


JUST in case anyone still had doubts, Guus Hiddink is a God. At the very least, in Russian, he is the Tsar.

He did it with the Socceroos two years ago, South Korea four years prior and his own Oranje in ‘98.

But coming into this tournament, there were certainly a few lingering doubts about whether he could do it with Russia, a nation, especially over the past two decades, with a questionable mentality at this level.

There’s no doubt the Russians have always had the technical ability to compete with the best. The problem has invariably been upstairs. Generally, they’ve never believed they belong with the elite, let alone that they can compete.

The last time they did anything of significance was 20 years ago, when the team led by one of my heroes at the time, goalkeeper Rinat Dasaev (I’d only donned the gloves a couple of years earlier), made it all the way to the final, only to be knocked out by that wonder van Basten strike.

Then along comes Hiddink, no doubt attracted by the ruble, but also by the challenge of rousing the Russians and turning them into a unit. No doubt it’s his stock and trade, but as Hiddink noted when he started his latest ‘project’, these guys aren’t like the Aussies or South Koreans, who are so willing to listen and learn. This will take time, he said.

Back then we’d seen the likes of Ignashevich, the Berezutski twins, Saenko and Semshov over the years, but largely the players were an unknown quantity, with none playing at what you would consider big clubs.

But when Hiddink came in he started his revolution, and now the team is made up of a core of the Zenit St Petersberg side that went on a wonderful Uefa Cup run reviewed here, the likes of Arshavin, Zyrianov, Anyukov and the injured Pogbrebnyak.

Out of the starting 11 went some of the old guard, heavy plodders like the Berezudski twins, and in came a more mobile and young unit, full of pace and wonderful technique. The modus operandi was attack, with many bodies in forward motion.

The next bit was to get the mentality right. When the Russians were walloped by the Spaniards in the opening round, a scoreline I suggested at the time flattered the Spaniards, Hiddink had a job to do.

A Russian side of the past would have rolled over and crumbled, probably knocked out of the tourni in straight sets. But Hiddink saw enough in the first game, picked up his troops, gave them a serve and got the reaction he desired.

But it wasn’t just about the mentality. Structurally, he sorted out some of the naïve defending and ‘openness’ that had plagued their Spain loss, and the result has been a far more solid and organised unit in the past two matchdays.

Against Greece they totally dominated, controlling the back, middle and front thirds, and should have won by five or six. The defending champs were flattered, and flattened.

Then this morning, the team on the end of the hiding was the structured Swedes, who just couldn’t live with Hiddink’s side. Two-nil it finished, but in reality it could have been another five or six, such was the drive, movement and total domination of a side that embodies the refreshing attacking flavour of this tournament.

Watching the two athletic fullbacks, Zhirkov (left) and Anyukov (right), bomb on highlights Hiddink’s preferred method, as we saw with Emerton and Chipperfield, which is to have his fullbacks penetrating at every opportunity.

It’s not by accident that he finds the men to play these roles. Here he has converted Zhirkov from an attacker into a left-back. Sound familiar?

The effect? Witness both their goals this morning. The first involved a late run into the inside right channel from Anyukov, who teed up Pavlyuchenko. Waiting behind the striker, ready to pounce, was Zhirkov. Both fullbacks inside the box, at the same time, just amazing.

The second, so flowing and precise, involved Zhirkov winning the ball from a Sweden free kick, linking with Arshavin, and then taking off into the left-hand channel, where he showed class to tee up the little number 10.

Zhirkov has been doing it all tournament and is not only the standout left-back to date (and there’s plenty of competition from Pranjic and van Bronkhorst), but arguably the player of the group stages.

But they aren’t the only ones to shine. Zyrianov is another that bombs on out of midfield and could have had five or six by now. Pavlyuchenko likewise. Youngster Bilyaletdinov and Torbinski (who didn’t play in this game) are classy, mobile and technical, Hiddink to a tee.

Defensively, they are a much improved unit. Skipper Semak has provided stability in the holding role, while Ignashevich came into central defence after the first game and has solidified things alongside Kolodin, who’s improved out of sight after a mistake-riddled opener.

Their quarter final against the pacey, counter-attacking Dutch should be fascinating, but one thing’s for sure, Russia will ask more questions of the at-times shaky Dutch rearguard then we’ve seen to date. And visa versa really, as the Dutch try and pin back Hiddink’s fullbacks, possibly with either Robben or van Persie, or both.

The master Hiddink against the apprentice van Basten, one can hardly wait.