Russian NT 2009-2012

    I think it's worth to create a new thread for future Russian team. Because we have the first suprise here. Most people were sure, that new coach of NT will be the current coach of Zarechie Odintsovo Vadim Pankov. But on today's voting Pankov has got 8 votes from 25, and Kuzyutkin 12 votes... 8|


    So... the new coach of Russian team is Vladimir Kuzyutkin - current coach of Balakovskaya AES, the last team of Superliga! :aww:


    Last year Kuzyutkin worked in University Belgorod, and he is a main creator of current success of the team. Also about ten years ago he worked in Turkey and even was a coach of Turkish NT. Vladimir Kuzyutkin has signed the two year contract and he will leave club after the season to fully concentrate on NT. By now it looks like we can really expect for some global changes in the National team.


    What kind of plays does Kuzyutkin make? Is there a chance that he will return the high balls of the team? How about player selection? Does he normally choose very tall players (the likes of Gamova, Godina, etc.)? Which of the current NT players will he retain? I'm quite excited on the changes that Kuzyutkin will make in the national team. :D

    I've recently read an interview with Karpol (who was also in the jury) on Uralochka website. The google translation was not that great so I'm not sure if I understood everything right. He says his favourite candidate was Rishat Gilyazutdinov, but he did not make it to the final election round. Gilyazutdinov, as well as Pankov, worked in Uralochka with Karpol. The journalist also asked why Karpol didn't apply for the job again, he says he can work for 2 more years but not in that job and that he thinks it is time for a young coach who can build a team for the future and not a year by year team. About Caprara he critizises that he did not plan the Olympic cycle well, that the team reached its peak in 2006 and not in 2008. He also says that Caprara did not care enough about the players individually, for example Safronova in one year was captain and then she was out of the team, and Sheshenina in one year was out of the team and in the next year she was called back and even nominated as captain.

    Some statements from the recent interviews of Vladimir Kuzyutkin


    - he is going to ask Pankov to be the second coach of the team


    - going to talk to Gamova and Safronova and ask them to join the new squad


    - Anna Makarova (ex-Ukrainian 194 cm) will be invited to OH position. Now she plays for Samorodok and she is superb hitter and server.
    I think it means, that Kuzyutkin likes tall players, and we will probably have troubles with defense again.


    - setters Marina Sheshenina, Eugenia Startzeva and Maria Zhadan
    Most of all I'm intrigued with Zhadan. She is really great and does an ultimate job in University Belgorod this season.


    - the limit on foreign players in Superliga should be increased from 2 to 3. This will make Superliga more competitive and let Russian players to train along with experienced foreigners.
    Here I agree with him, but I doubt, that clubs except Dinamo and Zarechie will have enough money to hire three world-class players.


    - in general, Kuzyutkin prognoses huge changes in the roster and style of the work of the team. But still there is no any information about type of gameplay, that he is going to implement.

    I would prefer Ekaterina Krivetz (also ex-Ukrainian), middleblocker from Belgorod. And two smaller OHs, ~185 cm as additions to Safronova.

    Quote from Matthias

    I hope he will also give a chance to Goncharova, she is doing really well for Dinamo this season. It will be interesting who will make it, Goncharova or Makarova, as only one naturalized player is allowed.

    Don't forget Andrushko,she is also a hot candidate for NT !

    Lloyd + Naz + Wołosz + Hanke + Smutná + Mori
    Bokan + Zakrievskaja + Bricio + Vilponen + Jupïter + A.Lazić + Stepanova + Marković
    Onyejekwe + N.Dimitrova + Crkoňová + de Kruijf + Truškina + Thibeault + Omelčenko + Schauss
    Rourke + Bošković + Fabris + Kajalina + Collar + Simić + Miklai + Vasilantonaki
    Courtois + Venegas + Gaído + Castillo + Gómez + Kiselyova

    I think Andrushko is not that great. Also she is the same type of player as Gamova, so as long Gamova is there I see no chance for her. Goncharova is different, she can also receive (not great, but she is still young and she has great talent).

    Quote from Matthias

    I think Andrushko is not that great. Also she is the same type of player as Gamova, so as long Gamova is there I see no chance for her. Goncharova is different, she can also receive (not great, but she is still young and she has great talent).

    Ja,I agree with u,I just mean that she and Makarova, Goncharova will be the 3 main candidates for the next years!

    Lloyd + Naz + Wołosz + Hanke + Smutná + Mori
    Bokan + Zakrievskaja + Bricio + Vilponen + Jupïter + A.Lazić + Stepanova + Marković
    Onyejekwe + N.Dimitrova + Crkoňová + de Kruijf + Truškina + Thibeault + Omelčenko + Schauss
    Rourke + Bošković + Fabris + Kajalina + Collar + Simić + Miklai + Vasilantonaki
    Courtois + Venegas + Gaído + Castillo + Gómez + Kiselyova

    Bad defense can't be compensated by high balls, especially, when playing against teams like Brazil and Italy. Good block always hepled us, but I think, time had come to switch to a modern fast gameplay with solid defense. As for high balls - as long as Gamova is in the team, we will see them anyway from time to time 8)

    I heard Irinia Kirillova will be the setter of the Russian Team and I got really surprised. Kirillova is already 43 years old and I doubt she will be in shape to play the 2012 OG. Is that true?
    I wonder why not Elena Vassilevskaia or Tatiana Gratcheva. Both of them are good setters and way younger than Kirillova.


    Does anybody know what happened to Elena Vassilevskaia? She has already retired?

    Is Kirillova's inclusion a desperation move or something? If the rumor is true, she would just be a temporary fixture in the team while the federation will look for a competent setter. Are there any competent Ukranian setter out there who can change their citizenship?

    Kirillova is croatian. She can't play for Russian NT.
    Read what I've told before about setters.

    It is just ok for me if Vassilevskaia is going to return to Russa NT. I don't like the idea of Gratcheva going back to Russia NT. But as much as possible, a young but talented setter should be the main setter of Russia so that she would still be able to play for the team for many years to come.

    Some more statements from Kuzyutkin from an interview in Sport-Express:


    - Gamova and Safronova want to have children but he wants to try to convince at least one of them to play in NT this year
    - He will ask Godina and Sokolova to join NT again and maybe also Artamonova, but it is questionable if her body will be strong enough
    - As setters he will invite Sheshenina, Zhadan, Startseva and also at least one of the Akulova sisters, at the moment he prefers Marina
    - He wants Pankov as assistant, but he would have to give up his work in Zarechie for this
    - He considers Makarova, Goncharova and Krivets as naturalized players, and which one of them will be in the team will depend on the general composition of the team
    - He wants to bring in the following new players: Rogacheva and Starodubova from Belgorod, Pasynkova and Duskryadchenko (Perepelkina) from Uralochka, Murtazaeva and Sazhina from Dinamo-Yantar. From the recent team he wants to keep Kosheleva, Fateeva, Merkulova, Sedova, Borodakova, Kabeshova
    - To the question if he will change the playing style he says he wants to bring in more elements from men volleyball, mainly backrow attack which is a strength of Russian players

    if gamova will make a break, andrushko must be chosen for NT. and can somebody mention about how a player krivets is?