Looks like Michael Laudrup is all set to take over as Spartak manager.

Jonathan Wilson raises some interesting questions.

"Back in May, in Moscow for the Champions League final, a contact with links in the betting industry mentioned that Rubin Kazan were going to win the league. They had, it was claimed, been throwing games over the previous two or three seasons on the understanding that they could reclaim those points in this, the season of their 50th anniversary."

Games involving Rubin raised eyebrows much earlier - as early as their 3rd match - against Zenit but in a slightly different context. One... errrmmm... "malicious" line of thought has it that Zenit have been "paying back" their opponents this season for rolling over last year (in helping Zenit secure the league title), thus the strange late 10-minute spell in that match in March, when Zenit shipped three goals against Rubin. The match in Kazan in August ended up 4-1 to Rubin. Rubin lost both matches to Zenit last season. Another weird Zenit match that stands out is the 3-4 home reverse against Spartak Nalchik and there are others.

In general, the standard of football in the Russian league has been pretty appalling this season, so it's not entirely impossible that Rubin could be the best of a mediocre domestic bunch but once again too many results have just been odd.*

*that's includes Spartak's results - but there is a perfectly legitimate explanation for that - Spartak are simply particularly sh*t this season. :)

4 games to go, the big Moscow derby tomorrow but given CSKA's winning streak (11 in all competitions, if I am not mistaken) and Spartak comedy performances (which still somehow's left them just 4 points off a Champions' league place), Spartak might well get another tonking. Will be following this on my phone in a pub in the vicinity of White Hart Lane tomorrow - can't wait... right...

PS Rubin, 7 points ahead of CSKA at the top, at Saturn on Sunday. Saturn, 8 points clear of the relegation zone, playing after the Luch (currently 15th) match... nod-nod, wink-wink... etc...

Sash, what kind of press is Laudrup getting at Spartak?

The press is not really passing any judgement yet - he took taken over a team in freefall and arresting that was the 1st priority. He's tightened up the defence a bit, for starters. Call the Derby "just another game" and Spartak went on to beat CSKA Moscow 1-0 yesterday (Bazhenov '56) - for the 1st time in over 7 years. Zhirkov sent off towards the end of the match. That result alone means a decent-sized pile of kudos for Laudrup.

I saw bits of the match on Sky Italia and figured that Michael had bought himself at least six months of peace with the result. Spartak were clearly more commited that CSKA (who seemed to give up quite a while before the end). It certainly wasn't a classic, though.

Important psychologically and still, ridiculously, keeps them in the hunt for that CL spot.

Rubin have just wrapper up the league - two subs scoring late on either side of a Saturn equaliser, Savo Milosevic clinching the title in the 90th minute.