1-0 to Dinamo, lovely volley by Kombarov, that.

It's pretty galling that I can watch Dinamo - Zenit in far, far greater quality than I can watch any Newcastle game.

Ah, a Russian thread.

The league's actually been pretty mediocre this year - no stand out side, really, and apart from Rubin's start to the season, not much consistency from anyone.

Spartak's owner Fedun basically won't mind selling the club. Quite a number of fans I know can't stand him - hasn't run the club particularly well and a succession of decidedly average managers just wanna make one tear one's hair out.

Is Cherchesov not doing well then? Spartak looked a very good side at Celtic Park last August and were unlucky to lose.

I took -- and scored -- a penalty against Cherchesov at Lansdowne Road during a training session years ago.

I went to that match at Celtic Park last year - great game, great atmosphere but I think Spartak played well not because of Cherchesov but despite him. Pretty good 'keeper in his but his managerial record - pffft.. mediocre in Austria before Spartak. Tactically weak but very stubborn. Treatment of players like Pavlyuchenko and Titov has been very odd to say the least. The 1-5 against CSKA (who are far from world beaters this season) is a sad indictment of his capabilites. Spartak could be even worse off were it not for some ridiculous refereeing in the home match against Shinnik (4-2), for example.

The CSKA match was broadcast live in Italy and I can confirm that Spartak were abject.

Well, by the sounds of things, the... errrm... people who "run" Spartak are succeeding in forcing Titov out of the club. Might've played his last game for the club in the reserves match against Luch. C*nts.

Interesting article about the history of Spartak, for anyone who's interested (and hasn't seen it before):

A Small Way of Saying "No": Moscow Working Men, Spartak Soccer, and the Communist Party, 1900–1945

Looks like an interesting read, that. Will have a closer look later. Quick scan again reveal accusations of criminal activity against the Starostins; however, these are still mere accusations and I kinda resent the "no smoke without fire" approach used to present them in the article.

In other news, Spartak source suggest Pavlyuchenko is on the verge of a move to Spurs. I think he could turn out to be a pretty useful signing, actually. On the other hand, if Spurs do decide to go for Arshavin, I think they'll be in for a severe merking.

Good article by Edelman. He does a good job at distinguishing between Spartak's being an independent (of state insitutions) club rather than an anti-Communist "dissident" type of club.

RPL delivers a riveting round of games - 9 goals in 7 matches. Spartak win in Tom' and are now within 3 points of the top spot. What a sh*t league.

Last-32 of the Russian Cup today. Some upsets and riots.

1. Spartak Ressies just about scrape a win in Bryansk (rock bottom of D-2) 2-1. Some Spartak fans rip out seats and build a bonfire in away end and then have a little dance around it whilst the fire crews are trying to put it out. Game stopped for several minutes. F*ck knows why they did it. Some mixed reports about pre-match policing - some say it was OK, others say that they were being herded into holding areas/couple of hundred ticketless fans were loaded onto a train back to Moscow/that people were getting finger-printed. Apparently a hundred chaps from Orel (Bryansk rivals) also turned up for a ruck. 12 arrests so far. Cherchesov being very rude in the post-match interview for NTV+.

2. Sibir (D2) 1 Zenit (D1) 0. Zenit's form worse and worse.

3. Metallurg Lipetsk (D3) 0 Lokomotiv Moscow (D1) 2. Lokomotiv fans get into the home end = mini-riot.

4. Gazovik Orenburg (D3) - Krylya Sovetov (D1) 2-2, 3-5 pens. Away fans fighting with Gastarbeiters.

5. Vityaz (D2) 2 Spartak Nalchik (D1) 1

6. Torpedo Vladimir (D2) 1 CSKA (D1) 4

7. Volga Nizhny Novgorod (D2) - Saturn (D1) 1-1, 4-3 pens.

8. Salyut-Energia (D2) 0 Shinnik (D1) 1

9. Baltika (D2) 3 Luch Vladivostok (D1) 0

10. SKA Rostov-on-Don (D2) 3 Khimki (D1) 2 aet.

11. Kuban (D2) 0 Dynamo Moscow (D1) 1

Interesting feature on Luch from Vladivostok on Futbol Mundial this week. It shows just how hard it is for them when they play away from home.

Yippee - one good thing to come out of the Spartak hammering at the hands of Dynamo Kiev is that Cherchesov's finally been sacked. Spartak drew with Amkar with Ledyakhov in temporary charge. According to fans' reports, it looked as if Ledyakhov was trying to teach the team to pass the ball from scratch.

Zenit lost again. One of their fan leaders was killed by a security guard in a nightclub recenly, so the fans spent 2 games in silence.

Ledyakhov was a good player, I remember him running rings around Liverpool's midfield in the Cup-Winners' Cup years ago.

For some reason, he was only given about half a game at USA 94, even though most of the first-choice players had stayed at home.

Looks like Pavlyuchenko -> Spurs has almost been tied up. I understand he's not playing in Kiev. Of all the English sides, a move to Spurs is probably the most suitable one for him.

PS Oh, got a confirmation here that at 16:40 BST Pavlyuchenko set off on the route Kiev-Moscow-London.

Pavlyuchenko's just been on the Spartak Moscow fans' website I use to thank the fans and bid everyone farewell. Nice touch.*

*Before people get cynical, he's been on there before.

Good luck to him.

Any thoughts on Danny, the player who Zenit have just signed from Dynamo Moscow? I think he was the last remaining Portuguese import at Dynamo.

Just read the book Football Dynamo by Marc Bennetts which is pretty good, for anyone interested in reading about Russian football.