Russia captain surprised by lack of faith

Artem Dzyuba is surprised how quickly Scotland have lost faith in their national side, writes Jamie Durent.

The Russian national team captain, who will lead his side out against Scotland at the Luzhniki Stadium tonight, reckons the support for Steve Clarke and his squad has evaporated far too quickly.

The 3-0 defeat in Kazakhstan earlier this year put paid to Alex McLeish’s second tenure in charge, while defeats against the Russians and Belgium at Hampden last month left a malaise hanging over the national team.

Clarke only took over in the summer and has been hit by numerous injuries and withdrawals over his three international periods. The 31-year-old striker believes there needs to be greater backing for what Clarke is trying to achieve.

Dzyuba said: “It’s a little weird that you don’t have a little faith in your team. It is similar to the Russian fans who didn’t have much faith in their team before the World Cup.

“Nothing terrible happened. The loss to Kazakhstan was a bit surprising but it is a difficult place to go, partly because of the AstroTurf. You have excellent players playing for your side, for clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United.

“Initially Scotland was considered one of the most promising teams in the group.

“After this one victory by Russia, you lost faith in your side which is a little surprising. We believe it is a tough opponent and we are going to give 100% in this game.

“We are not Spain, Netherlands or Portugal. We can’t play opponents without proper preparation.”

The Russian national side have enjoyed a transformative couple of years, emerging from 70th in the world – the lowest-ranked team to host a World Cup – to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament.

“It could be argued that they offer a blueprint for Scotland, playing friendlies in the build-up to their home tournament and unearthing new players for the future.

“Results are ultimately what matters. This appreciation of our fans, when our supporters realise we love them, it also turns the situation around.”

Artem Dzyuba: ready to give 100%.