FK Rostov has a 90-year history, but they are not a dominant force in the Russian Premier League. They have not won the title since 1992, but have managed to recently become a contender for the European slots, making their debut in the UEFA Champions League in the same group as Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid in 2016/17.
Since 2017, the former Real Sociedad player, Valeri Karpin has been the manager of this emerging force in Russian football. The club also tweaked their transfer policy, recruiting young talented prospects from Scandinavian football, such as Dennis Hadžikadunić, Armin Gigović, Pontus Almqvist and Mathias Normann. They have played some interesting football this season, and are looking for a way back into Europe again.
This tactical analysis introduces Karpins philosophy, especially through some key tactical concepts that his Rostov side have been showing on the pitch every week.
Vertical build-up
Offensively, Karpins core principle is to build-up vertically; his players are encouraged to break the lines to find teammates behind the opposition midfield or defence. This is the quickest way to advance the ball, and the likes of Hadžikadunić and Normann are good at passing and executing these tactics.
Rostov have also put structures and movements in place to help carry out these tactics, which will be explained in this section.
Against teams that press high with two strikers, Karpin’s prefers his team to stay in a back three by dropping the midfield pivot into the first line. The goalkeeper should also possess reasonable kicking ability to be a part of the build-up. The players need to open the pitch through their positioning to stretch the two strikers, and also to maximize the space they can exploit.
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