Global Russians. Yuri Zhirkov

Moving on with the resume of the European season Sports.ru turns to yet another Russian footballer playing abroad. This time in the new episode of the Global Russians series it’s Chelsea defender Yuri Zhirkov, who has been rarely making it on the pitch and has left the Blues’ fans disappointed. Vladislav Voronin asked London-based journalists Andy Brassell and Matt Barlow whether Zhirkov has a future at Chelsea and recollected the history of rumors linking him with a return to Russia.

1. What do you think of Yuri’s performance in this season?

Matt Barlow: Yuri Zhirkov has been an enormous disappointment in England. He arrived with a big fee and a big reputation but has left people wondering if his £18million transfer was just a favour from Roman Abramovich to CSKA. Zhirkov has rarely played well and seems to lack the personality and desire to impose himself on English football.

There have been nice moments. I was there in Baltimore when he impressed on his Chelsea debut versus AC Milan. I was in the Luzhniki to see his fantastic goal against Spartak in the Champions League last year. He even helped turn the game, coming on from the bench against Man United at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League in April, with a dynamic effort. His performance as a sub against United convinced Carlo Ancelotti to play him against United in the Champions League quarterfinal but he was very poor. This display was more akin to what Chelsea supporters have come to expect.

Andy Brassell: Zhirkov’s situation is a strange one – having cost so much at a time when Chelsea were cutting back their spending, people initially expected much more of him. Of course, this was hardly fair, as he arrived in England with an injury, but injuries have been a theme throughout his time in England, because it was Ashley Cole being unfit that allowed Zhirkov to first get a run of games in the team.

There still seems to be some confusion as to how he fits into Chelsea’s 4-3-3 system; he’s more a wing-back than a left-back, but not attacking enough to play in the front three.

He was very good during the closing part of last season when Chelsea won the league and cup double, but Florent Malouda’s form has improved so much since Zhirkov arrived that he has little chance of displacing the Frenchman. You could say one of his greatest achievements here has been to bring the best out of Malouda.

2. What is the opinion of Chelsea fans about him?

Matt Barlow: Chelsea fans are good fans, very supportive of the players. They always back their team, certainly more than anywhere else in London. They have always stuck by Zhirkov. They back him, they don’t criticise him openly but most will agree the best option is to sell him this summer. I can’t imagine he will command £18m but that no longer matters.

Andy Brassell: This is a problem for him; he is valued by the club and its supporters, but has only ever been seen as a stop-gap.

3. How is his English? Does he give interviews to local media?

Matt Barlow: His English is OK, but not great. He does not do interviews in English, but I don’t think many people ask for interviews.

Andy Brassell: I’ve rarely seen him speak to the English press. Apparently his English is good enough on a social level, so I’m sure life isn’t too hard for him, but when interviews with him in English newspapers have been via an interpreter. In the first one of these just after he joined, he revealed (as I’m sure you know) that Abramovich chided him for not learning English, having advised him to do so at the party after winning the 2006 Russian Cup.

4. Does he have a future at Chelsea?

Matt Barlow: For a start, there are reasons for his struggles. Injuries have not helped and Ashley Cole is such a good left back. Ancelotti decided almost immediately that he did not like Zhirkov as an option in left midfield in his 4-3-3 system. That was Frank Lampard’s place, so Zhirkov became the reserve left-back.

Only when Chelsea signed Fernando Torres in January and Ancelotti changed to a 4-4-2 system did Zhirkov start to feature with purpose, on the left wing. But Ancelotti abandoned this idea after losing in the Champions League and reverted to a 4-3-3 system.

There is also a promising young Dutch left-back at Chelsea called Patrick van Aanholt, who has been on loan at Leicester, and he looks quite good. It is another reason to cut Zhirkov loose.

Now Ancelotti left, but I don’t see how this can save Zhirkov. He has failed in London. No one knows much about him. He never speaks to the media. I don’t think he has grasped English well. No-one really cares because he is quite an irrelevant figure. No doubt he has talent but we have not seen it. I think it is time for Zhirkov to move on.

Andy Brassell: There is speculation now and then that he’ll go back to Russia, but he’s a useful member of the squad when fit. His future really depends on the change of coach and what his plans will be. Zhirkov should start with a neutral balance, as he is thought of neither as a big success or a terrible failure.

September

Carlo Ancelotti has told Yuri Zhirkov to forget about a return to Russia. «His future is at Chelsea. He is a good player. He knows there is a lot of competition to play at the top teams and for this reason he has to improve. But he will have the possibility to play a lot of games this year because we are involved in a lot of competitions. We need to have players fit and ready to play,» Ancelotti insists. The Daily Mail

October

The 27-year-old left-back insists he is now ready to show his real value after admitting he has failed to produce his best form so far. Zhirkov is set to play against Spartak Moscow in the Champions League at the Luzhniki Stadium on Tuesday night as Group F’s two unbeaten teams face each other.

‘I’ve not lived up to my full potential because I haven’t played too many games in the first team,’ admitted Zhirkov. ‘But I’ll try to show more. I’m getting fitter game by game, and I’ll try to show more. My fitness is getting better and I’m feeling more confident.’

‘I don’t want to leave Chelsea and if the manager doesn’t want to sell me, I will stay.’ The Daily Mail

February

«Right now my main goal is to return to the Chelsea team. If that’s possible it will end all questions about my future. However, if I don’t get a game before the summer, then I really will have to think seriously about the future.» The Daily Mail

May

Chelsea’s international duo Yury Zhirkov and Jose Bosingwa will become the first two players to pay the price for the club’s disappointing season and be sold in the summer.

Zhirkov has been one of the biggest disappointments since he arrived at Stamford Bridge for £18million from CSKA Moscow in 2009. It is understood the left-sided player has also struggled to settle in London and Chelsea are ready to cash in on the 27-year-old. Spartak Moscow have shown an interest, although he may not be too keen to go there having played for their rivals CSKA but a return to Russia is likely. London Evening Standard