Pogrebnyak

[USA_Loyal_Royal]

Forwards: Vladimir Bystrov (Anzhi Makhachkala), Alexander Kerzhakov (Zenit St Petersburg), Artem Dzyuba (Rostov), Alexei Ionov, Alexander Kokorin (both Dynamo Moscow), Maxim Kanunnikov (Amkar Perm), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Reading/ENG), Alexander Samedov (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Even for a provisional squad that's a lot of strikers! So unfortunately that's probably going to be the main area where numbers are cut. He does have more caps than Ionov, Kokorin, Kanunnikov and Samedov though so he should fancy his chances.

It's a list of 'forwards' (open to interpretation) not 'strikers'.
Some of them are wingers: Bystrov, Samedov and Ionov

^this i genuinely think he has a decent shot at making the squad. he has a better goalscoring record than most of the other "forwards", as well as having more caps. would be a massive achievement for him to get into that world cup squad even if he isnt a starter, and rarely plays.

[harry]

Forwards: Vladimir Bystrov (Anzhi Makhachkala), Alexander Kerzhakov (Zenit St Petersburg), Artem Dzyuba (Rostov), Alexei Ionov, Alexander Kokorin (both Dynamo Moscow), Maxim Kanunnikov (Amkar Perm), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Reading/ENG), Alexander Samedov (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Even for a provisional squad that's a lot of strikers! So unfortunately that's probably going to be the main area where numbers are cut. He does have more caps than Ionov, Kokorin, Kanunnikov and Samedov though so he should fancy his chances.

It's a list of 'forwards' (open to interpretation) not 'strikers'.
Some of them are wingers: Bystrov, Samedov and Ionov

^this i genuinely think he has a decent shot at making the squad. he has a better goalscoring record than most of the other "forwards", as well as having more caps. would be a massive achievement for him to get into that world cup squad even if he isnt a starter, and rarely plays.

Would love to see him play and do well. He only got about 20 mins at Euro 2012 and since then Capello has come in and I don't believe he has selected him so far. The rest of the squad is all Russian-based so hoping his name isn't just to make up the numbers. Come on UBFR!

[urz13]

Dzyuba is a certainty for the squad. Top scorer this season I believe

[Royalcop]

Pog cut from the final 23

[TBM]

Pog cut from the final 23

This is a good thing though, surely?!

Means nobody will buy him if he "has a good world cup"............oh right, i see

[PistolPete]

What is the actual point of having a squad that one week later you'll cut? Surely have a squad and a few on standby?

[Nameless]

What is the actual point of having a squad that one week later you'll cut? Surely have a squad and a few on standby?

Presumably it allowed players to get sealed bids in and now the highest bidders will be on the plane. Pog must be kicking himself for not going higher....

[kwik-silva]

What is the actual point of having a squad that one week later you'll cut? Surely have a squad and a few on standby?

Isn't that what the other seven end up being? On standby? At least I don't have to get a horrific Russian shirt now.

[If you still hate Futcher]

What is the actual point of having a squad that one week later you'll cut? Surely have a squad and a few on standby?

Presumably it allowed players to get sealed bids in and now the highest bidders will be on the plane. Pog must be kicking himself for not going higher....

Similar to the way FIFA decide on who hosts the world cup in the first place

[PistolPete]

What is the actual point of having a squad that one week later you'll cut? Surely have a squad and a few on standby?

Presumably it allowed players to get sealed bids in and now the highest bidders will be on the plane. Pog must be kicking himself for not going higher....

Too true!

[mambo3]

Reading want him to play So they can sell him.

[photographer]

I don't care what the other reading 'fans' say, I have faith in you Pog!

Pog will be the top scorer for thr championship 2014/15!!

[Big Ern]

Pog saying he wants to stay with us for the 2 years left of his contract. He must be on a lot of cash as he know nobody else would pay him what we are.

[DaveBanana]

Pog saying he wants to stay with us for the 2 years left of his contract. He must be on a lot of cash as he know nobody else would pay him what we are.

So he wanted away last summer and was labelled a mercenary, yet now he wants to stay and is just after the money? It seems quite hard to win this one...

[kwik-silva]

I think he's genuinely enjoyed himself here this year, and yeah he may be on big money but I'd love to have him for another season.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Pog saying he wants to stay with us for the 2 years left of his contract. He must be on a lot of cash as he know nobody else would pay him what we are.

So he wanted away last summer and was labelled a mercenary, yet now he wants to stay and is just after the money? It seems quite hard to win this one...

It's called Bell-End Syndrome.

[sandman]

Some discussion of the Pog in Michael Calvin's new book, which is a fascinating insight into the world of the football scout.

A scout based at Fulham regrets that him getting away and gives a couple of insights into his character. Apparently, at a pre-season training camp while at Stuttgart, he blasted a ball high and wide but instead of forcing two old boys who had been enlisted to pick up wayward footballs, insisted on going and getting the ball himself. He was also ridiculed by the other players at Fulham during lunches for neatly stacking his plates and taking them up to the dinner ladies rather than leaving them strewn across the tables like the others.

A good attitude then but the scout also bemoans that we only got him because of money - no surprise there then - but it was the signing off fee that is rumoured to have been the clincher - possibly as much as £5 million which is startling and hard to justify given the meagre return.

The book also talks up Jobi as a model pro but hints that Jordan Obita might not make it - all the opinions of individual scouts interviewed in the book and not myself I hasten to add

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Nowhere-Men ... 1780891075

and review here:

http://thetwounfortunates.com/book-revi ... where-men/

As you're around "Sport Economist" how is that one going for you and Michael?

[biff]

[stealthpapes]

What is the actual point of having a squad that one week later you'll cut? Surely have a squad and a few on standby?

They're allowed to call up from the seven in the case of an injury between now and the world cup, I think.

[parky]

By cutting Pog, Russia are the only team at the World Cup to have every player in the squad playing in their own league.