Global Russians. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov

Summing up the European season, Sports.ru tallies up the performances of the Russian players abroad. In the first episode of our ‘Global Russians’ series we take a look at Everton midefielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, who scored some magnificent goals, but failed to secure a regular first-team place. Denis Romantsov asked Liverpool journalists Thomas Mallows and Ned Bottomley about their opinion on Bilyaletdinov this season and whether he has any future at Everton, and also collected the quotes on Diniyar from the main Liverpool newspapers.

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

Thomas Mallows: Inconsistent. He shows glimpses of his class every now and then, he is calm on the ball and has a great left foot – as shown by his goal against Wolves a few weeks ago. But he also looks like the game is too quick for him at times and he looks lost, barely getting a touch on the ball and when he does he hesitates and is tackled before he can even think.

Ned Bottomley: I think Diniyar’s performance this season has been average. The team itself wasn’t playing too well, but when Steven Pienaar left for Tottenham in January we all thought that he would get more chances. The problem with this is that most of the time when Diniyar has been given a chance by Moyes, he has been played on the left wing – which is out of position for him. The other problem is that Moyes often doesn’t like/trust wide players. Even though Diniyar isn’t a wide player Moyes seems to think that he is. Also, I don’t think Diniyar has been given a fair chance – especially with some of the fantastic goals he has scored.

2. Did he adapt to the life in England?

Thomas Mallows: He certainly seems to have settled in at the club and with his team mates, he seems like he is happy in the region and with the club – he recently rejected rumours about a potential move back to Russia, stating he was happy in England. I still think, though, he is yet to fully adapt to the pace of the Premier League. He always wants too much time on the ball.

Ned Bottomley: That one is hard to say, personally, I think he’s adapted – but I can imagine moving to Liverpool has been a large culture shock to him.

3. How is his English? Is it easy for the English press to communicate with him?

Thomas Mallows: I don’t think he is fluent but he knows enough to get by. He doesn’t do too many interviews, except to the club’s official TV station. He is on Twitter though and regularly speaks to his fans both in Russian and English.

Ned Bottomley: Diniyar’s communication with the press has been good, and he is very vocal on twitter too.

4. What do Everton fans think and speak about him?

Thomas Mallows: The fans like his personality and really want him to do well. But they also get very frustrated with him as he will play well one game and then poorly the next. He definitely has potential, though, and has scored some great goals for the club. I also think he hasn’t quite found his preferred position, he often plays out wide doesn’t have the pace to be a winger.

Ned Bottomley: Everton fans are split into two camps, those that like him and think he should play in more of a central Van der Vaart role and those who feel he is a big waste of money and hasn’t adapted.

5. What are Diniyar’s prospects next season in your opinion?

Thomas Mallows: After two seasons at the club he can have no excuse about not being used to the game in England. He needs to be a bit quicker on the ball and realize that in the Premier league you haven’t got time to think! If he perhaps plays more centrally behind the striker, it may suit his game better, though I think if he doesn’t do well next season, Everton may sell him.

Ned Bottomley: I fear that he will be sold, Moyes doesn’t have any transfer funds, the only money he will have to spend comes from player sales – and Diniyar is a huge talent that he might be able to get a good price for.

September

Everton agreed to buy Bilyaledtinov for £9m after Guus Hiddinck personally recommeded him to David Moyes. However, Bily is now concerned about that he may lose his place in the Russian national team if he doesn’t start playing for Everton regularly. He was benched once again in Aston Villa game – and Dick Advocaat seems to be very unhappy about his player’s lack of action. «The lack of playing practice is damaging both for Bilyaletdinov and the national team», said the Dutch coach. Liverpool Echo

October

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov is coming to something of a crossroads in his short Everton career. He’s really struggling to break into the team, and Moyes decided to play Leon Osman on the left of midfield against Birmingham but left Bily on the bench. I think the manager wants to see more tracking back from him, and if he isn’t used to that it is a matter of forcing himself to fit into Moyes’ mould of a player. Trevor Steven was the best example of that type of player, who’d help to track back and work hard. Maybe Bily wasn’t required to track back and play at a high tempo at his last club, or maybe that’s not especially in his nature but he must. Scoring spectacular goals isn’t enough. Liverpool Echo

December

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov has vowed to be patient as he continues to fight for his place in the Everton team. The Russian midfielder says he is poised to take any opportunity David Moyes gives him in the side, and insists he must start over again to win the faith of his manger and the supporters despite scoring the club’s goal of last season. Liverpool Echo

January

Jack Rodwell believes Everton can flourish even without any last-minute January transfer market signings. (…) Rodwell is unconcerned about the club’s inactivity so far, instead hoping to force his way into Moyes’ first team plans ahead of this Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round tie with Chelsea, when he says Diniyar Bilyaletdinov has the quality to fill the creative gap created by Pienaar’s exit. Liverpool Echo

February

[Pienaar’s probable] departure will open up opportunities for others, especially Diniyar Bilyaletdinov but he looks like the kind of player who might need a run of half a dozen games to find his feet and Everton might not be willing to risk their form on such a gamble. Liverpool Daily Post

April

Everton’s scorer of great goals, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, would rather become known as a great goalscorer. The Russian midfielder who won Everton’s Goal of the Season award last term for a marvellous strike against Manchester United and was then credited with an even better strike aginst Portsmouth on the season’s final day, scored another memorable goal against Wolves at the weekend. But after celebrating his stunning 25-yard drive, Bilyaletdinov bemoaned missing a much easier chance from just six yards. Liverpool Daily Post