The head coach of Dynamo Kyiv Oleksandr Shovkovskyi answered questions from journalists after the second round match of the Conference League group stage against Turkish side Samsunspor which ended in a 0:3 defeat for Dynamo.
– Thiare made two costly mistakes. How would you assess his performance?
– I don’t agree that there were two mistakes but we simply can’t come out of the dressing room already trailing 0:1. Of course, such errors affect the team’s play and the overall result. Although at 0:1 we had a great chance we had to take – when we missed an open goal. That was also a mistake that influenced the final outcome.
As I’ve said before the devil is in the details. Unfortunately lately those small details have not been working in our favor. We make mistakes both in defensive organization and in attack when we fail to convert our chances.
– In the first half both wingers were active but why did you rarely get into the opponent’s penalty area?
– Because the opponent did everything possible to prevent that. In some situations our individual quality wasn’t good enough. To win matches you have to win your duels – both in defense and in attack. Unfortunately today that component of our play was not of the highest quality. However, until the second goal we conceded, I can’t say we played badly or didn’t have chances to make better use of the opportunities we created. But the scoreboard says it all.
– This was Rubchynskyi’s first appearance of the season. How ready was he and how would you assess his game?
– He went through a difficult period. He rejoined the team after training and playing with the U21 national team, just like nine other players who were forced to join us two weeks later than the rest because they were preparing with the U23s. That had its effect. He also suffered a serious injury and missed the entire pre-season. Then he worked very hard and recently that work earned him a place in the starting lineup. I think he played at a fairly high level in the first half though later it became clear that it was hard for him physically. Still I’m satisfied with his effort and attitude. As I said it was a tough period for him and, considering how much time he missed, the way he prepared deserves praise. Well done.
– After two Conference League group stage matches you still have zero points. What are your plans moving forward?
– We’ll keep preparing for every match and will strive to improve our position in the standings to earn points and win games.
– Which injured players did the team miss the most today, in your opinion?
– You want me to name names. One could say we missed everyone. We can talk about specific players but the situation is what it is. Of course the absence of certain players limits our options but we have to work with what we currently have.
– How would you comment on the match overall?
– Let’s be honest: no matter what people say, the situation in our country affects many things. I’ve stopped talking about it because we’re often criticized for blaming our failures on what’s happening in Ukraine. But frankly it’s impossible to ignore or overlook. Players who could strengthen the team don’t want to come here or they demand unreal salaries that are simply impossible in our circumstances.
It’s very difficult to remain competitive relying solely on our Academy. When the war started in 2022 many boys from our youth academy left Ukraine – and now they’re playing successfully in Spain, Italy, Germany and other countries. Those were the players who were supposed to strengthen Dynamo and become part of the first team.
Today the situation is very difficult – not just for football but for the whole country. These are obvious things but I stopped mentioning them because people are tired of hearing it. So I try to focus directly on the quality of our play.
