FC Dynamo Kyiv head coach Oleksandr Shovkovskyi answered media questions after the win against FC Karpaty Lviv (2:0).
- First of all, congrats to our supporters on this win and congrats to all Ukrainian fans on the start of the second part of the season. We all need some positive emotions throughout this challenging period of history.
Secondly, I want to thank the Ukrainian Armed Forces, our defenders, who give us a chance to play football.
As for the game itself, we perfectly know that the spring football can be special sometimes as all teams are totally ready after their training camps. We realized the match would be tough, but we had some decent opportunities to make things more comfortable even in the first half.
- Dynamo have quite a lot of youngsters. How fast do they get accustomed to the first team?
- Transition between the youth and grownup football can be rough sometimes. It depends. For instance, Zabarnyi got accustomed right away. But the demands of adult football are completely different, decision-making must be much faster, time is short, technical skills, understanding of coach’s requirements. Besides, the guys have a great burden of responsibility. You need to have the courage to make certain decisions, the courage to take responsibility. Many players aren’t ready for this yet. In world football, players at the age of 20-21 are at the highest level. This is what you need to strive for.
- Is Volodymyr Brazhko’s absence from the starting lineup a tactical decision or a kind of disciplinary one?
- If I have players at my disposal who are showing outstanding performance, I won’t look at whether they’re going to move somewhere or not. I will use them because they’re capable of fulfilling the task. Our team currently has 26 players.
Volodymyr Brazhko, like Mykola Shaparenko, had a difficult period. Brazhko was recovering from a rather difficult ankle injury. That’s why he was not involved in the January Europa League matches, because we took care of him. He missed a certain period of preparations and is now regaining shape.
As for Mykola Shaparenko, he missed the end of the first part of the season due to illness and then got sick again when we were already at training, which is why he also missed quite a lot. In general, during the training camp, Mykhavko, Tymchyk, Brazhko, Pikhalionok, Karavayev were out due to the virus. There was a virus in the team, but someone got over it relatively easily, missing 3-4 days, and someone had to take antibiotics. Shaparenko even spent several days at the hospital. So it wasn’t easy for him, but now he’s gradually reconditioning.
But we have 26 players, each of whom is ready to enter the starting lineup at any time or step up during the match. None of the players is guaranteed a place in the starting lineup.
- Earlier this year you had an unusual situation when you had to quickly get ready for the euro cups games. Dynamo were properly prepared for these games physically, as well as for the start of the UPL. How did you manage to achieve this?
- This was the first time we faced such a situation and the team prepared well. The performance of the guys on the field proved that they were quite ready.
Then we deliberately gave the team 4-5 days off so that the players could rest, because it’s quite difficult to go through two cycles of such training. And then this virus happened, the players started getting sick.
I think at the moment the team is ready. But it’s premature to jump ahead. Of course we need to analyze our preparations after a certain period of time has passed.
- What do you think of the performance by Andrii Yarmolenko and goal by Vladyslav Vanat?
- I’ve never evaluated players individually. Of course, after each game we analyze their actions, but I focus more on team interaction. In order to score a goal, you need to do a certain amount of work. It consists of many components, and who exactly finishes doesn’t really matter for me as a coach. I want everyone to score. Yarmolenko had three great chances today, he could have scored a hat-trick in this match. His presence on the field adds certain leverage in terms of attack. Everyone saw his performance in the game against Galatasaray, two goals. I think every coach would like to have players of his level in the squad.
As for Vanat, we practice finishing a lot. The situation that led to the goal, including Vivcharenko’s assist, Vanat’s break-in – that’s what we work on. I want every player to score. Even Neshcheret. But winning every game is a priority.
