Oleksandr Khatskevich: "There is practically no choice of strikers in Ukraine today"

Former head coach of Dynamo Kyiv Oleksandr Khatskevich commented for Fanday the choice of the coach of the Ukrainian national team Oleksandr Petrakov, who called 25 football players to the September training camp to prepare for the League of Nations matches.

— Alexander Nikolaevich, were there any surprises for you in the list of goalkeepers whom Petrakov called to the September training camp?

- As far as I understand, Trubin will most likely be called up to the youth team by agreement between coaches Petrakov and Rotan. Andrey Lunin does not have playing practice in Real Madrid. But even in those matches when he played, he showed a professional attitude towards his duties. Even just being in the national team, seeing the guys, feeling the atmosphere will do him good.

— Comment on the choice of Petrakov in the defensive line.

- As for the defenders - Oleksandr Tymchik today receives little game practice in Dynamo Kiev. Denis Miroshnichenko from Oleksandria looks quite confident in this position. He is now at a good age. He does a lot of work. Miroshnichenko is more reliable in defense and more creative in attack. Perhaps the choice was made in favor of Tymchik, since he has more international experience. But in terms of playing qualities, at the moment Miroshnichenko looks preferable.

— Are you not surprised by the absence of Vladislav Dubinchak from Dynamo and Yefim Konoply from Shakhtar in the list of flank defenders?

“Petrakov knows Cannabis better. Yefim was in his youth team, which became the world champion. Why he was not called is more visible to the coach. Calling three right-backs at the same time for two games is a lot, two is enough. Perhaps, it was really worth calling Dubinchak instead of Mikhailichenko to the left-back position. As a result, in one position the choice was made in favor of the Dynamo player, and in the other position, in favor of the Shakhtar player. It can be said that they exchanged 50 for 50.

— Is Petrakov's choice in midfield surprising?

- Among the midfielders, the presence of Alexander Zubkov raises questions. According to the minutes he got at Shakhtar, he made a very weak impression. It is clear that there will still be a Champions League game ahead, a match of the Ukrainian championship. Vladislav Kalitvintsev from the same Oleksandriya looks better in this position, he can play both on the right and on the left. It is clear that there are Yarmolenko, Tsygankov, Mudrik in the positions of flank midfielders. But at the moment, Kalitvintsev could be called up to the national team.

— Even one of the leaders of Dynamo, Vitaly Buyalsky, as well as a newcomer to the team, Vladislav Kabaev, are not even on the reserve list. What are the reasons in your opinion?

- It's too early to say something about Kabaev. There is no complete picture of him yet, it is not known how he will fit into the Dynamo game. As for Buyalsky, he is an experienced guy and already understands well that he did not fit the scheme even under the head coach of the national team Andriy Shevchenko. Now under Petrakov, apparently, the situation is the same. Vitaliy will get more time to rest and better prepare for the next games for the Kyiv team. Today, not every Dynamo player is psychologically ready to think about the national team.

— What can you say about Shakhtar midfielders Ivan Petryak and Artem Bondarenko, could they strengthen the Ukrainian national team?

- Bondarenko looks good in the middle of the field, but as I understand it, he will also be called up to the youth team, which needs to solve the problem of entering the European Championship. There he will be more useful. The national team includes Nikolay Shaparenko, Sergey Sidorchuk, Taras Stepanenko, who have a lot of experience. Petryak is not impressive in the first games for Shakhtar.

— Viktor Kovalenko has not played for the national team of Ukraine for almost a year. Did he deserve a call to the September training camp?

- Judging by the press that he has in Italy, yes. In the last round, he was recognized as the best player in his team. Kovalenko gets enough playing time at the club. I think he deserves a call to the national team.

— Midfielders Yevhen Konoplyanka and Vladislav Kochergin are playing in the Polish Championship. Does Petrakov not pay attention to them because of the level of the Polish league?

— Today, the Polish championship compared to the Ukrainian Premier League is at the top level. Polish football is developing rapidly. Yes, Konoplyanka scored both in the Cup match and in the last round. But I think this is not enough to evaluate its capabilities. He has not played for a long time both in the club and in the national team. Perhaps his age is taken into account, as Petrakov thinks about the future. Moreover, this position has Mudrik and Zubkov, who are younger than Konoplyanka. But if Evgeny continues to perform well, he will definitely receive a call. Kochergin looks good for Rakow, he scored important goals in European competitions. But this is Petrakov's choice.

— There are only two names in the main list of attackers — Yaremchuk and Dovbik. There is also Besedin in the reserve. Is everything fair?

- There is practically no choice of attackers in Ukraine today. Everything is logical and natural here. In case of some force majeure, Yarmolenko can also play in the forward position. Artem Besedin is out of shape now. Even those qualities that he has - efficiency, interference - this is not the main thing. The attacker must score. Sikan, as far as I understand, will also be called up to the youth team. Therefore, Petrakov didn’t have much of a choice here. But at the same time, he must be respected, since it is the head coach who is responsible for the final result of the team.

— Denys Bezborodko is currently leading in the list of scorers of the Ukrainian Premier League, maybe it was necessary to call him?

- The best football players at the moment are called up to the national team. Our team does not play two forwards, so two forwards will be enough for three games. Plus, Yarmolenko can play in this position. Bezborodko scored two goals for Zorya and one for Kolos. But coaches consult and know the situation better. Perhaps Denis is a better fit for the reserve list than Besedin.

— There are six players on the reserve list. One of them is Dnipro-1 player Eduard Sarapiy, who played in the First League for Metalist last season. His call — is this an advance to a young defender?

- A call to the national team will motivate the player in the future. The players will understand that the matches of the Ukrainian Championship are closely watched by the coaches of the national team - not only Petrakov, but also Oleksandr Shovkovskiy. There is an extended list where any footballer who will consistently demonstrate his level can get, even if he recently played in the first league.

— Zorya successfully started the championship, single-handedly leading the standings after three rounds with a 100% result. At the same time, there are no Luhansk residents in the main list, and only the name of Yegor Nazarina appears in the reserve list. Maybe it was worth calling someone else from this team?

“Today, Zorya is in first place, in a month some other team may take the lead. It takes into account the experience, the condition of the players. If someone proved himself in one match, this does not mean that the player should be called up immediately. You have to be stable over a long period of time.

— What result do you expect from the Ukrainian national team in the September matches of the League of Nations?

- Scotland will have a revanchist mood. Playing with them on the road is quite difficult. Of all the rivals in the group, it is the Scots who can compete with our team in the fight for the first place. As for Armenia, their team seems to have started well. It is also not easy to play with them on the road. In their native walls, they are well supported by fans. But the class of our team is higher. I hope that the Ukrainian national team will be able to solve the problem of taking first place and returning to the top division of the League of Nations. This is what I wish for Petrakov and our entire team.

Andriy Kaplun