Former Dynamo Kyiv striker Oleg Salenko told what he expects from the final round match of the League of Nations between the national teams of Ukraine and Scotland, which will be held today in Krakow.
Oleg Salenko. Photo — V.Rasner, komandaonline.com“I know the psychology of Scotland well. Although a draw will suit them, they will not sit in defense"
- Oleg Anatolyevich, bookmakers believe that the Ukrainian national team is a slight favorite in this match. Do you agree with this opinion?
- After the last games I saw of our team, Scotland remains my favorite. And given that even a draw will suit our opponent, our guys will have to open up. But the Ukrainian team has problems with this.
- Do you see the advantage of the Ukrainian team?
- I'll say this. After 0:3 in Glasgow, I don't see any advantage for our team. You have to be realistic.
- And in what way are the Scots stronger?
- The Scots have good physics and they are uncompromising in the fight. To win, we need to kill them in this one. If our guys can control the ball and create chances, and most importantly, convert them, then everything is possible.
— What tactics do you think can bring us success?
— Our team needs to start the game on the defensive and catch the Scots on the counterattacks. Scotland narrowly won the match with the Irish, but they kept all the top players in reserve, starting to release them in the second half. Today their team is 100% ready.
— You know the Scots very well. How will they play today against Ukraine?
— I know the psychology of Scotland well. Although a draw will suit them, they will not sit back in defense, but will run forward. If we catch them on the counterattack, it will be good.
But how it will really be, it is difficult to guess. Now we are euphoric after the match with Armenia, but you need to approach the match with the Scots with a cool head. The second half showed that Armenia has no defense at all.
"If physics allows us, I would release two attackers, because we have to win"
- Petrakov completely replaced the squad in the match with Armenia. Who do you think will play today: the players who defeated the Armenians or the so-called base, which lost 0:3 to the Scots?
— I hope that all the substitutions needed in this game will work for us. Because not all of our guys are physically ready to play a full match.
Petrakov did the right thing, that in the match with Armenia he kept in reserve those who would come out with Scotland. He let one of them play in the second half, but this is necessary for football.
I think most of those who played in Glasgow will play against Scotland. My only question is: who will take the forward position - Dovbik or Yaremchuk.
- Who impresses you?
- If physics allows us, I would release two attackers, because you need to win. If you do not take risks, then nothing will come of it!
But still, I think that from the start we will get one attacker, and the second one will appear later as a reinforcement.
- From which of the players of the Ukrainian national team do you expect a bright game?
- There will be no bright game from anyone. With such teams as Scotland and England, you do not need to show a bright game. It is important that everyone plays their part in the field.
- But anyway?
- In the match with Scotland, I expect a lot from the middle of the field. I hope that Malinovsky will finally wake up. At Glasgow, he had an unacceptable number of errors. You cannot make four cuts out of ten gears.
- What can you say about Mudrik, from whom fans expect extravaganzas in every match?
- I expect that the zone will be liberated for him, as they did in their time for Belanov, so that Mudrik could escape. He ran for 15 minutes in the first game, and then the Scots closed the zones, and he disappeared.
"Gascoigne goes out with his wife to the yard and gives her a good slap in the face"
- What problematic position do you see for Petrakov's team?
- We have always had problem positions at fullbacks. Thank God, although Mikolenko managed to recover.
And we need two equal defensive players. Because in the second half, when one player entered the field (Sidorchuk, - ed.), we conceded two goals in 20 minutes with a header from corners. This needs to be worked on.
- What is your prediction for the match?
- As a fan of the Ukrainian national team, I will give a positive forecast. I hope we win with a score of 1:0. The only goal will be scored by Dovbik, he is in shape now.
- In the end, tell us some funny story from your career in Scotland that no one has heard yet?
— There were many stories in Scotland, but I have already told them, except for one. I think the time has already passed, I can share it with you. I called it "what is advertising".
In Glasgow, I lived next to Gascoigne. One day we got together as families: he and his English wife, I with mine. We sit, talk, and say to his wife: "Let's go out." He winked at me: "Now you will see everything."
Journalists were always sitting under his house. Gascoigne goes out with his wife to the yard and gives her a good slap in the face. Journalists immediately begin to film it. Then Gascoigne and his wife returned to us, I told them: “What are you, idiots?”. And they answer: "Anti-advertising is also advertising."
They put on a performance for journalists and the next day all the newspapers came out with the headlines "Gascoigne beat his wife, the star couple is breaking up!". I remember this incident very well.
Andrey Piskun
