Metalist 1925 midfielder Beka Vachiberadze spoke about acclimatization in the new team and the team's plans for the 2022/23 season.
Beka Vachiberadze. Photo: metalist1925.com“I came to the club when the championship had already started and I got playing time only in the fourth round. In September, he was still not in the best physical shape. October was spent on a set of gaming conditions and debugging interactions with the team. And in November, I already felt quite confident on the field.
Probably my best match was the penultimate game of autumn against Kryvbas. We won 2:0, I spent all 90 minutes on the field and gave an assist.
I think that after the winter training camp I will be even better integrated into the team and show my maximum. I play in the top three midfielders. We change depending on the game situation and the coaching setup, I can be either closer to the attack or to the support zone. I like the style that is now at Metalist 1925, the coaching staff asks us to control the ball and shoot more often on goal.
I spent the spring in the Georgian championship. There, in football, more emphasis is placed on technique. But in general, in the UPL, of course, football is stronger. Much faster speeds, more intensity and more struggle.
In Georgia, 95% of people support Ukraine in its war for independence and are very worried about us.
With the arrival of the new coaching staff at Metallist 1925, the process of preparing for matches has changed. The team likes him. It was unrealistic to change the playing style in the middle of the first round, we played every week, and sometimes twice a week. I think that after the winter training camp it will be possible to talk about how this team will look like under the leadership of the coaching duet of Edmar and Oleg Golodyuk.
The team is generally satisfied with its seventh place in the championship table. Although, I think there were games in which we did not get our points. They could have occupied a line even higher. So far, the club has not told us that we must definitely get into the European Cup zone, but all the guys see that the cherished places are nearby and there is nothing unrealistic to climb higher in the table in the spring.
Metalist 1925 hasn't conceded a goal this season either from Shakhtar (0:0) or from Dynamo (0:0). In meetings with the giants, motivation played its role, we really wanted to keep up with the leaders of the tournament and prove ourselves. Alas, the team sometimes lacked concentration in meetings with simpler opponents, we conceded four times from Veres (1:4).
We ended the championship with a draw against Dynamo. In that match, we were not scored a penalty, although we also had scoring chances to snatch three points. In addition to the matches with the leaders, of course, the meeting with another Metalist is also important for us. We failed to win in the fall (0:0), but it is important for us that we are better than them in the championship. Although I won’t say that after each round we look at the table.
Watching the World Cup in winter was quite unusual. I supported Messi and Argentina, and of course I was happy when the blue and white won.
There has probably never been such an ending in history. At the tournament itself, I did not notice any new ideas. Now it’s just a spectacle,” Vachiberadze said.
