Commentator Viktor Vatsko commented on the Youtube channel "Vatsko on air" on the criticism of Arsenal football player Oleksandr Zinchenko's performance by former Dynamo forward Viktor Leonenko.
Viktor Vatsko"Once upon a time, Pierluigi Collina came to our studio for Big Football. He said the following to Leonenko: "In the early 90s, you were a strong footballer, but in your development, you remained there."
You know that Vitya played football better than anyone else, understands it better than anyone else, knows and understands football better than anyone else. He has only two competitors in this aspect - Avatar and Lulu, his cats. In Leon's opinion, Leonenko, Avatar and Lulu should sit with the host in the CBS football studio, not these obscure Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry and Micah Richards.
For Viti, there is only one criterion in football: "If Lobanovsky had him, then he would have played under Lobanovsky." What made Lobanovsky unique, outstanding and iconic in football in his time? The fact that he understood and was able to anticipate the requirements and trends in the development of football of his time. Valerii kicked Leonenko out of his team. Vitya was a strong football player, but short-sighted.
Even now he doesn't understand that football has moved forward, while Leonenko was stuck 30 years ago. Colina is right. It's hard for Leonenko to realize simple truths - football is evolving, there are different coaches with different ideas. And these do not necessarily have to be the ideas of Lobanovsky in the 90s.
In Leonenko's understanding, a fullback should not get off his ass in defense, lying down in the box, and in attack - run forward and make flank passes. That was the way it was in the 90s, and it was normal then. But it is impossible for Vita to understand that Arsenal has Arteta, who has his own ideas, his own vision of his team's style of play and his own requirements for players in certain positions.
Leonenko does not understand such a concept as rotation on the football field in different phases of the game - with and without the ball. He does not understand that Zinchenko at Arsenal, at the request of the coach, can act as a central midfielder while controlling the ball, and at the same time on the flank, the nominal center-half Dzhaka creates width.
Leonenko does not understand that, given the anthropometry of Arsenal's forwards, especially in comparison with opposing defenders, the London club's wing players are not designed for crosses.
At Arteta's request, Zinchenko's functions are radically different from the banal ones of running down the flank and passing. They are much broader and more sophisticated. It was because of his ability to fulfill these requirements that Arteta bought Zinchenko for tens of millions of euros.
Arteta is responsible for the results at Arsenal. He selects players according to his requirements. Only a blind or stupid person does not see and understand how organic and useful Zinchenko is in this team," Vatsko said.
