The affairs of the Dynamo youth team are also not very successful. The last time the team became a champion was in the 2019/20 season (two seasons were not completed due to the war and covid). Now the "gold" of the youth championship is very important in light of the entry into the UEFA Youth League. The adult team can't help here.
In the current season, Ihor Kostyuk's wards are on the second rung. Being 4 points behind the leader "Movement". In addition, Kyiv has one more game. Actually, there is a chance to lose the second place, because Shakhtar is two points behind, but has a game in hand. The Lviv team has already played two face-to-face matches against "Miners".
It is not at all believed that the Kyivans can catch up with the leader and become the youth champion. The quality of the game is questionable. Here it would be better to hold the second step.
Several problematic aspects of the Dynamo youth team can be singled out at once:
Weak generation. In general, the years of birth in 2003-2004 are not very pleasing with their talents. This is a general situation in the country. "Shakhtar" also does not particularly have the talents of this generation. The most interesting players of these years in "Rusa", who at one time played for "Karpaty". But there is also the issue that almost all of them are defensive players.
The greatest talents of this generation can be counted on the fingers of one hand. There is no doubt that Ilya Zabarny, for whom they paid 30 million euros. Then Yehor Yarmolyuk, who became a player of "Brentford" and now plays for the youth team of the English club. And then....Daniel Kivinda can't get out of his wounds. The situation with Oleg Ocheretky is somewhat similar. Danylo Udod went to the Middle East. I don't want to talk about Mark Mampasi at all.
"Dynamo" tried to carry out the selection of these years, to strengthen the team. But there was no particular choice. That's exactly why they started watching foreigners. Samba Diallo joined the team thanks to the personal relations of Igor Surkis and Vadim Vasiliev. I think that if it were not for the war, this list would be longer.
Change of generations. The first team took everyone they could. Ilya Zabarny skipped the youth team altogether. Mircea Lucescu immediately took him to adulthood. "Noviy Yarmolenko" Nazar Voloshyn went to gain experience in "Kryvbas" in the summer. Now trying to establish himself in the first team. Anton Tsarenko can now also be considered a football player of the first team. Since 2003-04, no one in particular has remained. Therefore, there is nothing left but to record the new generation born in 2005. Already next season, 2006, who is currently playing on loan for Zorya, should join him.
The year of birth in 2005 cannot be called special or super talented. Oleg Gusev's son Oleksiy has potential. Andriy Matkevich had a very strong fall season, scoring a lot. Nazar Balaba will play actively in the center of defense. Nazar Yanchyshyn looks like an interesting player in the middle of the field. But in general, it does not solve any global problems, especially in terms of attack and creativity. The problem of forward, goalkeeper, attacking midfielders remains acute.
The next season, 2004, will go on rent or on free bread. Everyone who has shown themselves since 2005, plus 2006, who is currently playing for Zorya, should be the main one. Therefore, a generational change is taking place somewhere. They took what they could from previous years. Now it's time to give way to new talents.
Loss of motivation. There are some footballers who outgrew the youth team, but never got a chance in the first team. They found themselves in a state of limbo, having already taken everything in youth football, but not yet reaching the first. This all leads to a loss of motivation.
Oleksandr Yatsyk has been in the "Dynamo" talent pool for more than a year, but he never got a chance in the first team. Now, a not very clear Macedonian was taken in his place.
A similar story with Anton Bol. Lucescu bets on Maxim Diachuk. Nazar Balaba should be allowed to play in the youth team. It is not clear what the role of Bol is now? A fourth defender in the first team does not sound very convincing. This all affects psychology and motivation.
Samba Diallo was brought back in the summer to strengthen the first team. But he played exclusively for the youth. Lucescu does not yet particularly trust the wayward African. After a long stint in the national team of Senegal, Samba is once again waiting for the youth team.
Navin Malysh, Igor Gorbach... Each of them has a great chance to go and gain experience on loan in the summer, if there is no change in the head coach.
Problem positions. After Ruslan Nescheret, there is no talented goalkeeper. Next comes only Vyacheslav Surkis, who is still only 16 years old. It's not just about talent and prospects. The goalkeeping factor leads to a loss of points, as was the case in the match against Kryvbas.
It is also very sad with the attackers. Ihor Horbach still has no luck. He was given huge advances, but so far he cannot confirm them. Despite the fact that in the first team with forwards, no one expects a problem for Gorbach. They even looked at almost two years younger Matvyi Ponomarenko during the meetings in Turkey. Victories are brought by scored goals. An effective striker is sorely lacking.
The flanks of the midfield do not look convincing. There are no individually strong players there.
Coach. Ihor Kostiuk has been working in his position since the summer of 2017. Under his leadership, the team won the championship twice. Reached the 1/8 finals of the UEFA Youth League. I believe that Kostyuk is a very qualified coach. But each mentor cannot be in one place for a long time. You need to move somewhere, have motivation. Otherwise, it all gets boring.
Ihor Volodymyrovych was successful in his position. A significant number of his students moved to the first team. There are two youth championships. Successful performances in the UEFA Youth League. And what's next? Where should the coach move next, what tasks should he set before himself? The soldier who does not want to be a general is bad. I don't see ambitions in Kostyuk. Everything suits him at the level of work with the youth team.
Serhii Tyshchenko