There is no need to expect miracles from Oleksandr Shovkovskyi as acting coach of Dynamo. A real fight for the championship, a quality game, or a large number of goals against opponents.
Oleksandr Shovkovskyi. Photo by Yuriy YurievAlexander Vladimirovich faces more realistic tasks:
Results. The team must win. Everyone understands that a new team is being built, there is a change of generations, and in such a situation, losing points is normal. But losing to Ingulets at home or not beating Rukh is a bit much. There should be winning streaks of 4-5 matches. We have already played Shakhtar, Dnipro-1 and Zorya.
We need to improve our defensive play. The result begins with defence. It is the defence that wins championships and cups. This was one of the main factors behind Lucescu's victory in all domestic tournaments in the 2020/21 season. This season, Kyiv have conceded 18 goals. This is the second highest figure in the UPL. It turns out to be less than a goal per game. But these are just numbers. The defence does not look convincing at all. There are defensive failures in almost every match. Even at the level of outsiders. In six matches against Shakhtar, Zorya and Dnipro-1 (matches in each round), the figures are not encouraging - 11 goals (4, 4, 3). Almost a goal per game. That's a bit much. Sašo has a lot of experience in managing defences. He understands the principles by which it can be reliable.
Trust in the youth. For Dynamo, the season is effectively lost. This time cannot be wasted. It is very important that young players progress and gain confidence. First of all, we are talking about players who are already getting playing time at the first team level - Maksym Dyachuk and Anton Tsarenko. Anton Bol, Oleksandr Yatsyk and Samba Diallo should get their chances. The Senegalese is one of the club's main assets and talents. It is very important to find an approach to him now. The more young players play, the more trump cards Shovkovskyi will have in front of the fans and the club's management.
Return of Bushchan and Shaparenko's fitness. These are the main players for the team today. Both are recovering from serious injuries. Heorhiy has already recovered, and Mykola is on the way. A lot depends on both of them in the team's game. Dynamo's acting coach needs to work to ensure that Shaparenko and Bushchan help this season and are fully prepared for the next one. In addition to gaining physical and game shape, psychology is an important factor here. When you have missed a lot of games, it is not easy to come back psychologically after a serious injury. Shovkovskyi has a similar experience. His advice can be very relevant here.
Sergey Tishchenko
