Former midfielder of the Ukraine national football team Oleg Shelayev has shared his impressions of the play of Ruslan Rotan's charges at the start of the Euro 2023 group stage and estimated their chances in the next exams at the continental forum.
Oleg Shelayev- Of course, I closely follow the progress of the championship, because Arseniy Batagov and Oleksandr Nazarenko, who trained in the Dnipro Academy, play for the Ukraine national team. I am happy for them.
- If you compare the two matches played - with the Croatians and the Romanians, in which game the Ukrainians were more effective?
- In my opinion, the Croatians are stronger than the hosts, so the victory over them should be rated higher. That's why I am pleased that our boys were superior to the Balkans in tactical flexibility, they strictly followed the coach's instructions, and after the break they dominated two goals and skillfully played according to the scoreline.
As for Romania, our superiority in terms of preparation was noticeable. And only Ruslan Rotanj and the fans got nervous because of some upsetting lapses in the closing stages of attacking moves. But justice prevailed. In the end, they managed to tip the scales in their favour. Again, quite deservedly.
- Is there anyone worth mentioning among our players?
- I do not think so far they are winning thanks to their team performance. However, it is important that they do not care which scheme they employ: positional attacks or quick transition from defence to attack. It can be explained not only by their chemistry, but also by their performance in the middle of the pitch: Sudakov, Bondarenko - Kryskiv who understand each other perfectly and masterfully control the ball, changing the direction of attacks. Our players' running into the open spaces and determination to maintain a high tempo make a pleasant impression.
- Can our national team boast a long bench?
- It's a sin to complain. Although the competition for a place in the starting line-up would have been even tougher if our national team players Mykhaylo Mudryk and Ilya Zabarny could have been involved.
- Most likely, in the final encounter of the group round - with the Spaniards, Mudryk, who was bothered by an injury, will already be playing. The fact that he can, as they say, pull the blanket over himself, will not negatively affect our team's performance?
- Anything may happen, because so far, it seems that every our player knows his manoeuvre, and therefore it is difficult to say whether the substitution will be beneficial or not. It is already Rotan's prerogative to decide who will take to the pitch.
- Unfortunately, Ukraine national team player Vladyslav Vanat, who was shown a straight red card in the game vs Romania, will not be able to help Spaniards.
- I can't find any explanation for his behavior. Vanat really let down the national team and himself. I hope that this will be a lesson for him.
- How do you assess the chances of our boys in the next matches on their way to the podium?
- It's important not to get too euphoric at the moment. Indeed, in the first matches the Ukrainians' performance made a pleasant impression, but let's not forget that our paths haven't crossed with the favourites. We will see how we fare against Spain, where we will decide who finishes first in the group stage.
Of course, then I would like to avoid facing the French, who look powerful, but not without their weaknesses. Our team has them too and it will be interesting to see if we can work on our mistakes as the tournament progresses. Also, we should not forget that for the championship participants the basic year of birth is 2000. However, the age range of each national team is different. At the key moment, it may also influence the course of events on the pitch. The winners will be those with the most experienced squad.
