Renowned coach and expert Oleh Fedorchuk analysed the performance of the Ukrainian national team under Rebrov in the June matches (Germany - Ukraine - 3:3, North Macedonia - Ukraine - 2:3, Ukraine - Malta - 1:0).
Oleg Fedorchuk- The Ukrainian national team played its first matches with Rebrov in charge: what new things have caught your eye in terms of tactics and personnel?
- It was nice to see how quickly Rebrov adapted. He managed to improve the psychological state of the team. It was clear that players like Stepanenko and Yarmolenko feel confident enough to help the new staff relay their ideas.
The team has become more rational, which we saw in the debut sparring match with the Germans. There was no underestimation of the opponent in the matches against Northern Macedonia and Malta, plus the management worked well.
- The national team's result: what grade would you give the team for the June matches?
- The game against Germany had a doping effect on the Ukrainian national team I believe that the coaching staff managed to start very confidently. After such a good start, it will be easier to prepare for the September matches against England (9 September) and Italy (12 September). If you have a positive result behind you, it will play to the advantage of the Ukrainian national team players.
- In June, the Ukrainian national team shone with its attacking players, but there are many questions about the defensive players. What do you see as the reason for this imbalance?
- This is not a problem of the national team, but of all Ukrainian football, when the transition to more progressive methods of playing began. Many teams in Ukraine started playing more combination football. We have a shortage of players who can impose a fight and play one-on-one. We have more or less improved the situation with goalkeepers and attacking players and there is fierce competition.
- Heroes of June: Tsygankov, Zabarnyi, Konoplya, Tymchyk. Who personally stood out to you the most?
- After Tsygankov, I would definitely mention Stepanenko. It is noticeable that he is struggling, but he kept his level in all three matches. Viktor has demonstrated on his own how much the change of championship has benefited him. "Tsygankov at Dynamo and Girona are heaven and earth. The player's psychological state is very important. When people believe in you, you play the football you love. There is no need to keep players if they want to leave. It hurts both the player and the club.
- Can Matvienko and Yarmolenko be called the main antiheroes of the national team's June matches?
- Obviously, Matvienko has some problems. When you see your ex-teammates signing contracts in Europe, no matter how psychologically stable you are, your mood changes, which affects your training process. It does not progress. At first, it was only noticeable to specialists, but now everyone can see it.
Yarmolenko can't keep up with the pace anymore, but he is a leader who gives confidence to the young ones. This suggests that emotionally he plays at his best, and his body can no longer withstand the stress. I expect that Yarmolenko will not play from the first minutes in September.
In my opinion, the coaches of the national team of Ukraine will move in two directions: to give Matvienko a chance and to look for a replacement. As I like to repeat: A half-truth is worse than a lie.
- What will the Ukrainian national team look like in matches against top rivals?
- England and Italy are superior to us in terms of skill, but in football you can compensate for the shortcomings with certain tricks. One option is to play pragmatically, based on your own capabilities. Take an example from Portugal, which does not hesitate to play primitively if necessary.
- Who does this team lack? Is it realistic to have Rusyn, Kochergin, Rakitskiy playing in it?
- We lack a striker who would add variety. When you have a player of Dovbyk's and Yaremchuk's profile, you lack a forward who could diversify them. Vanat and Sikan are interesting, but for positional play, not as a second choice.
Klymchuk, a winger, could be a good fit for today's team. If he played in the top 3 UPL clubs, he would have been selected a long time ago. He is powerful and yet light, quite gifted in technical terms. Scoring nine goals for Rukh is a clear confirmation of this. To a certain extent, every goal for an average or outsider means more than for a team that dominates possession and creates chances for 15-20 shots per game.
Oleksandr Karpenko
