The game in Thessaloniki left a depressing impression. The loss to Aris was not a tragedy. Everything can be fixed in Bucharest. I am very sceptical about the Conference League in general. In the current environment, it is more of a cost than a benefit. A tournament that is not really needed by clubs from the leading championships. Last season I didn't see a single match of this tournament.
The quality of football demonstrated by Kyiv in Greece was a tragedy. Against the backdrop of the fifth team in the Greek league last season, Dynamo looked unconvincing. The coaching duel was lost. The opponent understood Kyiv's weaknesses and strengths (Shaparenko did not have the best match). If a modest Aris did this to Mircea Lucescu's team, what will happen against stronger opponents? For example, Beşiktaş, where the organisation of the game and the level of the players is clearly higher.
Some might say that we shouldn't jump to conclusions. At one time, we were on the verge of defeating a very low-level team, Drogheda, and then we beat Spartak, reached the Europa League semi-finals and won the championship. In the late 90s, there were very difficult and unimpressive matches with Sparta, and then the CL semi-finals. Patience is a very important trait for football.
But now the issue is a little different - the team's coach Lucescu has been in crisis for almost a year. There is no recovery. The team failed last season in the European Cups and the league. Old problems are not being solved. There is not much difference between today's Dynamo and the team of the autumn of 2022.
Some might say that the problem is not with the coach, but with the players. There is a war, good legionnaires don't want to leave, there is no money for transfers. I disagree with this wording. By today's standards, Kyiv has a good squad. Perhaps not so big in terms of names. There are almost no legionnaires, which should make the team as strong as possible from the inside. Everyone speaks the same language, they share the same culture and lifestyle. There are eight players of the Ukrainian national team - Bushchan, Tymchyk, Sydorchuk, Buyalsky, Yarmolenko, Vanat, Shaparenko. Karavayev is close to this status. 5 players who reached the semi-finals at the youth Euro this summer - Neshcheret, Sirota, Vivcharenko, Brazhko, Vanat. "Aris or Besiktas cannot boast of such a status. The youth teams of these countries did not go to any Euros. The national teams are also clearly not stronger than Ukraine. The current squad is unlikely to succeed in the Champions League, but it is more than enough for the Europa League/Conference League or success in the UPL.
Before Valeriy Lobanovsky returned, Dynamo was not very impressive. I remember a little bit the last match in 1996 against Dnipro, when we were losing 0-2 but managed to snatch a 2-2 draw... Back then, they also said that the team was frankly weak and that new players were needed. Valeriy Vasylovych quickly made a splash in the Champions League with the same squad, especially in Barcelona.
In 2020, Dynamo took second place only by a miracle. The team was completely unbalanced with big problems in defence. The new coach Mircea Lucescu did not change anything in terms of personnel and managed to lead Kyiv to the CL and regain all domestic titles. The approach to the players has changed. The organisation of the game. Nobody knew about Ilya Zabarnyi. Mykola Shaparenko was not a necessary player. Both became leading players. If Lucescu hadn't come then, perhaps no one would remember these players now.
Lucescu's methods worked for one season. Then everything returned to normal. The defensive failures began when Zabarnyi was in the team. At best, the team has been standing still for a long time, not moving forward. The positive things that have happened recently are Vladyslav Vanata's progress and Kostiantyn Vivcharenko's full transition from youth to adult football.
I don't think that even if we manage to sign a new strong centre-back, it will change anything globally. For some changes, 3-4 players are needed. Everyone understands that this is not possible in the current political and economic circumstances. No one will come here for quality, even for big money. Perhaps, then, we need a new coach who will take a different look at the existing squad and the organisation of the game?
Why did Shakhtar become the champions last season? If we had Roberto De Zerbi, it would have been a failure. Because the Italian coach would have wanted the quality of the game without the squad and chemistry. Igor Jovicevic came and simplified the game, gave the team emotions. That's what was needed most of all. Marjan Šved hadn't played for a long time, and in his first game for Shakhtar he scored a double in the Champions League. What kind of physics and tactics could there be? Only emotions. In the summer of 2022, Jovićević was the most suitable coach for Shakhtar's then-team. In the summer, the club's owner wanted more, so he decided to change the coach.
It is said that Samba Diallo is not ready for adult football because he is a player for space, without physical struggle and unwillingness to work for the defence. Is Misha Mudryk any different? De Zerbi found an approach to him, reached out to him. The result was not long in coming. Gio Tsitaishvili, Artem Shulyansky, Vikentiy Voloshyn are not talented guys. They lacked coaching. They were good players in terms of potential.
Lucescu is a very conservative coach. He will not deviate from his principles. In the current coordinate system of Ukrainian football, he can hardly be effective. The situation in the case of Sydorchuk-Brazhko is proof of this. The former is old and not always effective. The latter is young and has interest from clubs from the leading championships. The coach prefers Sydorchuk.... Substitutions in Thessaloniki after the 80th minute, when it was necessary to win back, to refresh the game
In the spring, something started to work for Oleksandr Shovkovskyi. It turned out that Kahim Perris is quite good at football. Although he had been largely ignored before. The team stopped suffering on the pitch and began to show some confidence in their own abilities. It seemed that Shovkovskyi could try. He needs to strengthen his staff a little bit with a good foreign tactical specialist, so that there is no such abuse as there was from Chornomorets in Kyiv. It would hardly be worse than it is now. No one can guarantee that Oleksandr Volodymyrovych won't overstay his welcome or burn out in a year's time.
In Poland, Marek Papshun made a team from Czestochowa, not the biggest city, a champion. Not only by the result, but also by the game. Without a lot of money. By making progress with the players and skilfully selecting them. Our Vladyslav Kochergin became one of the team leaders there. He is now scoring in the Champions League qualifiers. It is unlikely that this player can be compared in terms of potential with Kyiv's Shaparenko or Brazhko. Papshun is not interested in money (or not only money), he wants opportunities - to play in the CL or the LE. To build a new project. To lead a team with the appropriate infrastructure and Academy.
I don't understand why not to be proactive? Why is it necessary to go into a deep crisis in order to make any changes later? Today, it looks like Lucescu will not be able to give this team anything new. I understand that Mircea wants to leave as a winner. But these are the ambitions of the Romanian coach alone. Dynamo has its own interests. Not only the result, but also the development of players and the emergence of young people. Of the three, Mircea can only manage the first one if he wins the UPL.
Some might say that Serhiy Tyshchenko has changed his shoes. Not so long ago, he wrote that Dynamo would win the league, and now he is in despair after the defeat to Aris. I do not retract my words. I rate the chances of winning the championship high. The main reason is not Dynamo's strength, but the problems of their opponents. "Zorya and Dnipro-1 can already be slowly dismissed. "Shakhtar have been completely unconvincing so far. They are building a new team. No one can guarantee that something will come of it. Add to this the increase in attacking potential due to the return of Andriy Yarmolenko. Therefore, the chances of winning first place are high despite all the problems. But this is a result without development. Competitors will regain their strength, and everything will be in place again.
Serhii Tyshchenko
