Former Ukraine midfielder Oleh Shelayev shared his impressions of the first play-off match of the Conference League qualification round between Dnipro-1 and Spartak Trnava (1:1), and also assessed Dnipro's chances of qualifying for the group stage of the tournament.
Oleg Shelaev"It's the same!"
- How did the change of coach affect the game of Dnipro-1, and was Valeriy Gorodov able to bring something of his own?
- There can't be any changes in any team two days after the departure of the head coach. There can be only an emotional outburst - positive or negative. But I did not see anything like that in Dnipro-1. Everything was the same as in the previous matches..... However, it should be noted that in the minority Dnipro held the ball well and did not make any outright gross mistakes.
- Were you not surprised by the starting line-up of Dnipro-1, in which 11 Ukrainians took the field? Did Gorodov decide to do without foreigners?
- Before this match, only two foreigners - Blanco and Bill - played for Dnipro in the current season. So far it is known that the injured Blanco intends to leave the team. There could have been some point changes or variants, when Filippov and Bill, for example, would have been in the starting lineup, but Valeriy Gorodov opted for such a starting lineup.
- Are Dnipro's problems in defence not over?
- The defence of any team will suffer when there is significant pressure on it. This pressure should be relieved by other links - midfield and attack. They need to keep the ball longer and usefully, and then there will be less tension at their goal, fewer mistakes and chances for the opposition.
"The referee had every right..."
- How can you assess the suspension of two Dnipro-1 players?
- The second suspension - Kogut - is very doubtful, because our defender played the ball, it's obvious. But the loss of Kogut did not affect the game of Dnipro as much as Sarapiy. To stay in the minority already in the 9th minute - it is forced to change the game plan at the start. I note that the referee had every right to show Sarapia a red card. The Spartak striker masterfully closed the ball with his body, blocked Sarapiy's view and tried to run away, which forced the Dnipro-1 defender to foul.
- Dnipro caught the Slovaks on a mistake and earned a penalty. Is this opponent not blameless in the game?
- "Spartak" (Trnava) is a team much lower in class than "Slavia" from Prague. Yes, they put some pressure on Dnipro's goal, and scored a good goal, but it does not compare to Slavia's pressing.
- What does the score 1:1 in the away European Cup match mean for Dnipro-1?
- In such a game, with two penalties, it is a very good result. There was nothing better to dream about, because, I repeat, the game plan and the opportunity to play more creatively were broken already at the start of the match.
"Perhaps Kucher realised everything himself"
- Was Oleksandr Kucher's departure from Dnipro-1 inevitable?
- Some will share this point of view, some will disagree with it, but, by all appearances, it was impossible to drag on with the change of coach. Of course, to understand the best, you need to see the situation from inside the club. Perhaps Sasha's contact with the team was broken. I don`t rule out that he realised that he had to make such a decision that he would not be able to pull the team in the future. You should always leave on time...
- There is information about the intention of the management of Dnipro-1 to appoint Gonzalo Garcia as the head coach of the team and, thus, to change the vector of development to Spanish....
- In this case, three options are possible. The first one is when only one coach comes, albeit a Spaniard, and the squad remains the same. The second is when a Spanish coach comes with his staff, as it was during the work with Dnipro of Juande Ramos. And the third, when a new coach comes with his own players. We have to wait for the full picture - then we can determine what awaits Dnipro 1.
"The chances are higher than 50 per cent"
- What do you say about the game of Filippov, who has a good reputation in the UPL since his time playing for Desna, but is obviously unable to strengthen Dnipro's attack?
- Filippov hasn`t played for a long time. Besides, he came to a new team, and even in a top position - to replace Dovbik. It is not easy to immediately and fully compensate for the loss of such a forward as Dovbik. It is clear that Filippov will need more time to regain his tone and become the attacking spearhead of Dnipro-1. We'll see.
- What do you expect from the return match with Slovakian Spartak, and how do you assess the chances of Dnipro's overall success?
- Given the score of the first game, I have very optimistic expectations from the return match. The chances of Dnipro-1 to reach the group stage of the Conference League are higher than 50 per cent. Formally, Dnipro will most likely play their home game against Spartak with a new coach at the helm. And, obviously, it will be an opportunity for the players to prove their right to play not only in the core, but also in general - in Dnipro-1. Dnipro have studied the opponent well and simply have no right to miss the opportunity to play six more matches in the group of the Conference League. And this is advertising - both for the players and the club, and coefficients for Ukraine, and profit.
Oleg Semenchenko
