Former Dynamo player Oleksandr Golovko shared his expectations from the October matches of the Ukraine national team in the qualifying for Euro-2024 in an interview with the UPL TV channel.
Alexander Golovko- In football terms, we need to score points! The quality of the game will also matter, but now it is important to get maximum points.
- What worries you the most?
- The absence of Tsygankov is a problem. Yarmolenko will also be absent. All the other guys are in tone. And for North Macedonia the squad will be quite fighting. There can be no talk about underestimation. There was already a game with the Macedonians away and we did not adjust for the first half, and then we had a hard time getting out of this situation. Now, I think, the coaching staff is working on it. The pattern of the game will not change. Most likely, we will work on the ball.
- What can be the key factor in getting maximum points in both matches?
- The level of attention - to the little things, to the moments, in the final phase. And as few unforgivable mistakes in defence as possible. A set of nuances will matter. The first one is the team's attitude to the game, to preparation - it depends directly on the players and coaching staff. And then - performance skills - both in the offensive and defensive lines we need to be as attentive as possible.
- A question to you as a former defenceman. How would you assess the team's defensive play in general and the reliability of the defenders in previous games?
- If we talk about the game of the whole team in defence, it was the most in the meeting with England. It was a low block and a strong opponent. In the game with Italy there were some moments that showed that there are some problems. Still, this is the national team, which means these are the best players we have at the moment. Now the level of preparation and the level of attentiveness is above all. We need to treat North Macedonia as a very serious opponent.
- What will be the defensive line in the next match?
- Konoplya, Zabarny, Matvienko, Mikolenko.
