Famous Ukrainian coach Oleksandr Babych has named the discoveries and disappointments of the first part of the football season in Ukraine.
Oleksandr Babych. Photo by Yurii Yuriev- Which player was the discovery of the first part of the current season?
- First of all, I would mention Oleg Kozhushko. It is not easy to score seven goals for Kryvbas. It's one thing when you play at the forefront of the attack of teams like Shakhtar and Dynamo, and another when you play for a team from Kryvyi Rih. Although, I think Kozhushko could have scored more goals and made more passes.
I also really liked the trio from Rukh - Kvasnytsia, Runich and Klymchuk - who played outside the box and caused a lot of problems for the opponents. Among the experienced players, I would like to mention Buyalsky. I am impressed with the way he is playing now - not only does he score and assist well, but he also works effectively in defence. Zubkov has also added a lot, and his current style of play is very similar to that of former Shakhtar players Marlos and Tyson, and he is able to pass well and play very creatively.
- There must have been some disappointments, too?
- I expected a lot from Kyrylo Kovalets, but injuries prevented him from showing his full potential. A more reliable defensive performance could have been expected from a whole group of Dynamo players - Syrota, Popov, Dyachuk... They make mistakes that players from a club like Dynamo Kyiv should not make. Currently, the White and Blues have a problem - they need several experienced players in the centre of defence, aged 28-29.
I think I was not impressed with Shakhtar defender Matvienko's performance in the autumn, as we expected more from him in terms of backing up and starting the attack. But everyone saw that Matvienko is also not very good at playing one-on-one. He is expected to be a leader, and this puts a lot of pressure on him...
Oleg Semenchenko
