Dynamo defender Maksym Dyachuk shared his expectations for the upcoming match against Kolos in the 27th round of the Ukrainian championship.
- What is your favourite part of training? Some people look forward to the moment when they say they can go home...
- My favourite part is football, because you get positive emotions.
- Ahead is the clash with Kolos, the team that conceded the fewest goals and took points from Dynamo in the first round. What are your expectations from the game?
- I think they have a good team, a good selection of players. But we are setting ourselves up for a good game and a positive result.
- With Veres, it was clear that the opponent sat down very low, playing with five defenders. We will probably play a similar game with Kolos. Are you ready for a tough confrontation?
- We work out different schemes in training, prepare for each opponent, analyse their game in theory sessions. Of course, it is difficult to pass the defensive redoubts, but we are analysing it and will try to fulfil the tasks given by the coaches on the pitch.
- In the previous matches, there was a rotation in the centre of defence - you, Mikhavko and Syrota played. How much does the fact that you don't know who will be in the line-up for a particular match affect you?
- It's competition, it's football. Everyone is ready for it. At training sessions, we show who is capable of what, and the coach chooses the squad for the game.
- How much does the heat that has set in these days affect the game, its pace?
- It seems to me that it is a bit harder now, because climate change always affects the body. But gradually we will get used to this heat and in the future we will feel better on the field.
- In the last match, Ponomarenko scored his debut goal in the UPL. In general, each position has several players who can come on and decide the fate of the match. Can we say that in terms of competition, Dynamo is now at the top level?
- This is Dynamo Kyiv, a great club with a glorious history. Of course, there is serious competition here, and you have to fight for every place. A player who plays here has to prove at every training session and in every game that he deserves to be in the starting line-up and in the team's overall squad.
- How would you assess your progress at Dynamo from the beginning of the season to the present moment?
- Honestly, I don't know what to say. I can only note that there is much more pressure here compared to the period when I played on loan at Oleksandriya. Here, something is constantly demanded of you. At first, it's hard to feel it, but you gradually adapt to it and only get better.
- After the matches, do you pay attention to the fans' comments on social media or do you skip them?
- At first, when I came to Dynamo, I read them and got upset about it. Now I realise that I don't need it, because only my teammates and coaches who see my game can criticise me.
- How do you expect Dynamo to finish the season? How much pressure is there from the fact that Shakhtar don't lose points and Dynamo are always in the role of the chasing team?
- No one has cancelled the task. We have a single goal - to win the league, and we will go for it. And the most important victory for us will be at the front, of course.
- The team has never lost under Oleksandr Shovkovskyi's leadership. What makes him special in terms of coaching?
- Every coach is special in his own way. He has his own tips, some secrets that distinguish him from others.