Shakhtar Donetsk became the champion of Ukraine ahead of schedule. Dynamo Kyiv lost the race for the gold medal not at the Lviv Arena, but in matches against Veres and Kolos when they lost points in the autumn.
Photo by Yevhen KravsIn the first part of the season, Mircea Lucescu's unfortunate resignation led to the loss of many important points. It was in the autumn that Kyiv were supposed to make a breakthrough, when Shakhtar were coached by Patrick van Leeuwen and the team was not convincing at all.
It is completely wrong to hope that Andriy Yarmolenko will score 2-3 goals in every match and decide the fate of the matches by himself. One player cannot solve anything despite his experience and class. Moreover, Andriy has his own issues because of his age. Yarmolenko helped as much as he could.
Despite the fact that Dynamo did not become champions, the current season is successful for Kyiv. Last season they finished fourth. This season, the team fought for the championship almost to the end. Since Shovkovskyi's arrival, they have not lost and rarely dropped points.
Shovkovskyi is not a magician. This is only his first season as an independent coach. There are mistakes to be made. You need to gain experience. Oleksandr Volodymyrovych is doing his job. Perhaps not as fast as we would like, but it is gradual. Step by step. It's important not to overstep the steps of the team's development. The coach can only start from the level of the players, and unfortunately, it is not very high. 3-5 players cannot win the championship.
I don't remember the last time Dynamo played Shakhtar from a position of strength. In Lviv, one team dominated the pitch in the second half. You can't tell immediately by the quality of the game who buys newcomers for 15 million and who relies on their own school.
It is very important for Dynamo that they are investing in players and forming a team that will be able to compete for the championship next season or in a season.
The main achievement of this season is the progress of the players. Volodymyr Brazhko has become one of the club's main assets. His call-up to the Ukrainian national team really confirms his development. Although Volodymyr can still play for the youth team.
Vladyslav Vanat is the top scorer in the league. Mykola Shaparenko has finally managed to regain his fitness. Konstantin Vivcharenko has made significant progress, and he has every chance of becoming Vitaliy Mykolenko's understudy in the national team. Taras Mikhavko and Matvii Ponomarenko have great prospects. Next season, we need to work hard to ensure that both of them become full-fledged first-team players. Matvii and Taras can grow to the level of the Ukrainian national team and the club's assets.
In the summer, not only do we need to talk about targeted selection, but we also need to say goodbye to some players. Footballers who are no longer young, experienced, but cannot bring either results or investment. It is better to have a young player play than to have mistakes or a low level of experience. You can't sell him or win anything with such a player. There is no point in naming his name. Everyone sees and understands everything.
Next season, or the season after, the team has a better chance of actually challenging for the championship. There should be no shuffling from side to side. The philosophy of betting on our own youth is the only way to develop the club. It makes no sense to talk about strengthening with legionnaires, given the current reality. There is no need to retreat from this. We need to continue working with young players. When this all grows into quantity and quality, the team will be able to challenge for the title. There should be more players like Brazhko, Vanat, Voloshin, Vivcharenko next season. I have high hopes for Mykhavko and Ponomarenko. Perhaps Yatsyk.
Serhii Tyshchenko
