Journalist Volodymyr Zverov told us what he expects from the Ukrainian championship of the 2024/2025 season, which started today.
- We are entering the third military season of the UPL. Can we say that we have fully gotten used to football in the realities of our time?
- We have already fully adapted to it. Ukrainian football can always surprise you, but we are ready for matches that last 4-5 hours or are postponed to the next day - no one whines. Everyone understands who has the hardest time now. Fortunately, the infrastructure of many stadiums is ready. There are places for people to hide in case of a threat. Fortunately, we have not seen any disruptions to matches, although the sick people don't care where they shoot.
- What should we pay attention to in the first rounds ?
- The focus is always on new players. How teams are changing. New faces, the appearance of legionnaires. The squad is always the most interesting at the start. It takes 3-4 matches for you to rub your eyes and see them in action. This season, the start will be incomplete due to postponements. Kryvbas can be called the headliner of the 1st round, which will start in the Europa League after the game with Chornomorets.
- What can you say about the signings of the giants?
- Shakhtar have had Kevin and Marlon Gomez for six months. They have an oversaturation of people in the center of the field, which resulted in no place for Ocheretko. "Dynamo, having taken Dnipro-1 players, added competition inside. They definitely need another forward to complement Vanat. In addition to Ponomarenko, there is Supryaga, but in the minutes Vlad played, we did not see that he was ready to compete with Vanat. Ponomarenko can do it, but he needs to be pinched and bitten in adult football.
- Will Kryvbas and Polissia have serious competition in the fight to get into the top four?
- Kryvbas has more financial resources than Vorskla and Oleksandriya, but Vernydub and Zorya have been working hard on selection at a more modest cost. "Oleksandriya invited Brazilians, and Kampush, who came from Portugal, made several noticeable mistakes, although in other aspects he often performs well and even well. What prevents Vorskla and Oleksandriya from finding quality players and being competitive?
Heller admitted that he made a mistake with the coach, even twice. The whole last season plus two tournaments meant that Zorya lost a lot. In the historical context, they took the wrong place. Now the team should be higher. This is evidenced by the fact that Guerrero remains. He doesn't even show half of the potential he has. This is a big advantage over any opponent, except for the giants. He was not sold for no reason. Experienced Myshniov, Churko, Butko left. "Zorya will find a way to replace their experience with young speed.
We have seen how LNZ has progressed in terms of scoring points. Obviously, this was not enough for the management and they wanted to see a different pattern of play. It can also be suffering or the team's luck. The group of players we saw in the spring as the basis, they work quite well with the ball. In this regard, it is interesting to see LNZ with a new coach in the first match against Left Bank.
As for Kolos, I saw an interview with Pozdeyev where he said that they did everything they planned during the training camp. I saw Kolos' first two matches under his leadership against Dynamo and Zorya. Both matches had a handwriting: "Kolos wants to meet the opponent high, but the team was lacking for more than a half. Either we will see the usual Kolos or we will see an adventurous team and it will be more interesting in terms of dynamics. Somewhere an analogy with Karpaty comes to mind.
- Three newcomers are entering the UPL. What should we expect from them in the elite?
- Karpaty were at a crossroads. Lupashko came in. It is clear that Markevych left under pressure. It's important to understand that the club wanted to understand who they were going to do the transfer campaign for. We can see that Lupashko brought back to Karpaty players who were not needed by Markevych. Against the background of this selection of players, he will try to build his own football at Karpaty. We saw how Ingulets played. The team's style was not like the others. Will the Karpaty players be able to play in this way? If he proves to the president of Karpaty that it works, but there are a few missing pieces, then there will be transfers in the winter.
We have seen how Kobin's Minaj played, but the long-term strategy that is visible at Ingulets allows us to look forward with confidence, despite the status of a record outsider in the UPL. I don't think Kobin would want an emotional start, it's better to score points evenly due to their own capabilities.
"Everyone has already written Left Bank down as outsiders because they have no players with UPL experience, except for Banada. To play in the UPL, the team needs to sign experienced center backs. Young guys need to learn the Premier League. It seems that Left Bank is looking for reinforcements. They need to take their points against skilled players. There is a suspicion that this team will be one of the least spectacular in the first half of the season until they get stronger.
- Which team could be a pleasant surprise?
- I want Karpaty to compete. I don't know how high the expectations of the Lviv public are, but looking globally, it will be difficult to enter the new season. The coaching staff has two options: to dig in and slowly gain points or to demonstrate the attacking football that Lupashko showed in the first league. This is a risk, but he is not one of those who will deviate from his philosophy. This can result in defeats and conceded goals. I think that Lupashko will bend his line and it can be a pleasant surprise.
- Which coach can make the most progress?
- I like to watch Shovkovskyi's development. I expect more interesting ideas from him. And it was already noticeable in the first game against Partizan. Wing midfielders are not tied to the wing. Popov has progressed in the beginning of the attack. I am always in favor of coaches developing our youth. It's interesting to watch Lupashko and Pozdeyev, who want to break what happened before. The time has come for Rotan to give Oleksandriya a result. Ponomarev built a fast and aggressive team at Rukh that defended well, but I want them to add to the game in the other half.
- Which players are worth keeping an eye on?
- I wonder if Godia (Veres) can become a starter. For Vorskla, Krupskyi could be the next big sale. How will Pikhalenok prove himself in DC. How will Zorya's newcomers prove themselves. Will the new players help Ingulets and how important they will be for Cobin. In Kryvbas, it will be interesting to watch the foreign strikers. I believe that their potential is far from being unlocked. How Obolon will replace Krasnopir. I expect more from Talles Costa at Polissia. "Rukh is a Fedor-Krasnopir combination. At Chornomorets, we are watching Babych, who has returned. At Shakhtar, we continue to watch Kevin.
"Last season's Obolon was an example of an even score, little by little, bit by bit, and this helped to avoid direct relegation. The loss of Krasnopir is important, on the other hand, they declare that they are ready to sell. We will see how much Krasnopir is undervalued. He managed to score 6-7 goals in a team that plays defense. In a team with a more skillful selection of creative players, he can score even more. He opens up well, looks for the ball, breaks away from defenders. The loss of Krasnopir may not be as significant for Obolon as the gain for the team that acquired him. In a small way, at the Olympics, we saw how the link with Fedir works. There were moments when Fedir was put as a false nine, but it's not really his style. He's much more comfortable playing under the striker.
- Who will become the champion? And who will be eliminated?
- I don't think Polissia will compete with Shakhtar and Dynamo. The Dynamo players themselves said that they lost the previous championship in the fall, when Shakhtar was losing points. They had chances to take the lead, but they didn't use them because of problems in the game. "Shakhtar and Dynamo, if they get into the group, will be in the same conditions. The one who loses the least will become the champion. If I put my finger in the sky, I'll say that Dynamo will be the one to win.
Who will be relegated? It is impossible to predict in our football. Before this season, in the previous 9 years, we had 3 teams relegated on a sporting basis. Even this season, we were close to the traditional return from hell for one of the UPL participants. There is no trend in our country that clubs are getting richer, no stability. This is definitely not the last disappearance of a club that we see with our own eyes. Of course, I really want some club to disappear in the new season. But we're talking about predictions, right? Mine is that I will be very surprised if someone plays the championship to the end and then leaves on a sporting basis.
- Who will be the competition for the giants in the European Cups?
- Kryvbas and someone from the Zorya/Rukh pair. "Polissia is an unplayed team and it will be difficult for them to enter the season. We saw it against Olimpiya. They need time. The same goes for Kolos and Karpaty.
- Who is the best scorer?
- Dynamo scored 9 against Partizan, who proved to be an outsider in the UPL. "Dynamo showed the ability to dominate inferior teams. Last fall, however, we said that Dynamo's offense was playing against Dynamo's defense. Now they are determined to score a lot. In such conditions, attacking players can claim the title of top scorer. Vanat should be one of the best for sure. I think Vanat, Guerrero, and Sikan will make up the top 3.
Oleksandr Karpenko