Famous coach Oleh Dulub, who recently worked with the Cherkasy LNZ, identified the best player, coach, team of the starting segment of the Ukrainian championship, as well as the main disappointment of the tournament.
- Five, albeit incomplete, rounds of the UPL have already been played. Which team impressed you the most in these matches?
- At the start of the season, I am most impressed with Dynamo for a number of reasons. First of all, it is the way the team plays in European competitions. You should also take into account the intense schedule, because it is very difficult to switch from European competitions to the domestic championship. Kryvbas is a good example. Participation in European competitions and then UPL matches takes a heavy toll on the players' psychology.
I will give Dynamo 9 out of 10 points for their performance. I will take off one point for not getting into the group stage of the Champions League. Although there was an element of luck involved - Kyiv was simply unlucky in the two-match confrontation with Salzburg.
- Which team did you expect more from, and who is not living up to expectations?
- So far, Shakhtar has not lived up to expectations. Two defeats in four rounds is too much for the Ukrainian champion.
- Why does Shakhtar look so uncertain at the start of the season? What are the Shakhtar's chances in the Champions League?
- Watching from the outside, I can say that the Donetsk team has lost its team speed. We need to figure out what is the reason for this. The problems may be in the training process or in the relationships in the team. Many factors can influence.
What do I expect from the Champions League? The tournament will be held in a new format and there will be a lot of unexpected results. When you play home and away matches against the same opponent, it's one story. But when there are eight different opponents, you will need to vary. I can tell you right away that the analytical department will have a heavy workload.
The second point is that the players will be more motivated. This is due to the fact that if earlier there were two relatively strong and two weak teams in the group, now it will be difficult to say where the strong and weak teams are. A weak team may look completely different at home.
As for Shakhtar's chances, the Donetsk team has been positively surprising in European competitions recently. Many people were burying Shakhtar, but they were constantly shooting. I hope it will be the same this season.
- What would you say about Dynamo's performance at the start of the season and about Kyiv's chances in the Europa League?
- In my opinion, Dynamo has been playing the most attractive, aggressive and effective football among Ukrainian teams since spring. That's why I really hope that the Kyiv team will get out of the group.
- Who do you think is the best Ukrainian player after the start of the season?
- I'd put Nazarenko in the first place because he scores in almost every match and consistently brings points to Polissya. I'd say Filippov is second, and Krasnopir is third.
- Who do you think is the best coach in the UPL after five rounds?
- If I called Dynamo the best team, then Shovkovsky is the best coach. It is very difficult to keep teams moving from European competitions to the local championship and then back. To do this, you need to keep the locker room very well, and Shovkovsky does it well.
Andriy Piskun