Famous Ukrainian coach Myron Markevych has identified the best players, coaches, teams of the Ukrainian championship's opening segment, 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 with a plus sign in these matches?
- I'd put Oleksandriya in the first place, as they are leading the league and have not lost any points so far. I feel that Rotan has done a good job. It's not easy to score four goals against Shakhtar. Respect to the coaching staff.
"Dynamo and Rukh are playing more or less steadily. "Polissia pulled themselves up after a poor start and started scoring. Most teams are equal.
- Which team did you expect more from, and who is not living up to expectations?
- So far, Shakhtar hasn't impressed. Everything is predictable at the bottom of the table. The outsiders who were there last year are still there.
- Why does Shakhtar look so uncertain at the start of the season? What are the Pitmen's chances in the Champions League?
- Shakhtar have a problem in defense. All the players only want to play with the ball, and without the ball, not so much. In order to perform well in European competitions, we need to improve significantly. In the Champions League, Shakhtar have tough opponents, and if they continue to play like this, they will have no chance.
- What can you say about Dynamo's performance at the start of the season and about Kyiv's chances in the Europa League?
- Dynamo looks good at the start of the season, although the last game against LNZ was not impressive - there was no freshness. This is due to the fact that Kyiv has a busy schedule, plus traveling. As for the Europa League, I think Dynamo should advance from the group if they play like they did in the Champions League qualifiers.
- Who do you think is the best Ukrainian player after the start of the season?
- I like Krasnopir, so I'll name him. He should grow into a great striker. If he continues to improve, he will reach the Ukrainian national team. I really wanted Krasnopir to join Karpaty, but unfortunately, I didn't have the money to spend on him.
I would also like to mention Nazarenko, Filippov, Kvasnytsia, Fedir. I think that in a couple of years Fedir will be a top player and will play for the Ukrainian national team. There are few such players in the UPL now, and he is only 20 years old. He is developed beyond his years: he sees the game very well and makes subtle passes.
- Who do you think is the best coach in the UPL after five rounds?
- There is no need to think much here. Rotan. His team is in first place.
Andriy Piskun