Former Metalist head coach Oleksandr Sevidov shared his views on the game of the Ukrainian national team in the upcoming match against Albania in the Nations League.
- To look to the future, you need to analyze the past. How would you assess the performance of the national team in the final stage of the European Championship? We expected a lot - but in fact.... Is it a failure?
- The head coach of the national team answered this question. He said: "Now on the eve of the start of the Nations League we need to rehabilitate ourselves for the European Championship". Maybe it was not a failure, but it is a fact to consider the performance of the national team as a failure.
- In terms of potential, the Ukrainian national team was considered the favorite to get out of the group.
- Of course. And in the first game they lost to the Romanians. Do not discount the first game. What, we did not know that we have only three matches? Some experts talked about the unexpected defeat by the Romanian national team. How unexpected! We didn`t have enough character, we didn`t show sports anger, it seems that we were not ready for such a turn of events. The game with the Romanians should be erased from the history of our soccer.
- We can state that we lost to a very good team, which was in no way inferior to our national team. And in some components, such as the desire to win, the opponent's motivation was higher. And there is no surprise here.
- If the national team wanted to get out of the group, it was impossible to lose, no matter what the game was: the first, second or third. I think that we performed worse than our capabilities at the European Championship.
- On Saturday the Nations League starts for our national team. We will meet with a strong team of Albania, also a participant of the final stage of the European Championship.
- We assume that many of our players play in foreign championships: England, Italy, Spain. Therefore, we have the right to expect a good result. Yes, Albania is a strong team, now there are no passing games and opponents. But if we approach the national team of Albania with caution, what can we expect in the future? This is not the European Championship - this is the Nations League, where there is no such tension. Even Rebrov says: "We got to Euro-2024 thanks to the Nations League. And the guys understand that. Even despite the fact that these matches are more friendly, through them we can get to the World Cup". In my opinion, we are stronger by potential, so we should win such matches.
- I'm a little surprised by the national team lineup. Mikhavko from Dynamo showed himself well in the Champions League matches, but he is not even in the reserve squad. But there is Bondar from Shakhtar, who does not reach the level of the national team. This is my opinion. What can you say about it?
- I would even talk not about Bondar, who plays unstably for Shakhtar, but about another name - Taloverov. He plays, and sometimes does not play, not in the strongest Austrian championship. We are talking about the quality of a player. And if Mikhavko was called up to the national team, it would give him a strong boost in terms of development. He deserves to be in the ranks of the national team, he has a lot of good qualities. I'm not saying that he will be in the base right away, but it's not the invitation in general that surprises me. Let him feel the atmosphere, and he would gain more confidence.
- There are also questions about Sidorchuk.
- If we want to look to the future, we need to call up guys who will develop. Everyone understands that Sidorchuk will not play, but he was called up. It's time to give way to the young. Who else deserves to be invited to the national team in terms of potential is Gutsulyak. A very strong player, unconventional, can solve the moment alone, and a great left foot with a set shot. The time will come, he will reveal himself. You can compare him as with a good wine, which gets better over the years. Yarmolenko can not withstand the pace of 90 minutes of the match, the other edge Tsygankov is not in the best shape now, and if you need to maintain a high tempo, to go out for 20-30 minutes, you need a player like Hutsulyak. My opinion is that Gutsulyak should have been called up.
- Dovbik was injured at the wrong time. Can it reduce the potential of attacking actions of the national team?
- There is Yaremchuk. We play with one striker all the time. We can invite five strikers, but we play with one. We have Vanat on the substitutes. Our driving force is the midfield line. A lot depends on it, how it can supply balls to the striker. The main thing is for the striker to open up in time, and for the midfielder to pass in time. If all this is in harmony, then there will be a result.
- Again our national team is considered the favorite in the group. We have a chance to qualify for the playoffs from the first place.
- There is nothing to discuss. If we don't win the first match against Albanians, there is nothing to talk about. It will be even more difficult against the Czechs. They like to play defensively, on the counterattack, they fill the defensive redoubts tightly, leaving no maneuvers for space. It won't be easy in these two games.
Sergei Shebek