"You have four seconds to attack": Anatoliy Demyanenko on the "no" game of the Ukrainian national team

"Football 24discusses the opening match of the League of Nations between Ukraine and Albania (1-2) with Anatoliy Demyanenko, the legendary captain of Dynamo and a participant in three World Cups.

- Anatoliy Vasylovych, we wished each other good football, but it didn't turn out exactly as planned. How did you like the game?

- To be honest, it was not good. The Ukrainian national team created very few chances to score. There was a lack of sharpness and creative solutions. Now everyone has learned to defend. When the opponent closes in on their own half of the field with the whole team, it is very difficult to get past the defense in several echelons.

- Do you have any recipe for breaking through a saturated defense?

- There is no need to invent anything here. There were few flank passes. Mykolenko made one and scored. There were not enough long shots. When Brazhko scored, it could have been a goal with a finish - when there is a shot from a distance, it can fly in after a rebound. I won't talk about individual actions in front of the penalty area - it was difficult to get past the defense alone. And when we started playing quickly in the touch, the opponents got tense.

- Do you have to be the Spanish national team?

- They played Albania at the Euros. They won minimally. That game did not solve anything for them, but I will note the moments to strive for. Spain always speeds up the game in front of the opponents' penalty area. And the players are in constant motion. Incredible intelligence. That's why they can afford to play for fun. Then they scored and took control of the ball. The scenario is similar to the one we had in the second half. Only we could not keep the initiative.

- In the first half we managed to do it.

- Then the situation was different. The Albanians built the game on counterattacks. This is what we are strong in. Yes, we controlled the ball, but look where?

- Far from the goal.

- So. As Valery Lobanovsky said, let them roll the ball in their own half of the field. The goal is far away, there is no threat. I rest, watch the game and make the right adjustments. It is not difficult for a trained team. The opponent must be kept in suspense all the time. Then they make mistakes.

- We have always played hard with the Albanian national team.

- Now it has become stronger. At the European Championships, Italy barely beat them, the Croats drew, and, like yesterday, the Albanians played back. This had to be taken into account. Such accents were probably made. The opponent got a lot of free space. And luck was not on our side. The first goal came after a rebound. When the second one came, we must give them credit, they played brilliantly. A perfect counterattack. This is what our team did not do.

When the Albanians lost the ball, no matter how many players they had in defense, free zones appeared. They need to be filled quickly. It did not work out. The main thing was missing: a quick transition from defense to attack. It was very disappointing. There were few quick attacks. Such that a group of 4-5 players would run out on the counterattack at the same time. There were not enough penetrating passes. It passed - they brought Yaremchuk to the striking position. A sharp angle, I agree, but the ball could have gone into the back of the net.

- Did you miss Dovbyk and Mudryk a lot?

- Apparently, yes. We would not have lacked speed. Mudryk can both run away and beat. He gets fouled, and this is a danger. Dovbyk is stocky, plays with his head, knows how to open up, pass under attack. But this is another part. They were not there, and the team has 20 players. And they are great players. They have the skill, and they are high.

- I got the impression that Zinchenko and Malinowski, who came on as substitutes, were not yet fully fit.

- No, they've been through the training camp, the season has already started. It's rather different here. We came on 10 minutes before the end of the match, there was a time crunch, and we had to save the game. There were some unforced errors, but they strengthened the attack.

- Who would you like to mention in our team?

- Zabarnyi played well. He was very confident in defense, constantly trying to sharpen up ahead. In our time, of course, there was, as they say, a different football. However, the basic principles remain. And the main thing has not changed: there must be a sparkle in the eye. I saw it in Zabarnyi.

- Anyway, there are still five games ahead. The situation can be corrected.

- Of course it can. We have a good team. It's hard to play all the away games, but we have to get out of the situation. The Czech Republic is ahead. It will be much harder. The team there is very strong. Moreover, it was bitten hard in Georgia. They will be angry and hungry. Although this can be used to our advantage. I repeat: a quick transition from defense to attack will bring success.

- And if we try to take control of the ball, like with Albania?

- The Czechs are unlikely to allow it. In any case, the basic principles of attack must work. We need to speed up the game. Both in counterattacks and positional attacks. And the closer you are to the opponent, the faster you need to act. There should be no place for monotony. You have four seconds to attack. Even when the opponent is defending with the whole team, you need to lure them out, to cheat somewhere. Our team knows how to do this.

Gennadiy Chekhovsky