Former head coach of Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukrainian national team Jozsef Szabo commented on the Ukrainian national team's application for the October matches of the League of Nations (against Georgia and the Czech Republic).
Jozef Szabo
- Speaking of Rebrov's main roster for the matches against Georgia and the Czech Republic, was it surprising to you that Andriy Yarmolenko was only in the reserve, and Serhiy Sydorchuk did not wait for an invitation at all?
- Yarmolenko has already played his time in the national team. With all due respect to Andriy. It's time for him to give way to the young. And he most likely realizes this himself. Now he can really help the national team only if it is already winning, coming on at the end of the match for twenty to fifteen minutes, no more.
As for Sydorchuk, the situation is not so clear. Will Brazhko be able to replace him with dignity? I'm not sure. Last season, Volodymyr played very well, I also praised him and said that he had every chance of moving to a decent European club, but he blew it. What was the problem? I don't know.
The position of a fullback is the most problematic in Ukraine. Rebrov still has Stepanenko at his disposal, but he is 35 years old...
- The goalkeeping position: Georgiy Bushchan (Dynamo Kyiv), Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica, Portugal), Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid, Spain).
- In my opinion, Rebrov has the easiest choice here. Trubin has enough playing practice for Benfica, he played at Euro 2024 and he is stable.
Lunin's invitation, despite the fact that he is not playing for Real Madrid now, but is sitting in the reserves, is also logical. As well as Bushchan. But I don't see any prospects for Riznyk for a place in the national team yet.
- Defense: Mykola Matvienko, Yukhym Konoplya, Valerii Bondar (all of Shakhtar), Oleksandr Tymchyk (Dynamo), Bohdan Mykhailichenko (Polissia), Vitalii Mykolenko (Everton, England), Ilya Zabarnyi (Bournemouth, England), Maksym Taloverov (LASK, Austria).
- I don't understand what Tymchyk is doing on this list. I would have written him off a long time ago. He doesn't seem to understand what diagonal insurance is at all. Just remember how he played for Dynamo against Lazio. It was horrible! And he got a call-up to the national team.
And so... There is no Zinchenko, but it's not a big loss. Is that why Oleksandr doesn't play at Arsenal? I think so, because he is weak in defense, namely in the component of ball selection.
It's good that Mykolenko has recovered from his injury. It would be much more difficult to replace him.
- Midfielders: Mykola Shaparenko, Volodymyr Brazhko, Vladyslav Kabaev, Oleksandr Pikhalonok (all of Dynamo), Taras Stepanenko, Heorhiy Sudakov, Dmytro Kryskiv, Oleksandr Zubkov (all of Shakhtar), Oleksiy Hutsulyak (Polissya), Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea, England), Viktor Tsygankov (Girona, Spain).
- All familiar faces. Rebrov was not surprised by his choice of midfielders. There is a freelance artist Sudakov, there is Pikhalenok, who is now playing well at Dynamo, has an excellent left foot, sees the field well, but he is zero in defense.
And Mudryk is in the squad only because there are no better players, but otherwise, he's gone. Mykhailo is called up because he is from Chelsea. What good playing qualities does he have, besides speed? He has none. It was in the UPL that he could run around, cheat everyone, but in the Premier League - no. That's his level.
The Ukrainian national team does not have a good midfield, and that's where all the problems come from. I have said a hundred times: show me your midfield, and I will tell you what kind of team you have.
- Forwards: Artem Dovbyk (Roma, Italy), Roman Yaremchuk (Olympiacos, Greece), Vladyslav Vanat (Dynamo, Ukraine).
- I called up whoever I could, but... Vanat. He doesn't know how to act at speed, he's always waiting for the ball. Well, he will come now, he will arrive. He is a weak forward.
But, you know, I can't name anyone I like among the strikers in the UPL right now either. In addition, Sikan was injured in the Champions League. That's why Vanat gets called up to the national team. As for Dovbyk and Yaremchuk, the choice is obvious, because they have no alternative today.
- What can you say about the debut call-up to the national team of Shakhtar's central midfielder Dmytro Kryskiv, who is to replace Ruslan Malinowski?
- It is difficult to say anything substantive now. Malynovskyi has been in the spotlight for many years in a row, while Kryskiv, by and large, has only been around for two seasons... We'll see how he can prove himself if he gets a chance to play.
As for Malinowski himself, he is a great player. He was. Yes, his left-footed shot, with which he scored more than one or two goals, hasn't gone anywhere, but due to constant changes of teams - Atalanta, Marseille, Genoa - he has lost his excellent physical shape. So Malinowski's absence from the squad, like Zinchenko's, should not be a problem for Ukraine. Malinowski is not the same. He is not good today.
- What are Ukraine's chances of taking the first two places in the group, given the zero points after the first two matches, where the blue and yellows lost to Albania (1-2) and the Czech Republic (2-3)?
- Given the way Ukraine played against Albania and the Czech Republic, it's just a horror how many problems this team has. Georgia, our closest rival, is on the rise and it will be very difficult to beat them, but I believe that Rebrov has made the right conclusions and knows how to get the desired result. I think we need to press the Georgians from the first minute, break their game.
As for the chances, now we will constantly need to catch up, let's say, because we have already lost six points. First, we need to beat Georgia. Next up is the Czech Republic, and we have to beat them. The Czechs are no stronger than the Ukrainians. And then it will become clear whether we have real chances for the first two places or just mathematical ones. Everything is in the hands of Rebrov's guys.
- After the match in Prague against the Czech Republic (2-3), one of the journalists openly asked Rebrov if he was going to resign. Isn't there too much criticism of Serhiy Stanislavovych? Or has he really deserved it, given the results at Euro 2024, and it's really time for him to say goodbye to the national team?
- There's no need to criticize Rebrov once again, because he doesn't have the kind of players at his disposal that a coach in Spain, France or England has.
He returned to Ukraine to work during the war, and he could have earned very good money abroad. Instead of throwing mud at him, it would be better to thank him. Serhiy is not stupid, I have been training him for years and I know what I am saying. I am sure that after the defeats he has already drawn conclusions that will affect the game and the results of Ukraine.
Viktor Glukhenkyi
