Honored coach of Ukraine Myron Markevych shared his impressions of the game of the national team of Ukraine in the October matches of the Nations League - against Georgia (1:0) and the Czech Republic (1:1).
- The recent games against the Georgians and Czechs once again confirmed that Ukraine is rich in qualified players. Therefore, it is not surprising that the absence of a whole group of leading players due to injuries was not noticeable. Everyone who was called up for these matches was ready to contribute to the winning performance of the main team of the country.
- However, our guys did not manage to get through this stretch without a point loss.
- Fortunately, they were not critical, the Ukrainian national team remains in the game. You know, I will not be an original when I say that in recent years the level of European teams has significantly leveled off. Now, to be on the radar, you need to surprise in every game. Only unconventional actions and character can help tip the scales to your side.
- Are you insinuating that this is the reason why we failed to beat the Czechs and had to limit ourselves to a draw?
- Facts are stubborn things. What can you count on when there is no sharpness in the attack? The closer we got to the opponent's penalty area, the less confident we became. It seemed that the players did not know how to escalate the situation. That's why it's not surprising that Artem Dovbik, who was put forward at the point, was on a starvation ration, because it wasn't his fault, we lacked, figuratively speaking, shell-carriers.
- When it came to the players who replaced the injured, who made a favorable impression?
- All of them were eager to seize the opportunity to make a name for themselves. After all, such a chance does not come often. Now a lot will depend on how they will prove themselves at the club level, will they progress? In particular, I know well the capabilities of Ivan Kalyuzhny, who can't deny his diligence and spirit, but he still has some work to do, for example, on his first pass. Although, of course, I'm glad that the appearance of new recruits in the national team will contribute to increased competition for a place in the starting lineup, which always affects the growth of skill.
- In November in the final matches of the Nations League with Georgians and Albanians Ukrainians need to win. Can we do it?
- I expect a lot from the return of injured Viktor Tsygankov and Oleksandr Zinchenko, which will affect the interaction with Artem Dovbik. If he will finally start scoring not only from the 11-meter mark, our chances to move up in class will increase dramatically.
Maxim Kovalenko