Oleg Shelaev: "There are no signs that the Ukrainian national team will be able to achieve two victories in matches against Geor

Former Ukrainian national team player Oleg Shelaev talked about what he expects from the final matches of the Ukrainian national team in the current Nations League — against Georgia and Albania.

— Unfortunately, there is no calmness and confidence in anticipation of these matches, — noted Shelaev. − Anything can happen. There is no guarantee, or even signs, that the Ukrainian national team will be able to achieve two victories.

— Much depends on the condition of our legionnaires. How do you assess their readiness?

— It is disappointing that Zinchenko does not play often, and Yarmolyuk. There are fewer questions in terms of gameplay regarding Zabarniy and Mykolenko. However, the injury to Dovbik was upsetting. Of course, if the doctors give the green light, then Dovbik definitely should be in the attack, because he currently has an excellent game shape.

In general, when talking about the attack, there are not many options for the national team's coaching staff. In the worst case, Dovbik can be held back for a substitute appearance, while Vanat can be placed in the starting lineup. But, Sergey Rebrov will observe during training — who shows themselves better. The factor of trust is also important.

— The goalkeeper position is not in doubt?

— Everything is more than clear here. Trubin is number one.

— What style of football will the Ukrainian national team play in away matches?

— I think we haven't fully figured out in what style the national team is currently playing. Everything will depend on the opponent's actions. We can orient ourselves towards that. Of course, we all want the Ukrainian national team to play in a bright attacking style. However, the result might have to be achieved by playing with a high-zone pressing and counter-attacks.

— How well are the players from "Shakhtar" and "Dynamo" doing now?

— Their condition is constantly changing. It’s hard to determine what will be better or worse on any given day. I can only state, based on impressions from their performances in European competitions, that the form of Georgiy Sudakov and Artem Bondarenko is better now than that of Mykola Shaparenko and other Dynamo midfielders. Overall, I think the emotional state of the "miners" is better than that of the Dynamo players. It's hard to say about their "physical fitness."

— What are the chances of Yarmolyuk and Sych playing against Georgia and Albania?

— Konoplya will take the flank, while Sych is a good, quality alternative. Sych is showing himself well in "Rus," he is a physically very strong player. I believe that calling up Sych is the right decision. As for Yarmolyuk, I know him well. He is a graduate of the "Dnipro" academy and a very promising footballer. However, it is important to understand why he was called up to the national team. I know that there is a trend now to call up one young talent for every new gathering, someone they expect to rely on in the future. So, we will see...

— What do you say about our opponents — Georgia and Albania?

— If we judge by results, then the Georgian national team is currently experiencing a downturn. This team is going through a stage of formation, just beginning to taste significant victories and participation in the European Championship. However, the Georgians do not have a strong domestic league, and everything depends on the form and motivation of two or three players.

Albania is a more stable team. But the Ukrainian team will go to them after the 5th round, after the game with Georgia, and the Albanians will play at home against the Czech Republic before that. It’s not excluded that in the 6th round of the Nations League, teams may have to solve other tasks, correcting something up and giving a chance to backup players. In any case, playing in Tirana will be more challenging for the Ukrainian national team than in Batumi.

— With what achievement will our national team finish in this Nations League?

— It could be quite an impressive range... Of course, we all hope for two victories for the Ukrainian team and wish them that. However, it is more realistic to achieve four points. Taking all six points from the Georgians and Albanians will be difficult — it is almost fantastic. We can estimate our chance of obtaining six points at about 45%, while four points — at 80%. I believe that even the option of four points will allow our team to seriously count on full success in this Nations League group.

Oleg Semenchenko