Former head coach of the national team of Ukraine, Miron Markevich, shared his impressions from the match of the sixth round of the group stage of the Nations League between Albania and the "blue-yellow" national team (1:2).
Miron Markevich (photo: fckarpaty.org.ua)— Miron Bohdanovych, finally, Serhiy Rebrov’s team has pleased us with a victory. What are your impressions of the game? I'm sure you, like millions of Ukrainian fans, are satisfied with the result?
— I said before Ukraine's matches in the Nations League in November that our team would earn four points. I was right. And the stars aligned that this was enough for us.
As for the game, the first half for Ukraine was good. And the end of the second half was good too. We dropped a little in the middle of the match, made us a bit nervous, but this can be explained by the fact that the result was extremely important. There was a huge responsibility on the players, so they played cautiously, from defense. They managed well.
Albania did not create anything special near Trubin’s goal. They only managed to earn a penalty after Anatoliy's foul.
— What do you think about Rebrov's squad rotation? Immediately four substitutions in the starting lineup, compared to the starting lineup against Georgia. From the very first minutes, Zinchenko, Yaremchuk, Hutsulyak, and Kaluzhny played yesterday. On the bench were Shaparenko, Dovbyk, Zubkov, and Brazhko. Did you expect such a bold move from our coach?
— The substitutions were overdue. Rebrov positioned everyone correctly, so to speak, and guessed with the lineup one hundred percent.
— Was the match already won by the tenth minute?
— The start was extraordinary—nothing could be better. Of course, the two quick goals gave us wings and influenced the final result.
I believe that against Albania, Ukraine played the best game of the entire group stage of the Nations League. But I would like to add, in no way diminishing the dignity of our guys, we should beat teams of such a level.
— Fans recognized Oleksandr Zinchenko as the Man of the Match. Do you agree?
— Zinchenko is a serious footballer, which he proved once again. In general, I would like to personally congratulate two players: Oleksandr and Yaremchuk. And not just for their goals, though that is very important. They were leaders on the field, that was evident. Both entered the game from the very first minutes and led their partners.
Roman came on well as a substitute in the match against Georgia, and I believe he made a brilliant pass to Hutsulyak, but Oleksiy missed the shot. It was logical to see Yaremchuk in the starting lineup in the match against Albania. Rebrov believed in him, gave him a chance, and he fully justified it.
Zabarnyi, of course, played excellently behind, productively. Konoplyanka did well. Matviyenko looked dignified. But the most important thing is that yesterday on the field there was finally one team, a cohesive collective. That is why we have the victory. Personally, I will not single anyone out.
— And yet, let's take a little stroll through the individuals. Mudryk had a magnificent game against Georgia, but against Albania somehow did not shine. Was the opponent too strong, or can Mykhailo not get into his rhythm?
— He did not ruin the game, but we expect not just a game from Mudryk in every match, but a spectacular one. That’s why he did not stand out particularly, speaking about the match against Albania. He still lacks stability. In this regard, he must primarily work on himself. No one will argue that he is a talent? He just needs to support his gift with results: goals and assists. Everyone is looking at the stats.
— What about Dovbyk? One goal in the Nations League and that from a penalty—too little for last season's top scorer of La Liga. Did Artem catch star sickness or has he burned out?
— I don’t think he has star sickness. It’s hard to find a clear explanation of why he doesn’t score much for the national team. Maybe injuries are the reason—a knee issue that troubles him...
I believe he should have stayed to play in Spain. Whether at Girona or another club, if such proposals were made. But, you know, there is hope that he will still reach his level. We need to give him some time to acclimatize in Rome. If everything goes well in the club, he will play well for the national team. I hope that in March we will see a completely different Dovbyk.
— In March, matches will be played in the playoff for the right to be promoted to League A of the Nations League. Among Ukraine's potential opponents are Belgium, Scotland, Hungary, and Serbia. Who would you like to see as an opponent?
— Just not Belgium! Even considering the fact that they had a poor group stage in the Nations League (one win, one draw, and four losses—editorial note), they are a good, strong team with many quality players in their lineup. Ultimately, you can play calmly with all the teams and even more—win.
— After the victory in Tirana, will the wave of criticism towards Rebrov finally die down?
— I believe we need to criticize both the coach and the players less in general. I see in our guys that they can clearly play stronger. And all the criticism pouring in from all sides... There is, of course, constructive criticism, but more of it is malicious. It does not add strength and inspiration. It’s time to stop criticizing just for the sake of criticizing.
Viktor Glukhentiy
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