Renowned expert and coach Oleg Fedorchuk analyzed the defeat of Kyiv’s “Dynamo” in the match against “Maccabi” (Tel Aviv) in the Europa League qualifiers.
Oleg Fedorchuk— Oleg Viktorovych, what impressions do you have from the game of “Dynamo” against “Maccabi”? How disappointed were you with Oleksandr Shovkovskyi's team?
— It’s a dead-end situation. This game once again showed that “Dynamo” needs radical changes. The Kyiv team looked horrible against “Maccabi.” And you can't just blame the red card, because even before that, the team was playing quite poorly. A team cannot have four defenders who do not know how to tackle the ball at all! “Maccabi” outplayed “Dynamo” in every aspect.
Throughout the game, there were several episodes with Vanat when he found himself one-on-one and didn’t even try to outplay the defender.
A player from “Maccabi” in a similar situation goes past and scores. As for the Dynamo players, to score, they start to pass around, making numerous touches.
It's much simpler — it’s down to individual skill. And this is despite the fact that “Maccabi” played simple football, but that is currently enough to beat “Dynamo.”
— It seems that “Dynamo” is reassured by the situation in the Ukrainian Championship, where even the second-string team can win against other clubs. Perhaps this creates an illusion that everything is fine?
— Yes. You see, if we observe such a crisis, where there are questions about every line, then something must be done. Currently, “Dynamo” has too many players of the same type. At the same time, the team lacks modern players like Bellingham or Valverde, who can perform with equal quality in defense and attack. I’m not saying they need to be at that level, but there are enough similar prototypes in the world.
If “Dynamo” respects Lobanovskyi, they should remember his saying that a team is built from the defense. Right now, the Kyiv team's defense is the weakest and youngest link. How can you achieve results in European competitions in such a situation? If the ship is leaking, you won't get far.
Ruslan Neshcheret — 6.5
— Neshcheret was the best in “Dynamo”, even though he conceded three times. This is a telling moment. Overall, he is not very psychologically stable. However, compared to Boyko and Bushchan, Neshcheret is better than them. Denis and Georgiy also did not stand out in terms of stability. Ruslan, however, plays better with his feet; he is more mobile, lighter. But the Kyiv team still needs to strengthen this position to create competition for Neshcheret and add versatility.
Konstantin Vivcharenko — 5.0 (red card, 50')
— The fullbacks of “Dynamo” play the same way as always. It turns out that their actions in defense are worse than their attempts to act in attack, even though they are defenders! Vivcharenko didn’t always choose the right position, and he had problems making quality passes from the flank.
He can still improve, but he is too emotional. The foul that led to the red card was completely unnecessary. You can’t act like that at the European competition level. Vivcharenko was the weakest player of “Dynamo” in the match against “Maccabi”: throughout the game, he made many mistakes and then got sent off...
Taras Mykhavko — 6.0
— It’s noticeable that he is trying, he has fire in his eyes, but... Let’s say most of his successful actions were related to the attack, while he often made mistakes in recovering the ball. Taras made tactical errors, didn’t always choose the right position. Although it’s clear that he gives 100%. I think the position of left center-back in a three-defender scheme would suit him perfectly. There he could utilize his strong qualities — the first pass, working with the ball — and at the same time have cover from a teammate.
Christian Bilovar — 5.5
— Bilovar hasn’t yet reached the level of the main team of “Dynamo.” He made many mistakes and appeared nervous — this was noticeable. In the broadcast, you could even hear how they kept telling him to calm down. Bilovar played as if he were a debutant. But here’s the thing: if you play little, then even at 30, you can get nervous; but if you have stable playing time, even at 18, you don’t feel pressure. For instance — Yamali.
Oleksandr Karavaev — 5.5
— He didn’t contribute quality actions in attack, and in defense, he also made plenty of mistakes. Unlike Vivcharenko, Karavaev is an experienced player, perhaps that’s why he performed a bit better. However, overall, Oleksandr is not a profile wide defender, despite having played in this position for many years.
Mykola Mykhailenko — 6.8
— Mykola was barely involved in combinational play. He practically remained unnoticed throughout the match. You could say that Mykhailenko simply dissolved. Neither in attack nor in defense did he bring any benefit.
Mykola Shaparenko — 5.5
— He lost many duels and looked unsure. In one episode, Shaparenko took too long with a pass to Yarmolenko. I also didn’t understand his decision to shoot from distance when the “Maccabi” goalkeeper came out of the box. A promising attack could have developed, but he shot... Overall, there were many uncharacteristic decisions from Shaparenko, indicating not a very good psychological state.
Oleksandr Pikhalonok — 5.5
— Pikhalonok was not useful in the game without the ball. His best qualities are evident when he combines and works with the ball. He is a player stronger in the opponent's half. But Pikhalonok is not about recovering the ball. This time he barely contributed to the game. I’ll repeat: “Dynamo” currently has an excess of players who poorly act in recovering the ball.
Nazar Voloshin — 6.0
— He has quick legs, he moved a lot. But I wanted to see more variety and aggression from Voloshin. The flanks of “Dynamo” overall do not meet modern requirements. To be honest, I've been waiting for him to move to a new level. I want to see more stability in his game. Nazar has speed and potential, but he acts in bursts.
Andriy Yarmolenko — 5.5
— As they say, his breed is noticeable. Everything that Yarmolenko does is high-quality and thoughtful, but it’s not enough. He needs to run more, move, change positions, and it’s difficult for him at this age. Even in his best times, stamina was not his strong suit, so what to say now. I have a lot of respect for Yarmolenko — he is a professional, but it's hard for him. In a team like “Dynamo”, especially in European competitions, I see Andriy more in the last 20-30 minutes, where due to his experience he can resolve a situation.
Overall, I was surprised that “Dynamo” in none of the five European matches even attempted to press the opponent in their half. And now this is a common practice for most European teams. Previously, pressing was a hallmark of “Dynamo”, but now? I caught myself thinking: the Brazilians of Shakhtar press more than the Dynamo players of Kyiv. It’s absurd!
Vladyslav Vanat — 5.8
— Vanat disappoints for the second consecutive European match. The only positive from the game against “Maccabi” was the assist to Voloshin. I find it strange that the best scorer in Ukraine does not try to beat defenders one-on-one in European competitions. He has everything for that, but why he avoids such actions is a mystery.
— I personally don’t have any hope for qualitative changes in the game of the Kyiv team, but I must ask the next question. How do you evaluate “Dynamo”’s chances of still passing “Maccabi” and clinging to the Europa League?
— In football, anything can happen; you can recover even a deficit of two goals. But I don’t see any leaders in “Dynamo” right now who can lead the team in such a difficult moment. Nominally, they are Buyalskyi and Yarmolenko, but both are not in their best condition. There isn’t even a young player yet who can take on this role.
— So should we prepare for the Conference League?
— Most likely, yes. It’s not a disaster for the current “Dynamo.” I think that this tournament currently matches their level. At the same time, I believe that it’s very difficult for both “Dynamo” and “Shakhtar” to play on two fronts. Right now, there is no club in Ukraine that can appear equally strong in the championship and in European competitions.
Vladyslav Lyustoskyi
