On Monday, September 22, in the match of the 6th round of the Ukrainian championship, Kyiv “Dynamo” drew 2:2 with “Alexandria”. The match took place in Kyiv at the “Dynamo” stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi. Here is the post-match press conference of the head coach of the capital team, Alexander Shovkovsky.
— How difficult is it to play two times in a row against the same opponent?
— I can’t say it’s difficult. But it’s not easy to start the game from a score of 0:1.
— What is happening with your team’s defense? Four goals conceded in two matches, and these are unnecessary goals.
— Unnecessary, certainly. I cannot even understand our actions on the first goal we conceded today. And the second... I asked Taras (Mikhavko, — ed.) what he was trying to do in that situation, but he did not answer me.
Decision-making: we discuss things, we talk, we work on something, but no matter what tactics we choose for the game, we need to have attitude, courage, and make the right decisions. None of this was present today. Unfortunately, childish mistakes led to the conceded goals. At the same time, we had excellent opportunities to score more, and these missed chances are for me as big a mistake as those that led to the goals against us. For example, I do not understand how Guerrero did not score in the first half. For me, these are the same mistakes. The moment with Blenutsa, other moments when we should have done better...
Alexander Shovkovsky. Photo — Yu. Yuriev— How to solve the problems with finishing chances?
— We work on it every training session, on finishing, on combinations. I think that in this case it all comes down to individual skill.
Undoubtedly, an unpleasant result. Undoubtedly, all the responsibility for it lies with me. Because to come out like that for a match... Moreover, I can’t say that the guys were not properly motivated for the game. Nevertheless, to start a match like this and to finish it like that... I think we need to work individually with the players and somehow explain to them that they will never rise to the level of their expectations: they can only show exactly what they trained for during practice. I have told the team several times: it’s not easy to earn a championship, but it’s much easier than to maintain it.
To squander skills, rehearsed combinations, established interactions, confidence — it’s very easy. And then to regain it, to gather it all together — that takes a lot of time. But both we and the guys understand the problem that exists today. We will work to resolve it.
I wish everyone a calm, quiet, peaceful evening and night. Glory to Ukraine!
The post-match press conference of the head coach of “Alexandria” Kirill Nesteranko.
Alexander POPOV from the “Dynamo” stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi
