The legendary former defender of Kyiv’s «Dynamo» Oleh Kuznetsov shared his expectations for the main round match of the Conference League between «Samsunspor» and «Dynamo».
Oleh Kuznetsov. Photo: Getty Images
— Oleh Volodymyrovych, Samsunspor is considered a slight favorite by bookmakers. Do you agree with this opinion?
— I don’t know why the Turks are considered favorites. Probably, just because they will play at home. But I don’t think there is a big difference in class. For me, the favorite is «Dynamo».
— Why?
— Because Kyiv players have been playing together for many years. «Dynamo» definitely has more European Cup experience, while «Samsunspor» rarely makes it to the European stage. It’s difficult for me to judge the Turkish team because I haven’t followed them.
— What do you expect from the match?
— The black streak should end sometime. God willing, this will happen in the match against «Samsunspor».
— Dynamo leaders Buyalsky, Yarmolenko, Brazhko now resemble only a pale shadow of themselves, often starting the match on the bench. Who, in your opinion, is now the leader of Kyiv?
— Dynamo currently lacks a clearly pronounced leader, both on the field and in the dressing room. In every game, Shovkovsky has a new lineup. There is no player who consistently plays three to five games in a row. In a single match, any player can shine. Some fall out, some return from injuries. «Dynamo» has a long bench and there is someone to replace players who are out. At the moment, there are no irreplaceable players in «Dynamo». I don’t see a footballer who is much stronger than the others.
— With Vanat’s departure, Dynamo has three forwards left: Guerrero, Blenutse, and Ponomarenko. Which one do you prefer?
— Judging by the recent games, Guerrero has slightly revived. Vanat’s departure spurred him on, as he became a main player. Eduardo showed himself well at Zorya; maybe he needed time to adapt at Dynamo. This season, he plays well and scores.
Ponomarenko only comes on as a substitute. Yes, he looked good in U-19, but got a bit lost in adult football. Therefore, I think the main forward will be Guerrero.
— What do you think about Blenutse? Before joining Dynamo, he was scandalous with likes for propagandists, but then apologized and transferred his first salary to the Armed Forces. Should the fans forgive him?
— It’s hard to say. You should ask the fans. Most likely, he should repay not with money, but with play and goals. If he plays and scores, this will be forgotten, but if he performs as now, then it’s not an enhancement for Dynamo. And the fans see it perfectly.
— As a legendary Dynamo defender, how do you assess the current central defensive line of Kyiv?
— This problem has been ongoing for more than one or two years. Popov is a youth world champion, but he is prone to injuries, including absurd ones. As soon as he regains form, he immediately gets injured, and he is the most experienced among the central defenders.
Mykhavko is now one of the best central defenders in Dynamo. But he is still young, only 20 years old. Taras received many compliments. He played well in some places, but due to his youth, he made many mistakes.
The same can be said about Bilovar, he is also young.
— Does Bilovar measure up to Dynamo’s level?
— The guy knew what he was getting into. If he married Surkis’s daughter, it’s clear that he will be scrutinized as the club president’s relative. He also makes mistakes, but this problem with central defenders at Dynamo has persisted for a long time.
«Dynamo» needed to buy an experienced defender. Few will come to us from abroad now, but it was possible to find an experienced guy in the UPL, for example Shabanov, who was already at Dynamo. In all teams, even in Europe, in defense, there is such an experienced player who can suggest when necessary and reprimand. Everything relies on them. And Dynamo’s defenders are practically all of the same age, so it’s difficult here and there are many mistakes.
— What do you think is happening with Dynamo? Five draws in a row in the UPL for the Kyiv grand is a failure.
— It’s hard to say, you have to be inside the team. Some say there’s a bad atmosphere in the club, lots of scandals. Then Yarmolenko didn’t come, or they disrespect each other during training, players can reprimand each other. Maybe such results are because the team climate isn’t very good.
But I can only judge based on press reports, and how it really is, I don’t know. This black streak should end soon. They played well with Zorya too. Shovkovsky rightly says they created many chances but didn’t score. Hopefully, with the Turks, this streak will break and Dynamo will win.
— We will be playing in Turkey, where fans passionately support their team. Will this be a plus or a minus for Dynamo, having to play in a full stadium where fans support the opponent?
— It’s not Galatasaray or Fenerbahce. Samsunspor is an average team in the Turkish championship, maybe even lower. Dynamo has experienced players; some even played in the national team with 80 thousand spectators. So I don’t think the Turks will have any advantage. Well, Turkish fans will shout and whistle, but it’s unlikely to play a big role.
— How should Dynamo play in Turkey to count on a positive result?
— Most likely, the Turks will attack from the first minutes. In the first 15−20 minutes, more discipline is needed in defense, and I have no doubt that Dynamo will have counter-attacks and chances. Kyiv has good flanking players and there’s someone to control the ball in the center of the field. It’s an axiom — withstand the first few minutes and then there will be an even game.
— Your prediction for the match?
— Dynamo will win 2:1.
— Finally, I want to ask you about Zabarnyi’s unsuccessful match for PSG against Bayer in the Champions League, where he conceded two penalties and was sent off. What can you say about his game as a central defender?
— In the moment with the first penalty, there was just a touch of the ball with his hand. It seemed to me that there was no penalty. In the second moment, he made a positional mistake. But there’s nothing terrible here, mistakes happen to everyone. I don’t think this will affect his position in PSG, Zabarnyi won’t be benched.
Illya started the season well. At first, everyone said he would replace Marquinhos, but gradually Illya overshadowed him and is now a regular starting player. He endured competition and is now PSG’s main central defender. He even scored a goal. He plays quite successfully in the Paris club. Therefore, I don’t think Luis Enrique will bench him. The unsuccessful match against Bayer is purely coincidental. Such moments happen, there’s nothing you can do. I don’t think this will affect Zabarnyi’s status at PSG.
— What did Lobanovsky tell you when you made mistakes in the position of central defender?
— He didn’t particularly focus attention on mistakes. Valeriy Vasilyevich was not an emotional person by nature: not shouting or throwing boots. One of his looks was enough. Once he looked into your eyes, everything was clear. You yourself feel you made a mistake, so there’s no need to put extra pressure.
If you made one mistake, it’s forgivable, but if you repeatedly do so, you won’t play in the main squad. At that time in Dynamo, starting from the goalkeeper to the strikers, if you played several matches poorly in a row, you would end up on the bench, and could be out of the main squad for a long time. Everyone knew this and tried to make fewer mistakes.
Andriy Piskun
