A well-known expert and coach Oleg Fedorchuk shared his impressions of the day-before-yesterday’s match of the 2nd round of the main stage of the Conference League between Donetsk’s Shakhtar and Warsaw’s Legia (1:2).
Oleg Fedorchuk— Oleg Viktorovych, I want to start the conversation with the topic of Shakhtar’s starting lineup — 11 changes compared to the previous game against Polissya in the UPL. Did you understand Arda Turan’s logic?
— There is some logic in Turan’s actions, but what is it? We need to wait for his post-match interview. One thing is clear: the leaders have left the team — Kevin and Sudakov. The coach understands that there is no equivalent replacement for them, so he wants to find options that will bring results, but such a large rotation leads to chaos not only in the game but also in the results. We see that in the Ukrainian championship, Shakhtar cannot consistently score points even though their main competitors are constantly losing them.
From the match with Legia, we also saw that some players were simply not ready. Especially weak were the wingers of Shakhtar, especially in the first half. The only players who played more or less were Konoplya and Azarov. I also note the young forward who scored the goal — Luka Meirelles. Although, besides the scored goal, he didn’t stand out much. Such radical changes are very venturesome.
— Before the match, a lot was written about the chaos reigning inside Legia. It seemed that Shakhtar should have gone out and confidently won in such conditions, but Turan used such a massive rotation. In your opinion, how would the Miners have played with Legia if they had played with their strongest lineup today?
— If those players who played against Aberdeen came out, then the match would have ended the same way as with the Scots (3:2). We saw that the Scots are now in crisis — they are one of the last teams in the Scottish championship. However, Shakhtar also had problems then.
Legia is now in ninth place, nine points behind the first place — we can say that the season has failed. By technical indicators, we also saw the level of Legia — a huge amount of errors in passes, even though there were few of them compared to Shakhtar. This speaks of a very low level of the team. Such a game can psychologically destabilize the team.
Shakhtar did not look convincing in this match. The Poles engaged two or three times, created two or three moments, and that’s it. However, the Miners, apart from the scored goal, did not stand out at all. The situation is tense for Shakhtar’s fans. If nothing changes, it will be very difficult for Donetsk to fight for the championship. I’m afraid last season may repeat.
— What prospects does Turan’s team have now?
— In the championship, Shakhtar’s situation is very difficult. You can fall into a psychological pit if you continue at the same pace. There are very few experienced players in the team now. The places of leaders in Shakhtar are currently vacant. At least two players are needed who can lead. However, Shakhtar lost them, having sold them to Europe, and no new ones are visible yet.
Turan is still a young coach, a brave specialist, but such rotation is very risky. I don’t remember Shakhtar being in such a situation: loss of key players, unsure play in the championship, a failed performance in the Eurocup. A very heavy load has fallen on the guys and the coaching staff. I want to wish them to come out of this situation with honor.
Vladyslav Lyutostanskyi
