A famous trainer Oleg Dulubexclusively for Sport.uashared his expectations for future matches. The expert predicts the victory of Dynamo, and believes that Kolos can create a sensation in the match against Shakhtar.
Zorya – Carpathians: “The teams approach this game on equal terms” 
– Zorya – Carpathians. Skrypnyk’s wards are showing quite spectacular football, and the “lions” are still looking for their game. What do you expect from this match?
– A very difficult confrontation. These teams are of roughly the same class. The only thing, if you analyze the movement of both teams at the distance, Luhansk Zorya has a certain advantage. Skrypnyk has a more coordinated team. Good attack in the face of Budkivskyi. I like it very much. In my opinion, Luhansk Zorya will have a slight advantage in this match.
There is one moment, if we analyze the game of the Lviv Carpathians, they play quite well in away matches, where it seemed that “everything was over”. We can recall the match against LNZ (1:0), the next match against Kryvbas (1:0)… It was clear that there were certain problems in the location of the club, but due to the internal reserve, these victories took place. However, in the match against Metalist 1925 (1:2) and Veres (0:0), the team again took a step back.
If you look at the performances of Zora from Luhansk, there are also swings. Victory over Metalist 1925 (3:1), Victory over Rukh (1:0), but draw with Oleksandria (0:0) and defeat against Polissia (0:2). The teams approach this game on equal terms.
LNZ – Obolon: “I wouldn’t pick favorites in this match” 
– LNZ – Obolon. Vitaly Ponomaryov’s wards surprise many, but the “brewers” are famous for their character and thirst for struggle. Will “purple” manage to win another victory?
– I would not single out favorites in this match. I will explain why. If you watch LNZ matches, they play quite well in games where their opponents act from a position of strength, but… As soon as there are conversations about positional attacks, there are big questions, because in quick attacks, the “violets” have a trio: Yashar-Oba, Assinor – they act quite well.
If we return to the match against Oboloni, it is a different story. The three central defenders, which Obolon usually uses, will probably not give space. Here it will be a very tough and tight fight of LNZ, not distinguished by some magical game this season, but this is football, where the result comes to the fore. In this regard, LNZ looks pretty good this season.
Kolos – Shakhtar: “This match is the most interesting in this round” 
– Colossus – Miner. Probably the central match of the tour. Ruslan Kostyshyn “molded” a fighting team, which is ruining the nerves of many UPL clubs. Will Kolos be able to create a sensation against the “miners”?
– You know, quite an interesting match. I think I will agree with you, this match is the most interesting in this round. In this season, it is the game of Kolos that causes positive emotions – it is a pretty good team. Will she be able to impose a fight on Shakhtar in this particular match? I think so. An example of Kryvbas, only a positional error in the last minutes did not allow them to beat Shakhtar (2:2).
There is one nuance! Quality teams like Shakhtar cannot afford to lose points in two matches in a row. Therefore, here… Well, you know, I also have a 50/50 balance somewhere. The scales can swing both in one direction and in the other.
Kudrivka – Dynamo: “A club with such traditions simply has no right to lose this game” 
– Kudrivka – Dynamo. “White and blue” are going through the most difficult period in their history in the UPL. Will Ihor Kostyuk’s wards manage to break the terrible streak?
– I think so. They have time for a complete rest. Four defeats in a row in the UPL is the first time in the history of Dynamo. I think that a club with such traditions simply has no right to lose this game.
If we talk about Kudrivka… This is quite an interesting team, with a good selection of performers. There are teams that play at the expense of a quality game, and there are teams that perform well at the expense of a quality locker room. It seems to me that Kudrivka is the second option. It is always very difficult with such teams. It should be taken into account that this game will be an away game for the “white and blue”. A very difficult game, but I prefer Dynamo Kyiv.
– Shovkovskyi was recently fired. Experts, journalists and fans were divided into two camps. The first: “Well, finally, it’s long past time to do it,” and the second: “It won’t solve the club’s global problems.” Which camp do you belong to? In your opinion, Ihor Kostyuk will remain as coach of Dynamo for a long time?
– Let’s start with the last one. Ihor Kostyuk can remain in the position of Dynamo coach for as long as he has the trust of the club president. A lot still depends on whether he will be able to give a result at this short distance.
As a rule, a change of coach without global changes in the structure of the club itself…. In the short term, it can give results, but in the long term it does not work. If the approach to work itself does not change, it is impossible to change everything, if we talk about long-term perspectives.
Once in an interview I already said… There is a book by Rinus Michels “Team building. The way to success”. There it is considered just the moment of the change of coach. It is very easy to come to the team after a coach who had a built-up game. This is just an example from Lucescu. The fact that I saw how Lucescu worked made me feel nothing but positive. Quality game! Different models of play in the UPL and European Cups were all dictated by the selection of performers at his disposal.
When Shovkovskyi came… This is coach number 2. It is said in that book that it is very easy to enter the second coach after the first coach. You just need to improve the atmosphere in the locker room. When the atmosphere in the locker room is established, the team is on track, but at the same time, the achievements of the previous coach are being erased every day. The turning point of Shovkovsky’s work in Dynamo was a conflict in the locker room. Conflict with leaders.
The most difficult position is the third coach. It’s at Kostyuk’s now. It’s all by the book, I’m not making this up. He comes when there is no training of the first coach and the atmosphere in the dressing room is damaged. Now, at a short distance, the most correct step is to try to improve the atmosphere in the locker room. Players need to feel confident. If we take the championship: four defeats and 5 draws. The match with Kryvbas (3:0) is an exception to the rule. Losing 22 tournament points is a lot, but most importantly it was a blow to the psychology of the players. The work of not only Kostyuk, but of his entire coaching staff is important here.
To give an example, how would I say about Kostyshyn last year. When he came to Kolos, when the team was at a peak and in the shortest possible time, he managed to turn this situation around. This is a positive example. It is difficult to answer unequivocally which camp I belong to. I have my own opinion. Let’s call it the third camp.
Kryvbas – Oleksandria: “I have a favorite in this confrontation” 
– Kryvbas – Oleksandria. Van Leeuwen’s wards are having a good season, which cannot be said about Nesterenko’s boys, who are failing him. What did I expect? from the face-to-face match of these teams?
– There is a favorite for me in this confrontation! This is Kryvbas. Even the standings show that the team is “on the move”. In general, in the last round against Shakhtar, it was Kryvbas who played very well in terms of team play. The team was united, only a loss of concentration in the last minutes prevented Kryvbas from beating Shakhtar.
I agree, Alexandria’s season is really mixed. After silver medals in the last UPL season, they lost a lot of top players. The change of the coaching staff, in my opinion, unfortunately, with a “minus” sign, but with all that… Oleksandria is quite a good team in terms of the selection of performers. Their level is the middle of the tournament table.
– Now there are many rumors about a possible change of coach in Oleksandria. Volodymyr Sharan is being wooed for the position of head coach. Can Sharan make an impact on Alexandria like Kostyshyn did in Colossus?
– You know, experienced coaches like Volodymyr Bohdanovich have a chance to change the situation. He has the ability to lead a team that goes into pique.
Metallist 1925 – Veres: “My sympathies are with Veres” 
– Metallist 1925 – September. Bartulovich’s wards cannot stabilize the results, and Shandruk’s boys were last defeated in September. What will be your prediction for this match?
– These teams are absolutely based on the game. Metalist 1925 are trying to find their game, but it’s clear they’re in a bit of an unbalanced state. As for Veres… After a bad start, they are now 8 matches unbeaten, but only two wins. Everything else is a draw. My sympathies are with Veres. This is a more beaten down team in terms of team play.
Rukh – Polissia: “This is the only minus of the Rotany team” 
– Movement – Polissya. Fedyk’s wards won two consecutive victories, which clearly improved their mood and tournament position. Will Lviv residents be able to create a sensation in the match against Polissia?
– I think, hardly. This is unlikely. Because if you look at Polissia’s performance in this stretch of the season… They stabilized the lineup, stabilized the game and the results. Eight matches without defeat: 5 wins. The only thing is, if you look at the dynamics, alternate wins and draws. This is the only “minus”. The team is focused on achieving the maximum result. In terms of level and strength, these are two completely different teams.
SK Poltava – Epicenter: “Psychological advantage on the side of SK Poltava” 
– SC Poltava – Epicenter. Nagornyak’s wards stabilized their game, they managed to build a reliable game in defense, and Poltava after the sensation with Dynamo, which also improved their mood. Who do you think is the favorite for this match?
– These are so-called “head-to-head matches”, where nuances will decide everything. If we take the psychological component, then there is really an advantage on the side of SC Poltava. A victory over Dynamo is always a victory over Dynamo. It always gives an impetus. To what extent the team will be able to return to normal activities after a psychological shock… It already depends on the coaching staff.
Speaking of Epicenter… Two draws (with Polissy 0:0 and Metalist 1925 also 0:0), but before that defeats against Veres (2:3) and Oboloni (1:2)… Lost head-to-head matches. Draw matches were against teams that are at a different level in terms of the selection of performers. Psychology will come to the fore here. Who will be able to play as the last. For these teams, this game is one of the key ones at this stage of the season. The victory will allow Poltava, under favorable conditions, to bypass Epicenter and Oleksandria – this is already the zone of transitional matches. And it is not far from Kudrivka, – said Dulub.
Source: sport.ua