Match wasn’t inferior to the UEFA Youth League ones
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
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The head coach of Shakhtar U19 Oskar Ratulutra commented on the match vs SK Slavia U19 at the friendly tournament Al Abtal International Cup and summed up the first training camp in Turkey
- What impressions do you experience after the match against Slavia U19?
- We played against a good opponent, the game was good as well. In both halves, Slavia pressed us high, counting on tackling and a quick counterattack. At times we got away from such pressure quite well, but occasionally we failed to do so. We tried attacking as much as we could, but sometimes in the final stage, there was not enough rapport. There is still time to prepare, as a number of players left us during the winter break and we still need to achieve good teamwork to finally understand each other.
- Despite the friendly match status, both teams applied every effort on the pitch. Did that surprise you?
- It didn't. The intensity of the match was not inferior to the matches we played in the UEFA Youth League. Today, the teams of the leading schools of Ukraine and the Czech Republic played against each other. Both teams received extensive international experience and were out for a win, despite the fact that the tournament is friendly and this is part of pre-season training.
- How useful is the experience of playing against an opponent that tends to press as only a few teams play that kind of football against Shakhtar in the championship?
- Definitely, it's what we need. Nowadays, football requires a team to be able to act in different ways as it should be able to get out from under pressure and act in the opponent's half of the field. Our task is to teach the players to operate properly in different phases of the match so that they can make progress.
- Two goals Shakhtar U19 scored did not count. Is there a feeling that the score could have been better?
- Of course, we always play to win, no matter what kind of match it is. There were good moments today when we could have doubled the score. Unfortunately, sometimes the team failed to score, and sometimes the goals were not allowed to stand. But the team had good moments when they could have scored goals. The players just need to apply more effort to individual actions when attacking and defending to outwit the opponent.
- The match against Slavia U19 completed the first part of your preparation for the championship. What do you make of the results of the first stage of the training camp?
- Indeed, the first stage of the training programme for the league campaign has ended. The team has played enough games so that we can get information about the physical fitness of the players. I would like to say it again that many players have left the team. Currently, we have a new team. We need to have the players developing individually, which was the task we set at the first training camp. During the second training camp, we plan to spend more time on individual actions so that the guys can achieve good teamwork. Young players born in 2005 and 2006 are gradually absorbing the information that we have to offer them, but they need time to fully understand our principles. I would like everything to happen at the subconscious level in players' actions on the football pitch. The players need to understand that no action of an individual player should happen spontaneously, it has to be done consciously.
- We played against a good opponent, the game was good as well. In both halves, Slavia pressed us high, counting on tackling and a quick counterattack. At times we got away from such pressure quite well, but occasionally we failed to do so. We tried attacking as much as we could, but sometimes in the final stage, there was not enough rapport. There is still time to prepare, as a number of players left us during the winter break and we still need to achieve good teamwork to finally understand each other.
- Despite the friendly match status, both teams applied every effort on the pitch. Did that surprise you?
- It didn't. The intensity of the match was not inferior to the matches we played in the UEFA Youth League. Today, the teams of the leading schools of Ukraine and the Czech Republic played against each other. Both teams received extensive international experience and were out for a win, despite the fact that the tournament is friendly and this is part of pre-season training.
- How useful is the experience of playing against an opponent that tends to press as only a few teams play that kind of football against Shakhtar in the championship?
- Definitely, it's what we need. Nowadays, football requires a team to be able to act in different ways as it should be able to get out from under pressure and act in the opponent's half of the field. Our task is to teach the players to operate properly in different phases of the match so that they can make progress.
- Two goals Shakhtar U19 scored did not count. Is there a feeling that the score could have been better?
- Of course, we always play to win, no matter what kind of match it is. There were good moments today when we could have doubled the score. Unfortunately, sometimes the team failed to score, and sometimes the goals were not allowed to stand. But the team had good moments when they could have scored goals. The players just need to apply more effort to individual actions when attacking and defending to outwit the opponent.
- The match against Slavia U19 completed the first part of your preparation for the championship. What do you make of the results of the first stage of the training camp?
- Indeed, the first stage of the training programme for the league campaign has ended. The team has played enough games so that we can get information about the physical fitness of the players. I would like to say it again that many players have left the team. Currently, we have a new team. We need to have the players developing individually, which was the task we set at the first training camp. During the second training camp, we plan to spend more time on individual actions so that the guys can achieve good teamwork. Young players born in 2005 and 2006 are gradually absorbing the information that we have to offer them, but they need time to fully understand our principles. I would like everything to happen at the subconscious level in players' actions on the football pitch. The players need to understand that no action of an individual player should happen spontaneously, it has to be done consciously.