We have a good result
Sunday, July 30, 2023
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Head coach of Shakhtar Patrick van Leeuwen shared his impressions of his debut match against Metalist 1925 (2-1)
– You had your first official match as the head coach of Shakhtar. How would you rate your debut?
– We won. So, I think it was a good debut for me. In the last weeks we worked hard to make sure that all players are ready to start the season. We have some players that had some minor injuries from the previous season, but they will also return soon, – we will be complete and then we will continue our journey, not only in the Ukrainian League but also in the Champions League staring from September. That is something that we look forward to and keep in mind as we prepare.
– Shakhtar's line-up was quite experimental, because there was no defensive midfielder, and Danylo Sikan played almost as number ten. Is this a last choice or a plan?
– Of course we had some disappointment with Heorhii Sudakov. I think that Sikan did a good job, he played for a team on that position. With him we get more attacking opportunities than with a midfielder who wants to play more on the ball, and we were hoping for his runs and to get him in front of the goal from the second line. So, it was also logical to choose Sikan, because we had less experienced players on the bench, the Academy graduates or new players, and Danylo knows the players on the field better and he knows what we want.
– Oleksii Kashchuk played on the left attacking wing – is this a decision for the entire season or is it, again, a last choice?
– It is the same question. For me it is also a logical choice. Oleksandr Zubkov plays well on the right, so I wanted to keep him in this position. And as I said, the thought of playing Sikan on the left side changed because of Sudakov's absence. The choice was for Kashchuk to play from the left side. I think he did an OK job at the start with the crosses, with the chances he created. It is not an impossible task for him to play on the left side and not on the right side.
– Last year, when you were the head coach of Zorya, you defeated Metalist 1925 quite easily. How different was the new line-up of Kharkiv team and what made the situation more difficult for you now?
– I think today there was also an opportunity to make 3-0 quickly in the beginning. I am sure that we will win with a bigger score during this season. I think that we have a good result. We should have converted the opportunities we created – this is the only thing that I am not happy with. The moments that we had in the opponent's penalty area are a good result for me.
– How easily do the team accept your methods of preparatory and training process, your workload?
– We are moving in the right direction, but it will take time. Any coach that starts new in a team needs to get to know the players, he wants to set out his philosophy in training sessions and friendly games. For example, during the training camp we played a very decent game against Utrecht, in the first half hour of the game against Ajax we conceded only due to individual mistakes and decisions that they made on the field. During the training camp the team have already showed that they are able to play according to philosophy that I would like to see.
– And what can you say about the physical condition of the team?
– As to the physical condition, the training sessions are going as planned. If there is a difference in physical conditioning, it is a matter of the player's choice. I think that any football player that needs to play 90 minutes should be able to play these 90 minutes with the same intentions, with the same power to make the decisions on the field, because this is one of the things that we strive for. If you are tired, make sure that you are able to make the decisions and keep them simple. I think the weather was very hot for the players on the field. We were all sitting in the shade, maybe it was easier for us, but for them the high temperature and not a lot of wind could have been an extra handicap.
– Valerii Bondar was injured at the end of the match. What is the preliminary information about the severity of the injury?
– I do not have exact information. The doctor went with him to the hospital. I will find out the details later.
– Dmytro Riznyk played for the first time. Are you satisfied with his performance and whom will you trust the goal in the next matches to?
– Dmytro did a good job. It is his first game, and he showed that he has good qualities, and that is why he moved to Shakhtar in the last season. I think that he has everything to be a part of the team and to compete for a place in the line-up.
– Can you specify something about Trubin? Is there any position of the club's management that it makes no sense to bet on him now, because he is not even included in the protocol for the match?
– You should ask Serhii Palkin regarding the position of the club. Trubin has been suspended since the previous season, so I could not use him.
– We won. So, I think it was a good debut for me. In the last weeks we worked hard to make sure that all players are ready to start the season. We have some players that had some minor injuries from the previous season, but they will also return soon, – we will be complete and then we will continue our journey, not only in the Ukrainian League but also in the Champions League staring from September. That is something that we look forward to and keep in mind as we prepare.
– Shakhtar's line-up was quite experimental, because there was no defensive midfielder, and Danylo Sikan played almost as number ten. Is this a last choice or a plan?
– Of course we had some disappointment with Heorhii Sudakov. I think that Sikan did a good job, he played for a team on that position. With him we get more attacking opportunities than with a midfielder who wants to play more on the ball, and we were hoping for his runs and to get him in front of the goal from the second line. So, it was also logical to choose Sikan, because we had less experienced players on the bench, the Academy graduates or new players, and Danylo knows the players on the field better and he knows what we want.
– Oleksii Kashchuk played on the left attacking wing – is this a decision for the entire season or is it, again, a last choice?
– It is the same question. For me it is also a logical choice. Oleksandr Zubkov plays well on the right, so I wanted to keep him in this position. And as I said, the thought of playing Sikan on the left side changed because of Sudakov's absence. The choice was for Kashchuk to play from the left side. I think he did an OK job at the start with the crosses, with the chances he created. It is not an impossible task for him to play on the left side and not on the right side.
– Last year, when you were the head coach of Zorya, you defeated Metalist 1925 quite easily. How different was the new line-up of Kharkiv team and what made the situation more difficult for you now?
– I think today there was also an opportunity to make 3-0 quickly in the beginning. I am sure that we will win with a bigger score during this season. I think that we have a good result. We should have converted the opportunities we created – this is the only thing that I am not happy with. The moments that we had in the opponent's penalty area are a good result for me.
– How easily do the team accept your methods of preparatory and training process, your workload?
– We are moving in the right direction, but it will take time. Any coach that starts new in a team needs to get to know the players, he wants to set out his philosophy in training sessions and friendly games. For example, during the training camp we played a very decent game against Utrecht, in the first half hour of the game against Ajax we conceded only due to individual mistakes and decisions that they made on the field. During the training camp the team have already showed that they are able to play according to philosophy that I would like to see.
– And what can you say about the physical condition of the team?
– As to the physical condition, the training sessions are going as planned. If there is a difference in physical conditioning, it is a matter of the player's choice. I think that any football player that needs to play 90 minutes should be able to play these 90 minutes with the same intentions, with the same power to make the decisions on the field, because this is one of the things that we strive for. If you are tired, make sure that you are able to make the decisions and keep them simple. I think the weather was very hot for the players on the field. We were all sitting in the shade, maybe it was easier for us, but for them the high temperature and not a lot of wind could have been an extra handicap.
– Valerii Bondar was injured at the end of the match. What is the preliminary information about the severity of the injury?
– I do not have exact information. The doctor went with him to the hospital. I will find out the details later.
– Dmytro Riznyk played for the first time. Are you satisfied with his performance and whom will you trust the goal in the next matches to?
– Dmytro did a good job. It is his first game, and he showed that he has good qualities, and that is why he moved to Shakhtar in the last season. I think that he has everything to be a part of the team and to compete for a place in the line-up.
– Can you specify something about Trubin? Is there any position of the club's management that it makes no sense to bet on him now, because he is not even included in the protocol for the match?
– You should ask Serhii Palkin regarding the position of the club. Trubin has been suspended since the previous season, so I could not use him.