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We did what we had planned

Friday, November 22, 2024

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FCSD

Shakhtar U19 manager Oleksii Bielik’s comment after the victory over Inhulets U19 (5-0)

– The most important thing is that we secured three points while accomplishing several tasks at the same time: we gave some players a chance to rest, and others got playing time. Everyone deserves to play, but it is difficult to distribute the minutes between everyone. We also used Kostrytsia and Reshetnikov to keep them in shape. Speaking of the play, we did what we had planned. Before the match, I emphasized to the guys that you should not pay attention to the strength of the opponents or their tournament position. The main thing is to respect yourself and your work. We do a tremendous amount of work not just to go through the motions on the pitch or approach the game lightly. I am pleased with both the young players, who rarely get playing time, and the more experienced ones, who helped the young ones. Of course, the weather brought about changes. I would like to play on a grass surface before the match in the UEFA Youth League. The main thing is to avoid injuries. The players who were in doubt are gradually recovering, and I hope they will be able to prepare for the match against PSV U19.

– How important is this victory psychologically after a two-week break before the UEFA Youth League match against PSV U19?
– It is always important to win after a break because some players join national teams and it can be difficult to return to the game after a break. However, the team coped with it.

– The national team players and some team leaders were not on the roster for the encounter. Were they given a rest or should we expect their return in the near future?
– Valentyn Halonskyi was injured during the friendly match against Polissia-2, but he has a good recovery rate, and I hope that he will return soon. We lost Tryfanenko due to injury, and I think there is no point in forcing his recovery, because it is important for him to fully heal. Viktor Tsukanov and Oleksandr Lomaha returned after international duty just this morning, so there was no point in adding them to the squad list for the match. The situation with Mykola Oharkov is different. I understand that every coach has his own tasks and responsibilities, but when the youth team have the friendly match against Portugal U21, and a player who is called up to the national team for the first time, it is worth considering his playing position. Mykola is a left-back, but he was put on the right flank, which is unusual for him. As a result, the player was injured. I hope the injury is not serious and he will be able to help us in the match against PSV U19. I did not quite understand the decision of Ukraine U21 coaching staff. It should be understood that the profession of a coach is difficult, we need to respect each other. I do not see anything wrong with contacting and learning about the strengths and weaknesses of a player. For example, Dmytro Mykhailenko, with whom we constantly communicate and exchange opinions about players who could potentially strengthen the youth team. Then he himself decides who to call up and who not. I would like the coaching staff to have at least minimum information about a player when calling him up. In the case of Mykola Oharkov, he was in an unusual position, but at the same time he is our captain and extremely important for our team. His potential injury is a big loss because a less experienced player will have to be deployed in his position. For the youth team, it is not so critical as there are many other candidates there.

– Recently, Drozd played in a friendly match for the first team and today he wore the captain's armband and scored a goal. How do you assess his progress?
– The fact that Anton Drozd is a good player was no secret to me, both two or three years ago and now. I understand that he has great potential and should already take on responsibility. Previously, there were more experienced players in the team from whom he could take an example, but now his time has come. Anton is a very good footballer and has all the data to make a goal involvement in every match.