24.09.2007.

"Whether the fear has gone or not, we will find out after the match against Sporting"

Dynamo defender tells us what has changed since Jozef Szabo’s comeback

Goran, has atmosphere in the team improved since victory in Simferopol?

It has, but the disappointment in the result from Rome still remains. In front the match in Simferopol we were thinking only about how to recover as soon as possible and how to play a good football against Tavriya. Thanks God, we were under no pressure at all, the only important thing was to restore our physical strength. I think we did that properly, the deservedly accomplished win speaks in favour of that. 

The final score of the match tells us you had an easy job. Do you agree with that?

- The result reflects the balance of powers on the field. The most important thing was that there was no fear that wiped us out in Rome. With every single minute today we were improving our performances what gave us the possibility to totally control the result in the last half hour.

For the match in Simferopol the team was set-up by Jozef Szabo. Did you expect such change after Rome?

Frankly, I did not. Demyanenko’s resignation and Sabo’s appointment for a team coach were surprises for me. Sure, we played poor match in Rome, but all I expected to happen from that were usual critics – that we must not let those errors to happen again. Having prepared for the upcoming match I have never thought that we could start a game with new coach on the bench.

But, that was exactly what happened. What were the first Szabo’s instructions?

- We could have anticipated by ourselves – he told us that we need more aggressiveness on the field, but that was the topic the players have already discussed about. Szabo told us that is the first thing to be worked on, and other things will be implemented in our play arter completing that major job. However, he realises that there is no much time for testing his new tactical ideas..

But, something has changed, the general impression that the team played with three defenders in a line in Simferopol...

- Yes, that is one of Szabo’s innovation that he has managed to implement already. We were mainly playing with four or two defenders in the back, now we have tried with three. This is not new for me as I had played in that scheme for two years in my National team. I don’t know what the others think about it... I have spoken to Vaschuk, he said he feels confortable too, but, possibly, that is not the case with Mihalik who has never played on the sweeper’s position. Still, Taras was very good on the new position, and if he continue to play in the defence he will certainly get used to it. But the national championship is one thing, we should wait for the next Champions league match to give some judgments. However, the good test will be on Wednesday too as Dnepr have powerfull attack, so we can challenge our strength against them.

Rome’s fear won’t come back?

- I think coach has already managed to make some changes, and such change itself is good shock for any team. I haven’t spoken to Szabo in past few days as there is not need for that yet because we had a communication with him before he was appointed as a coach again. If a need for a conversation appears, then we will talk.

If Dynamo win in two upcoming games that should help you to approach the game with Sporting in a good mood?

- Winning is always good thing, no matter who are the opponents. Still, we were winning before the match against Roma, so I wouldn’t say that something depends on how we will play on Wednesday and Saturday. Whether the fear has gone or not, we will find out after the match against Sporting.

Dmitriy Korotkov,
www.segodnya.ua