Within the framework of Round 20 of the Super League, after the “Neftchi” – “Mash’al” clash ended, the head coach of the hosts, Vitaliy Levchenko, expressed his thoughts at the press conference. While acknowledging that the score was decided in his team’s favor, he, inspiring those playing, openly pointed out the shortcomings that were allowed.
“Although the score is in our favor, the game was very tense. Unfortunately, we made many mistakes. This needs to be corrected. But I am glad that we obtained three points. We will continue to move forward,” he said. According to Levchenko, the result achieved today is important, but analyzing the negative aspects and eliminating them in a short time remains a more priority task.
When speaking about the next encounter, he also answered the question that was at the center of attention — “What is the plan before the game against ‘Pakhtakor’?” “There is a lot of time before the game against ‘Pakhtakor’. Will the team participate in friendly matches before that? Yes, of course. Negotiations are underway with a number of teams. After everything becomes clear, the club’s press service will announce it. There is nothing to hide,” the coach emphasized. Thus, it is expected that the short preparation period will be filled with control matches, which will serve to strengthen competition in the squad and to reinforce game discipline.
At the press meeting, the question about one of the players — Vladimir Yovovich — was also not bypassed. He entered the field in the second half, and the journalists wanted to know the coach’s assessment. Levchenko, not allowing sharpness in this matter and remaining faithful to internal criteria: “Today Vladimir Yovovich entered the field in the second half. How do you evaluate his game?”
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“I do not intend to say this in public. This pertains to internal affairs. If it should be said briefly, he still has many aspects to work on,” he said. In this way, the coach, without putting open pressure on the player, maintained the viewpoint of expressing trust and at the same time demanding a high level from him.
In general, Levchenko emphasized that the mistakes allowed today must be corrected tomorrow. In the training plan, attention will first of all be directed to the following: increasing the speed of decision-making under pressure, increasing accuracy in dealing with the ball, strengthening discipline in positional play. From each footballer a working mood, correct selection of direction on the field, and a definite response in actions against the opponent are required.
At the same time, it was noted that three points will have a positive effect on the team’s spirit and will become a major factor in entering the next clashes with confidence. While this victory is valuable in terms of the result, in terms of the quality of play it served as a wake-up bell — this pushes the preparation process to become even more purposeful and effective.
In conclusion, Levchenko stated that the team will not stop in taking steps forward, will apply the experience accumulated after each clash, and most importantly, will eliminate mistakes promptly. “Although the score is positive, there is still a lot of work. There are serious tests ahead, and we started preparing for them today,” — as if saying so, the coach’s mood remains both inspiring and demanding.
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