Neftchi, currently in training camp in Turkey, played their next friendly match today against Slovenia's Aluminium. The friendly match ended 2-1 in favor of the Fergana team and showed that a certain part of the work in the training process is on the right track.
Following the match, Neftchi head coach Islom Ismoilov shared his thoughts with the club's press service. The specialist noted that the game was generally not bad, and the opponent is also one of the serious teams that have their place in the Slovenian championship.
- Regarding the match, I think it was a good contest. The opponent is also one of Slovenia's worthy teams. We are gradually putting in place what we need to do. The ideas we want to develop are not just a simple book read by our footballers - this process takes time. We are striving to change a lot in the team. At the same time, thank you to the players: they worked to the maximum, tried to fulfill the assigned tasks," Ismailov said.
The coach also emphasized that young players were given more opportunities in the second half. In his opinion, this is an important investment for the future, because confidence and stability are gradually formed in young football players.
- In the second half, we gave more opportunities to young players. This is also necessary. Young people in the team need to gradually strengthen their self-confidence. Therefore, we are trying to give them opportunities in every game. Today, 6 young men aged 17-18 played in our squad. Of course, this is beneficial for the future of the club," he added.
Ismailov also addressed the issue of foreign players, stating that the situation of some players is becoming clearer. Ratino is in the recovery phase after an injury, while Nimeli has finally made it to the squad after resolving visa-related issues.
"As for the remaining foreign players, Ratino is currently recovering from his injury. Nimeli resolved his visa issues and joined the team today. "They will fully adapt soon," said the head coach.
Most importantly, while Ismailov acknowledged his satisfaction with the result, he openly stated that he is not yet fully satisfied with the quality of the game. He emphasized that with their current squad, the team can perform at a much higher level. But it takes time and patience to "absorb" new ideas and new requirements into the team.
- We are not fully satisfied with the game. We have a lot to do. We must improve the quality of the game. If our players want to, they can play 3-4 times better. Now we need time to put our ideas into them. They also need time to understand the coaching staff and the new style I'm demanding. The reason is that the team operated in the same scheme and in the same spirit for three years. Breaking this habit now requires a lot of work and time. But we will not stop. God willing, the team will arrive in the most optimal form for the season," the specialist concluded.
In short, "Neftchi" is showing results in the training camp, and a process of big changes is taking place inside. Now the main issue is whether the quality of these changes in the field will quickly become stable.
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