Dynamo head coach Marcel Licka answered journalists’ questions after the match with Rostov (1:1).
— I am not happy with the result. I am happy with the first half, when the team wanted to play football and tried to find holes in Rostov's defense. The visitors played in a disciplined manner, sat in a low block, which was quite mobile, and it was difficult for us to get into the penalty area. It's good that after the goal we conceded, we calmly continued to play and quickly equalized.
At half-time, I told the guys to continue acting in the same vein, to use the game on the flanks, to beat one-on-one. But in the second half, we just started to kick the ball forward, and football went who knows where. All that was left was a fight with rebounds. In the end, we played for luck, waiting for some kind of ricochet and good fortune, but there was no ingenuity and the necessary football qualities.
— At the beginning of the second half, Dynamo could not approach Rostov's penalty area, and substitutions were necessary. After Dasa and Gladyshev came on, the right flank came to life, and dangerous attacks began. Why did you delay the substitutions?
— Eli came out because Kutya felt pain in the back of his thigh and asked to be substituted. We didn't start well against Khimki either, but then the players got into the rhythm. And I didn't want to change everything right away, I trusted the players on the field. Then Mehdi and Gladyshev came out, who got into the game well. In 10 minutes, he managed to create 2-3 chances. If Mumi had scored a goal in the 80th minute, we would be talking about something else. It was a 100% chance, and its failure to realize it for me is the same mistake as the moment when we gave the opponent a goal.
— A question about putting the ball into play. The opponent analyzed you well, and Lunev didn't know what to do. It turned out that you started attacks that often ended with the opponent intercepting.
— I wouldn't say so. In the second half, there were a couple of situations when we came out through the middle well, and Mumi didn't play as needed a couple of times. Of course, Lunev can kick the ball forward every time, and it will be 50/50. We want to start attacks by playing the ball from the goal. Defenders should always open up and offer themselves.
— Dynamo usually plays better in the second halves. You told the team at half-time how to improve the game. Why didn’t we do much in the first half?
— We didn’t play football, but started kicking the ball forward. I wanted to use Chavez, Fomin and Carrascal to create a game, but we abandoned it, and the quality of football dropped. There was no great pressure on the opponent’s goal at the end, and we created only three chances – that’s not enough.
— Is it possible to say that the absence of Bitello was an irreparable loss in terms of the game you are putting on?
— It is clear that Bitello is a very important player. He has a rib fracture and will miss 3-4 weeks. But there are also Fomin, Chavez, Carrascal, who also have important qualities. One player does not make a team, but vice versa. Last season, Bales became the best player in the RPL thanks to the team. Yes, there was no Bitello, but the rest of the players should distribute the work and try to do the maximum. Unfortunately, we played too pragmatically in the second half.
— Does the fact that non-core players come out on the edges of the defense create problems?
—No," I said. Robie has already played his fourth game on the left, and he looks good there. After the injury, Eli Kutya played three matches on the right, and there are no questions for him. He knows how to give forward, because he played in midfield for a long time. Robbie scored a week ago, Kutya scored today. And in terms of defense, they also worked well.
— Marichal also used to play on the left, why was he returned to the center?
— Niko is a right–footed, fast, aggressive defender. Robie has a good left foot and excellent technique. He can solve the situation himself, is not afraid to keep the ball and does not panic. They both look good in their current positions.
