Dynamo Head Coach answered journalists' questions ahead of the match against Rubin Kazan.
— We will face a serious opponent on Sunday. Rubin play by one of two formations: 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1. This team plays well in transitions. They have skilled players who are especially good on the wings. That’s why we need to show our best football.
— Rubin have always been considered an inconvenient opponent for Dynamo. Is it necessary to recall about it after the first round win?
— We don't think about what has happened before we joined the team. We need to analyze the encounter of the first round. We are aware that Rubin will try to show their best skills.
— Konstantin Tyukavin was substituted due to injury in the previous match. Will he be available? Are there any injured players?
— Kostya joined the training sessions of the team, so he will be ready for Sunday's match. Lesovoy and Laxalt will definitely not be available. Makarov trained individually at the beginning of the week, but yesterday he returned to the team. Clinton practiced only individually, so tomorrow we will decide whether he will play in Kazan or not.
— In the match against Rubin, set-pieces can make the difference. Recently, Sebastian Szymanski has not been successful in executing free kicks. Would you like to entrust it to Arsen Zakharyan?
— At the moment we have two excellent performers of set-pieces, who take the ball in such situations. We trust our players. In recent games we scored good goals from set-pieces. We managed to perform corner kicks well.
— Will you personally prepare for Oliver Abildgaard’s absence? Do you agree that Rubin can change the game formation?
— We know that Abildgaard is a high-quality player. But it's difficult to say who will replace him and what formation the opponent's coach will choose. In any case, we put our own play in the foreground.
— Sergey Parshivlyuk played two consecutive good games. Have you already decided who will make the starting lineup as a right-back?
— We have two more days to make this decision. Parshivlyuk played these two matches very well. Varela also looked decent before his injury, so this question is still open.
— Do you think that the Sunday’s game will remember the encounter that was played at the VTB Arena two months ago? Do you expect more activity from Rubin at home?
— I expect a very active play from Rubin. They are playing home and will try to claim a win. We need to be disciplined in defense and stick to our principles. We know that Rubin were competitive in recent matches, but we will play our own football.
— Vyacheslav Grulev’s performance impresses in recent matches. What made his progress so evident?
— The goals he scored were a reward for his hard work in the training sessions. Vyacheslav wants to develop and is always open to anything new. He works very well for the team.
— At the end of the match against Arsenal, the team lost control of the game. What should you do to avoid this in the future?
— We have already talked about this: first of all, we need to defend better and not lose concentration until the final whistle. All the footballers must play their roles on the pitch to the end.
— When Ivan Ordets extended the contract, you spoke about the captain's council. Who else enters it and what functions the players have there?
— Our captain's council includes Shunin, Ordets, Parshivlyuk, Balbuena, Szymanski and Yevgenyev. They are very attentive to their functions. They are responsible for the internal atmosphere inside the team, in which the coaching staff does not interfere. They do it very well. Thanks to them, we maintain a good chemistry within the team.
— According to the statistics, Dynamo had almost 25% of wrong passes in the first round. What do you associate this with?
— I would like to focus on the positive moments – we earned 29 points in the first round, which is one of the best results in recent times. Of course, we have aspects to be improved. We are working on it day by day.
— Are you satisfied with the first round, or the team could have played better?
— In general, we are satisfied, but there are always aspects that should be corrected. It is important to stay in the working and playing rhythm all the time, which allowed us to earn these 29 points. Now we are waiting for the beginning of the second round, and we must stick to our game principles — to play intensively, with great pressure and show our football.
— Today the Dynamo youth team is playing the last match of the year. Dynamo-2 have already finished the first part of the season. Have you decided on players who will join the first team at winter training camps? Will you take Grigory Morozov and Anton Terekhov to these camps?
— Now we are focused on the upcoming matches. Before the match against Zenit, we will not think about those players whom we will take to training camps. After it, we will have time to pay more attention to the footballers of the second team.
We had a straight conversation with Morozov and Terekhov and told them that they could play for Dynamo-2 or any other club. They will not go with the first team to winter training camps.
— Will you follow the draw of the World Cup play-off matches? What do you think about the chances of the Russian national team to reach the final stage of the tournament?
— The Russian national team will need some luck. It is important that they will play the first game at home, which increases their chances of making it to the final stage. I believe in the team which has skilled players and a good coach. So the Russians have a good chance to make it to the world forum in Qatar.
— You played great in the video clip dedicated to Black Friday. Have you had similar experience before?
— It was an interesting challenge and positive experience. It took a long time to shoot this clip, but I really enjoyed working with other actors and directors. I think I play the role of a head coach better than an actor.
— Do Dynamo have plans to strengthen the squad during the winter transfer window?
— All of us are focused on the three upcoming matches. We fully trust the footballers who are currently playing for the team. During each transfer window, we consider the available options on the market and decide whether there is a reason in transfers. In the summer, we did not change the squad much, because we were satisfied with the number of players, and we decided to develop them.