Dynamo head coach Slavisa Jokanovic answered journalists' questions after the Cup victory over Orenburg (1:0).
— This game was very difficult for us, just like the previous ones against Orenburg this season. Today we were ambitious and fully concentrated. We attacked well, looked for free zones and created many chances. We could have scored more, but sometimes we lacked an accurate pass. The quality of the pitch was far from its best. Dynamo midfielders won a lot of balls on rebound and played aggressively. Igor Leshchuk looked great in goal and the substitutions we had made established themselves perfectly. We were the whole unit and deserved this victory, which secured us a spot in Russian Cup play-off.
— You were quite emotional on the sideline. Did you talk to your forwards in a tough way in the dressing room, because they missed a lot of chances? How will you work on finishing?
— We need to keep working and training. I am lucky to have two such strong forwards in my squad. I believe that Tyukavin will definitely become the regular player of the Russian national team in the future. Smolov is an experienced footballer, whose skills we know very well. Today he followed the game plan perfectly: Fedor found free zones and supported attacks. The whole attacking group did a good job. I fielded new guys in the second half, because we needed to add freshness and bring more problems to Orenburg. We will continue to believe in our players and move forward step by step.
— In comparison with the last match against Orenburg, progress in the team play is evident. Dynamo didn’t let the opponent create any dangerous chances. Does today's game correspond to your vision of play?
— I think we played better today than in the Russian Premier League fixture. We are trying to use our strengths. We are not a team that exclusively plays in positional attack – we look better after quick transitions. Of course, we need to improve different aspects. We will try to take all the best from the last matches, in which we demonstrated better play than before.
— When will you hold your first press conference in Russian?
— Our interpreter Zakhar also needs a job (laughs). Coaches often say that they will learn the language in 2 or 3 months, but I won't promise you that. Now it's easier for me to hold press conferences in English. I am learning Russian and understand it well enough, but it is still difficult for me to speak. I promise to improve my language level. I consider it my duty, since I live and work in Russia.