At Euro 2020, the Ukrainian team advanced to the quarter-finals without facing a convincing game throughout the tournament. The then coach of the team, Andriy Shevchenko, did not receive a new contract from the UAF after the tournament for various reasons and left the team unexpectedly after three draws at the start of the 2022 World Cup qualification.

Oleksandr Petrakov failed to carry the Ukrainian national team to the World Cup. The Ukrainians had theoretical chances to fight France for a direct ticket to the qualifying group and passed Scotland in the playoffs, losing to Wales. The matches against Scotland and Wales took place with a significant advantage of Petrakov’s team and left a good impression in the game. Fans and experts write about the quality of the game, and the result will come later. If you look at it this way, Petrakov, of course, should be left at the head of the Ukrainian national team.

However, you see in football, the most important thing is the result. Valery Lobanovsky said that the result remained on the scoreboard, but the match was forgotten. And it is the result that determines the job of the head coach. And it’s hard to agree with Matt.

***

With all due respect to Scotland and Wales, away matches, problems with the war in Ukraine, both opponents seemed successful for Ukraine. They are very similar in terms of playing styles. There was time to prepare and rest for both matches. This is not France in 2013 or Germany in 2001.

Not participating in the World Cup is not a disaster for Ukraine. We played only once in the World Cup, with Coach Blokhin and a non-grant qualifying group. As with Andriy Shevchenko’s 2018 World Cup selection, all other qualifiers ended with losing matches and even third place. After that, Andrei Nikolayevich was not kicked out of the team, just like Fomenko after the defeat of France or Sabo after the joint lost by Croatia. Only Aleksey Mikhailichenko, whose team lost to the Greeks, lost his job.

What could be the allegations against Petrakov? The national team lost only in the ninth game. At the same time, in the last Euro, he played against the reigning world champion and four participants (a freight train with Finland, Scotland, Wales and the Czech Republic). Yes, we made concessions in almost every match (the only exception is Bosnia away). The ability to play to zero is not enough. This did not allow us to go to Qatar perhaps somewhere.

In my opinion, Petrakov’s main complaint is the predictability of the team’s play. We stopped surprising the opponent and became very predictable. Everything was very similar in the first matches against Kazakhstan and Finland and the last matches against Wales and Scotland. The team is betting on an early goal. Then it forces the opponent to open it. There are some recessions and we don’t have enough strength at the end of the match.

Everyone knows that the second game at the Sparks we always play weaker than the first. After Scotland, it is difficult for players to recover emotionally rather than physically. But at the same time, Petrakov put the same composition in Wales as in Scotland. Of course, it’s easy to be smart after the match, but it seems like it would be more beneficial for Petrakov to change not only the composition but also the tactics in Wales. Staff potential makes the national team more flexible.

***

Many will say that Yarmolenko’s own goal in the match against Wales was an accident and an accident. It really looks like this. But we all know that navigation isn’t Andrey’s best talent. Former Dynamo coach Semin focused on that. Putting the captain of the national team behind the wall first came to someone’s mind … Probably, Yarmolenko should not have been there, because together with Tsygankov it would be useful for a possible counterattack. When defending the gate, Yaremchuk, who is excellent in the power struggle, will benefit. It’s the little things like that that make up the result.

0:1, 0:2 or 0:3 – there was no difference in what score you would lose to Wales. The head count didn’t matter. Why didn’t the national team change two strikers in the last 10-15 minutes? Turns out the coaches didn’t have a plan B. Italian teams change their tactical plans three or four times per game. And we finished the game with the same tactical scheme as we started.

Petrakov, who was in the middle of the attack in the youth teams, used Popov as a power forward. Why didn’t he do it with Wales? Why was Sikan not implemented? You can also mention Garmash and Besedin, which were not needed after the team assembled in Slovenia.

The Ukrainian national team has a good selection of players. You can simulate different situations. Lucescu used Shaparenko as a wildcard to improve the game. Part of that happens with the national team. But releasing Mudrik when you need to regain it is complete garbage. Everyone knows that Shakhtar’s winger is dependent on the field and his position is more of a problem than a benefit when attacking against strong opponents (due to losses). So I see the work of Petrakov (the players are motivated, self-confident), but I do not see the work of his headquarters. In terms of tactical terms and the structure of the game, big questions remain not only for Alexander Vasilyevich, but also for the assistants of the head coach.

***

Should Petrakov be replaced after a lost qualification? 50 – 50. The coach is responsible for the result. But we must understand that France is our competitor. There was little chance to get ahead of the reigning world champions in the fight for first place. We lost the joints. So can you be fired? Maybe, yes, but he was fired on one condition – he should be replaced by a higher-qualified coach.

And with this problem. The stranger will not come to us today. We immediately reject this option. Rebrov or Vernidub? The Dynamo legend was a prime candidate for the position after Shevchenko’s departure, but was unable to terminate his contract with Al Ain. According to media reports, the UAE is close to renewing the deal with the champion for another year.

It’s no secret that Rebrov is making solid money in the Middle East. They say about 4 million euros per year. Need I say that Petrakov’s salary in the Ukrainian national team is ten times less? Again, according to unofficial information, Petrakov receives 120 thousand dollars a year. Is it okay for the UAF to accept an invitation from the Rebrov when there’s a war on the street and the Euro election is still a year away? The answer here is obvious.

There are other candidates – Yuriy Vernydub, Viktor Skrypnyk. These are more club coaches. If the media is to be believed, they were recruited by new teams this summer. This means that no one takes them seriously at the national team level.

Vernydub performed a miracle when he took Sharif to the Champions League and beat Shakhtar with Real Madrid. Vernydub has no experience at the national team level. He needs time to adapt and get used to working with the national team. The Ukrainian national team is unlikely to change with the arrival of Vernydub. Vernydub is a valuable and principled person, but it seems to me that he is unlikely to raise the level of the national team.

Skripnik put on great football with Zorya. This is a development and progress coach. He knows how to make a good “locker room” so that players can show their best features. It lacks public relations and agency lobbying. So for now it only works at this level. Unlike Petrakov, the former coach of Zorya has also never worked at the national team level. There are risks involved and it takes time.

***

It is quite possible that the coach of the Ukrainian national team after Oleksandr Petrakov will be Ruslan Rotan. Of course, not now, but in a few years. Rotan was unsuccessful in the junior team’s first pick, but now his team looks good. The national team of Ukraine played a brilliant match with France (3:3), after which she took second place in the qualifying and will play in the playoffs for Euro 2023. And we have not been to the Youth Euro since 2011, when the main stars of the team were Yarmolenko and Konoplyanka. In other words, if Rotan gives a result with the youth team, no discount can be made.

And right now you have to believe Alexander Petrakov. He is himself. Sometimes he gets emotional, sometimes he wants to be witty, but it doesn’t turn out very well… However, it should be noted that he does his job honestly and gives himself to the end.

Of the key players in the national team, only Yarmolenko and Stepanenko crossed the 30-year mark. Now the national team of Ukraine is faced with the task of returning to Division A of the League of Nations. Our group makes us hope for first place. Petrakov’s contract with the national team also expires at the end of qualifying in the League of Nations.

If there is no first place, the coach will most likely not get a new deal at the beginning of the year. Obviously, the outcome will determine who will prepare the team for the 2024 European Championship qualifying matches.

Sergei TISCHENKO