Artem Chobanian

 

Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk start the second half of the Ukrainian season as leaders, but Coach Oleg Protasov does not seem to be completely satisfied. “First, Shakhtar (Donetsk) have a nice chance to overtake our position and second, we will have to play better and better to keep in the running for this championship” the Dnipro boss said.

Looking back at the first half of the season, we cannot help but mention how lucky Dnipro were not only in terms of winning a number of matches against clubs that had chances to at least draw with them, but also in the seemingly bad luck that haunted Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv.

The appearance of Protasov as coach has transformed Dnipro from a team that could not find its place in the league and players who didn’t know what to do and where to run, into a club where all do what they have to do and discipline in the team seems to have been instilled throughout. Moreover, Protasov has great authority and respect amongst the players and the owners of the club. Working at Dnipro was his own wish not an impulsive move even though many still consider his decision to move from Greece to Ukraine to be a strange one to make.

There are many points to be taken into account before making any predictions as to Dnipro’s capacity for further success this season.

Firstly, the team is still on a high that comes from their position in the table. The first half of the season is over and the players can forget that at times performances were inconsistent. Training in the winter break period showed that the team is getting better tactically and the new players are adapting quite well, and this is very important for Protasov.

After receiving Rolan Gusev, Osmar Ferreira, Mario Holek, Ruslan Rotan and Jonut Mazilu there’s a fair question being put to the coach of how he’s going to fit these new faces into his team. Protasov has always experienced a shortage of good players and now he has more than he could have reasonably expected.


When we think of what the team will look like in the second half of the season, we are still unsure if Protasov knows what players will form his first eleven in his first game after the winter break. Playmaker Nazarenko has seemed rather tired after a demanding season so far, but, like all professionals, is eager to play all the time, and we know that Dnipro with Sergei Nazarenko and without him are different propositions, like Liverpool without Gerrard. Although there’s young Dmitry Lepa, who turned in a string of fine performances and is progressing very quickly, Protasov will still probably prefer Mario Holek or Ruslan Rotan.

Denis Andrienko and Vitaly Denisov on the wings are almost definite starters as well as Andrey Rusol and Bogdan Shershun at the back. Jonut Mazilu will accompany Andrey Vorobei, who has proved he is a “real” Dnipro player, and Vyacheslav Kernozenko will keep the number 1 jersey. As for other newcomers, such as Osmar Ferreira, Linas Klimavichus and Alexander Kobahidze they are acquiring their form and will soon take part in the battles for the championship and, as Protasov hopes, “will make a real difference in the playing tactics and style” of Dnipro.

Secondly, we must consider the somewhat subjective but reasonable factor of Dnipro’s supporters. Dnipro fans are very active, especially on forums both of official and non-official sites. Now, when the winter break period is over and supporters are awaiting new victories, we should mention one very weird fact. Even with the new players and better form, most of the fans in the forum think Dnipro will not hold onto first place until the end of the season.

Positive as they may seem about the newcomers and Oleg Protasov as their coach, in whom they hold much faith, they still think there’s a point all fans should consider carefully before shouting out loud the chants about their favourite team’s glorious victory. This point is Dnipro’s statistics against their big rivals and the tendency this indicates. And these statistics described below just prove the tendency. 

The majority of fans estimated that Dnipro would not be in the running for the title, because in games amongst the three top clubs Dnipro have only been consistently successful against Metalist Kharkiv. So, they should lose to Dynamo and Shakhtar, but defeat Metalist. Moreover, when it comes to playing (and winning) against other teams, the fans think Shakhtar and Dynamo have better chances. Dnipro can defeat Chernomorets, but then surrender meekly to Naftovik or FK Kharkiv. Other fans disagree and try to argue that the team is now in perfect shape and weak-willed matches such as those in the UEFA Cup against Scottish side Aberdeen should be forgotten.

Apart from the disputes, we think the fans are somewhat right. Dynamo Kyiv boss Yuri Semin seems absolutely sure his team will enjoy a much better half of the season and everybody at Dynamo is striving for victory under their new coach. Dynamo mainstay Sergei Rebrov says they are doing fine and can’t wait until the season resumes. Meanwhile, Shakhtar’s Romanian manager Mircea Lucescu recharged his batteries over the break and restored his power to inspire his players. Darijo Srna, as the most probable Shakhtar captain, says they are willing to fight and prove that all the mistakes made before the winter break were just mistakes and nothing like that will ever happen again.

To summarise the facts and thoughts about Dnipro’s possible victory in the championship, we should mention the fact that this year is the most interesting and intriguing the Ukrainian League has ever had. And whatever happens to Dnipro the players now are beginning to realise that they can get first place, claim the title and play in the Champions League, and if there’s a will, there’s a way!