Comments from our head coach, Mirko Yelichich, following the match against Sogdiana.
— It was a very tough match. Every team is fighting for something at the moment, both those near the top of the table and those near the bottom. I’m pleased with our performance. We controlled the game and kept possession of the ball. Just one mistake made things difficult for us. Overall, I’m happy with the way we played.
— We saw five goals today. How would you assess the quality of the performance in the first match after the international break? There was quite a long pause.
— Yes, it really was a long break. During periods like this, teams can play friendly matches, and that is perfectly normal too. We lost possession too often and made mistakes in certain situations because of the condition of the pitch. On a surface like that, we could have played a completely different style of football. Instead, we prepared the team to deal with the condition of the pitch, and that was difficult.
On the other hand, none of our players were called up to the senior national team. Only four of our young players joined national teams in different age groups. Perhaps not having players called up to the senior national team gave us a good opportunity to prepare. Overall, our first match after the break was not bad. Now we need to focus on becoming even stronger.
— How is Sardor Mirzayev feeling? He had several injuries even before joining Lokomotiv and has also missed a number of matches this season due to injuries.
— Everything is fine. He demands a very high level of professionalism from himself. Being away from football for two years is extremely difficult. He is working hard to recover in every respect and get back to his best. This year, he has been putting in a tremendous amount of work to regain his physical condition, and it is paying off. Yes, he is no longer a young player. At 35–36, competing in matches at such a high level is not easy.
— What can you say about Ljupcho Doriev, who has maintained a high level of performance for the third consecutive season and is currently the league’s top scorer? How do you assess his performances as a coach?
— He is a very high-level player. Perhaps he is the best player in the Super League at the moment. He likes to keep the ball at his feet and was dangerous on many occasions. If he played for another team and was given more space to operate in, he might be even more dangerous.