Thoughts of our team’s head coach Mirko Jelicic after the match against “Aral”.
– We knew that today would be a game like this. Because “Aral” is an experienced team, the players in the squad have been playing together for a long time and prepare for each match with great effort. Maybe we didn’t play well today. We controlled the game in the first half. However, after scoring a goal, we focused on keeping the score and defended. This is not an easy task. We could have used the counterattack opportunities better. But it didn’t happen. I am happy with the result, but we need to improve our game.
– Momcilo Rasho and Nikola Popovic were left on the bench today. What is this connected with?
– Momcilo felt discomfort in his knee during training. We watched his movements in training yesterday and he couldn’t play freely. That’s why we decided not to include him in the starting lineup. He spent a long time recovering, so he couldn’t play in the starting lineup. Speaking of Nikola, Shodiyor Shodiboyev is also showing himself well. We should have given him a chance. Shodiboyev played well today, which is a positive situation.
– Abdushukur Mahamatov scored a goal today and brought victory to this team. What is your opinion about this player?
– I’ve known him since last year, I liked his games at Pakhtakor. Although he’s young, he’s a very good player. He needs to improve on some aspects. He’s continuing to work for next year. His understanding of football is very good, he can quickly grasp everything. However, he lacks strength. In general, he’s a good player.
– After this victory, Lokomotiv returned to the lead. Speaking about the previous games.
– Every game is very important. There is a lot of time between games, so if you win today, it is not a question of losing the next one. It does not matter what level the opponent is. You have to look at each game differently, you have to take into account the opponent’s style of play, how they look at the game. That is why we have to prepare for a new opponent every week. The main thing for us is to play good football. At this stage, points are also very important. But we also look at how we get these points.