Zorya Luhansk head coach Viktor Skrypnyk summarized the first half of the championship and shared his expectations for the second part of the season:
-How much have you seen Zorya Luhansk change in the six months you've been with the team?
-I didn't come to Zorya to specifically change anything and make a revolution. There are just requirements that I want to give to the team. I see what needs to be done. We strive to improve with every match. We need to meet, so to speak, the requirements of the UPL - to play more intensely, to fight more, to demonstrate a power game.
We emphasize some aspects - guys, it's impossible without it.
It's great that we have players who make a difference on the football field. There are matches that we played well, holistically. But I would like everything to be more stable.
There was a series of matches where we did not lose. This is the kind of stability we are striving for. We need to be competitive.
-We all understand that the Black and Whites have lost points. Where did we lose them, and what should we work on in order not to lose points in the future where we should get them?
-It is clear that any team looking at the standings can say that here, for example, we lost points. We also have matches in which we lost points. I would like to see as few such matches as possible.
We had a good match against Kryvbas. We created a lot of chances, but in the end, we lost. "Veres"... the opponent played in the minority, only on defense, but we failed to press them. We learn from such meetings. The only bad thing is that we learn from our own mistakes.
- There are a lot of young people in the team. Which players, in your opinion, have progressed the most, and who still needs to improve?
-I won't mention any names so as not to forget anyone. Our young people are good. It's also good that there is an alloy of youth and experience. Young players are adding, progressing. The main thing is that they continue to progress. We are looking at them and expect them to be our main players in the future.
- In this transfer campaign, we have brought in Janic, Ruan, Kushnirenko, Andusic, Perduta, Salenko, Malysh. In your opinion, which of them has strengthened our squad already, and who should work harder?
-I can say that those who play in the main squad have strengthened us. I don't think we made any serious mistakes in the summer transfer campaign. Someone needs more time to adapt, someone less. In general, all the guys are working well.
-Will there be players we may not see in our squad after the winter break?
-It's hard to say now because we don't know how we will be able to invite new players. You have to understand that everything depends not only on us. There are many nuances. There will be a rotation of players during the preparation, as well as always at the training camp.
There are players who, in my opinion, will be more useful to go on loan to play more often. Let them play, get more experience and come back stronger.
-Three players are currently on loan. These are Trontel, Nwaese and Korablin. Can any of them come back and take part in the training camp with Zorya?
-Jean Trontel and Timur Korablin are on loan until the summer, and Christopher Nwaese will definitely be at the winter training camp.
-I know that we are constantly looking for new players. What positions should be strengthened in the first place?
-I always want to strengthen any part of the team. It is important that the player strengthens us. It doesn't matter if it's a defender, midfielder or striker. The main thing is not to add more players, but to find players who will strengthen us.
- Before the start of the season, some experts put us not only in the second half of the final table, but there were even those who predicted that we would have to play a relegation match. At the same time, Zorya has played a long series of matches without defeat and is in the first part of the table. What can you say to them?
- Every expert has his own opinion. The correct thing to say is that we will do everything possible to prevent these predictions from coming true. Let them write what they want. We are looking at ourselves. We want to do our best to be where we were not predicted to be. We can only prove that all these forecasts are wrong with our own work.
-Will any of the young people go to the training camp?
-Yes, we have, so to speak, 1-2 young players from our U-19 in pencil, whom we will take to the training camp. They will work with us, we will look at them. They deserve it. I won't mention their names.
-Could you please tell us the team's approximate schedule for the near future?
-We started our vacation on December 14. Somewhere around the 10th of January, the Ukrainian players will undergo a medical examination, and on the 13th we are going to a training camp in Turkey. According to the plans, January 14 is our first training day. In mid-February, we will return home, work in a weekly cycle and prepare for the match against Kudrivka in Ukraine.
We plan to play about 6-7 control matches. Perhaps, if necessary, we will play more games.
- What would you wish the people of our country in the new year?
- First of all, we all want the war to end, so that we come out of the war with our heads held high. During these 4 years of fighting, our people have proved to everyone that we are unbreakable.
We wish our military, who are defending us, health, that they are alive and return home with victory. We would like to see us in 2026 as a country that has once again proved to everyone that Ukrainians choose freedom and peace.
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