Kharkiv Metalist 1925, in the face of a shortage of personnel, continues to amaze the UPL. A moment of respect for the work of Edmar and his team: a 3-3 draw in Alexandria took place despite a whole string of problems.
The first spring match of the UPL is a joy for the fans and a grief for the specialists. A bright match with a dramatic scenario was filled with gross individual mistakes, uncoordinated actions and simply failures that are not compatible with the title of clubs participating in the top division. But there is one caveat: if the hosts played for the first time under the new head coach and updated tactics of the game (they still have ten more matches to play to integrity), then the guests achieved an acceptable result despite a whole string of problems!
A 3-3 draw in Oleksandriya took place with an injury to the main Kharkiv goalkeeper, the disqualification of the main center back and the loss of the main forward. We praise Edmar and his team? Praise! Are we worried about the future performances of Metallist 1925? And how!
It’s time for a 1925 metalhead to ask Clayton Xavier on the field
To realize what the Kharkiv team have lost, one must remember their squad before the debut season in the UPL. Before last season. At that time, they still included the current base player of Shakhtar Kryskiv, the Georgian collection Kverkvelia, the Brazilian Marlison who joined Vorskla, his much cooler countrymen Fabinho and Derek, the main midfielder Batyushin. Remained in the composition of Ermakov, Chenbai, Zaderak, Zapadnya, Protasov.
Now they are not. And who else completed Kriventsov? The guys from the lower leagues, fortunately, among them the goalkeeper Mozil and the defender Kurilo – it was an obvious, not particularly risky choice. And who is completed now Edmure? During the whole winter, with three losses and two defectors from rents from Metalist 1925, the only newcomer was Abdullaev, a pupil of Shakhtar, who in Zara, with the living Gladky, Allahyar, Gromov and Shahab, did not even go for replacements.
But in winter Boryachuk is lost! Without a doubt, the most skilled striker of Metallist 1925, who was just getting in shape in the fall! The Kharkiv club has lost more than it has gained over the past year. It’s time for Edmure to ask his assistant Golodyuk to return to the field or, better, his business partner Clayton Xavier. The lean veteran at the training camp went out to run “holes” with the Kharkiv team, which caused a strong attack of nostalgia among the fans. That would be the main strengthening of Metalist 1925, but why dream about something that didn’t happen?
Kharkiv residents have other problems
The match with Vorskla exposed the vulnerability of Metallist 1925’s defense. Experienced Tkachuk, who was extremely rarely released on the field in the fall, made mistakes without playing tone. And behind him – emptiness, the center of defense is understaffed. Almost in a single form and the flanks – even in the best of times, Metalist 1925 was sometimes forced to rebuild the middle line players in the places of the full-backs. Relying on the universalism of the players is good, but it used to be Chenbai, who was able to close any point on the field, in a pair with Hornet. Now Hornet is one of the category “wherever you stick it, it will play everywhere.”
Goalkeeper Mozil was injured right in the middle of the game – remembering his chic zeros with Shakhtar and Dynamo, we now clearly understand that he is “half a team” in Kharkiv. How long was Oleg out? Is the veteran Sidorenko in good shape not only to replace the main goalkeeper, but also to play at a distance of several rounds? Questions, questions…
And at the best of times, Metallist 1925 suffered from injuries. Sometimes, even six main players could not help Kriventsov. Now in Alexandria, the leading central midfielder Gabelok and the most experienced striker Ponomar could not play. Leading players are still not at a young age. For example, Martynyuk is 34 years old, and now the balance and reliability of the entire midline completely depends on Yaroslav.
There is only one thing that can calm Metalist 1925
It would seem that it is time to sound the alarm – the losses are serious, the risky positions are key, the replenishment is minimal! How to live further?! But there is one circumstance that can calm the Kharkiv management if we judge the game of a long and long strategy.
Together, Kriventsov and Edmar provided Metallist 1925 with a quite acceptable result in the autumn part of the season – seventh place. And although the gap from the dangerous zone on points is not so big, this is the springboard from which the Kharkiv team can safely work for the future.
To put it simply, Metallist 1925 is equally far from fighting for European competitions and from the danger of relegation.
What remains? Work, create, be creative.
These six months are a time of great chance for young forwards Chiruk and Abdullayev. Boryachuk is unlikely to return, Ponomar must be carefully and carefully introduced into football after all his injuries. For forwards, this mothballed state holds the big chance of their entire career.
The same goes for the young legionnaires that Edmure and Clayton have recently brought to Metalist 1925. Igor Nogueira already feels ready for some kind of breakthrough. Previously, it seemed that Wendel was also at the entrance to disclosure. There are younger guys. It’s real to play them in these six months.
Well, scouting is Metalist 1925’s forte. They know the youth of other UPL clubs well, they understand who is stuck, who is covered. They have not yet lost their knowledge in the First League, even though Kharkiv now has no opportunity to compete not only with other UPL clubs for the best PFL players, but also with the giants of the lower leagues such as Karpaty or LNZ.
So Metalist 1925 should work quietly until the summer and try to break away not only from the relegation zone as early as possible – even from those who hang over it. And in the conditions of systematic work, pleasant surprises may appear, those cadres whose hidden possibilities we still do not know, but we hope Edmar, Golodyuk and the club management know.
Igor Dashkov, Sport Arena
Source: Sportarena
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
