Lavrinenko: I don’t understand that on the official pages of Barcelona they wrote that the next few matches should be decisive for Xavi after a not very successful series of results

Head coach of Rivne Veres Sergei Lavrinenko spoke frankly about work in Rivne, the team’s plans, young players and comparisons with predecessor Yuri Virt.

— Veres’ results are not impressive yet – the team is in the relegation zone. Why is that?

— Of course, the main measure of any work has always been, is and will be, first of all, the result. This is a completely natural thing that we are moving towards. Indeed, as of now, the result could be better. I am convinced that in several matches this season we definitely did not get our points. At the same time, we should not forget that any result is preceded by a considerable piece of work, and this is already a process.

Remember last season – Verniduba’s Krivbass came last, Grigorchuk’s Chernomorets couldn’t find its game. Now these are completely different teams, solving completely different problems. I understand the reaction of the fans, but the fans should also understand that a team is not built in a week or a month. This is a complex process that requires daily work from both the coaching staff and the players.

— Many Ukrainian sports media and bloggers pay tribute and good feedback to your conceptual understanding and perception of football. Due to what, in your opinion?

– This is, of course, pleasant, but you shouldn’t pay too much attention to it. Our task is to constantly develop and move forward along with the development of football. He doesn’t stand still either. Even the football that was ten years ago is already something else.

Working in Veres is a serious but interesting challenge for me. We learn every day, but we must take into account a considerable number of internal and external factors.

– Which ones?

– Firstly, the realities of Ukrainian football as such. Strength, physics, athleticism, for example, take precedence over technique, tactics, and creativity. Secondly, the quality and quantity of players we have. There are no ideal players, and if they exist, they don’t play in the Ukrainian Premier League. Our task is to make the most of the strengths of the Veres players and neutralize their weaknesses. Believe me, this is not easy.

Much depends not only on the player’s physical readiness, but also on his psychological state. Additional pressure is perhaps the third factor. Veresk, due to its media exposure and openness, is just such a place where the pressure is felt like crazy. But again, these are realities, we are constantly preparing for them and we have to work with them. This is fine.

– You remembered that you didn’t get points. What matches are we talking about?

– This is already the past, we analyzed these games, drew conclusions and moved on. Let’s look to the future. Regarding your question, I will answer differently. I think whoever dives a little deeper into football already understands many things. Look at the statistics, for example – it’s quite simple. In terms of smart passes, Veres is 4th in the league (27 assists, 2.76 on average per game), key passes – 5th (28 assists), and in terms of passes in the final third – third in the UPL (484). Thus, this means that we managed to establish combination play and passing. We also have more than 50% ball possession on average, good control.

The concern is the game on defense, where we are clearly losing a lot of fights and rebounds. However, the most disappointing thing is that WyScout gives us 12.3 expected points, which gives us ninth place, but in reality there are only six points. Thus, we really didn’t get about six points.

– How satisfied are you with Veres’ transfer policy? Everyone knows that in Rivne financial conditions differ to a lesser extent compared to the vast majority of UPL clubs and even a number of First League clubs.

– Of course, like every coach, I want to have the best players at my disposal. I would like to invite better players, perhaps foreign players, but today we are operating within the framework of the capabilities and budget allocated by the club. Before the start of the season, the president made a decision to increase the salary fund, for which we are, of course, very grateful. Thanks to this, we were able to invite and sign almost all the players we wanted and, importantly, who wanted to join us. However, not only Veres decided to increase the salary fund – other clubs are also trying to strengthen themselves, and, frankly speaking, it is difficult for us to compete with most of them.

— Are you reproached that most of the invitees are Ingulets players with whom you worked before?

– I had to read such things, but I don’t consider it a big problem. Each coach chooses players for himself. I know the capabilities of these players, I know their strengths, so it’s only natural that I can create a complete picture. Believe me, most coaches of football players of plus or minus one level will choose the one with whom they have already worked. Moreover, Ukraine is not a conventional Brazil. We don’t have many players.

– You remembered Brazil. Currently there are a couple of Brazilians in Veres – Julio Cesar and Iago Siqueira. Was this your initiative?

– We are constantly looking for performers, including players from abroad. Unfortunately, as a result of the war, the UPL has already lost many high-quality foreign players, next to whom the progress of Ukrainian football players would have been faster and easier. War is a factor that significantly limits the circle of foreigners who will agree to play in Ukraine, so this is an additional challenge for us and for our selection.

Generally speaking, we are trying to adapt both Iago and Julio Cesar to our game. Some do better, some do worse, but they try and give their best. Brazilians differ in their football mentality, we ask them to act outside the box, with healthy adventurism, and this already creates some problems for the opponent. Time will show. In principle, on the issue of legionnaires, Veresk does not push itself into any framework; we are open to any options.

– Many people talk about the absence of a leader in Veres who can lead the team.

– In fact, anyone can be a leader in Veres, you just need to go through this path. Leaders are made, not born. This is a matter of responsibility, personal discipline, approach to work, and dedication. We, as coaches, encourage football players to develop, because we are interested in high-quality and motivated performers.

We may not have a player of the caliber of Stepanenko from Shakhtar or Yarmolenko from Dynamo, but I’m not sure that other clubs’ situation with “leaders” in the canonical sense of the word is different from Veres.

On the other hand, we do not have inviolable people. Everyone on the team must understand this. Riding on old merits is not our philosophy. We are for healthy competition and a united team. I think this is the only correct approach. The strongest play. Physically and mentally.

Some of our players need more time to adapt to the requirements of the new coaching staff. Under previous coaches, one thing may have been required, the players got used to it. Now something else is required, so there are certain difficulties. But this is a normal workflow.

— How do you feel about working in Veres after Yuri Virt? Inspired by the series, fans constantly compare, criticize…

— First of all, many thanks to Yuri Virt, over these years he gave a lot to Veres and was able to leave the team in the UPL. Regarding comparisons and criticism, every fan has the right to his own point of view. Being smart and beautiful for everyone is unrealistic. Of course, it’s not easy to work under such pressure, because we read, we see, we let things pass through us. Perhaps I will voice an unpopular thought, but sometimes we do not find banal logic in criticism; it is not constructive, but destructive. It’s not about Virt or Lavrinenko, it’s about supporting the Veres (Rivne) club in the first place. I don’t understand that, for example, in England a person has been a fan of the London Arsenal all his life, and after the dismissal of Arsene Wenger he began to support Tottenham. Or for the official pages of Barcelona to write that the next few matches should be decisive for Xavi after a not very successful series of results.

We are all one team, working towards the same goal. We are all interested in Veres winning, developing, so that our players are in demand, and so that our game T-shirts are the most desired gifts for children in Rivne. Let’s support each other, help each other. Is it difficult?

— Do you have any interaction with the U-19 team?

— We, of course, watch all Veres U-19 matches. In my opinion, Oleg Shandruk managed to build a strong, combat-ready team, to stage the kind of game that he, as a coach, wants to see. Now the team is playing football, it is not suffering, the pattern of the game is visible to the naked eye. There really are interesting players there – Kovaluk, for example, is already in the first team. Godya was called up to the Ukrainian youth team. There are Protasevich, Shukh, Baran, Bagriy, and others. As soon as these players are ready, they will definitely be with us. This is all the result of the systematic and balanced work of the coaching staff.

– How do you like working with Ivan Nadein?

– Working with the president is pleasant and easy. He is constantly in touch, delves into even the smallest details of the club’s development, and does not interfere in football moments. It is clear that Veres’s place in the standings does not correspond to his ideas, nor to the ideas of the fans, or anyone in the club. But he believes and supports both the players and the coaching staff. It is important for all of us to have confidence that the work that is being done now will definitely produce results. We need to work, believe and make even more efforts. If every Veres player, fan or anyone else involved in the club says that they did everything in their power 100% for Veres’ winning results and success, then it will mean that we are all on the right track.