Dynamo Moscow head coach Rolan Gusev answered journalists' questions after the match with Rostov (1-0).
— Was this game your most difficult game at the start of the year?
— There are no easy victories. Every game presents its own challenges. Rostov plays a specific style, and it's tough to play against them, especially away from home. They use long balls, and you always have to watch your back, win aerial duels, and grab rebounds. The guys did a great job in this regard. We asked them to deprive Rostov of these elements, and they basically did everything they could, bringing the match to a victory.
— A couple of minutes before the goal, there was a similar attack with a pass from the right flank, which Konstantin Tyukavin finished off. Was that a well-practiced combination?
— We knew Rostov would play a 3-5-2 formation, and we asked the wingers to leave space for our fullbacks. It would have been difficult to penetrate them through the center, and it worked. We could have scored like that early on, too, if Bitello had passed the ball to Tyukavin or had been quicker himself. So, it worked out as planned.
— Dynamo spent 25 minutes with a man advantage, and it seemed like the team looked even worse during that stretch than in the first 20 minutes. Why?
— I agree. For the second game in a row, we've been dealing with an early penalty against our opponent, and we've been playing a bit incorrectly—slower, even though we should have been more aggressive in attack, moving the ball faster, and putting more pressure on our opponents. Once the lineups were even, we, on the contrary, started playing correctly and scored a goal.
— What was the reason for Yaroslav Gladyshev's substitution?
— It had nothing to do with his poor play. He missed almost the entire training camp, and I felt like we were starting to sag a bit in his zone, and we needed a fresh player there. Plus, we knew Rostov would be on the offensive end, and we needed players who were good in the air. That's why we made the substitution.
— What can you say about Kurban Rasulov's performance, who made several impressive saves. Is this a sign he's set to become the team's number one goalkeeper?
— I've already said that we have three goalkeepers of equal value. Kurban is playing confidently. He did what he was supposed to do—help the team in certain situations. Well done.
— What form is Danil Glebov in?
— He's missed a lot of goals and is getting back into shape. I think you'll see him on the field soon. It's hard for me when players like him aren't playing. We currently have 18-20 players who must always be ready to help the team.
— It's often said that in the spring, the team fights not only for the result, but also for the coach. Do you feel that?
— I think the guys are fighting, first and foremost, for Dynamo Football Club, which I tell them all the time. They're fighting for their reputation because they understand perfectly well what kind of club they're a part of. And I fight alongside them. We're one and the same.
— Don't you think VAR's actions aren't good for football?
— There's been a lot of talk about this. Sometimes referees spend a long time reviewing these situations. It's clear that this disrupts the game's intensity and tempo. There's no point in talking about it because it's already a given, and nothing will change until the World Cup. Maybe they'll make some adjustments later.
