The acting head coach of Dynamo Moscow, Rolan Gusev, answered journalists' questions after the match with Dynamo Makhachkala (3:0).
— What guided your choice of lineup?
— We took a calculated risk by overloading our attack. We were counting on our two skilled forwards to translate their presence into goals, and it worked. The game was choppy. We basically understand why that happened. As for the goalkeeper, we have three good ones, and the goalkeeping coach and I decided that Andrei Lunev should play in this match.
— What changes have you made since Valeri Karpin's departure, besides the lineup changes?
— We understand that it's difficult to make drastic changes in such a short period. Even though we started with such an attacking lineup, we planned to play very strictly defensively. When we can't keep up with the pressure, everyone needs to be behind the ball and work hard defensively in their positions. We devoted time to this.
— Was there a conversation with management about whether, if we win and play well, they'll give you a longer stint than these four games?
— There wasn't a conversation as such, but Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin made a statement. We understand perfectly well the situation we're in in terms of our standings. We have no other options but to win every game. As for what's next, that's not a question for me.
— What did you like about the team's performance? In what areas could we have improved?
— I thought we'd be more aggressive in attack, with more speed, creating more chances, and dominating more up top. At the same time, I understand the guys perfectly well that the result today was very important, given our standings. Sometimes you can't be too fancy, so the guys were a little nervous, worried about their goal, and wanted to play solid defense. But again, there were mistakes due to our stupid sideways passes. We need to analyze why we make those passes and why we make them in the first place.
— How is Anton Miranchuk?
— I was told he's about to start training with the main group.
— You said you took a conscious risk by playing with such an attacking lineup. Was that a formation tailored to a specific opponent?
— This formation will probably be used against certain teams. We'll play with two central strikers, or with one. The formation will always be modified based on the opponent.
— In preparation for the match, did you focus only on game-specific aspects, or did you also consider psychological aspects?
— Of course, there was communication with the team and individual talks with the guys. But for the most part, we focused on game-specific aspects.
— Maksim Osipenko remained on the bench today. Was that simply the coaching staff's decision, or is he experiencing health issues?
— He's fine; we're counting on him. It's just that a couple of different central defenders were selected for this opponent today.
