The head coach of the blue and whites Sandro Schwarz answered journalists' questions after the derby with Lokomotiv (1:0).
– Today was a very combative and emotional match performed by both teams. He was very difficult from a tactical point of view, so it's worth paying tribute to the Lokomotiv coach. We are very pleased with the result and how we got it. It was a real battle in which both teams had chances, and everything was decided by the nuances. Luck was on our side and I am very proud of my team. We wanted to take a step forward, and we did it, and now all the attention is on the upcoming cup game.
– If we present the progress of the team on a scale from one to one hundred, then at what point is it now?
– It is very difficult to measure this as a percentage, and it is probably impossible to reach a hundred, because there is always something to improve. At the same time, a result is also needed to increase self-confidence. I think we did a great job today. It was great to see the emotions of the players, how they went into the fight, which was fair. We have made an important step and we will continue to move forward.
– You see the situation that is happening at Lokomotiv. What would you say in support of your colleague Mikhail Galaktionov?
– I can only talk about what I saw today. I met him five years ago and it was very nice to talk to him about football. Today I saw how his team fought, and it was very difficult for us to play against them. I think he is a great coach who has already achieved success with this team. Yes, they are in a difficult period now, but this is football, and I am sure that they will show themselves again.
– Today Yaroslav Gladyshev showed perhaps the brightest game of the season. How would you rate his progress over the course of the season?
– Today he showed himself well, acted very aggressively when playing without the ball, fought well, created free zones, overloaded the flanks. But every player has to keep progressing and working his best every day. Given his potential and qualities, I am sure that he will be able to continue to progress.
– For what reason did you change Ivan Sergeev to Nicolas Marichal in the end?
– It was the first game of the championship when Vanya was in the starting lineup, and he did a huge amount of work, so by the end of the match he looked tired, which is absolutely normal. Therefore, we moved Gladyshev to the forward position, Marinkin moved to the eight position, and Bitello went to the flank, where he could stay one-on-one with the opponent.
– Dynamo had almost no chances today. Is it due to Lokomotiv's good defensive performance, or do you need to tweak something else?
– I think we had chances in both halves. It was a derby in which both teams fought, and the chances were equal. It is difficult to create 15 scoring chances in an away match against Lokomotiv, which has a very smart coach.
– Are you ready to give up your ideology for the sake of achieving results – in some matches to play on the defensive, for example?
– It is important for us to always keep our face. Of course, we always seriously prepare for each opponent and build a certain game plan, but we don't want to change our style. And I'm sure that if I suddenly tell the guys in the locker room that we're going to play different football, they won't agree. And I am happy about it.
