Sandro Schwarz: «We are going to be well prepared for the match against Lokomotiv»

— Sandro, what are your expectations ahead of the match against Lokomotiv?

— On Saturday, we will face a high quality team that has lost only one match this year. They have a lot of skilled players who are very effective in finishing. The team uses the 4-4-2 formation. They have experienced and good players in the attacking line. We have to show our best qualities and stick to our style.

— What is the current mood in the team after the defeats in the last two matches?

— Of course, our mood is not great after the previous match. We dominated over the opponent, created a lot of chances, but we didn't manage to finish. This match resembled our fixture against Khimki. We wanted to get 6 points, but the final score did not satisfy us. We are certainly disappointed with it.

— Do you still believe in the possibility of clinching a European Cup spot?

— We understand our position — it will be difficult for us to achieve this goal, but we will try to do that. We have to improve the finishing and correct our mistakes made in the last matches.

— The pre-season is usually the time of changes. During this period there are always talks about contracts. Are you worried that the team atmosphere may be spoiled?

— We continue to work on strengthening our squad for the next season — we are taking different options into consideration. We understand that some players from our squad can leave the club — this is normal. But right now, we're fully focused on the two upcoming matches.

— The team lost its finishing skills in the most important matches of the season. Do you explain this by the lack of experience in the midfield and attacking lines?

— The positive thing is that we created a great deal of chances in the last two matches. This is the proof of the work we have done. The next step is to work on finishing. We have to learn more from these recent defeats and move on, realizing our principles and ideas. We do everything for it, we do our best during training sessions. Sooner or later, we will be rewarded for our work.

— Does your transfer work depend on whether the team qualifies for European Cups or not?

— First of all, we look at the quality of players. And if this quality is high enough, then we consider such a player. It doesn’t depend on whether we participate in European Cups or not.

Two matches against the top teams still remain, and we should show our best game using the players we have at our disposal. I trust them completely. We have a unique team.

— How does Roman Neustädter feel after his mistake in the match against Rubin? What is the overall atmosphere in the team now?

— We talked to Roman on Saturday night and discussed everything. We are disappointed with the final results, but not with the quality of the game. I think that it deserves some praise. Our training process changes the bad atmosphere that could have appeared after two defeats. Every day we are charged with new energy. We are going to be well prepared for the Saturday match. I see the guys doing their best in training sessions. They are eager to fight.

— Grzegorz Krychowiak will not take part in the match. Are Lokomotiv with him or without him two different teams?

— Of course, he is an important player for them, especially during the ball possession. He creates a lot of goalscoring chances, playing box-to-box. I think that Lokomotiv will be able to replace him, because they have enough high quality players on the bench. The game quality will not suffer. They also have a very stable and reliable defensive line led by Ćorluka.

— In Germany, you also suffered a big defeat, as Lokomotiv did in the match against Zenit. What do the team feel after it?

— It is difficult for me to assess Lokomotiv’s emotional state after this defeat. For example, Ćorluka is a very experienced player. So he will be able to go through it and focus on the upcoming match. I don't think Lokomotiv will be so depressed.

— What matches give you more information — the defeat against Zenit or any of the previous wins?

— Zenit have a lot of high quality players in the attacking line. So such a defeat can be explained. We also watched Lokomotiv’s previous matches. Their defensive line works well. They don't let opponents pass through the centre of the pitch easily and perform well in transitions. They have excellent set pieces performers, who often make the difference in matches.

— After such defeats, the coaching staff usually makes changes in the starting line-up. Do you expect this?

— I am not sure that Lokomotiv’s line-up will undergo major changes, because they lost only one match this year.

— Arena Khimki has been Dynamo’s home ground for almost 10 years. Is it a little advantage of your team?

— Yes, I know it, but I can't say that it will give us a big advantage. The main thing is to show our best game.

— You radically changed the starting line-up for the match against Rubin and explained this move by the fitness of some players. Are they ready now?

— It's not the first time when we replace players in 3-4 positions. Players’ condition and our game plan are decisive factors for us.

— Since your appointment Dynamo didn’t score in two consecutive matches for the first time. Are you considering changing the game formation?

— I think that the formation doesn’t have much to do with the fact that we didn’t score in the last two matches. We created a lot of chances, but didn’t succeed in finishing. This is what we will work on.

— The unsuccessful matches against Sochi, Rostov and Rubin followed the same scenario: active play in the first 15 minutes, a lot of chances, conceded goal and defeat at the end. Have you been able to find a reason why this happens all the time?

— Conceded goals and missed chances should not break us. The guys must continue to play with the same energy and pressure, maintain full concentration on the pitch and try to turn the game around. We managed to do it in the match against Krasnodar. We have to believe in ourselves and follow our principles of the game.

— Do you see Nicola Moro in the box-to-box position?

— He can play both as a defensive midfielder and a central midfielder. He is good at finishing, his pass accuracy is quite high. Moro has the potential that we are going to fulfil.