For the Moscow “Torpedo” 2022 turned out to be extremely ambiguous. In the spring, the team entered the Premier League for the first time in eight years, but things didn’t work out for her there right away. An unsuccessful start led to the fact that in August the leadership and coaching staff changed. Denis Maslov was replaced as president by Ilya Gerkus, and instead of head coach Alexander Borodyuk, Nikolai Kovardaev began to lead the team. After that, “Avtozavodtsy” strengthened by a group of players and even managed to beat CSKA, which was in second place, in September (1:0). In early October, Andrei Talalaev was appointed head coach. Under him, Torpedo lost all matches in the Russian championship, and in the Cup of the country it was noted only by a victory over the same CSKA (1: 0). As a result, the black-and-whites left for the winter break in last place, and in the Cup after Saturday’s home defeat from Ural Yekaterinburg (1:2) they advanced to the playoffs from third place. In an interview with Izvestia, Torpedo defender Oleg Kozhemyakin assessed the team’s prospects for the rest of the season and explained the reasons for the failure.
“Talalaev added aggression”
– What is your assessment of the results of the summer-autumn part of the season?
– Of course, disappointing results in the Russian championship. Ended up as outsiders. At least some local tasks were completed in terms of the Cup – we passed to the spring stage. This adds to the optimism. A lot of things didn’t work out in the balance, there were a lot of mistakes in attack and defense. There were many actions that could have been avoided.
– Now it is already possible to say that the team that entered the Premier League was not ready for it without strengthening?
“You know, there’s a lot to say in the end. But somewhere we did something wrong, we were not psychologically prepared. Somewhere they missed their glasses, which they could have taken. This all led to the fact that we are going to the relegation zone.
– When you say “not mentally prepared”, what do you mean? Maybe you should do some training?
– Well no. You just have to be confident – like a footballer. To know that on the field you can achieve everything that you have in mind. Do not be afraid to go forward, do not be afraid of struggle, do not be afraid of creation. Then everything will work out.
– How does the change of leadership and two changes of the head coach affect?
– Each coach offers his own tactics. your training process. The guys tried to adapt to everything. Of course, three coaches not even in a season, but in a part of the season – this is the first time in my career. But this only adds to the desire to work.
– Are these coaching approaches too different from each other? Did you have to readjust?
– To Alexander Genrikhovich Borodyuk – no. The team knew his requirements, as they played under his leadership in the first league. But unsuccessfully entered the season. Then new requirements were under Nikolai Nikolayevich Kovardaev. And the team began to get used to them. Then Andrey Viktorovich Talalaev came and added aggression. The team began to play forward. I believe that he had a short period. It was hard to do something without pre-season preparation. Now in the winter we will have time to go through the training camp under the guidance of the coaching staff, then the pattern of the game may change.
“We’re going downstairs. Therefore, they have the right to criticize us for our game.”
– Under Kovardaev, you began to sort of correct the situation. There was even a victory over CSKA. Under Talalaev, they did not score a single point in the championship. What is the reason that a more experienced person could not perform at least a little better?
– I do not know. I think it takes time to figure out why this happened. This is the coaching prerogative. They see that we are failing. They will probably try to change that. Therefore, I have nothing to answer yet.
– Do you feel pressure from the management, especially considering that there are many claims against him because of the locomotive past of Herkus and part of his team?
“I don’t feel any pressure from outside. It’s just that the team is in last place. There is ground for the fans to be dissatisfied. I think we should adequately perceive their criticism. The one we deserve. We don’t go in fours or fives. We’re going downstairs. Therefore, they have the right to criticize us for our game.
– You went through a struggle for survival with Rotor. Now a similar story with “Torpedo”? And for the reasons of failures, and for the decisions of the management.
I think these are two different stories. Two different teams. With “Rotor” after the autumn part, we generally went in the zone of joints, if I’m not mistaken. I don’t want to compare. Now I’m a Torpedo player and I don’t want to discuss the past.
— Do you like the Russian Cup format this year?
— I have not yet fully understood the format that will be in the spring. But pleases a large number of games. It’s always nice for a footballer. I, probably, for this format.
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