Dynamo told to rediscover winning psyche
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
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FC Dynamo Kyiv great Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko tells UEFA.com his old side "need positive results" to revive their Group E campaign as a double-header with Beşiktaş JK looms.
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Former FC Dynamo Kyiv player and coach Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko has urged his old side to raise their game when they host Beşiktaş JK on matchday three, telling UEFA.com: "We all know how difficult it is to play in Turkey."
One of the club's favourite sons, Mykhaylychenko is eager for Dynamo to build on last season's campaign where they reached the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, but with just two points collected from two Group E games so far, the former Soviet Union international knows the time has come for Yuri Semin's men to get it right on the pitch.
"These two matches will probably be crucial because Beşiktaş are one of the favourites in the group and we all know how difficult it is to play in Turkey," the 48-year-old told UEFA.com.
The Black Eagles overcame Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC 5-1 in Istanbul on matchday one yet lost 2-1 at Stoke City FC last time out, and former Ukraine coach Mykhaylychenko added: "Playing Beşiktaş away is not the same as facing them at home – it's completely different. What is certain is that they will compete. The group is quite even and everybody needs to pick up points, so I think the second game will probably have a bit more passion and more of a competitive edge."
Mykhaylychenko started both his playing and his coaching career at Dynamo, taking four Soviet Top League winners' medals as a marauding midfielder in the 1980s as well as back-to-back Ukrainian Premier-Liha crowns after succeeding Valeriy Lobanovskiy as coach. As someone who also lifted the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with his home-town team, he knows a thing or two about going the distance in European competition.
"In football you don't win by talking but by showing what you can do on the pitch," said the former UC Sampdoria and Rangers FC player. "The performance is important, but the result even more so. That is the rule of football. Sometimes you play well without getting a result, as was the case [in September when Dynamo drew 0-0 at home to FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the league]. Now we need positive results."
