The Pride Of A Nation - Dynamo Kyiv

[EvilDave]

I'd ticked all the boxes in the interview, making sure to mention everything they wanted to hear – Shakhtar's recent rise to the top of Ukrainian football had to be stopped, I would focus my transfer efforts first and foremost on the finest Ukrainian talent, and most importantly, I would do everything in my power to uphold the deep-rooted tradition and honour of the football club.

At almost every team in the world, anyone attending an interview for the managerial post would do well to utter something to that effect. But here at Dynamo Kyiv, it means something – winners of no fewer than 13 Soviet championships with nine cups to boot, the same record in Ukraine since independence was achieved less than two decades ago, and two European Cup Winners' Cups also residing in the trophy cabinet, anyone taking up the role here in the capital has a lot to live up to.

If the trophies weren't enough, this is also a name – a name which haunts the corridors of power at Dynamo and a name which defines the club to many around the world. Valeri Lobanovskyi, the man whose name was given to the stadium after his death in 2002, is the name in question, and his brilliant integration of the fluidity of Total Football and the precision of the Soviet factory is the style of football which all future Dynamo managers aspire to. It is a style which won countless trophies, provided two European Players of the Year in Blokhin and Belanov, and put Ukraine on the map as a footballing power. There are plenty who believe that if Lobanovskyi were still around, no number of Shakhtar's millions could wrest the title from the capital.

However, the great man is unfortunately no longer with us, and after another failure to provide the side from Donetsk securing silverware it is my turn to step into the firing line. As if the Miners' UEFA Cup triumph in 2009 was not enough, a feat they accomplished after beating us in the semi-finals, they once again took the league last season to further the impression of a new era in Ukrainian football. For Dynamo, that is not acceptable.

I would know, of course. My father named me after the great man himself, and if my haul of trophies can get close to my namesake's I will be a very happy man. As soon as I could walk I was in the stands alongside my father, and some of my best childhood memories involve Andriy Shevchenko and Sergei Rebrov scoring goal after goal against some of the best teams from both Ukraine and wider Europe. I even made it into the Dynamo-3 side as a youngster, but a broken collarbone saw me lose my place in the side and the wealth of talent meant I simply couldn't win it back. I couldn't face the prospect of playing anywhere else, and my fledgling career was over before it had ever taken off.

The logical decision from there was to move into coaching, and after a difficult university career spent scraping through examinations and trying to teach pre-teens the merits of pass-and-move football, I graduated and immediately took up a position with the Dynamo youth centre, coaching at the same level that represented the pinnacle of my playing career. Four years ago I was promoted to offensive coach under the reign of Anatoly Demyanenko, and narrowly missed out on becoming assistant to the club's latest manager, one Valeri Gazzaev. With his failure fresh in the mind, the board decided to turn to a man with blue and white running through his every vein to bring the title back to the capital. I am now that man.

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Welcome to another EvilDave story, and another FM11 adventure set in the far off lands of Eastern Europe. I've loaded three tiers each of Russia and Ukraine with the help of some handy .xml files, and have the top flights of England, Spain, Italy, Brazil and Argentina on view-only in the background. Please don't hesitate with constructive criticism, and most importantly enjoy the ride!

[EvilDave]

The first issue which lies before me is the sheer size of the squad collected by Gazzaev. Although I have plenty of room in both the transfer and wage budgets, I have no desire to retain a first team squad of 33 players. If we are to keep everybody happy we will need a strong core of around 25 quality footballers, and over my first few days in the job I have been slowly but surely evaluating the talent available to me:

In goal we are well equipped, with a first class keeper at either end of their careers. 35 year old Olexandr Shovkovskyi would start the season between the posts were it not for injury, but teenager Maxim Koval is looking every bit as capable as the veteran and will look to prove himself in the opening matches. Denys Boyko and Artem Kychak are far from terrible backups, but one of them will leave before the domestic season gets underway.

In defence, the situation is less clear. On the right, Brazilian duo Betao and Danilo Silva are both capable full backs, although the former is arguably one of our best central defenders as well, whilst Oleg Dopilka calls the position his natural one buts lacks the talent of the South Americans. Finn Roman Eremenko is another option, but he also happens to be a fine candidate for the right wing berth.

On the other side of the back four there is fierce competition, with Macedonian Goran Popov, Badr El Kaddouri and veteran Andriy Nesmachnyi all capable of holding down the spot. Andrey Oberemko and Gerson Magrao are decent enough footballers, but are simply not up to Dynamo standards and will be moved on. Strengthening here is not out of the question.

In the centre however, things are again a little complicated. Both of our Brazilian right backs are good in the middle, whilst in Taras Mykhalyk we have one of the country's finest defenders. 25 year old Nigerian Ayila Yussuf is also strong at the back, but is more at home in his favoured holding midfield role. Another Brazilian, Leandro Almeida, can hold his own, whilst Temur Partsvaniya will almost certainly see the door. Ideally, I would like to trim this area of the squad down a little, and if possible bring in a top quality centre back to partner Mykhalyk.

In the anchoring midfield slot the outstanding candidate is Croatian international Ognjen Vukojevic, and if fit he will start as many of our games as possible. Yussuf provides able backup, along with long-time Dynamo stalwart Tiberiu Ghioane and promising youngster Denys Garmash. Quite frankly I see no need for four men here, and at least one of the latter two may soon find themselves on the way out.

That brings us to the wings, and arguably our weak points. On the right we have the previously mentioned Roman Eremenko as a more defensive option, whilst Oleg Gusev will start if we need a more attacking system. Argentine Facundo Bertoglio is another option, whilst the 'talents' of Maxim Borovets will not be required. All of the other three are solid options, but none are the type of player to strike fear into the heart of an opposition defender. That is what I want from my wingers.

Much is true of our left-sided options too – young Andrey Yermolenko is the best choice but would prefer to play up front, whilst both Milos Ninkovic and teenager Vyladyslav Kalitvintsev would rather sit in the hole behind the strikers. It is perhaps worth mentioning that Ghioane can also occupy the flanks, but in truth it is unlikely that we will start the season without at least one new face out wide.

The typical 'Number 10' is a role key to my footballing philosophy, and again we are somewhat lacking in outstanding options. Guilherme will start despite his preference as an out-and-out striker due to his excellent vision, but neither Ninkovic or Kalitvintsev can boast the same level of skill. Backup in this area is also needed.

Finally, the two strikers. For this season at least, one of them will undoubtedly be Dynamo legend Andriy Shevchenko, former Ballon d'Or recipient, Champions League winner and captain of our nation – even at 33, he possesses the ability to dominate this league if he plays at his best. Vying for the right to support him will be the not insignificant talents of Artem Milevskyi, Brazilian boy wonder Andre and Roman Zozulya, whilst young Sergey Shevchuk will have to ply his trade elsewhere. A world class signing up front will certainly not be turned down, especially as Shevchenko's career comes to an end – he will be irreplaceable, but we have to try nonetheless.

All that means is that I have a lot of work to do before the season kicks off away in Kharkhiv in around a month's time. The board have given me around £7m to bolster the squad, as well as whatever I can raise through player sales, and there is a huge amount of room in the wage budget. The next few weeks will be busy ones indeed for Dynamo Kyiv.

[EvilDave]

“I'm sorry boss, but I've always wanted to play in the Premier League, even Serie A. Spain is not for me, but this is Liverpool. One of the biggest teams in the world want me to go and play for them boss, I need this chance.”

I raised my head from its lowered position to look across the table into the eyes of Artem Milevskyi. Shevchenko's partner in crime, who had been at the club for the best part of a decade, had been told by his agent that a handful of clubs from Europe's elite leagues were in the hunt for his signature – Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Aston Villa. Liverpool.

“I understand Artem, I really do. You can probably make more money in a week at Liverpool than you can in six months here, and you'd be playing alongside some of the best players in the world. Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, I understand that. What I don't understand, Artem, is that you're a hero here. These fans adore you, you're one of them. You can be a legend if you stay here Artem, a legend. Don't you want that?”

“Believe me I do boss, but this chance may never come again, and I owe it to myself to take it. Look at Andriy – he left, came back and the fans love him again. I just want the chance to prove myself.”

He had me at Shevchenko, and he knew it. I couldn't talk him into staying, and although he didn't know it, the offer from Anfield was a good one - £5.5m all up front, no monthly payments, goal bonuses or anything else that masked the fee. I took a second longer than was necessary before standing up, expecting my striker to do the same. He did.

“OK Artem, I'll accept the offers. You go and do what's best for you, but you have to know that if it all goes wrong you can't just walk back in here and get a game – there'll be a replacement ready to go.”

“Thank you boss, I really appreciate it. By the way, I wouldn't expect anything less – you've got a team to manage after all.”

As I shook his hand and watched his athletic frame leave through the office door, I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me. Not only was I losing an excellent striker, but a good human being – something which the media would have me believe are increasingly rare in football today. I sat back down to let the magnitude of the moment fully sink in, before reaching down and opening the drawer second from bottom of my desk. I had not intended to make a habit of drinking at work, but sometimes reality is better with the edge taken off.

[Mark Heath]

great writing as usual EvilDave, looking forward to seeing how you get on with this one

[Marcussy]

Great start - I'll have to have a look at your other stuff on here.

[Jops14]

mm loving this, looking forward to it bulding up!

[EvilDave]

Thanks to you all for the encouragement, glad you've all enjoyed the start and I hope the rest of the tale doesn't disappoint! Bit of a shorter post today, but I couldn't let this bizarre quirk of squad management slip by unnoticed...

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Whilst the Milevskyi deal goes through, we have concluded our first piece of transfer business of the season, and possibly one of the strangest. Midway through the 2007/8 season, the club management deemed it necessary to purchase young French winger Chahir Belgazouani from his local side Grenoble for an undisclosed fee. Yesterday he was sold on to Italian club Siena for around £100k.

What is bizarre about the sequence of events, however, is that young Belgazouani was on the Dynamo payroll to the tune of around £16k per week. To put that into perspective, that is ten times the amount that Shevchenko currently takes home, and only Ayila Yussuf earns more than £5k in the entire squad, taking home more than double that in what must be a lucrative deal for the Nigerian and his agent.

I have suggested that the board investigate the Belgazouani affair and use the details for future transfer dealings – whilst the club is currently financially healthy, there is precisely no need to risk the club's integrity and well-being on the overblown salaries of players not good enough to wear the shirt. We will spend only when it is beneficial to the club.

In other transfer news, reserve midfielder Sergey Rybalka has agreed to join Russia side Salyut Belgorod for a nominal fee. Playing a specialist position like the holding role, any youngster would struggle to break into the side without displaying exceptional talent, something Sergey simply does not possess. I wish him luck across the border – the Russian second tier is by no means an easy league, but it is certainly more akin to his natural level that the Champions League.

[EvilDave]

As a country, the Czech Republic is a beautiful place – everybody knows about Prague, but outside of the capital there are some real gems to be found for the ready traveller. However, our week travelling around the Republic was not a sightseeing mission but a serious pre-season program, one which allowed us to combine fitness work with tactical drills designed to get the team ready for the coming season.

We played three matches whilst in the Czech Republic, and whilst our initial 2-2 draw with Brno set a few alarm bells ringing we soon picked up the pace. Slovan Liberec were dealt with comfortably 3-1 with the third from Andre particularly pleasing for the teamwork involved, and then we returned to the capital for a final game with Slavia Prague. For years in the shadow of the more successful Sparta, they did themselves no favours by scoring twice in their own net whilst succumbing to a 4-1 defeat. Considering the goal we conceded was a wind-assisted cross, it was a very encouraging display.

Our time away has not been limited to on-field activity however, and the number of players leaving the club has now reached double figures. Milevskyi's move to Liverpool finally went through, and Ghioane will be joining in the Premier League, moving to West Ham for a fee for around £500k. A few more of our bigger names have also left for Italy– high-earning Yussuf to Napoli for £4m, Leandro Almeida to Udinese for half that fee, and Gerson Magrao to Catania for a round £1m that we are already looking to reinvest. Five more of our reserves have left, including three to Ural of the Russian second tier, for a total of around £900k, and the trimming process in almost complete. As soon as it is, we can begin to make positive moves with our increased budget. Targets have already been identified, it is simply a case of convincing clubs to part with their assets.

However, the most important item on the club's agenda right now is European competition. The second place league finish last year earned us the right to enter the qualifying rounds of the Champions League at the penultimate stage, and the draw will see us face Swiss side Young Boys for progression to the play-off stage. At the moment they remain something of an unknown quantity, but I have every faith in my scouts' ability to work out the best way to beat them. Defeat for a club of Dynamo's stature is never an option, and re-establishing ourselves as a force on the continent is something which needs to be done sooner rather than later.

[mametz1536]

This is great. I can see youre enjoying it, very evident in the writing. Facing 'Yoing Boys' you should have no problem.

[EvilDave]

Thanks mametz, as I mentioned in the FM thread I'm really getting into this game and I'm glad the enjoyment is showing. Europe is a big goal of mine for this side, so we need to be beating sides like Young Boys...

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At long last, we have made a signing. Volodymyr Chesnakov today arrives from Vorksla for the small price of £400k, and the fans finally have a new squad member to be excited about.

Chesnakov has been brought in not for his world class talent, but for his strength, admirable work ethic and defensive ability. His solidity mean he is well suited to playing in both the centre of defence and the anchor role in midfield, and at just 22 years of age there is plenty of time for him to develop in a useful player for Dynamo. He will not start every game, but will certainly be given opportunities to justify his transfer as the season progresses – anything else would be a waste of my transfer budget.

Volodymyr is not the only player I intend to sign before the transfer window closes, and in fact the club has already made bids for a further five players. In most cases the clubs have informed me that we are just one on a long list of admirers, but we have to hope that the lure of European football, the stature of Dynamo and the prospect of life in Kyiv will be sufficient to coax our targets here. Shakhtar have already been weakened by the sales of Razvan Rat and Luiz Adriano to Tottenham and Valencia respectively, so we cannot afford to sit on our hands and let the opportunity to strengthen pass us by. The title is a necessity after last year's failure, and anything which gets us close to that goal is a step we simply have to take.

[EvilDave]

We have not played a competitive match yet, and already I have a player demanding an improved contract. I assumed I was perfectly within my rights to deny that request, on the grounds that new deals are to be earned on the pitch.

Betao, however, does not agree with my principles. Admittedly his current contract is poor in comparison to many of his team mates, but I cannot afford to set a precedent and risk the club being held to ransom over wages. Dynamo is bigger than any of the players here, and the fans will not stand for anyone who does not share the same passion for the club that they do.

As a result, Betao is now on the transfer list by his own request. Should another club come in for him, his departure would be a blow to our squad, but not a fatal one. He is certainly not irreplaceable, and a potential transfer will make it clear to the rest of the squad that I will not stand for such infantile behaviour in the future. There are right and wrong ways to deal with contract negotiations, and ultimatums with no support fall firmly into the latter.

So another one of Brazilian contingent will most likely be leaving the club, and as a result I have instructed my scouts to be on the look-out for another defender. In hindsight, Chesnakov's signing could not have arrived at a better time. On the other hand, we cannot afford to be found lacking in depth if we are going to compete in Europe as well as domestically.

Quite frankly, it is a problem I would rather do without.

[EvilDave]

The power of the media is a remarkable thing. Clearly Betao decided the appropriate course of action following our disagreement was to go public, posting his disapproval on the club's official message boards. Once the details of his transfer request were read by the fans and then passed on to various newspapers, our defender soon found himself being castigated for his greed, and held up as an example of everything wrong with the modern game.

This morning then, imagine my surprise to find a sheepish Betao waiting for me outside my office door, an hour before training was due to start. Naturally I invited him in, and he immediately began to beg for forgiveness, retracting his transfer request and asking me to come out in front of the media and support him publicly. Calmly, I explained that there was no way I could involve myself and therefore the club in what was very much a personal issue for him, but that I would be happy to take him off the transfer list and continue to act as if nothing had happened. I didn't tell him, but he'll start our Champions League qualifier against Young Boys, and I'll mention it in my programme notes. I may take a hard line on disrespect, but I am always open to a man willing to apologise.

In other news, we have pulled off something off a coup in the transfer market. Eugene Konoplyanka, Dnipro's young star on the left wing, has agreed to join us for a fee of £2.5m and will fight Yarmolenko for the starting berth in his favoured position. What makes the move rather special from a club perspective is that Konoplyanka turned down a number of 'bigger' sides to join us – Villarreal of Spain, Aston Villa of England, Lokomotiv Moscow are all teams deemed by the footballing world to be of greater stature than ourselves. This signing proves to that world that Dynamo Kyiv are still a force to be reckoned with, and are a desirable location for talented footballers. If the rest of our targets follow Eugene's example, our squad will be more than prepared for an assault on Shakhtar's title.

Speaking of the Donetsk side, they caused something of a stir yesterday by publicly declaring interest in Roman Zozulya. Roman is only 20 years old, already has an international cap to his name and is very much part of the future here at Dynamo, so for Shakhtar to expect him to leave all that behind and run into their open arms is naïve at best and arrogant at worst. Personally I see it as nothing more than an attempt at artificially boosting the image of their club to something above their station. They will never be as big as Dynamo, and everybody knows it. We just have to show them as well.

[EvilDave]

More transfer news here at Dynamo, and we're continuing to track down the best Ukrainian talent for our side. Signing on the dotted line for a fee of £1m is Metalist Kharkiv's two-footed attacking midfielder Denys Oliynyk, and his transfer has not been greeted well by fans of his former side. However, we have ourselves to worry about, and there is a distinct possibility that Denys will line up against his former team mates on the opening day of the domestic season. We also had a bid accepted for his team mate Marko Devic, but the fool chose the money of Shakhtar over the honour of Dynamo, and will live to regret his choice for the rest of his career. Once again, it is not for us to worry about.

However, we are not so narrow-minded as to restrict ourselves to signing only Ukrainian players – following such a model would serve only to put ourselves at an unnecessary disadvantage. Accordingly, and for slightly less than the fee needed to bring in Oliynyk, we have taken the opportunity to secure the services of Georgian champions Zestaponi's striker Nikoloz Gelashvili. At just 24, Nikoloz has not found first team football easy to come by in the Caucasian republic, but has no qualms about backing up the likes of Shevchenko and Andre here in Kyiv – when his chances arrive he has the skillset to provide serious competition of places after the departure of Milevskyi to Liverpool.

There are more deals in the pipeline, but for now our efforts are focussed entirely on our forthcoming Champions League qualifier against Young Boys. For one reason or other the previous administration arranged a friendly tonight against Obolon, but it will be a team composed of reserve and youth team players which takes to the field – with such an important game so close we simply cannot run the risk of injury. Besides, these fringe players will have few chances to prove themselves over the course of the season, and it is only right that they are given their opportunity to impress.

As for Young Boys themselves, we are feeling sufficiently prepared for the home leg. Our scouts have managed to take in three of their own pre-season friendlies, and we are expected a 4-4-2 system not entirely dissimiliar to our own, although it is not beyond the realms of possibility to imagine a more defensive setup for away games in Europe. More encouragingly, the general perception is that we should be strong enough to progress over two legs – I will be doing everything in my ability to translate that into a positive result.

[EvilDave]

28th July 2010, Dynamo Kyiv vs Young Boys, Champions League Qualifier

We should have scored inside the first minute. A long ball forward from the Swiss visitors was expertly killed by Mykhalyk and launched forward for Zozulya to chase after a brief spell of possession across the back line. Our young striker, deputising for the injured Shevchenko, fired his shot hard but straight at Wolfli in the opposing goal, and Konoplyanka could only send a rushed effort wide on the rebound. The capacity crowd cheered its appreciation, but it was the kind of chance we had to take advantage of.

With our next attack we did just that. Zozulya held up the ball brilliantly with two defenders at the back before finding Guilherme running from deep, and the Brazilian played his creative role to perfection. His pass between the two centre backs was perfect for Andre to run onto, and our teenage debutant made no mistake with a precise shot into the far corner of Wolfli's net. I rose from my seat and punched the air in delight, but there was a lot of work to be done and my team had to know as much. After the restart, a free kick from Di Marco had Koval scrambling, and the message was an urgent one – calm down, and make sure we compound our strong start to the game.

The game flowed at a rapid pace, and it was clear to everyone in the ground that we were the better team. First a Konoplyanka shot forced a corner which was eventually cleared into touch, and as we approached the midway point of the half Zozulya missed a glorious opportunity from barely six yards to extend the lead. The gasps of surprise from the crowd told those at the other end of the pitch everything they needed to know, and I signalled to our young striker to forget about it and make the next one count – a crisis of confidence was not what such a young talent needs in the first competitive match of the season.

Two minutes later Zozulya had reason to smile. His build up play once again caused trouble for the Swiss defence, and his inside pass found Andre bursting at full speed into the penalty area. Di Marco's challenge was lazy at best, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Our young Brazilian dusted himself down, and with the composure of a player twice his years stroked the penalty beyond Wolfli and into the net. 2-0 with barely 20 minutes played, and we were cruising.

We continued to pile pressure on Young Boys. A throw in for the opponents in our own half was turned into a lightning counter attack by the quick thinking of Nesmachnyi, and more good work from Zozulya released Guilherme to curl a shot inches wide of the far post. As the interval approached we created one more chance, but Wolfli was equal to Zozulya's rising drive and the corner which came as a result was well defended by a visibly shaken Swiss defence. After two minutes of stoppage time, my men headed back down the tunnel to hearty applause from the home fans. So far, so good.

[EvilDave]

We made a single change at the break, a slight knock to Bertoglio forcing Yarmolenko on in an unfamiliar right wing position. He seemed happy just to be one the pitch, and I had no qualms about playing him on the wrong side. After all, we were in a strong position and a third goal would all but kill off the tie.

However, disaster struck just two minutes into the second half. Nesmachnyi, who had so nearly created a goal of our own in the first period, played a careless long ball to an intercepting midfielder, and ten seconds later Henri Bienvenu bent in a curling shot from the edge of the area which gave Koval no chance. Young Boys had their away goal, and we had a game on our hands. It almost got worse when a long ball forward found Bienvenu again in space, but Koval saved well and we held our lead. All of a sudden we were rocking, and something needed changing.

The ball bounced out of play for a throw in, and I made my move. Off came Zozulya, who had worked hard but was struggling in front of goal, and in his place went Denys Garmash to fill the gap between Vukojevic and Guilherme in central midfield. 4-5-1 was the order of the day, and the plan was to squeeze possession out of our opponents. Irrespective of our tally, we couldn't allow a second away goal.

Within minutes our tactics paid dividends. A rushed pass in midfield allowed Garmash to gain possession and his through ball sent Guilherme racing through on goal. With few other options, chasing defender Dudar pulled the shirt of our Brazilian as he prepared to shoot, and the decision was clear. Red card, penalty and a huge advantage to Dynamo. Andre stepped up, sent Wolfli the wrong way to complete a debut hat-trick, and once again we had all the momentum. The Young Boys revival had lasted all of 15 minutes.

We had the ball in the net again just after the hour, but Yarmolenko was ruled offside on a marginal decision from the assistant referee. Guilherme's pass was a split second too late, and we were denied a fourth. I took the opportunity soon after to replace the freshly-booked Betao with debutant Chesnakov, and we resumed our positions for the final 20 minutes.

Before the end however, our plans for the second leg were dealt a blow when the referee decided to even the numbers – Konoplyanka, already in the book for a foul early in the half, tangled with a defender in a post-corner melee, and the official harshly deemed it a second bookable offence. I ordered Guilherme to the right wing for the final ten minutes, but it made no difference to the final score. 3-1 is a good platform for the return leg, but with the Swiss having an away goal we are not yet certain of progression. A goal in the Swiss capital would almost certainly put us into the final round of qualification, however.

Dynamo Kyiv 3 (Andre 8, pen 22, pen 59; Konoplyanka s/o 80)

Young Boys 1 (Bienvenu 47; Dudar s/o 59)

[EvilDave]

I'm off on yet more Russian travels this week, so this will be the last post for a while...

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Reaction to our victory in the national press has been overwhelmingly positive, especially concerning our change of tactics following the away goal. I can't help but feel that Konoplyanka is being set up as a scapegoat of sorts should the unthinkable happen in Bern, but we cannot allow the vultures the opportunity to pick at our carcass. We will be employing similar tactics in Switzerland, and I have every confidence in our ability to go through.

Also a topic of debate in the press is our latest signing, £2.5m Volodymyr Polyovyi from Metalurg Zaporizhzhya. Admittedly we have paid a little more than I would have liked for the 25 year old, but his ability to play anywhere on the left flank will make him an invaluable of our squad for the foreseeable future. His two caps for the national team as testament to his obvious ability, and with Konoplyanka being encouraged to take advantage of his stronger right foot increasingly often in training, will undoubtedly find himself earning plenty of playing time as we compete on multiple fronts.

He cannot be registered for the second leg against Young Boys however, and for now our focus remains on Switzerland. Konoplyanka will obviously miss the game through suspension, and so there will be a first start of my management for Milos Ninkovic on the left of midfield. Elsewhere we have no fitness worries and so should remain unchanged, although strong performances in training from Gelashvili may earn our Georgian signing a starting berth in place of Zozulya for the second leg. Reports are suggesting a strong away support, and so we have no excuses for failure. Only progression to the playoff is an option, and even defeat on the night in Bern will be a disappointment. Dynamo is a not a name which can be associated with the bare minimum.

[EvilDave]

4th August 2010, Young Boys (1) vs Dynamo Kyiv (3), Champions League Qualifier

The atmosphere was incredible at the Wankdorf Stadium, over 30,000 fans packed in tightly and our own travelling support giving their all for the second leg. Two goals was our advantage, and all we had to do was protect it. Of course we would do so by attacking ourselves, but the point remained.

I decided to give Gelashvili the start over Zozulya, and after just three minutes he proved my decision to be the right one. Betao's ball from the back was chested down exquisitely by the Georgian, and after holding off one defender a quick one-two with Andre saw him past a second and through on goal. Wolfli tried desperately to narrow the angle but the shot was true, arrowing into the corner for the opening goal, moving into a 4-1 aggregate lead and crucially wiping out the away goal advantage of our opponents. Our first task had been accomplished.

With the away end rocking, it was clear to everyone that the hosts were shocked. In the opening quarter of an hour we came close on three further occasions – Mykhalyk heading just over from a corner, Vukojevic forcing a smart save with a first-time volley and Guilherme sliding one just wide on the turn. Koval was a mere spectator in our goal save for the odd backpass, and we looked good for progression.

Eventually the game settled down, and my men seemed content to allow Young Boys a little more time on the ball. First Bienvenu and then Regazzoni tested Koval with efforts from distance, but our defence continued to hold firm and restrict their opportunities. With half time approaching I ordered the team to switch to a more counter-attacking style, and when the whistle went after 45 minutes our lead was very much intact. We were almost there.

I decided to send the team out for the second half in the same 4-5-1 which we ended the first leg with, replacing a tiring Andre with Garmash in the centre. With the tie almost over I reasoned it was a good time to give the players practice in our secondary formation, and Garmash is too good a player to keep benched game after game. With competition on many fronts our name, we need options all over the field.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Swiss side seemed a little deflated after the break, and the game descended into a midfield battle of possession, neither side willing to risk injury in chasing the ball or diving into the challenge. With 65 minutes played Guilherme of all people cut out a Young Boys corner and played a perfect 60 yard pass into the path of Gelashvili, but this time the Georgian's finish was just off, an ambitious chip clipping the crossbar on its way over. I took the chance to replace him with Zozulya for the final quarter of the game, and he was rounded applauded by our travelling support. One of the finest Dynamo debuts I can remember.

With ten minutes to go and little of interest happening on the pitch, I sent on the returning Oleg Gusev on for Bertoglio in a like-for-like swap on our right wing. Gusev is a talented player on the way back from injury, and with qualification all but secured I saw no harm in giving him a cameo appearance to aid his bid for fitness.

Unfortunately, our sheet was not to remain clean. A deep free kick was overhit by Raimondi on our left, and a back-pedalling Koval was beaten as he leapt to tip the ball over the bar. For a second I thought us safe as it bounced back into play off the far post, but with Koval stranded and prone it was left to Di Marco to tap into the unguarded net and level the scores on the night. We still led 4-2 on aggregate, but the home fans finally had something to cheer about.

Of course, the goal made no difference, and indeed as Young Boys naively blazed forward in search of more goals we almost added to our lead – Gusev was denied by a fine save from Wolfli, and an ambitious 40 yard effort from Zozulya drifted inches wide with the keeper well beaten. In the end, the 1-1 scoreline on the night was more than enough, and we moved comfortably through to the playoff round. A fine reward for our legion of travelling fans, who would no doubt enjoy their night of celebration in the Swiss capital.

Young Boys 1 (Di Marco 85)

Dynamo Kyiv 1 (Gelashvili 3)

Dynamo win 4-2 on aggregate and progress to the Champions League Playoff

[EvilDave]

Tomorrow marks my domestic managerial debut away at Metalist, and the Ukrainian Football Association have already written themselves in my bad books.

Allow me to explain. As well as the opening day of the Vyshcha Liga, tomorrow is also the date of the national team's meaningless friendly against their Dutch. Rather than allow me the opportunity to withdraw my players from this glorified training session, or even take the logical decision to postpone the opening games, the powers that be have decided that both events will continue as planned.

Of course, this is not without consequences. In fact, it leaves me without the services of no less than 14 of my senior squad, leaving us a threadbare outfit to face Metalist, who are missing just a single player as a result of the entirely avoidable clash. An away trip to Kharkiv is always difficult regardless of the circumstances, but to travel there with a reserve squad for my first match as manager of Dynamo is the worst start imaginable. Complaints have been sent and ignored, and regardless of the result tomorrow there will be strong words in the national press regarding this decision.

I have little choice but to cobble together a squad of 18 from my remaining players and somehow try and grind out a result against one of the stronger teams in the division, whilst our fans sit and scratch their heads in bewilderment at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. Starting the season well is always a priority for a title-chasing side, and yet when the governing body makes decisions like this it makes you wonder what all the meticulous preparation is for. We will try our hardest tomorrow, but I can't help but think it simply isn't meant to be.

[EvilDave]

11th August 2010, Metalist Kharkiv vs Dynamo Kyiv, Vyshcha Liga Round 1

With my enforced absentees playing across the country against Holland, the team to face Kharkiv was a weakened one. Even my choice of reserve and youth was hampered by international youth call-ups, and so it was with difficulty that I named a full bench of substitutes. Boyko started in goal behind a back four of Nesmachnyi, Chesnakov, Betao and Danilo Silva with Dopilka in the holding role, Bertoglio and Ninkovic took the wings whilst Guilherme sat behind a strike pairing of Andre and Yarmolenko. Far from a poor team, but even further from our full strength, and I only hoped I was not forced to use the bench earlier than necessary.

Remarkably, we took the lead with the first attack of the game. A foul on Guilherme allowed Bertoglio to chip the dead ball over the wall and into the area, and the unlikely figure of Betao rose high above two Metalist defenders to nod the ball beyond the goalkeeper and into the net. Four minutes played, 1-0 up and my makeshift eleven had sent a clear message to the rest of the league – we are not a side to be messed with.

Perhaps less surprisingly, the lead did not last long. A harmless throw in from the right was flicked on by one of their taller midfield players, and a clever flick through the legs of Chesnakov saw the ball end up at the feet of Taison inside the box. His first time shot was too accurate for Boyko, and were back to square one. Our dream start was gone, and once again we would have to overcome the odds.

To their credit, my men pushed on, and a series of corners gave our travelling support hope that we could yet take three points from the game. Nothing came of them as Metalist held firm at the back, but for a brief second we thought we had a penalty as Yarmolenko went tumbling in the box. The referee waved away our appeals however, and we continued to press in search of a second goal.

There was one more chance before the break, and it fell to the feet of Dopilka. Our third choice defensive midfielder somehow found himself in space on the edge of the area to collect a pass from Guilherme, but his shot lacked power and was calmly collected by Disljenkovic in the Metalist goal. The whistle blew with the score locked at 1-1, and after a frantic opening to the match it had settled down, us having a slight edge but without ever creating a clear cut opportunity.

Despite a slight knock to Bertoglio, I refrained from making a change at the interval. My medical team seemed convinced of his ability to persevere, and quite frankly the idea of employing Borovets on the right did not fill me with promise. The same eleven trotted out for the second period, and I crossed my fingers in the dugout. Almost anything could happen.

Minutes into the half we received a warning shot. Dopilka failed to deal with a high ball forward and Cleiton Xavier was on it in a flash, the Brazilian crashing a volley from 30 yards a yard over the crossbar. The home fans raised their voices, sensing that the game was there to be won, and I signalled furiously for my men to calm down. We couldn't concede at such a crucial stage.

Thankfully they took heed of my warning, and we once again came forward. First a 50 yard run from Bertoglio ended in a teasing cross which narrowly avoided the head of Andre, and on the hour mark a free kick from the left found Betao at the back post, but our centre back was unable to repeat his first half heroics and the header drifted over for a goal kick. We were pushing. Moments later a great interception from Nesmachnyi set Yarmolenko away down the left, but Andre's shot from the cutback was well saved by Disljenkovic and we were rewarded only with a throw. Still I did not contemplate the bench.

Ten more minutes passed, and I instructed Borovets to warm up – Bertoglio was struggling, and I could not risk a long term injury through sheer stubbornness. As our young winger got ready to come on, a shot from Doplinka was blocked and rebounded to Betao, who quickly fed Danilo Silva on the right. Bertoglio made a run to receive the pass but instead allowed the ball to run through his legs, cutting two defenders out of the play as it ran to Andre just inside the area. His first touch moved the ball away from his body, and his second lashed it high into the roof of the net, the ball sailing beyond the keeper before he could even move. We had the lead again, and this time only had 15 minutes to hold on.

Would we had not realised is that Andre's goal killed Metalist. Their spirit disappeared as the net rippled, and only in the third minute of injury time did they mount a meaningful attack, Boyko forced to race out to deny Cleiton Xavier a shooting opportunity after a pinpoint cross. Seconds later the whistle blew, the away fans roared and had all three points – more good news followed with news that Shakhtar had been held 0-0 at relegation favourites Metalurg Zaporizhzhya. First blood in the title race was ours.

Metalist Kharkiv 1 (Taison 8)

Dynamo Kyiv 2 (Betao 5, Andre 75)

League Position: 4th

[Jops14]

really good result their with a backup team, good signs!

[EvilDave]

Thanks Jops - it was a game I wasn't really expecting to win, so to take all three points was a great start to the season Thanks for the comment, hope you continue to enjoy the story!

-----------------------------------------

Shevchenko Out; Matviyenko Fury Grows

Despite his Dynamo side opening the domestic season with a hard-fought 2-1 win in Kharkiv, there is no doubting the overriding emotion of their rookie manager Valeri Matviyenko at the moment – anger.

Already angered at the Football Association's bizarre decision to schedule an international friendly against The Netherlands on the opening day of the league, a decision which forced the new boss at Dynamo to field a makeshift side and almost unrecognisable bench against Metalist, upon his return to the capital he was greeted with yet more news to dampen his spirits.

The national side performed admirably last night, two strikes from Andrey Voronin cancelling out Robin van Persie's early goal to earn an unlikely victory which will no doubt provide great encouragement as the long build up to the 2012 European Championships continues. However, of more concern to Matviyenko is the injury to Andriy Shevchenko, the veteran talisman suffering knee ligament damage which will see him out for around two months. Shevchenko has yet to play under Matviyenko after only just returning from a back problem picked up on a pre-season tour of the Czech Republic, and the Dynamo boss had no hesitation is placing the blame squarely on the FA.

“This is nothing short of a farce. First the suits at the FA decide that a quick money-spinner against the Dutch is more important than their own national league, and offer no apology for depriving me of most of my team for the opening day. That we won is testament to our strength in depth, but it should never have come to that.

Then, to send Andriy back injured without compensation is arrogance of the highest order. He wasn't even fit to begin with – he hasn't played since last season. Besides, why did he need to be on the field? Are they somehow suggesting he needs to prove himself at international level? This is a man with almost 100 caps for his country, he doesn't need to take part in these meaningless friendlies. Now we, the club who pay his wages and rely on him for goals on a weekly basis, are without his services for a significant part of the season and we hear nothing. It's an embarrassing state of affairs that should never have been allowed to happen, and quite frankly heads should roll for this. That's how bad it has got.”

Thus far the Football Association has declined to comment on events, but it will be interesting to see how they react to such strong words from the Dynamo boss. Such emotional language from a new manager is refreshing to see, but the FA have not shown themselves to be open to criticism in the past. What is for certain is that silence on their part would do them no favours – Matviyenko's comments will force them to act decisively, but exactly how remains to be seen/

[gavrenwick]

Valeri is less than happy, and rightly so!

[EvilDave]

You're not wrong Gav, hardly ideal circumstances to start a managerial career! Thanks for popping in, hope you're enjoying it so far!

-------------------------------------

14th August 2010, Dynamo Kyiv vs Metalurg Donetsk, Vyshcha Liga Round 2

Three days after the debacle in Kharkiv, we return home and have the luxury of a full squad for the game against Donetsk's second team, a Metalurg side almost entirely overshadowed by Shakhtar despite being a solid top flight team in their own right. They made the cup final last season as if to justify their continued existence, and it would be foolish of us to underestimate them.

On the other hand, we host Tottenham in midweek for the first leg of our Champions League tie, and we must bear that in mind as we look for success on both the domestic and continental level. As a result, I go with a team that should be able to win, but without necessarily our first eleven – Koval behind Nesmachnyi, Mykahlyk, Betao and Danilo Silva is probably our strongest defence, but the midfield of Garmash, Ninkovic, Gusev and Oliynyk is notable for a couple of absences. Gelashvili and Zozulya lead the line, and the home crowd await their heroes. Victory is expected.

We start brightly, Garmash finding Oliynyk in space only a defender to cover and block the shot. From the first whistle the Metalurg players seem somewhat in awe of the situation, and for the first few minutes we are in complete control, passing the ball around at will and trying to create the space for a killer pass.

Ten minutes in we have the lead, and whilst no-one can dispute our superiority, the manner of the goal itself is fortunate. Once again Oliynyk is involved, collected a lay-off from Zozulya and driving on into the box, but his shot is parried back into the danger area by Nepogodov in goal. With both Gelashvili and Ninkovic racing in for the rebound, Tkachenko reaches the ball first only to lose control, and the defender's touch sends it beyond Nepogdov for an own goal and 1-0. For the fourth match in succession we had an early goal, and the momentum is well and truly ours.

We push forward again, and after quarter of an hour almost double our advantage. Oliynyk causes havoc by drifting from his central position, and his incisive pass sees Gusev in behind on the right. On his first start since injury, our winger's cross is accurate but a little high for Ninkovic, the Serb connecting with his shin on the volley and sending the shot just wide of the far post with the keeper flat-footed. The fans applaud the attack, and are clearly enjoying themselves, we just need to give them a second goal to cheer about.

The attacking is relentless, and twice more we come close, Gelashvili guilty of squandering chances on both occasions. The first is a shot straight at Nepogodov from the edge of the area when almost clean through, the second a difficult headed chance following another dangerous cross from Gusev. Metalurg simply can't keep the ball, and we are threatening.

From a goal kick, the Metalurg left back receives the ball and launches it hopefully upfield. Betao looks to be comfortably in control, but a second later falls to the ground having been clearly pulled back by striker Mguni. With the referee incredibly allowing play to go on, the big target man simply continues his run on goal before smashing past Koval, and out of nothing we are level. I fly into a fit of rage at the fourth official, but it achieves nothing other than a warning. The referee has cost us our lead, and now we have to do it all over again.

Suddenly we become frustrated, and it begins to show. Zozulya narrowly avoids a booking, first for pulling back a defender and secondly for elaborately pointing out to the official that Mguni had got away with the same thing and scored as a result. Gelashvili snatches at a volleyed chance which sails high over the goal, and at the other end Koval punches clear a corner before shouting at anyone who will listen about the lack of cover for his goal. Moments later the half time whistle blows, and we need the rest. We need calm heads and calm football, and at the minute we are seeing neither.

[EvilDave]

I make one change at the break, Konoplyanka entering the fray in place of Ninkovic, the latest of our wide men to pick up a knock. It doesn't look serious, but with a strong bench available it makes sense to use it – Konoplyanka's extra pace should work in our favour against a tiring Metalurg back line, and if he can reach the byline we are bound to create chances.

At the start of the second half, our opponents explode out of the blocks, perhaps sensing that we are currently vulnerable but we will recover, and that they need to score early if they are to stand a chance of winning. However, our defence is more than up to task, and on the rare occasion that Metalurg do get a ball over Mykhalyk and Betao it is simply too long for Mguni to run onto, allowing Koval plenty of time to collect. With almost an hour gone, it looks like we have weathered the storm.

A throw in on our right flank sees Danilo Silva pick out Garmash, and our young midfield prodigy quickly feeds the dangerous Oliynyk on the halfway line. Our summer signing puts his head down and runs, beating two men and reaching the edge of the area before sliding a pass to the overlapping Gusev and moving into the box. Gusev looks to play a return pass, but the cross never reaches its intended target.

Instead it is pulled from the sky by the boot of Zozulya, making a late diagonal run into the area. His marker fails to track his run, and a powerful right-foot shot across goal gives Nepogodov no chance to make the save. We lead again, and the celebrations send out a clear message – this time we will not squander our advantage.

In fact, we extend it a mere five minutes later. Mguni goes close with a shot from distance, but our next attack is beautiful in its simplicity. Garmash passes a free kick in the centre circle out left to Konoplyanka, and the substitute races forward before cutting a cross back to the penalty spot. With the Metalurg defence having overrun the ball they are powerless to resist and Zozulya volleys a shot into the ground and beyond the desperate dive of the goalkeeper. With a two goal lead we look safe, and the relief in the ground is tangible.

Off comes Nesmachnyi for the debutant Polyovyi for a second change to our left side, and for the first time in the half the visitors come forward, Koval doing well to block a shot from Dashyan with his legs after Betao's slip had let him in. The resulting passage of play finds Gusev in space on the corner of the opposition area, but his first time shot is wild, and ended up nestling high in the stands to laughter from the fans. Had we been 3-1 down I imagine the reaction would have been somewhat different, but with less than 20 minutes to play it makes no difference here.

In fact very little does as we saunter to the finish line, Mykhalyk coming closest to a fourth with a thunderous volley from a corner which is unwittingly deflected wide by an unfortunate defender, and Andre replacing the excellent Oliynyk just behind the front two. There is even time for a red card – Zozulya robbing Kalinichenko and looking to race through on goal, only for the defender to panic and pull him to the ground. He is clearly the last man, but with less than a minute of injury time it was a rash decision to make. The whistle eventually comes after four added minutes, and our good start to the season continues. Spurs will be a much bigger test on Wednesday.

Dynamo Kyiv 3 (Tkachenko OG 10, Zozulya 58, 65)

Metalurg Donetsk 1 (Mbugi 32; Kalinichenko s/o 93)

League Position: 3rd

[EvilDave]

A second league win in as many games means there is a good feeling around the squad in training at the moment, but until now we have simply not faced a team of Tottenham's calibre. Young Boys may have earned their Champions League sport but are by no means on the par with the fourth-place English side from last season, and the differences between our sides makes for uncomfortable reading.

Let us look first at contracts – here at Dynamo, we work hard to make sure that none of our players earn significantly more than the rest, hence the decision to sell the likes of Belgazouani and Yussuf in pre-season. As a result of both that particular policy and the relative position of Ukrainian football, the club's total wage bill runs to around £40k per week, substantially less than Shakhtar's but enough to ensure that our players are able to live a comfortable life in the capital.

To contrast, compare that figure to the £40k per week earned by the permanently-injured Jonathon Woodgate, or the same amount received by Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios on a weekly basis. Over the course of pre-season the London club moved to bring in Razvan Rat from Shakhtar, and are now paying him around £20k per week for his services. Here in Ukraine that would make him the highest paid player on the team by some distance, whereas at White Hart Lane he is very much in the bottom bracket of their first team with respects to earning power.

Secondly, to internationals. Without including the 97 caps accrued by the injured Shevchenko, our squad has a total of 242 international appearances, with around two thirds of those for Ukraine. Our opponents, on the other hand, boast just shy of 1,000 international caps between them and for a range of countries from England and Brazil to Honduras and Wales. In terms of top level footballing experiences, we are distinctly second best to the Englishmen.

However, they will not be used to the cauldron atmosphere here in Kyiv, with 16,000 Dynamo fans baying for blood. They will not be used to the type of determination we will have on display, the will to win and create a legacy to follow in the footsteps of greatness. Nor will they be prepared for our style of play, a quick passing game coupled with a rigid whole-pitch defence. The media would have us believe that we are in this tie purely to make up the numbers, but we know different – we are in it to win, and take our place in the Champions League proper.

[EvilDave]

18th August 2010, Dynamo Kyiv vs Tottenham Hotspur, Champions League Playoff

The rained pours down at Valeri Lobanovskyi Stadium as the teams walk down the tunnel before posing for the match photograph, the crowd packed in for our biggest gate of the season so far. I rise to my feet for the Champions League anthem, and this time it seems closer than ever – this is our chance to take a huge step in the right direction.

Despite our win over Metalurg, I do not hesitate in changing the side. Out go Nesmachnyi, Garmash, Gusev and Gelashvili, with Polyovyi, Vukojevic, Guilherme and Andre their respective replacements. We have to line up with what I consider our strongest team, and I had no doubt that our opponents would do the same.

If Spurs have one weakness, it is their back line. Heurelho Gomes used to be the laughing stock of the Premier League but has matured into a fine shot stopper even if other areas of his game are lacking, and whilst a defensive unit of Hutton, Dawson, Corluka and Assou-Ekotto is by no means terrible, it is certainly not invincible. Redknapp combats this with two sitting midfielders in Wilson Palacios and Tom Huddlestone, allowing Bale and Bentley the freedom to attack down the wings. The deadly Jermaine Defoe leads the line as a lone striker, but dropping off him into the hole is the creative talent of Rafael van der Vaart, and we simply cannot afford to give the ball away in our own half with those two working in tandem.

Andre and Zozulya kick off to a huge roar from the crowd, but within seconds the visitors fire a warning shot. A careless touch from Oliynyk on our right invites Gareth Bale to surge forward, and his ball inside finds the diminutive Defoe with time and space. Fortunately the Spurs frontman opts for power over placement from 20 yards, and Koval doesn't have to worry about the wayward shot. Still, giving away possession to a side like Spurs is a dangerous game.

That isn't to say we aren't dangerous ourselves. Danilo Silva finds Vukojevic with a ball infield, and a neat triangle of passes involving Andre and Guilherme as well as our anchor man finds Konoplyanka in half a yard of space on the edge of the area. Spinning away from the attentions of Corluka he launches a vicious shot towards the far top corner, only to see Gomes fling himself to his left and claw the ball away for a corner. It is a fine end to a good move, but the corner comes to nothing and the early goal we craved eluded us further.

The game continues to be played at a high tempo, with both sides showing their attacking capabilities. Gomes is inches away from a trademark howler after spilling a harmless cross from Oliynyk into the path of Andre, only for Dawson to hack it away, and seconds later the visitors are on the attack, Bentley winning a free kick from Polyovyi. Van der Vaart clips the ball into the box, and after Betao misjudges his header, Bale stoops low behind him to nod in from six yards. Ten minutes gone and we are an away goal down – we need to get on the scoresheet.

At the other end of the field, Andre continues to act as the outlet for our attacking play – first a mazy run is only ended by a well-timed lunge from Palacios, and moments later our Brazilian shoots wide from a tight angle when the ball back across goal looks like the better option. He is linking well with Konoplyanka down the Spurs right, but the end product needs to improve if we are to level the scores.

As we move to halfway through the half very little changes, with Spurs looking for a second and us pressing for the equaliser, and there are few dull moments. Vukojevic goes into the book for clattering Bentley, and Zozulya almost draws us level with a dipping volley which has Gomes worried. Goalscorer Bale breaks free of Danilo Silva on our right, and his cross is met by van der Vaart with an awkward flick which almost finds its way in at the near post. The score remaines 0-1, but the action is pulsating.

The half hour mark comes and goes, and still the game ebbs and flows at high speed. Guilherme takes an inswinging corner which Gomes punches as far as Vukojevic, and the Croatian international returns it to the corner taker. This time the cross finds the head of Polyovyi, and our left back's header loops up and over the Brazilian goalkeeper only to bounce off the post and back into play. Hutton clears it high into the stands and somehow we stay behind, but our pressure is building.

Five minutes remain of the half, and we lay siege to the Tottenham goal. Oliynyk hits a skidding shot wide of Gomes' left-hand post, and a great one-two between Konoplyanka and Andre sees the latter denied only by a strong hand from the goalkeeper. With the single minute of injury time ticking away we win a corner, and Guilherme runs over to take it. The looping cross is carried over Gomes by the wind to the back post, where an unmarked Betao doesn't even need to jump to head us level. Our trio of Brazilians celebrate with a samba in front of the soaking fans, and the half time whistle blows immediately after the restart. We are back in the game.

[EvilDave]

“We can win this, it's that simple. For the last 20 minutes they've been chasing shadows – if you keep up those energy levels it's only a matter of time before they crack. Keep finding the space, let the ball do the work for you, and the rewards will come. At the back, it's all about pressure. Van der Vaart looks like a man on a mission so don't give him room to breathe, and we'll cut off the supply to Defoe. Taras, Betao – don't let him run off your shoulder, drop deeper if you need to but don't let him get a run on you. They don't know how to deal with our football, so let's make them suffer.”

The sides emerge unchanged for the second half, and I am quickly proven right about van der Vaart. The Dutchman hits two shots in the opening five minutes of the half, the first a curling effort from 25 yards which doesn't quite bend enough, and the second a low drive which skidds along the wet surface before ending up wide of Koval's far post.

Continuing the theme of the game, it is then our turn to attack. Zozulya's raking pass finds Guilherme in space, and his through ball reaches compatriot Andre onside and in space. A burst of pace takes him into the penalty area, but Gomes thwarts his fellow countryman with a fine diving stop, and immediately we are on the defensive. Huddlestone plays a ball between Danilo Silva and Betao, and Bale is on it in a flash, stepping away from Mykhalyk's tackle before driving past Koval for his second of the game. Suddenly, we are staring at a monumental task.

In a seemingly desperate throw of the dice, I prepare a triple substitution, replacing like with like but in each instance employing a more attacking option than the one currently on the field. Roman Eremenko makes his first appearance under me as he takes the place of Danilo Silva, Garmash comes on for Vukojevic and Gusev replaces the tiring Oliynyk on the right wing. I know that if we suffer an injury we are powerless, but we need to get back into the game somehow.

However, Redknapp is clearly content with his two away goals, and as we attempt to push forward we are met with increased resistance from a Spurs side keen to hold what they have. As the clock ticks into the final ten minutes we manage to fashion just two more half chances – a Polyovyi cross which a sliding Zozulya almost turns in at the far post, and a first time volley from Guilherme which flies just past the near post, leaving a static Gomes breathing a sigh of relief.

Once again however, a set piece comes to our rescue. Andre fires a low cross off the legs of Assou-Ekotto to win a corner, and the Spurs defence fall for the same trick again. Guilherme's ball doesn't travel quite as far, but once again Betao gets his head on the ball with enough force to send it into the back of the net for his second goal of the game. We have just over five minutes to try and win the match, but at 2-2 the situation looks infinitely more promising than it had previously – a win in London and we go through.

In the end, neither side can find a decisive goal. Indeed, the only thing of note in the last few minutes is the introduction of Robbie Keane from the Spurs bench. Against an arguably stronger team, in terrible conditions, we secure a solid draw in the first leg. All we have to do is go one better at White Hart Lane.

Dynamo Kyiv 2 (Betao 45, 87)

Tottenham Hotspur 2 (Bale 11, 56)

[EvilDave]

Whilst the Spurs game still dominates the papers, we have other business to deal with before the return leg in a week's time. Although we haven't made any moves for a few weeks now, the transfer window remains open for business, and earlier today another one of our players found themselves a new home for the future.

Badr El Kaddouri is the man on the move, the Moroccan left back who has been forced out by a combination of the arrival of Polyovyi and the league restrictions dictating that only eight foreign nationals can take to the field at one time. With Polyoyvi and Nesmachnyi providing solid home-grown options and Goran Popov waiting in the wings, there was simply no need for us to keep a fourth specialist player on the books when other sides were prepared to offer good money for his services.

Terek Grozny are his new employers, the Chechyan side paying just over £1.5m to take El Kaddouri across the border. He may well find life in Grozny a little different to his time here in Kyiv, but as part of Khadyrov's team he will no doubt be well treated during his time there, and everyone here at Dynamo wishes him the best of luck for the future.

Also on the agenda before our trip to London is the small matter of a league match against Zorya Luganks, perennial relegation candidates who have managed to survive in the top flight for a number of years without ever threatening to break into the top half. Again we will rotate the squad to allow for our European commitments, but anything less than three points at home will be viewed as a huge disappointment.

Of course, when you manage a team like Dynamo, you are expected to win every game. There is a sense of entitlement which comes with the blue and white strip, and the thousands of fans who part with their cash on a weekly basis only compound the expectations. Years of success have bred a culture of winning, where anything less is a failure and requires an investigation. No doubt there are some managers who would never dream of taking the job, seeing it as some sort of poisoned chalice. As one of those fans who have fuelled the fire however, I wouldn't dream of working anywhere else.

[EvilDave]

21st August 2010, Dynamo Kyiv vs Zorya Lugansk, Vyshcha Liga Round 3

A third home game in a row, and once again the fans are in full voice as we take our positions on the pitch. It is a slightly stronger team than the previous league game against Metalurg, with Nesmachnyi, Yarmolenko, Bertoglio and Gelashvili coming in for Polyovyi, Konoplyanka, Oliynyk and Zozulya in their respective positions – we may have one eye on Tottenham, but to lose our domestic focus would be unforgivable.

With their plethora of loan players, it is little wonder that Zorya are predicted to struggle again this season, a group of new players fighting for a cause which is not necessarily their own. However, in the opening exchanges they look to be holding their own, and as time ticks by become the first Ukrainian side to hold us scoreless for the opening ten minutes of a match this season.

We only have to wait two more, however. A throw allows Danilo Silva to feed Andre, and a first time ball finds Guilherme in space. Our Brazilian playmaker breaks through one tackle before losing control in the second, but the ball ricochets towards goal and the waiting Bertoglio, who takes a touch before smashing a shot beyond Shukhovtsev for 1-0. Our Argentinian winger runs over to celebrate with his Brazilian team mate, and our opponents trudge back to their positions bemoaning the bounce of the ball. Another good start.

Thanks largely to the methodical play of the visitors, it soon becomes evident that the game will lack the high tempo of our previous encounters. Instead of our quick breaks from midfield, we will instead have to rely on probing attacks, passing the ball around midfield before trying to thread one through for the strikers to chase. As long as we have the lead it is no problem, but a goal for Zorya would cause us problems.

We needn't have worried. A shot in frustration from Guilherme leads to a goal kick for the Lugansk side, and Shukovtsev slips as he made contact. The ball doesn't even reach half way before Guilherme rises to head it back towards goal, and in a second Andre is away, his pace taking him beyond the last defender and around the recovering goalkeeper for a simple second. The home fans applaud what they probably see as the game clinching goal, and thoughts begin to drift towards Tottenham in midweek. Our job here seems complete.

The rest of the half passes us by in a scrappy, uneventful fashion. Mykhalyk, Yarmolenko and Gelashvili all end up in the referee's book for various infringements along with three Zorya players, and whilst the eagerness of the official to produce cards is worrying, there was little concern in the home dressing room about the outcome of the game.

Zorya register their first two shots of the game early in the second half, but neither trouble Koval to the extent of making a save – the first a sighter from distance, whilst the second is a shot dragged wide from an excellent position, an outcome which has Betao breathing a sigh of relief. At the other end Bertoglio tries to register his entry for goal of the season with a waist-high volley towards the top corner which flies just over, and we continue to play comfortably within ourselves. The substitutes jog along the touchline to my right, and it is very much a case of business as usual.

On the hour Ninkovic and Zozulya come on for Gelashvili and a tiring Guilherme, but ten minutes later a ridiculous piece of refereeing sees us reduced to ten men – Mykhalyk stands his ground as their winger tries to push the ball past him and collect on the other side, and the official produces a second yellow despite our captain not even making a tackle. I bring Andre off for Chesnakov and move to 4-4-1 for the last 20 minutes, but my anger is aimed more at the incompetent refereeing than at my centre back.

The sending off makes little difference to the outcome, and we even have time for a third goal, Vukojevic opening his account for the season with a rocket from 25 yards that has everyone in the ground showing their appreciation. Zorya fail to register a single shot on target despite their numerical advantage, and afterwards in the dressing room we learn that Shakhtar have dropped points for the second time this season, another 0-0 draw away at Dnipro. All in all, not a bad day at the office.

Dynamo Kyiv 3 (Bertoglio 13, Andre 23, Vukojevic 79; Mykhalyk s/o 69)

Zorya Lugansk 0

League Position: 1st

[EvilDave]

I received a letter from the Football Association today, the first I have heard from them since my outburst in the media over the Metalist debacle. The newspapers have all but forgotten the incident, but it would appear that my criticism was not well received by those in the corridors of power.

Dear Mr. Matviyenko,

With reference to your comments made following Dynamo Kyiv's 2-1 victory against Metalist Kharkiv in Round One of the Vyshcha Liga, the Football Association of Ukraine has taken the decision to charge you with improper conduct relating to lack of respect for officials, and as such shall be issuing a fine equivalent to one week's wages after tax in due course.

Should you wish to appeal this decision, please response to this address within the next 48 hours and you will be assigned a personal hearing at a later date. Please note however, that an appeal without sufficient grounds may result in increased punishment for wasting valuable Association time. Any events occurring between the incident in question and the date of your hearing may also be used in your case.

The Football Association of Ukraine would like to thank you for your co-operation in this matter, and expresses its regret that it has been forced to take such action.

Yours in football,

The Football Association of Ukraine.

If ever there was a more spineless, cowardly reaction to an event I would like to see it. Rather than take into the account the huge favour we did them by winning the match, the problems they have caused us with the injury to Shevchenko and the completely farcical nature of the event, they have treated me in the same way as a local league manager who swears at referees to brighten up his afternoons. That they hide behind anonymity and refuse to even take responsibility with a signature is outrageous, and there is not a single redeeming feature in their statement. I won't be appealing, however – the less I have to deal with the incompetent powers that be, the better.

Besides, I have Tottenham to worry about, and anything less than full concentration will see us out of Champions League contention. The London side won their first home game of the season at the weekend, rolling over Fulham 2-0 to follow up a scrappy 2-1 victory in Blackpool on opening day, and looked impressive in doing so. We know it will be difficult, but Dynamo has never been about taking the easy road.

No, we will travel to England with every intention of playing our own game and getting the result we need to progress. Spurs have two away goals to assist them, but any sort of win will be enough for to reach the groups, and on our day we can beat any side in the world. We just need to have our days on a regular basis.

[EvilDave]

25th August 2010, Tottenham Hotspur (2) vs Dynamo Kyiv (2), Champions League Playoff

This is what football is all about – 36,000 screaming fans, a stadium steeped with history and success, an opponent looking to break new ground and a one-off match with everything to play for. Spurs are desperate to reach the competition proper after scraping into the final qualification spot last season, whilst we are looking to reclaim our place amongst Europe's elite clubs. Their weekly wage expenditure would easily cover our club's every outgoing, but tonight we are equal. Only one can progress.

The men trying to make sure that we are that one are as follows: Koval; Polyovyi, Mykhalyk, Betao, Danilo Silva; Vukojevic, Konoplyanka, Gusev, Guilherme; Andre, Zozulya. We will play as we always do – quickly, with an emphasis on movement in possession and pressure on defence. We will play our game, not Spurs', and we will live or die in this competition on our own principles.

The hosts kick off, and within seconds we are under pressure. Christian Maggio, a summer signing from Italy, surges down our left flank before finding Defoe, but the striker is well closed down by Mykhalyk and the corner is well claimed by Koval, confidently leaving his goal and taking the ball at its highest point.

After a few minutes of tentative play from both sides, I notice just how much the absence of van der Vaart is affecting the hosts – in Kyiv everything went through the Dutchman, but his unavailability through injury has forced Niko Kranjcar into the playmaking role, and the Croatian simply isn't able to dictate play in the same way. Granted, he would walk into our team, but comparing the two did Kranjcar no favours.

It is a mistake from the Croatian that brings our first attack after 11 minutes. Slight hesitation allows Vukojevic to steal in and poke the ball to Gusev, who sets off down the right. Faced with Assou-Ekotto he chooses to pass infield to Andre, and a great ball on the turn finds Zozulya in behind Dawson. His first touch is good, but his second is unexpected – a shot with the toe of his boot which looks to be heading wide but instead strikes the thigh of Corluka, wrong-footing Gomes in the process and rolling across the line to give us an early lead. White Hart Lane falls into a stunned silence as our bench celebrates, and our task seemed suddenly seems much more manageable.

Tottenham are clearly stung into action, and again we face an attack from the restart. Huddlestone and Palacios combine well to pick out Kranjcar, and the Croatian's ball reaches Defoe on the wrong side of Betao. The shot is fierce but Koval is equal to it, throwing himself to his right and pushing it away for a corner which Danilo Silva has to clear off the line. Kranjcar then almost does it all himself only for Polyovyi to get across on the cover, and we find ourselves at risk of being overrun by the hosts.

Defoe looks to be the most threatening man on his pitch with his electric pace, but it is via the aerial route that Spurs are enjoying most success – Bale's deliveries from either side are deadly accurate, and on one free kick only the post stands between Palacios and the equaliser. We are hanging on, but we are succeeding.

Whilst we are being pushed back I make sure we always have a outlet to attack so as to force Spurs to hold men back, and both Zozulya and Andre perform the role admirably. A Guilherme corner is cleared to Defoe who turns to race up the field, but he is dispossessed by a sliding Vukojevic, and the ball breaks to Zozulya on the shoulder of the last man. He does well until the crucial moment but takes too long on the shot, allowing Gomes to get close and make the save with his legs. A second goal would have put us firmly in the driving seat, but the signs are still positive.

Meanwhile, Defoe and Koval wage their own personal battle in and around penalty area. Firstly the diminutive striker flicks a header goalward only for our teenage keeper to claw it out from under the crossbar, and moments later stands up well with the Englishman bearing down on goal, deflecting the shot into touch with an outstretched right leg. At the other end Guilherme tests his countryman with a volley at a comfortable height for Gomes, and much like the first leg, it is hard to see the tempo dropping.

On the stroke of half time we almost have another with Zozulya's low drive earning a corner, but as the whistle blows White Hart Lane still doesn't know how to react. We have the lead on the night and on aggregate, and with the exception of Konoplyanka, who was carrying a knock and would be replaced by Yarmolenko, we are still at full strength. The second half is going to be decisive, but to tell exactly how is impossible.

[EvilDave]

Our first action of the second half is a deep free kick from Guilherme which sails quickly but harmlessly into the arms of Gomes at his far post. The Brazilian keeper rolls a quick ball to Gareth Bale who in turn finds Defoe, and the striker lays the ball into the path of Huddlestone before setting off on yet another forward run, with Vukojevic in hot pursuit.

Before the English midfielder can turn, however, Gusev gets there first. His tackle wins the ball cleanly and he immediately sends it forward to Andre before collecting the return, taking Bale out of the game as he speeds down the right. With the Spurs defence pushed up in anticipation of an attack of their own, Assou-Ekotto is powerless to stop the ball in, and Zozulya is perfectly positioned to smash a shot beyond the reach of Gomes to make it 2-0 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate with just 40 minutes to play.

If White Hart Lane was quiet before, you could hear a pin drop now. Redknapp races into his technical area in the opposing dugout, berating his players for their defensive naivety, but there was little he could do. We have seized control of the match, and are well on our way to reaching the competition proper.

It takes Spurs a few minutes to comprehend their new situation, and the expected onslaught does not arrive as quickly as we expect. With an hour on the clock they creat their first meaningful chance of the half, Mykhalyk misjudging a long ball and allowing Defoe in behind. However, clearly frustrated at himself and his team mates, Defoe snatches at the volley, sending it well wide to jeers of derision from our away contingent. I send on Oliynyk in place of Guilherme, who was starting to struggle, and we have just half an hour to hold on.

Fifteen minutes later I make my final substitution by bringing on Bertoglio for Gusev on the right, and our hosts have created precisely nothing. Defoe has earned himself a booking by kicking the ball away in disgust when caught offside, and in the centre of the pitch our pressing game is forcing the combined creative forces of Huddlestone and Kranjcar into aimless sideways passes, not allowing them any space from which to launch an attack. Simply put, we are winning.

In the final moments, we have the chance to put the icing on a truly spectacular cake. Firstly confusion between Dawson and Corluka forces Gomes into a smart save from Zozulya, and then a pinpoint free kick from Yarmolenko lands on the head of Bertoglio, our Argentine winger unable to direct his effort anywhere other than the flailing arm of Gomes. Bale clears the ball down the wing as far as Danilo Silva, and the ball quickly winds up with Oliynyk on the edge of the box. One ball takes Assou-Ekotto and Dawson out of the game, and Andre beats Gomes down low at the near post to make it 3-0. With five minutes to play the fans flood out of White Hart Lane in their hundreds, and our progression is secure.

There is time for one more moment of magic, and a consolation for the hosts courtesy of Defoe. Deep into injury time the striker finally manages to convert his frustration into end product, his driving run at our defence resulting in an unstoppable 25 yard shot which leaves Koval grasping at thin air. It is a fine goal, and one which our teenage goalkeeper makes a point of congratulating him on after the whistle, but ultimately a meaningless one. We are through, Spurs are out, and their return to the big stage is cut tragically short. We, on the other hand, take the first step on a long road to greatness.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Defoe 93)

Dynamo Kyiv 3 (Corluka OG 12, Zozulya 51, Andre 87)

Dynamo Kyiv win 5-3 on aggregate and progress to the Champions League Group Stage, Tottenham Hotspur qualify for the Europa League Group Stage.

[EvilDave]

'Dynamo Earn Their Spurs,' 'Kyiv Win Capital Clash,' 'Decisive Dynamo Sink Spurs.' Just three of the headlines which helped my morning cereal taste even better than usual after yesterday's European triumph. The players earned the day off after their heroics yesterday, and I have no doubt that many of them will at least glance at one of the many newspapers telling them how they have done their country proud, how they have restored honour to the Dynamo name and how they football they played would have made the great Lobanovskyi proud.

A little ego massaging will do them good, but it must not get in the way of their football. If last night in London represents a high point in a footballer's career, our next game will bring them firmly back down to earth – an away trip to newly-promoted Sevastopol, one of the least glamorous teams in the league in one of the most naturally beautiful settings. We top the table after three games, but the goal is to do so after 30, and we can only achieve that with full focus and concentration.

To ignore Europe completely would be crazy, however, and the draw for the Champions League groups has got everybody talking. As third seeds we were always going to face a difficult group, but when Chelsea and Real Madrid came out together everyone involved with the club was praying to avoid them. Instead we were drawn in Group G with last year's beaten finalists Bayern Munich, Italian giants Roma and Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade. Progression will most likely come down to our home form, but neither Roma nor Bayern are unbeatable, and at the very least we are targeting third place and the consolation of a Europa League place. Meanwhile, Shakhtar were drawn as second seeds in a group also featuring Manchester United, FC Copenhagen and Red Bull Salzburg – our rivals will feel confident of following the English side into the knockout rounds, and the general consensus is that Ukrainian football could be in for a special year.

One final note before we leave the European theme for a while – before we had even had time to board the plane from Heathrow to Kyiv, I received a phonecall from an unknown number. I answered it to find myself speaking to the agent of one Jermaine Jenas, the Spurs midfielder recently placed on the transfer list, who was impressed by our performance and wondered if we might not find room for his client amongst our squad. I politely thanked him and declined the offer before allowing myself a private chuckle in the departure lounge – if ever I needed a reminder about the fickle nature of this sport, that was it.

[mark wilson27]

Excellent story as always Dave, good luck in the Champions League

[EvilDave]

Cheers Mark, that win over Spurs was both unexpected and incredibly satisfying as an Arsenal fan!

----------------------------------------

28th August 2010, PFC Sevastopol vs Dynamo Kyiv, Vyshcha Liga Round 4

Sevastopol are a young team, having flown up the leagues in the last 15 years or so, and this season will be their first ever in the Ukrainian top flight. They are predicted to return straight back to the Persha Liga, but they will not go down without a fight having added to their squad, and we won't be allowing complacency to creep in. On our side, Chesnakov replaces the suspended Mykhalyk, whilst Garmash and Eremenko come in for Vukojevic and Danilo Silva, both of whom are not fully recovered from our European excursion. Otherwise we are at full strength, and expecting a win.

Zozulya takes the kick off to Andre, and our Brazilian lays it back to Guilherme as per usual. With just his second touch of the game our playmaker slides a ball between the two centre backs for Zozulya to run on to, and he makes no mistake with a low shot into the bottom corner. Sevastopol have yet to touch the ball, there are less than 20 seconds and the clock and we have the lead. We seem to have mastered the art of starting well.

We continue our good start, Andre going close with a header and Zozulya almost doubling his tally with a rising drive from distance. At the other end the pace of Julius Aghahowa has the potential to cause us problems, but our midfield simply isn't letting the hosts settle. Midway through the half Eremenko strides into space in midfield before picking out Guilherme, and the Brazilian's shot crashes off the upright before nestling in the back of the net. Sevastopol can't cope with our attack, and at 2-0 we are cruising.

The hosts register their first shot shortly after the goal, but Aghahowa's shot is speculative rather than dangerous and the previous pattern continues. A hopeful ball in from Konoplyanka causes chaos in defence and we are gifted a corner, which Chesnakov heads just over the bar. We somehow contrive to keep the score at 2-0 for the rest of the half, and my men jog off at the break with the points already looking secure and the opposition simply not good enough.

I sense the signs of complacency in the opening exchanges of the second period, with a series of corners forcing Koval into a couple of saves to keep the hosts off the scoresheet. Ten minutes in I make a double change, replacing Guilherme and Oliynyk with Yarmolenko and Bertoglio, and signal to the side to focus on the task at hand. We shouldn't have any problems, but dropping points here would be disastrous.

Bertoglio almost makes an immediate impact, latching onto a ball from the impressive Eremenko and forcing a low save from the goalkeeper that leads to a corner which Andre heads over. The record crowd in the stands seems to be dominated by our small contingent, and there is nothing to spur the home side on. Popov comes on from Konoplyanka with 20 minutes left to play, and the result looks like a formality.

Remarkably, we make things difficult for ourselves. Popov struggles to adapt to the tempo in his first appearance of the season, and a loose pass across the defence presents Aghahowa with the simplest of runs on goal, and the Nigerian finishes well to cut the deficit. The cheer from the home fans is muted at best, and when Gololobov is shown a straight red for elbowing Yarmolenko moments later it is once again the Dynamo voices that are loudest. Bertoglio is denied our third by a late offside flag, but when the whistle finally blows for full time our 2-1 lead is enough. Not the most exciting of games, but three more points are not to be scoffed at.

PFC Sevastopol 1 (Aghahowa 76; Gololobov s/o 81)

Dynamo Kyiv 2 (Zozulya 1, Guilherme 22)

League Position: 2nd

[EvilDave]

With the transfer window closing tonight, we have made one final addition to the squad – centre back Dmytro Nevmyvaka joins us from Metalurg Zaporizhzhya for just short of £1m as backup to our defensive line, and the deal itself is a minor coup for the club given that Dmytro felt it necessary to mention his snubbing of Shakhtar in his introductory press conference. Nothing like an opening shot to get the fans on your side, even if you are expecting limited playing time.

With the end of the month also signalling the financial report, things are looking promising here at Dynamo. Thus far for the season the club has recording a £16m profit, increasing the bank balance by almost 50% in just two months since my appointment as manager. Cynics would point to the £15m that we have received in transfer fees, but it must be noted that around half of those fees have been reinvested immediately in the playing squad. That still leaves something in the region £8.5m unaccounted for, and even without the £6m received for Champions League qualification we are running at a healthy profit.

Common sense in financial management is something which I am going to continue to insist on here at Dynamo – we know we cannot compete with the bigger European teams, or even Shakhtar, in terms of wage budgets and transfer fees, and the relatively small Lobanovskiy Stadium means that we cannot rely on huge gate receipts to keep us afloat. Instead, the solution is simple – keep costs as low as reasonably possible, maintain a competitive wage ceiling, and aim for continued success on the football pitch. If all three are maintained, the long term future of Dynamo will be in a very healthy position.

Of course, football is not all about finances, and tomorrow we continue with the far more important playing aspect when we welcome Illichivets to the capital from Mariupol. Like Sevastapol, Illichivets are another side predicted to struggle at the wrong end of the Vyshcha Liga this season having narrowly avoided the drop in each of their three seasons up, but a first win of the season over Metalurg Donetsk in their previous game will give them a confidence which means we underestimate them at our peril. We have a 100% record to protect and a league title to chase – those two facts alone should give my men plenty of motivation to go out and win.

[EvilDave]

1st September 2010, Dynamo Kyiv vs Illichivets Mariupol, Vyshcha Liga Round 5

With memories of the game in Sevastopol fresh in the memory, we are taking no chances with the team today – Mykhalyk and Danilo Silva return in defence and Gusev replaced the injured Konoplyanka, whilst up front Zozulya drops to the bench in favour of Yarmolenko – Roman may have scored early on in the Crimea, but his form is far from consistent and Yarmolenko deserves his chance. The Illichivets defence is not the quickest, and his pace should cause them problems providing we can give him adequate service.

Illichivets are lined up in a defensive 4-2-3-1 to start the game, and immediately we look to take advantage of the space in midfield. Betao somehow manages to get booked in the opening 90 seconds, but we regain possession and Yarmolenko ends up running at the defence with no challenge. A swing of his right boot later and the keeper is beaten, the crossbar rattles and somehow the visitors survive.

Minutes later we almost break through again, and this time it is all the work of Guilherme. Our playmaker wins a challenge on the centre line and breaks down the right, beating two defenders before squaring for Andre. His countryman's shot is hit first time and with power, but the accuracy is always lacking and it flies out of play a couple of yards right of the goal. So far Illichivets have shown nothing, and if we can find a way through then pushing on would be a formality.

Fifteen minutes in and we are toiling. Despite barely facing an attack we manage to earn a second booking through Danilo Silva, and the visitors are frustrating our midfield. A perfect ball from Oliynyk splits the defence in half, but Gusev arrives too quickly and can only direct his shot at the goalkeeper, and we have to start again. For the first time in my tenure, there is anxiety from the home fans who are becoming used to our lightning starts.

Finally it comes. From the keeper's clearance Garmash claims possession and recycles it to Oliynik, who frees Guilherme down the left this time. The Brazilian's trickery is too much for the full back, and he reaches the byline before chipping a delightful ball into the box. Goalkeeper Bazhan watches helplessly as it loops over his head at the near post, and Gusev is left with the simply of finishes from two yards out. From the restart Andre steals in and almost doubles the lead, and we are back in business.

With the half hour ticking by, Bazhan is again powerless to defend his goal and watches in relief as a speculative drive from Guilherme clips the top of the crossbar before going over. Our attack looks to have found its rhythm, and with five minutes to go before the break a neat exchange of passes between Guilherme and Gusev sees the goalscorer's low shot evade Bazhan only to bounce out off the post. Yarmolenko reacts before a static defence, and his left-footed tap into the unguarded goal gives us a solid half time lead.

“First of all, good work out there – they haven't managed to get into the game and you're pulling their defensive system to shreds. Excellent support work on both goals and Guilherme, if you play like this every week you'll have international caps by Christmas.

Now we all remember what happened in Sevastopol, and I don't want to see that kind of complacency again. Roman is coming in for Danilo, purely because I'm not risking another stupid red card, but if we go soft and let this lot back in for a point then there'll be big consequences tomorrow. Now get out there and give me more of the same – they're here for the taking.”

[EvilDave]

My words clearly have some sort of resonance, and we start the second half with another attack. Andre's shot is deflected away for a throw, and Gusev is given space and time to collect and pick out Garmash making a late run into the box. Our defensive midfield prodigy's shot is low and true, giving Bazhan no chance and putting us 3-0 up just 45 seconds after the restart.

Unfortunately, there is little my defence could do about the goal we concede five minutes later. Some tidy passing in midfield sees them pull Garmash out of position and free up space for Yaroshenko to play in Symonchuk, who beats Koval with a nice finish into the fine corner for 3-1. Maxym's clean sheet will have to wait, but at least this time we have a cushion before conceding.

Unlike the game in Sevastopol however, we kick on in search of another goal. A free kick from Oliynyk needs a goal line clearance to prevent Beato heading a fourth, and on the hour Yarmolenko almost doubles his account with a shot from the edge of the area which swerves just the wrong side of the post. Symonchuk's strike looks more and more isolated, and again the points seem comfortable. I send Gelashvili on in place of Andre up front, and we resume our attacking.

We are extremely unlucky not the add to our tally soon after the switch, although our Georgian frontman plays no part in the move. A quick free kick from Eremenko sends Gusev away on the right, and our winger instinctively looks up to find Guilherme lurking 25 yards from goal. A brilliant first time pass from the Brazilian finds Oliynyk surging in behind his man and our summer signing does well to cut inside a covering tackle, only for his shot to ripple the side netting. It is a great move encompassing the full width of the pitch, but ultimately it remains 3-1 and we still have work to do.

Every so often the visitors look like threatening, and with around 15 minutes manage to force Koval into a save for the first time since getting on the scoreboard. More good work in midfield produces a gap in our back line, and right winger Koz'ban sneaks in only to be denied by a diving stop from our teenage goalkeeper. Betao sprints over to congratulate him, acknowledging his own part in the move in the process, and promptly heads Kravchenko's corner clear.

It is the last noteworthy action in the second half, and when the referee blows his whistle our 3-1 lead translates into another three points to maintain our 100% record. With Vorskla held to a goalless draw by Krybas we now lead the way as the only side to start with five consecutive wins, and with Shakhtar not in action we extend our lead over the title holders to seven points already. We are already transferring the pressure to our rivals, and as longer we keep winning the more chance they have of slipping up again.

Dynamo Kyiv 3 (Gusev 18, Yarmolenko 42, Garmash 46)

Illichivets Mariupol 1 (Symonchuk 50)

League Position: 1st

[EvilDave]

Whilst we are currently sitting pretty at the top of the table, we cannot afford to take for granted that opposing teams will roll over and let us walk away with all three points. As a consequence, we send scouts to the preceding two games of each opponent, with the aim of identifying their key threats and coming up with a way of minimising them in our own encounter.

Our next match is away at Tavria Simferopol, who have played just three games so far thanks to their European commitments – they were the unexpected winners of the Kubok Ukraina last season and so have had to negotiate the qualifying rounds of the Europa League as well as competing against Shakhtar in the domestic Super Cup, and are clearly struggling to do battle on multiple fronts, picking up just a single point from their league campaign so far.

However, they are by no means an easy side to play against, as their cup win would suggest. Their most recent outing was in that one-off cup tie against the champions, and although a late goal condemned them to a 1-0 defeat they were the equal of Shakhtar for the majority of the match, the scout reports suggesting that they actually created the majority of the chances despite their limited possession.

To me, that suggests a side dangerous on the counter-attack, something which we have been caught out on once or twice already this season. Thanks to the new disciplinary rules introduced for this season players take a one match suspension for reaching two bookings followed by another game for every card thereafter, so we'll be without Danilo Silva, Eremenko and Andre for our trip – that will require a defensive reshuffle, and the men coming in will be under strict instructions to hold their positions and watch their mark. Soft goals on the break are, in my opinion, the worst kind to concede purely because of how avoidable they often are, and against a side which specialises in the counter we will have to be on our guard.

On the other hand, we are looking strong up front. Even without the talismanic Shevchenko, our 13 goal offence leads the league and looks good to score past anyone, especially given our recent run of strong starts. If we can get off to another flyer in Simferopol and hold firm at the back, a sixth successive win and another three points should be well within our grasp. The longer we keep our perfect record intact, the closer we get to the all-important league title. It sounds simple in theory, but the reality might be a little more difficult.

[EvilDave]

4th September 2010, Tavria Simferopol vs Dynamo Kyiv, Vyshcha Liga Round 6

As it happens, my squad selection is once again depleted by more than suspension and injury – a game for the national side against Chile in three days time deprives me of four more players, resulting in a somewhat makeshift squad taking to the field against Tavria – Nesmachnyi and Dopilka get a chance alongside the usual centre back pairing, whilst Polyovyi is forced up into a midfield role. Oliynyk takes the playmaking role which allows Guilherme up front to partner Yarmolenko, and the bench is a mess. With the Football Association once again unrepentant, there is little I can do about it.

From the start we win a free kick, and Garmash and Oliynyk combine to find Polyovyi enjoying his more attacking role on the left. Our usual full back cuts inside and lets fly, but the shot is wild and fails to trouble to goalkeeper. Still, it acts as a warning shot to the hosts, and I applaud the thought as we jog back into position for the goal kick.

Tavria heed the warnings, and a hopeful cross is headed behind by Mykhalyk for a corner. The ball is whipped in and Kozyr rises highest to thump a header beyond Koval, only to be denied by the linesman's flag for a push on Gusev. From my position on the touchline I could see nothing wrong with the goal, and my bench breathes a huge sigh of relief. We have been given a let-off, and it is our turn to be warned early on.

We listen well, and gradually we grow into our rhythm. First Oliynyk is denied when his shot is deflected wide, and a free kick from Polyovyi is blocked despite looking destined for the bottom corner. Guilherme somehow fires wide when it looks easier to score, and despite the goal scare we are on top as the first quarter of an hour comes to an end. Seconds later we earn a corner on the right, and Betao keeps up his great goalscoring form with a flicked header at the near post to put us into a deserved 1-0 lead. The good start we wanted has come good, and now we have to concentrate on keeping them out at the other end.

Two more corners follow, and the first almost leads to a comical own goal – Yarmolenko does well to win the first header but is nowhere near the target, only for two defenders to collide and send the ball spinning just wide of the post. Garmash rises to meet the second, but he can't keep his effort down and we retreat with the lead stuck at one. With half an hour showing on the clock the same man launches a rocket from outside the area which is tipped over, and the hosts have little to combat our possession football in the centre. A curling shot from distance is comfortably held by Koval at the other end, and we look comfortable.

We almost allow comfortable to become complacent a moment later however, a nice ball from Korobka catching our back line ballwatching and allowing Kovpak the time to shoot. Maxym's dive is equal to it, but possession is recycled and only a flying header from captain Mykhalyk prevents Shynder getting on the end of a teasing cross. Eventually we clear the danger, but we have to stay alert to that kind of opportunity.

The last ten minutes of the half deteriorates into a battle for possession in the centre of the pitch, and eventually the whistle goes with the score still at 1-0. My team talk at the interval is simply – keep hold of the ball, keep the tempo high and keep awake at the back. Achieve all three, and the points are ours for the taking.

[EvilDave]

We carve out a chance almost immediately, and it is the kind of play which we've been working out in training. Oliynik picks up the ball and runs at the defence, and instinctively Guilherme makes a run across the box, drawing both central defenders away from the ball. That leaves Yarmolenko free, but his shot is saved well by Khomutosovskyi. One more, and we would be safe.

Shortly afterwards a mistake from the right back allows Polyovyi to make space for a great cross, but Guilherme's header crashes off the crossbar and the hosts escape again. Our left back has clearly enjoyed playing further forward today, and his performance has given me some serious food for thought. We aren't short of options on the left, but Volodymyr's versatility and consistency is doing his selection chances no harm at all.

With an hour on the clock I decide to change things up, bringing Zozulya on for Oliynyk to allow Guilherme to resume playmaking duties, whilst Bertoglio and Gusev provide a straight swap on the right side of midfield. There is no immediate impact, but soon another surging run from Polyovyi earns us another corner which he takes himself, and Zozulya's back post volley is cleared off the line by the knee of a defender. Time is running out for the home side, but with the lead only 1-0 we cannot take our foot off the pedal.

The last ten minutes are underway, and a long ball from the back is easily cut out by the composed head of Mykhalyk, who finds Polyovyi slightly infield on the halfway line. A burst of pace sees him between two defenders and he cuts out wide, beating a third man before curling a cross into the box. Andre leaps but is clattered to the ground by Kashevskyi and we are awarded a stonewall penalty. The keeper dives the right way but Yarmolenko's shot is both accurate and powerful, and we finally have the insurance we needed. Eight minutes remain, and the points are ours.

The goal seems to kill off the spirit of Tavria, and we almost add to our advantage immediately. Guilherme and Garmash work well around the edge of the box and the final pass finds Polyovyi making a superb run from deep. His first shot is well struck but straight at the goalkeeper, his effort on the rebound is kept out by a superb flying stop from Khomutosovskyi and we have to make do with a corner. There is one more close call in the dying moments when a Nesmachnyi cross is allowed to drift all the way across the face of goal only to bounce wide at the last second, but the final whistle arrives with no further addition to the scoreboard.

It is a satisfying victory for a number of reasons. Firstly, we were once again without a number of key players and yet still managed to overwhelm the opposition on the road. Secondly, Polyovyi was nothing short of a revelation on the left wing, and has played his way into contention for a regular berth further forward. Finally, for the first time in my tenure we looked perfectly comfortable in defence – the early disallowed goal aside, Tavria only managed one genuine chance all game, and Koval was equal to it in goal. We controlled possession from back to front, and on another day could have scored four or five. Two turned out to be enough, and despite Shakhtar finally hitting their stride with a 4-0 thrashing of Vorskla, we stay firmly atop the Vyshcha Liga table at this early stage. The pressure is all on our rivals.

Tavria Simferopol 0

Dynamo Kyiv 2 (Betao 18, Yarmolenko pen 82)

League Position: 1st

[EvilDave]

We've only got a few days before we finally get to play our opening cup game against Yunior Kyiv, but the club's board has clearly decided that we cannot afford to rest on our laurels in our bid to reclaim power from Shakhtar in our domestic tussle. Their latest move is most encouraging even if the cynics will bring up money yet again, as this newspaper article clearly describes.

Dynamo Go East In Bid For Growth

Just hours after their playing staff continued their excellent start to the season under new manager Valeri Matviyenko with a 2-0 win away at Tavria, the board of directors at Dynamo Kyiv made an announcement which breaks new ground in Ukrainian football, and is a clear indication of their ambitions for the club.

It is a technique which has already been employed by the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid, but is a first for a club for our country – Chairman Igor Surkis announced to the gathered media that the club had agreed a deal with Chinese champions Shandong Luneng Taishan FC to promote Dynamo in the Chinese market, a move clearly intended to widen the appeal of Dynamo's image and take advantage of the history and success attached to the club.

The details of the deal are not entirely clear, but it is believed that in return for the partial funding of an academy for Shandong, the Chinese league and cup winners will help to promote the Dynamo brand through the sale of merchandise and match highlights on their official website, as well as allowing the Kyiv side first option on their players should they wish to sell.

Furthermore, Dynamo have agreed to travel to China for an annual friendly match before the start of each season – an idea which will provide extra income for Shandong whilst also capitalising on the reputation of players such as Andriy Shevchenko in the Asian market.

It is easy to see this deal as a pure money-making exercise for Dynamo, but I firmly believe that once the details have been made clear there will be obvious benefits for both clubs in this agreement. Should Dynamo's foothold in the Asian game prove successful expect Shakhtar to follow suit in short order, whilst even clubs such as Dnipro and Metalist may look to capitalise on participation in European competition by trying to branch out and expand their fanbase. Ukraine's most successful club have stolen a march on their rivals by linking up with the Chinese champions, and with Dynamo performing well both on and off the pitch, the future looks very bright for Matviyenko's men.[/Quote]

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Just to note that this will be the last post in here for a couple of weeks - my time is Russia is coming to an end, and I'm using the last week to head across to Ekaterinburg before coming home via Moscow. I'll pick it up when I get back to the UK, but in the meantime don't expect any further developments!