Mikhail Salnikov, head coach of FC Chelyabinsk: We set up the guys to win in every match

Mikhail Salnikov, head coach of FC Chelyabinsk: We set up the guys to win in every match

In the season just ended, Chelyabinsk Football Club won bronze medals in the PFL championship. But there is no time to rest on our laurels. In just a couple of weeks, a new championship will start, which promises to be even more interesting and challenging. Having rested for only 10 days, the players started preparing for the new season. In between training sessions, the team's mentor Mikhail Salnikov spoke about the results of the past season and shared his plans for the near future.

“Last season was tough. As for our bronze medals, we did not expect any other result. More precisely tuned to play even better. The second part of the championship turned out to be more productive for us in terms of the result, the implementation of coaching and tactical preparations. The first part was crumpled and full of uncertainty. We did not understand when we would start the tournament, where and how it would be organized.

In the winter off-season, there was a kind of work on the mistakes made in the fall. The management went to meet us, inviting two missing and very important players for our system. I'm talking about Nikita Kasatkin and Viktor Kiselev. We knew these guys well, their capabilities. And they fit the team perfectly, strengthened us and helped in the spring part.

– The result in the spring part of the season, when the team scored 10 victories in 13 matches – is it fruitful work at the winter training camp?

– Fees are needed in order to build an organic picture of the game. Last winter we had only two camps. And, in my opinion, three would not hurt to achieve ambitious goals. Then we would have performed even better. They would have won not 10 victories, but, perhaps, all 13. You need to understand that in the winter in Chelyabinsk it is impossible to fully prepare. There is no need to talk about football here. We ski, skate, play hockey, run in the forest – in general, we do physical education. But that's not what we're here for, right? Players need to work with the ball, play football. In general, I think that we did well, but with additional training we could have done even better.

– At the winter training camp there were control matches with teams of the FNL level. Did they also contribute to the performance in the spring segment?

“It plays a big psychological role. We deliberately looked for strong opponents in order to point out our shortcomings against their background and work on them. Defeats from such teams are always an experience. And victories are also an experience, but a positive one. Based on it, we can analyze whether the team is following the right direction.And, of course, this gives the children confidence in their abilities.

– Eight victories in a row. 10 of the won matches of 13, which happened in the spring segment, became a surprise for you personally? Was there any plan for a set of glasses? Or did everything go, as you planned?

– The surprise was only that we insultedly lost points with Kamaz, Star and Tyumen. We had to take all the matches. I am sure that the team was capable of this.

-You are a maximal coach. Nevertheless, were there matches that, by the result, could be called close to the ideal?

– Good, I think, got a home match with Tyumen. They had to squeeze the opponent. I can’t remember something else. I am always restrained in the praise of the guys at post-match press conferences. It is sometimes much worse to praise. There were several worthy matches, but in the first I really remember the match with Tyumen, which, I believe, had to win.

– 10 days the guys rested – and again for work. Will it be hard to set them up again in a working way? After all, it seems, the season is just over, the goal has been achieved. And here we must again join in the work.

– We demand from the guys maximum return both in training and in games. We set up to win in every match, regardless of rivals. And if we talk about strategic tasks, they are set by the club leadership based on many factors.

– The team attracted the attention of other, let's say, more status and rich clubs with their game. Several players of the main composition went to increase. Do you now have an understanding of how to replace them, especially within the framework of such a short off -season?

– Honestly, there is no understanding. But we are working on it. Here, much depends on the leadership of the city, region. In what place, in what status they want to see us. Players go to increase. Either to the FNL clubs, or to the teams that set the task in the near future to go there. They are difficult to blame for this. Therefore, I say that for the athlete there is only one place and one task is to be always the first. Then the players who want to develop, grow, will keep easier. I hope that all other players will remain. Our youth, unfortunately, is not yet ready to give a result at a high level right away, here and now. We included them in our training process, attract them to work with the main team. But what they are ready for, how they will progress, only time will show. We find out in the course of the autumn segment.

– What are the plans for this short off -season for this?

– We have planned three control matches. The nearest game will take place on July third with KamAZ. On July sixth, we will play with Zenit from Izhevsk, and on the ninth of July at home we will play with Torpedo from Miass, which will play with us in the same tournament in the new season.

– This season, the league will expand to 18, and, possibly, 20 teams. You will have to play very often.To what extent do you think it will be difficult and interesting at the same time?

The more teams, the more fun. After all, footballers often do not like to train. Give them the ball, they want to play all the time. As for the schedule, everyone will be in the same conditions. But a significant factor, I think, will be the depth of the composition, in particular, the presence of full-fledged reservists. The better your team is staffed, the more likely you are to achieve the expected results. After all, there will be cards, disqualifications. No one canceled the injury. This is a task that the players, the coaching staff and our management must solve together.