On the team's confidence.
The team now has a great atmosphere in it and this is to the credit of the coaching staff.
Everyone is working hard, the coaching, medical and admin staff are giving 100%, as are the players. We try to be flexible with things, including domestic issues. The team are playing well, which helps make the mood in the team excellent.
On the coach always being available for with the players.
That's right, maybe someone can be embarrassed to speak in a group and not everyone has had time to chat with me properly. But all the guys know that at any time of the day or night they can call or approach me at the training ground. I'm available and this is part of my job.
On Russsian only and fines at training.
There are no fines. In training we speak mostly Russian. On the coaching staff we have Maxim Gaidovsky (head of the video analytics department - Ed.) Who helps translate information during training. We have our Argentine players and the others understand English. Christian Noboa speaks Russian and he helps us actively.
On the team scoring a lot in pre-season.
It's too early to compare pre-season and now. We try to create many chances and score. Let's hope it continues this way.
Players returning from loan strengthening the team and the team challenging for the title.
Hernani, Noboa, Mak, Anyukov with Shatov all played very well in the pre-season training, so I have no doubt that they will help us. As for reinforcements, I think that we do need some. In terms of the team, we are neither stronger nor weaker than our direct rivals. We have a very capable team that can challenge for the title. But in order to make the team stronger and more balanced, we need to strengthen. I have spoken with the club about this.
On a number of players missing pre-season because of the World Cup.
All the players are in a different mental and physical state. There was very little time to prepare the players to get them into an optimal state for the very beginning of the season.
On if those players who appeared at the World Cup may look tired.
This is quite possible that at some point they will, I will not speak for the entire season, but there may be moments and we should try and minimize them.
On Zenit not being in the Champions League and the motivation for the Argentinians.
The Argentines have some very strong motivation, which they prove every day in training. On our part, we should make sure that every player does his best.
Dzyuba's million subscribers on Instagram and his attention to this
That is a big number, but on the football pitch Artem plays without his followers and he relies only on himself. For each match, he must go out extremely motivated and ready. Artem is one of the leaders of the team and he must confirm this in every game.
On Dzyubamania in Russia.
I'm just happy for him. Let's have both Dzyubamania and Shatovmania help the team play well.
Having a woman on the coaching staff. (In Soviet times it was thought of as unlucky.)
I didn't know it was unlucky. I only knew about the superstition of having a woman on a ship, but we have a team, not a ship. At Ufa we had a woman on the coaching staff and got the best result in the club's history, it even brought us good luck. No matter, woman or man, the professional qualities of Maria Burova suit me 100% and this is the most important thing.
The team now has a great atmosphere in it and this is to the credit of the coaching staff.
Everyone is working hard, the coaching, medical and admin staff are giving 100%, as are the players. We try to be flexible with things, including domestic issues. The team are playing well, which helps make the mood in the team excellent.
On the coach always being available for with the players.
That's right, maybe someone can be embarrassed to speak in a group and not everyone has had time to chat with me properly. But all the guys know that at any time of the day or night they can call or approach me at the training ground. I'm available and this is part of my job.
On Russsian only and fines at training.
There are no fines. In training we speak mostly Russian. On the coaching staff we have Maxim Gaidovsky (head of the video analytics department - Ed.) Who helps translate information during training. We have our Argentine players and the others understand English. Christian Noboa speaks Russian and he helps us actively.
On the team scoring a lot in pre-season.
It's too early to compare pre-season and now. We try to create many chances and score. Let's hope it continues this way.
Players returning from loan strengthening the team and the team challenging for the title.
Hernani, Noboa, Mak, Anyukov with Shatov all played very well in the pre-season training, so I have no doubt that they will help us. As for reinforcements, I think that we do need some. In terms of the team, we are neither stronger nor weaker than our direct rivals. We have a very capable team that can challenge for the title. But in order to make the team stronger and more balanced, we need to strengthen. I have spoken with the club about this.
On a number of players missing pre-season because of the World Cup.
All the players are in a different mental and physical state. There was very little time to prepare the players to get them into an optimal state for the very beginning of the season.
On if those players who appeared at the World Cup may look tired.
This is quite possible that at some point they will, I will not speak for the entire season, but there may be moments and we should try and minimize them.
On Zenit not being in the Champions League and the motivation for the Argentinians.
The Argentines have some very strong motivation, which they prove every day in training. On our part, we should make sure that every player does his best.
Dzyuba's million subscribers on Instagram and his attention to this
That is a big number, but on the football pitch Artem plays without his followers and he relies only on himself. For each match, he must go out extremely motivated and ready. Artem is one of the leaders of the team and he must confirm this in every game.
On Dzyubamania in Russia.
I'm just happy for him. Let's have both Dzyubamania and Shatovmania help the team play well.
Having a woman on the coaching staff. (In Soviet times it was thought of as unlucky.)
I didn't know it was unlucky. I only knew about the superstition of having a woman on a ship, but we have a team, not a ship. At Ufa we had a woman on the coaching staff and got the best result in the club's history, it even brought us good luck. No matter, woman or man, the professional qualities of Maria Burova suit me 100% and this is the most important thing.
