Team Vitality’s 0-3 start to the 2024 LEC Summer Split is a worrying sign for the playoffs and Worlds hopes. While their Championship Points standings mean that it’s not all doom and gloom just yet, the side will need a quick turnaround if they’re to ensure the season doesn’t end in disaster. After their disappointing opening weekend, we spoke to support Zdravets “Hylissang” Iliev Galabov to get his thoughts on the start and discuss the criticism of his own performances.
Credit: LEC | Michal Konkol
Lee Jones: You went for the Ornn support today and it was only the third time it’s been picked worldwide in Summer so far.
Hylissang: I think it’s common actually to play Senna/Ornn into Nautilus fine just because of the interaction between Ornn W and Nautilus Q, and he becomes very tanky. But with Senna, if he can have a good early game, good laning phase and then he solo farms and doesn’t get dove, then he becomes very obnoxious to play against. But I think today I didn’t perform that well and it was a bit hard just because I was alone as a frontline – they could hard CC me when I’m ulting, so it was hard for me to play team fights.
Lee: Jungle/support synergy can be very important and I imagine it could take some time for that synergy to kick in.
Hylissang: I think Lyncas is doing quite well. Me and him are working very hard every day to be on the same page and understand each other’s point of view. So I think it’s a matter of time for us to be top-level in the LEC. I think he’s quite a smart and hard-working player so I’m very happy that he’s in our team.
Image credit: Riot Games
Lee: I wanted to ask about your own performance. You’ve come under a lot of criticism this year, while your coach Pad continues to bat for you – even saying in an interview with Thorin that the team will be at a top level if the roster is still together by this time next year once there will have been enough time for everyone to play the game with your mindset.
Hylissang: The three games that I’ve shown are quite bad, in my opinion. I think I underperformed quite a lot. But overall, I wouldn’t say the criticism is justified. I usually play quite good I think, but this split I’ve been playing bad, and it’s not a secret to me.
About what Pad said, I think I’ve always struggled when the team that I’m playing doesn’t trust me or doesn’t think that what we are doing is good and we are just on different pages – looking back even on Fnatic and MAD. So I think it’s pretty accurate what Pad says. It’s not only that the team has to be on my page, right now I feel like we’re struggling to be on the same page as a team and I don’t even give that many calls right now. I think Lyncas is taking a lot of the shot-calling, which is good I think.
Lee: There was a debate online surrounding the nature of criticism of players by the broadcast and analysts, particularly surrounding Upset and Targamas, and some fans had even argued that negative criticism should not happen on broadcast at all.
Hylissang: For me, it’s very weird – the passive/handsome thing they did. I think that was quite weird. I don’t think a professional broadcast should do that, in my opinion, just because it downgrades the player.
I feel like fans can do whatever they want, they’re allowed to not show sportsmanship or something, but I feel like the broadcast should be not doing it, in my opinion. But I mean, haters always will hate, just you shouldn’t allow it to influence you in that way. That’s why I don’t like going to social media anymore, just because there’s a lot of people that are there to hurt you, and it’s not worth my time. And other players, I feel like it could quite affect them, especially if they are new. But, yeah, that’s my opinion. It’s just social media, what can you do?
Right now it’s not looking very hot, but I’m optimistic and I believe we can make it. I believe in the team, the coaching staff. So for me, it’s just a matter of time.
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