"We got better, but only because we were very bad before" — Vladi on Fnatic's Spring Split
Photo Credit: Riot Games
Following Fnatic's loss to Vitality, the team had a slim chance of making it to Spring playoffs at the time of the interview — those hopes have since been mathematically ended by MKOI's win over Shifters. Vladi sat down with RFT.GG to break down another disappointing split, the team's draft limitations and inconsistency, the leadership weight he's quietly carrying, his own growth in lane, and what he's still working on.
First, Vladi, how are you feeling?
Sad, obviously, because playoffs are almost unrealistic now. We're almost out, and our level is just very poor right now. So there's nothing else to feel.
It feels like FNC fall behind in gold a lot, but the games still always look winnable because of the way you draft. Could that have been the issue this split, that you only had this playstyle to rely on?
Yeah, I think so. We have a kind of specific playstyle, some people maybe have a more limited champion pool, so we just have to play specific styles, which can be bad. League of Legends needs a lot of adaptability.
Right now we're a team that plays a lot of hyper-carries and puts weak side on top, and we can't really do the opposite much.
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We've also heard that Upset and Razork have very different opinions in-game. Have you witnessed that with the team? Has it been hard to align in general?
Not really. They're kind of on the same page in reviews, usually — I don't think there's an issue with that. Mostly, we're playing very inconsistently, like you said. We get behind a lot in early, and then in other games we're mega ahead. Against KC, I think we played three games and we were ahead in all three. Then we go into the next team and we're just behind in every single game. We're inconsistent a lot and that's very bad.
How do you explain that inconsistency? Against G2, KC, even Vitality today — those are the best teams in the league — you looked way better than against teams like GX or SK.
The first weeks were way worse. We were just way worse as a team. Right now we play better, obviously, but it's still to a point where it just looks bad. We got better, but only because we were very, very bad before. So we are still not good.
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What would you say has been the biggest in-game issue with this team?
A lot of times we're just not on the same page. That's the biggest issue. People have different thoughts on what they want to do, and we take too much time to find one game plan or to be decisive on a short window for a play.
We'll take a lot of time, or we might not even have it — and then it just gets messy. Which is also what happened in this game, kind of. I'd say this game was very fiesta, Game 3 — top lane was doing very bad as well, the matchup is also quite unplayable.
Why didn’t you go for the Malphite, actually?
I mean, we considered it but is Malphite even a good champion into Varus, honestly? And is it even a good champ overall? We got mega desperate, we were getting pressured a lot. So we were making calls I wasn't ready for — we weren't even planning them, we were just snap-engaging on them, and it was just messy. We obviously lost.
In your opinion, what separates the good players from the great players?
Hard work, obviously, a lot during practice. Having a consistent schedule. Tryharding in scrims, consistently reviewing your lane, being with the team in the reviews and giving your thoughts. All of that makes you a better player. There aren't a lot of things, I'd say. If you do these things, that means you're hungry to improve, and that can make you a very good player.
And would you say in the team, you and the other players are doing that?
Yeah, everyone is putting in a lot of effort. But like I said, sometimes it just doesn't work.
Are you satisfied with the growth you've had since you joined the league?
Yeah, I think I'm playing better. This series I didn't really show it because there were a lot of issues. There aren't many excuses — and I shouldn't have an excuse — but I think our Game 2 draft was very hard to play, Game 3 the draft was a bit awkward and top fell too far behind. Just because we're not on the same page, we end up playing bad.
But I think my lane got way better, in my opinion. I'm playing lane very well, I'd say. And right now I'm trying to improve side play — I can see that it's starting to get better.
Do you ever feel like there's more responsibility on your shoulders to perform with this Fnatic team — because you're the one Fnatic decided to bet on, the rising talent they decided to rebuild with?
I don't think about it like that. But I do have the responsibility in terms of helping the rookies. They're kind of new to the league, so a lot of times they don't really know what to do. Before, for example, I had Canna and Targamas — Canna was playing on one of the best teams, so he knew a lot of times what to do and he was also kind of micromanaging me.It's similar to Yike, for example.
So now I also kind of have Yike's job — I need to micromanage or speak up more about certain points in-game with the rookies.
I'm doing it, but it needs more work.
Photo Credit: Elliot Le Core/Riot Games.
Wouldn't that role be more on Upset or Razork, who are way more experienced?
Yeah, but Upset plays ADC so there aren't many things to talk about. The mid-game moves, all of that, mostly comes to the side laners and a bit to the jungle, I'd say. So Upset is kind of excluded from that. And Razork is the jungler — it's mostly on the side lanes to make a play, communicate with him, make a plan.
If you don't make it to playoffs — which is likely now — does this team need changes to actually work out by Summer?
I'm not sure. The staff will decide.
It can be me as well, you never know.
I don't really have an opinion on that, honestly. I don't know what the future will hold. I'll just try to keep playing. There'll obviously be a huge break if we're out, but I still want to be in shape and keep getting better. So I'll keep in touch with the game and see what happens.
Rapid Fire Questions
A rapid-fire round to close out — yes/no answers, with optional context.
Is Chovy currently the best player in the world? — Yes
Are you the most brain-rotted player in the league? — No
Is the mid game the most important aspect of the game? — Yes
Was the bad ending with KC mainly your fault? — Yes
Has confidence been the biggest issue with this Fnatic roster? — Not sure
Do some players in the team perform less well than they should because of pressure — you included? — Yes
Is talent more important than knowledge? — No
Are scrims useless? — No
Is solo queue useless? — No
Is laning phase boring? — No
Is "6-7" already an outdated trend? — No
Do you have the potential to be the best player in EU? — Yes
In the world? — Not yet
Does Fnatic need to make changes going into Summer? — I don't know
