Jop: I'll try to max it out

Mariusz Jop took over as head coach of the White Star team ahead of their match against Odra Opole. On Thursday afternoon, the coach met with journalists and answered their questions.

Due to health reasons, the following are still unavailable: Dawid Szot, Bartosz Talar, Jakub Stępak, Kamil Broda and Joseph Colley.

Kacper Duda and Giannis Kiakos have been removed from the injured list. What's their status? "Their situation looks promising. They've been training with the team fully for two weeks. This means they participate in every training session and are treated like any other player, meaning they participate in the game and come into contact with the opponent. It's very important with the injuries they've had, that they manage to internally break through this mental aspect so that I don't wonder if someone's going to hit me in the back, or if someone's going to hit me in the arm, or if I'm going to fall on my arm. That's a crucial point. Physically, they're looking better and better. It's clear it's been a very long break. Kacper, especially, needs time to get used to these interval exercises, but he's close, very close. Kiakos is the same, so we're considering them even for tomorrow's match," he announced.

On Monday, coach Kazimierz Moskal said goodbye to the team. How did the team react to the change? "First and foremost, it was a big surprise for all of us. For the staff, for the players. It was also evident in Monday's training sessions—there was a lack of concentration, and thoughts were wandering elsewhere. However, since Tuesday, I've already seen positive energy in the team, full motivation to give it my all in the next match," began Mariusz Jop.

What's the team's current attitude? "I see a team that's mobilized and hungry for victory. I also feel that the number of points we have isn't the fault of the coaching staff, but the responsibility falls on all of us, including me. I see people hungry for revenge, and that's the most important thing to me. As a footballer, I got used to it, because emotions sometimes changed every three days among the public, among the fans. Sometimes the mood changed every week, so this is something that has been with me for almost 30 years, and it's nothing new to me," he noted. "I think that's the reality of a coach's job, and every coach, when taking on any challenge, is aware that the president can fire him just as he hires him, and that's natural. Of course, as to the length of the job, the time it takes to implement changes, that's a different matter, and it varies from club to club. Indeed, this was the first time a coach's tenure had been so short, but as I said, it's always the president's decision," he said.


When asked if Jop had noticed that Kazimierz Moskal had lost his plan for the road ahead, he replied: "I wouldn't like to comment on Coach Moskal's feelings. However, there was an idea for every match, a strategy was being prepared," he replied curtly.


Journalists were curious whether Mariusz Jop had been considering taking over the team after the former coach for a long time. "I think it was quite natural, because it's difficult to find a coach to take over the team in such a short time with such a sudden decision. We're sticking to what was stated in the announcement. I also spoke with the president today, so we've agreed that Michał Siwierski and I will manage the team until the end of this season. This is additional information that this temporary period has been extended," he added. "Of course, the approach changes due to the role and responsibilities that come with this position, so it's natural that I'll focus on different things as a head coach. It's more of a management role, more of a relationship-building role, more of a delegation role, so it's completely different than the job of an assistant. An assistant has their own area of ​​responsibility and focuses primarily on that. Of course, in the staff I envision, I'd like to have assistants who express their opinions and who aren't the proverbial dog in the car who just nods their head. Such an assistant is useless to me. I'd like it to be a brainstorming session, with everyone expressing their opinion, and I definitely need people like that on my staff. The point is that such people can provide a different perspective," he continued.

Jarosław Królewski presented the plan for replacing Kazimierz Moskal to Jop and Siwierski: "The president decides who the coach is and what the staff is like. This was the president's proposal."

What kind of team will we see under Mariusz Jop? "There will be some changes in the attacking and defending phases. We certainly won't make too many radical changes, but we will introduce nuances that sometimes make the difference. We've already implemented them and will continue to implement them in today's training session," he explained.


According to one journalist, there's a "mole" within Wisła's staff who's allegedly leaking information: "I wouldn't like to comment on any relations within the staff. I can only say that I have complete trust in the people I work with, and that's where I'd end the matter." "These are such strong accusations, so it's not pleasant to hear something like that about yourself. However, as I said, I have complete trust in the people I work with, and that's where I'd end the matter," he announced.

Mariusz Jop will share his duties with Michał Siwierski. How has the latter's scope of responsibilities changed? "We're currently shaping and shaping the division of these responsibilities, as we'll likely be adding another person to the coaching staff. For now, we've had a lot of responsibility, as two coaches have left, so we've had to take over. There's a lot of work now, a lot even, but a detailed division will be in place once another person joins us, and then we'll reorganize it," he explained.


When asked how Mariusz Jop differed from six months ago to the one currently in charge of the first team, he replied: "Definitely more experience. Working with coach Rude and coach Moskal taught me a lot. I think that's the main element. Experience."

What could the coaches have improved in Wisła's play in such a short time? "Regarding the goals conceded in the last match, they were mainly individual errors resulting from marking in the penalty area. The players know the rules, and there was a lot of training devoted to how to behave in these situations. However, such mistakes sometimes happen, which doesn't mean we won't work on them, because we will. In terms of offensive play, we basically devoted this entire micro-cycle to focusing on the attacking phase and finishing in the third period. On filling the penalty area and paying attention to the space from which we want to cross, and into which space we want to cross. I think this information will make it easier for the players to create scoring opportunities, because we had a bit of trouble in that aspect," he said.

What is the coach's plan for filling the youth position? "Currently, there will be four youth players in the squad, and we're considering various options: Letkiewicz, Starzyński, Kutwa, and Dziedzic, so I won't elaborate on that here because I don't want to make Coach Sobolewski's job any easier," he smiled.

Odra Opole, coached by Radosław Sobolewski, a well-known player at R22, will visit Krakow on Friday. "There was no contact with coach Sobolewski. It would certainly be better if it was a different coach, because then there wouldn't be this subtext and sentiment, these purely human relationships. We definitely want to win this match. And as for coach Sobolewski and Odra's play, I think what stands out is that they are very dangerous from set pieces, but they also concede a lot of goals from set pieces. This is something we will be emphasizing strongly today and tomorrow to ensure the team is very focused on these elements," he noted.

Angel Rodado has been in a slump lately, having hit a plateau with his deficits. What's his and the team's overall mentality like? "I think it was partly due to the number of matches played. Sometimes a team plays fifteen matches in an entire season. Many players were heavily exploited, like Angel Rodado, who had a bit of a dip in his form, as he was getting into situations but wasn't as effective as before. However, he's a man who scored a lot of goals. He's the absolute leading player in our team, and a lot depends on him. When he had a bit of a slump, we lacked someone who could step into his shoes and fill that void. However, I think what I'm seeing now is important. And I see that every player is very motivated and eager for revenge. I think Angel is also in good shape and will be able to get back on track," he noted.

When asked by journalists, coach Jop attempted to compare Wisła's current defense to that of December, when he also had the opportunity to manage the team: "Joe Colley is not with us, and that's the main difference, because I don't think he needs to be promoted much. That's the main difference. He and Kacper Duda were often the leaders of their respective teams, and the fact that they were out and unavailable was a major weakness for the team."

President Królewski is passionate about data analysis and artificial intelligence. And how important this aspect is to Mariusz Jop: "In this gradation, very important."

Media representatives attribute Wisła's problems to its performances on the international stage, which severely exploited its players. "Many of you wrote about the situation. We remember how we started, the lineup, who joined us, and how people needed time to prepare to be in better physical condition. All of this influenced the results. In the cups, the results were very good, there were several great matches. We reached the fourth round, which I don't think anyone expected, that Wisła Kraków, as a first-division club, would get this far. That was on the plus side, but it affected performance. The players had very little time for training because we focused heavily on recovery, plus there were trips away. It's good that they weren't very long, usually short distances, but that affected their form. Some players played everything, and that affected their physicality. That's natural. Every player, even the greatest, has a sinusoidal wave at their disposal, and that's something completely natural," he replied.

The away match against Chrobry Głogów was canceled on Sunday. Is that better for the team? "I don't think it matters much, because we've entered micro-cycles of five or six days. The next one will be eight days. It's time to work normally, to regenerate and rest. We can also treat some players individually, giving those who need more rest, and those who need more work, more work. This is the time we want to make the most of. I don't think the cancellation of the match in Głogów will have any impact on us. If we play every three days, we'll be able to handle it. We have experience in how to do it, and the players are also more adapted to it than players in other teams," he noted.

"I'm focused on the next match. My principle is that what's ahead is the most important, but as an athlete and a person who hates losing, I'll want to make the most of it. Win every match, play for three points in every one. We'll see what life brings, but I'm very focused on getting three points on Friday, as is the team, and then we'll think about the next match, which, of course, will also be playing for victory," he continued.

The White Star will have to deal with making up for postponed matches. "I don't know anything about the dates of the outstanding matches," he replied, and Karolina Kawula added: "It's possible that a date for the match against Górnik Łęczna will be announced today or before the weekend. As for the rest, we're waiting."