Jop: We are prepared for a bold play by Polonia

The final match of 2023 is fast approaching. The White Star will host Polonia Warszawa at R22, and Wisła coach Mariusz Jop spoke about the preparations for this clash.

Medical report before the match against Polonia:
- Michał Żyro - rehabilitates his knee after surgery;
- Igor Sapała - trains individually;
- Kacper Duda – is rehabilitating his ankle, and is also booked.


Coach Mariusz Jop must cope without Kacper Duda. Who will replace him? "Besides that, we also have Dominik Sarga, Kuba Wiśniewski, and Mariusz Kutwa, who trained with the team all week and are also being considered for the starting XI and the starting XI. There are several options. It's a bit of a puzzle, a domino. Depending on which option we choose, regarding the number nine or ten positions, we can also use different options in the middle. And this will also affect whether, for example, "Krzyż" should start. There are several options, but no final decisions have been made yet," the coach announced.

Szymon Sobczak showed off his skills well last week. Will there be room for him and Angel Rodado in attack against Polonia? "As I said, there are several options, as we've been working through various options in the training micro-cycle. One is to set up the number nine and number ten positions with Rodado and Sobczak. However, there are other options as well, and a decision hasn't been made yet. We'll discuss this with the coaching staff on Saturday after the final training session," he said.

On Thursday, Thomas Goennemark, who is responsible for throw-in training, accompanied Wisła Kraków. What's the collaboration like? "Definitely, throw-ins are a very important element, contrary to appearances, because there are about 60 such moments in a match. And it matters whether we still have possession of the ball and whether we are still able to create a threat after the throw-in. He's a very experienced coach who has worked with big names and in major clubs. He has an interesting perspective. Of course, it was about half an hour after our main session, during which the coach pointed out a few elements, simple actions. I think for this to work, it definitely needs more work and focus. It's definitely a 'teaser' to work on further," he explained. "I wouldn't say I learned anything innovative, because football uses quite simple solutions. The coach pointed out a few simple solutions, so it's difficult to reinvent football here. "It was an interesting perspective from someone who specializes in this narrow specialization, when it comes to the set piece. It was an interesting observation that sometimes simplicity is effective. The coach used videos from Liverpool and other clubs he's worked for as a support, showing that these things also bring tangible benefits. But, as I said, for this to work, you have to practice it," he pointed out.

What kind of match should we expect on Sunday? "The last cup match certainly gave us some information, but it must also be said that opponents often change their tactics when they come to us. We are prepared for Polonia's bold play, but not only that. We are also prepared for other variants, for them defending low and waiting for us. We have gone through several options in training, and the players know what to do and in what phase. They know what we expect from them, so I think there should be no surprises when it comes to Polonia's play," he replied.

The match against the Warsaw team will conclude Wisła's season this year. "As for the return, it's planned for January 8th. As for other matters, there are still some details to be finalized. I don't want to go into details yet, as such information will likely come from the club once everything is finalized," he announced.

Kamil Broda is currently the number one goalkeeper. When asked if the coach had spoken to Alvaro Raton about his decision, he replied: "Of course I did. He was informed of the situation before the match against Górnik Łęczna. I think he's a player and a professional enough to have handled it well. I realize it's not easy for anyone, for any player, to lose their place in the starting eleven. Natural anger arises, and sporting ambition is undermined. It was similar in this case, but I must say he was with the team the entire time. It was very important to us that he was with the group, supporting Kamil. He was with the team during the warm-up and performed very well. Besides, he was a captain at his previous club, even though he didn't play regularly. He's someone who knows how to navigate the locker room. A very positive character. He handled the situation very well." "For now, I'm just focusing on Sunday's match, so I'm not thinking about what will happen during the break. I'm still scheduled for tomorrow's training and Sunday's match," he added.

What did coach Mariusz Jop think was the biggest boost for the team, helping them win both matches? "As I said, we changed our defense a bit. We added one more player – at least for the last two matches. That's how we operated defensively. There were a few details when it came to individual actions, especially in defending, in one-on-one situations. That's the first element, and the second, which we slightly changed, was building. Building in the opponent's half. A slightly different formation, a bit with different assumptions when it comes to the six, eight, and ten positions. These are the usual things that every coach tries to implement. With some assumption about where we want to deliver the ball in the first possible scenario. The positive thing was that it worked. We were effective defensively. We created a lot of chances from that. The players felt that this was the right direction. I think that first match was crucial for the players to see that hard work in defense pays off, because it later opens up opportunities in attack," he concluded.