Jałocha: we are aware that there is still a lot of work ahead of us

The Wisła Kraków junior team has had an intense preseason. Ahead of the season opener, we spoke with U-17 coach Patryk Jałocha, who shared his insights into working with the team in recent weeks.

There have been a lot of changes in the U-17 team: some players moved to the U-19s, and in return, players from the U-16s and U-15s joined the team. How difficult was it to integrate them into the team and get everything in order?

It's always a significant challenge for all of us to properly integrate new players into both our style of play and all organizational matters. A significant portion of the group are players for whom playing in the U-17 category means moving to a new place of residence or school. It's a significant disruption to their lives, but also an integral part of their footballing journey. I think we've managed to reach a good level quite quickly in terms of the quality and intensity of training. This is largely due to the players, who approach their tasks very professionally.

What was the selection process like for the U-17s? Some of the U-15 players stayed in Kraków and moved to the U-16 teams. Many of the new players played for the U-16s in the provincial league last season. How big of a leap will this be for them?

Moving from one category to another always involves an increased pace of play. The U-15s experience a significant jump. We have distinguished players who were key players in their teams and now have to compete with players a year older. The team-building process began after the end of last season and is ongoing. We want to achieve a situation where we have the opportunity for healthy competition in every position.

How does the coach assess the preparation period, what did you focus on and how do you evaluate the friendly matches?

The preseason was quite short, so we had to provide as much content as possible, especially for new players. Each week had a main tactical theme, broken down into team, group, and individual activities. Each day also highlighted a specific technical element that we work on. We strive to approach the training process holistically, utilizing the entire coaching staff and specialists in motor skills, psychology, goalkeeping training, and physiotherapy. We also incorporate tactical analysis of our game, particularly within a position or individual. All of this is aimed at the best possible development of our players, and consequently, raising the level of the entire team. I think our game is improving with each friendly, but we are aware that we still have a lot of work ahead of us.

Has the starting eleven already crystallized during the friendly matches?

Each of the boys has been building their position over this period. We definitely already have an idea of ​​our starting eleven for the first match.

Last season, you fought for a CLJ podium finish almost to the very end. What are your goals for the team for the upcoming season?

Our primary goal is to develop our players. If we pursue this, we will move forward as a team. We are ambitious and will strive for victory in every match, but we want it to be the result of our good play and the implementation of the activities we are working on in training.

The U-17 team will kick off their Central Junior League season on Friday. In their first round, Wisła will face Jagiellonia Białystok away. Kick-off is at 12:00 noon.