Mariusz Jop before #WISSTW: Our goal is still to win

We kick off the weekend with the #WISSTW match, scheduled for Friday, May 16th at 8:30 PM. Before the match against Stal Stalowa Wola, Wisła coach Mariusz Jop answered questions from journalists.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate the team and everyone who supported us strongly – the fans who are always with us, wherever they can be with us. Always a fantastic turnout," Mariusz Jop began. "In the last match against Wisła Płock, despite the unfavorable result, the fans showed their strength and cheered us on until the very end, believing in us. It's very important for us. I'm saying this because this is the goal, the minimum that was set for us... I remind you of where we were in September and the team certainly deserves these congratulations. Points with an average 2.0 per match is a very good result, which usually guarantees direct promotion. However, this season is exceptional in this respect," he continued. "The competition is very fierce and I am happy that we are already in the play-offs. Of course, our The goal is still to win and finish as high as possible so that tomorrow's match isn't our last at Reymont Stadium. We'd really like that. Returning to the question: yes, of course we have the play-offs in mind. I'm deliberately using the plural, "Because I'm convinced that will be the case. Of course, we're taking this into account and will manage the team so that as many players as possible are ready for the first match on Thursday," the coach stated.

As part of the 33rd round of Betclic 1. Wisła will face the team from Stalowa Wola, currently in second-to-last place in the table. How does the White Star coach assess this opponent? "There are no easy matches in any league, especially in our first league – this Always very difficult matches, regardless of where a team is in the table. I think the players will find motivation there. Being relegated, everyone wants to show off, everyone wants to find a new job, everyone wants to earn money, everyone wants to play. football at the highest possible level. So I don't think a team will come to us that will be an easy opponent," said Mariusz Jop. "Stal proved that they are very dangerous, especially on the road – they defeated Ruch Chorzów, won against Polonia Warszawa, And that was quite recently, against a team that's been scoring well this spring. No, I don't expect it to be an easy match. But as always, everything depends on us: our attitude, our commitment. Because to show our quality, which we undoubtedly have, we also need to demonstrate our willpower – they must be at least at the same level," he stressed. "As for Stal – they are definitely a very dangerous team on the counterattack, dangerous in the transition phase. They have to do this the right players, and that's what he relies on in away matches – often defending low in a 5-4-1 formation. We've strongly encouraged our players to be aware of this. We know their strengths, but we also know they have many problems, especially defensively – they lose a lot of goals, and we will definitely want to take advantage of that," commented Mariusz Jop on the rival.

While discussing the opponent, a topic arose about Stal's lack of consistency as one of the reasons for their low position in the table. Coach Mariusz Jop was asked if this was the reason the Stalowa Wola team was slowly losing its place in the first league. "Well, yes, I think the defensive work of the whole team was an element that was a bit lacking – they were conceding a lot of goals. It was A clear disproportion, because we're talking about a team that can score goals, scoring in almost every match, sometimes quite a lot – even against teams at the top of the table. As I said, this is a team that is definitely dangerous and needs to be taken seriously. be 100% prepared to win against him" – replied the coach of the first team of Wisła Kraków.

There were also questions about the last match in Tychy. During the away match against GKS Tychy, Wisła had visible problems with the functioning of the center. "I would say this – it was also due to our other problems, which were particularly visible in the first 20 minutes. These problems started with the number nine, ten and our wings, and the result of all this was that We lacked control in midfield. However, I definitely wouldn't want to portray it as a poor performance from these three. As a team, we struggled defending in the first half – we corrected that later and the game looked good. Definitely better in that respect. I don't think this setup is unfavorable for the team."

Wiktor Biedrzycki, Patryk Gogół, and Mariusz Kutwa will not be on the bench during Friday's match due to injuries. What is their current health status and when can we expect them to return? "We're waiting for them to heal – we'll see what life brings and when that happens," the coach said.

During the conference, the question arose as to what Wisła intends to play for in the clash. with Stal and which of the following things does the coach prefer: a moment of respite, freshness, additional motivation for the next matches, or perhaps a clean slate for the play-offs. "I choose everything at once, if possible," Mariusz briefly and concisely summarized Jop.

There are currently four teams in the playoff zone, including the White Star - Wisła Płock, Miedź Legnica, and Polonia Warszawa. Mariusz Jop was asked if any team would surprise with their presence in the playoffs? "I think not. Close Tychy, which still has a slim chance of making it into the top six. These are teams that scored very well in the spring – especially Polonia, Wisła Płock was consistently high, and so was Miedź. Polonia was a bit of a surprise, but already In their games with us in the fall, we saw that they could score points and compete with anyone in the league. They had a very good season back then. Lately, they've been doing a bit worse. I was secretly hoping that Tychy would get into the playoffs, because I remember their autumn performances. meeting with us—despite a long winless streak, they often drew and played solidly. In the spring, they confirmed the good work of coach Skowronek, achieving excellent results, which makes our latest victory at their stadium all the more valuable. against such a well-matched opponent. I'm very happy about that. The most important thing, however, is that we're in the top six, because that was our minimum goal," replied the Wisła coach.

In reference to the play-offs, the question was asked whether there was a team that the coach Mariusz Jop wouldn't want to miss. "No, I don't look at it that way. I agree with editor Karcz that the chances are very even for everyone. Play-offs have their own specifics—a bit like cup matches, so I don't have a favorite here." the coach briefly summarized.

During the conference, the topic of the abandoned away match in Tychy, where pyrotechnics were used, came up again. The question was asked how such an interruption affects the course of the match. "I think timing is important – if the home team "They have their moment, dominate, and create chances, so the break usually works against them. However, if the situation is the other way around, it can even help. I'm not sure the fans pay attention to that, though," said Mariusz Jop.

The last The question concerned Joseph Colley, who returned to the team after a long recovery. He was asked about his mental and physical condition. "Mentally, I don't see any blockages or resistance in him in duels, especially defensively. On the contrary, I think he's getting back into good form. In the meantime, he had a good game with the second team. He's with us, training with the first team, so I'm definitely counting on him. We'll see if we need him on the pitch in the near future. match" – coach Mariusz Jop concluded his statement.