Mariusz Jop before the away match #WARWIS

Since Thursday, the White Star players have been in Opalenica, where, under the supervision of the coaching staff, they are preparing for the away league match against Warta Poznań. Mariusz Jop answered questions from journalists ahead of the match.

On Wednesday, the White Star competed in the Super Cup, and on Saturday, Wisła will play another match. "We have experience playing every three or four days. I think we can handle it. We have a strong squad. I think the players will be 100 percent prepared," he said.

Wisła Kraków played matches every few days during the summer. We're talking about European competitions. Does this impact match preparations now? "We'll now draw on this experience. We had quite a few such matches in quick succession at the beginning of the season. We've learned how to best prepare in such situations. That's one of the reasons we stayed in Warsaw after the cup match. We tried to minimize the number of trips as much as possible and have excellent conditions for recovery, so I think we'll be well prepared," he said.

Olivier Sukiennicki is suspended for yellow cards in the #WARWIS match. Who will replace him in that position? "We always talk within the coaching staff about the starting eleven, as well as other issues. Tomorrow we will conduct fatigue tests and also see if the situation improves for some players, and then based on that, we will decide who will play in the starting eleven," he replied.

Did you talk to the players about their mental approach and how to switch from playing at PGE Narodowy to Grodzisk Wielkopolski? "It's also a matter of the experience we gained at the beginning of the season and last season as well. I think everyone is aware of what our goal is, what we want in each upcoming match. I think there won't be any problem in that respect," he replied.

"Warta, after the coaching change—and they've had a new coach for the past two games—have changed some of their behavior. I think, like most teams, they rely on set pieces. Sometimes they go high to press. Sometimes they stay low, flat, and rely on a quick attack, so these are the standard behaviors of the teams we face." - he assessed his opponent's disposition.

Patiently and effectively towards the goal of goals? "These are definitely some of the most important elements. Defensive play will be equally important. Aggression and duels are what we want to show on the pitch. I'm convinced we'll do it," he said.

What about the health of the Spaniard Angel Rodado? "Angel is unique in his speed of rehabilitation. This isn't the first time we've had a situation where he's recovered very quickly. I'm optimistic about this and I think the fans might be in for a surprise..." he assessed the striker's health situation.

A change of play style, or perhaps looking for a replacement for Rodado? "As I said, we have our own structure of play, and regardless of whether Angel is with us or not, we have our own way of playing, which means we have a lot of chances. In practically every match. Of course, sometimes the efficiency element fails, as do the decisions, the solutions at a given moment. However, I believe there's no need to disrupt the entire way of playing, because there's no single player."

How not to lose points in matches against weaker teams? "I don't think these are weaker teams. These are teams lower in the table that have struggled with various problems. However, this league shows that position in the table isn't everything. What matters is what happens in a given match, how the match unfolds. I think the right approach, full concentration, and showing our quality are key to earning points," he analyzed.

Łukasz Zwoliński is still goalless this spring. Are you feeling any irritation about this? "I think it's not a matter of irritation, but of consistency and belief in the player at a given moment. Łukasz is trying very hard. You can see that he's sometimes a bit tense in front of the opponent's goal in these situations. He's also lost a bit of confidence due to not being able to score for a long time. It's natural. I think this is a moment when he needs support from the team and the coach. And he will definitely get that support," he concluded.

What kind of team is Warta and how will they perform on Saturday? They're a team that will probably play similarly to most against us," he concluded.