Misery: the experience of last year cannot be overestimated

Wisła Kraków U-19 players kick off another Central Junior League season on Saturday. Coach Karol Nędza discusses preparations for the competition, changes to the team, and experiences from last year's competition.

After several weeks of preparation, the Wisła Kraków U-19 team resumes its Central Junior League campaign on Saturday. Many new players have joined the team. How would you rate the overall preparation period?

I'm very pleased with the last few weeks of work. We managed to play several friendly matches. We had the opportunity to see a large number of players on a full-time basis. It's certainly encouraging that we have a more stable squad. We can train in one group, and only a few players train daily with the first team or the reserves. I'm referring to Jakub Stępak, Filip Baniowski, and Maciej Kuziemka. We had comfortable conditions, as we could train and play friendly matches with our full squad. Continuity of work was maintained, and with the start of the league, this is a major advantage. We were able to improve tactical and motor skills from match to match.

Compared to last season, several players have moved to the reserve team, including Radosław Skała, Bartłomiej Sowa, Marcin Górkiewicz, and Yehor Khromykh. How do you plan to replace them? You certainly have plenty of room to maneuver.

In fact, the core of the team from the second half of last season was made up of players born in 2005. Some players have now moved to the reserve team, and in a sense we had to rebuild the team. However, we want to capitalize on the experience the boys born in 2006 gained in the previous season. For a long time, we didn't use players born in 2005, and inevitably, the younger players played a significant number of minutes on the pitch.

I'm thinking here of Maciej Pachel, Michał Prochwicz, Dawid Gap, and Hugo Woyna-Orlewicz, to name a few. They benefited from the high turnover we had in the team. This made it easier for us to build a team for the upcoming season. We have a number of experienced players, and I believe they will utilize this experience next season. We're building a new team around these players and the players from the U-17 team.

Experience on the pitch is one thing, but the team also gained incredible mental capital last season. You fought until the end to stay in the Central Junior League, and the experience you've gained can be invaluable.

We've been through a lot mentally, and not just the players. I'm in my fifth year at the club and I've never found myself in this situation. We were in the relegation zone for over 20 rounds, and with each passing round the fear of relegation grew. I'm glad that in difficult times we could count on the support of the Academy authorities. They didn't put any additional pressure on us.

This is a huge boost for all the players, not just those remaining in the Central Junior League. They were in a difficult situation, having to play a crucial match against Cracovia in the final round. It's an unusual situation for a derby match to have such a high stake. We stuck together and believed until the end that it could all work out. I had the impression that with two rounds remaining, after the defeat to Odra Opole, many people had already written us off. And yet, we believed until the very end that the tide could turn. It's also worth emphasizing that we were lucky, but we also did a lot on our part to ensure the season ended on a positive note.

As we began the preseason, we often referred to previous competitions. In friendly matches or internal games, when problems arose, we constantly emphasized that the team included players who had already faced much greater challenges and emerged unscathed.

Life couldn't have written a more difficult scenario for us, because in addition to the match against Cracovia, we also had to win against Lech Poznań. And we succeeded. We proved time and again that even if we couldn't handle it physically, we never gave up mentally and never let our heads drop. I deeply believe that the experience they gained is invaluable, and it's also difficult to acquire, as many factors had to come together. The threat of relegation loomed large, yet we fought until the end.

Several players from the U-17 team joined the team, some of whom played significant roles in that team. Was it difficult to integrate them into the squad? Beyond the tactical issues, it's also important to note that the differences between the different age groups in the CLJ are significant.

The requirements of the U-19 competition are slightly different. Remember, we have two age groups of players, and the U-17 CLJ doesn't cover the entire country. The boys need to adapt quickly to the new conditions, especially the faster pace of play. I'm very pleased with the performance of the players who joined us from the U-17s. They're showing quality, and I'm convinced we're heading in the right direction, although some of them will need a little more time. It's possible that some of them will start in the opening round. And they'll certainly get their chance in the first matches soon. It's clear they want to continue developing and are eager to compete. This bodes well.

What does the entire selection process for younger players look like?

The process is very complex, as the coaches and then the coordinators participated in the discussions with the players. In the next stage, the players also met with the Academy Director, Krzysztof Kołaczyk. We strive to explain to the boys their current level of development and what we expect from them. We want them to approach subsequent training sessions with humility and appropriate awareness. We also want to give them time to be ready to compete in the team. We've had numerous individual conversations with the players and numerous meetings with the broader decision-making group. We want to educate them at each stage of their development. We highly value the skills of the U-17 boys and know they have enormous potential. Our squad is also somewhat larger because we didn't want to give up on certain players. We believe that many of them will quickly be able to break through and play a significant role at the CLJ U-19 level. We want to enable everyone to compete in the team.

What goal have you set for the team for the upcoming season of the Central Junior League U-19?

As a coaching staff, we don't want to set a specific result goal. We've set ourselves the primary goal of week-by-week development. We have a very ambitious plan for the upcoming match. We want to dominate our opponent and take the initiative. We want to maintain a high level in each subsequent match, and we know that if we focus on working in each upcoming weekly micro-cycle, it will yield results in the long run. Primarily in terms of player development, and that can only translate into results.

It's not crucial, but it should simply be the result of our daily work. We prioritize player development above table position. Of course, I believe it will go hand in hand, but we don't want results to become the key factor. We also place great importance on individual work with players to develop them in their respective positions. And this should lead to results. The next match and individual work with the players are our top priorities.

Several standout players from the U-19 team made a strong presence in the second team last season. What are the chances that Filip Baniowski, Jakub Stępak, or Maciej Kuziemka will also be available for your CLJ matches?

The decision rests with the first and second team coaches. I'm convinced that we all prioritize the well-being and development of our players. If players with fewer minutes, but with a certain age group, are eligible to play in the Central Junior League, I'm confident that, as was the case last season, they will supplement their minutes at the Central Junior League level. We are part of the entire club organization and are also committed to the best possible player development. If we can utilize them, we will.

We're only at the start of the season, and the situation is changing week by week. Key decisions will still be made. For now, we see that Maciek Kuziemka is a key player for the reserves, and he scored a goal in his first league match. If he performs well at senior level, I think we'll see more of him there than in the CLJ.