Coaching duo: #WISMIE

On Thursday, December 12, Wisła closed out 2024 with a match against Miedź. The R22 team added one point to their tally thanks to a 1-1 draw, and coaches Ireneusz Mamrot and Mariusz Jop will share their opinions.

Ireneusz Mamrot - Miedź Legnica

"I don't want to say we would have taken a draw before the match because we were playing for three points, but from my perspective, we're leaving here feeling a bit dissatisfied. We respect that point because we played against a very good team, but I think, from a situational perspective, we had more chances and they were clearer. The first twenty minutes definitely belonged to Wisła, although there weren't any clear-cut chances. But then we had two chances for Benda. That one was really good, because I had a chance to see it at halftime. Then we scored in the second half to make it 1-0, and I think the key moment of the match for us was a chance to make it 2-0, which we didn't capitalize on. A moment later, we cleared the ball too short, and Wisła generally opened up spaces on that side and attacked in the second half – towards the end. But despite all that, you also have to appreciate Rodado's fantastic strike, because it wasn't a clear-cut chance." "It was good, but he hit it fantastically, so we're definitely leaving with a bit of a sense of dissatisfaction, respecting that point because we know where we played. Finally, with thirty-eight points, we feel dissatisfied, and that probably speaks well of us, because we have a lot of them, and I think this spring promises to be very interesting for everyone in the first league," began the visiting coach.

When asked if the coach regretted not bringing Chuca on earlier, he replied: "Yes, but we also have to look at other aspects, and it was also important for us that we needed a taller player. Regarding Wisła's set pieces, I think they're dangerous in that regard, and in the second half, when Kamil Drygas came off, the ball boiled over twice. There are certain assumptions, and I didn't want to base our game on set pieces, because that's not what it's about. But that was definitely the plan. Above all, I'm also glad he put in a good substitution, because that's key for us. He played half an hour, and yes, he put in a good substitution. A player always stands out when he gives us a lot of help in keeping the ball or changes ends. We should be happy about that, but as I said, there were various reasons for that decision."

Mariusz Jop - Wisla Kraków

"Of course, we'll never be satisfied after a home draw. We always want to play for a win. As for how the match went, I think the first twenty minutes were very good – we won a lot of possession. The opponent couldn't really cope with it. Then, Marc's injury threw us off our stride a bit. We had a lot of set pieces. Then we lost our composure with the ball a bit, there were too many interrupted plays, too many easy turnovers. The second half was definitely more open, the opponent had their chances from quick attacks. We tried to build high up the pitch. We didn't create any clear chances, but there were moments where we could and should have played the ball better from the wide area. So, the draw certainly doesn't satisfy us; I treat it as a two-point loss. However, I also respect the opponent, because this is a team that won 38 points for a reason, and that quality was evident today," coach Mariusz Jop summed up the match.

Marc Carbó left the field injured, to which the coach commented: "It's definitely an ankle problem. Marc is now at the hospital for diagnostics, he'll have an X-ray, and if necessary, an MRI. At first glance, it doesn't look good, so we'll see. We'll see more later tonight," he said.

After one of the moves built by the White Star, the referee initially awarded a penalty kick to the hosts, but changed it after consulting VAR. "I saw the replay from the tactical camera, and it's quite a distance away. It seems there was probably contact with the chest at the beginning, so the later interpretation is that if there's body contact first and then a hand, then there's probably no penalty. However, I'm not an expert in this field, so I wouldn't want to comment on that particular matter. I spoke with the referee about the situation in which he interrupted our fast attack when he rushed to blow the whistle and interrupted a promising attack. That was my first question. And the second question for the referee was that after the penalty situation, we had a corner kick, and the referee awarded a dropped ball. This was because he blew the whistle while the ball was in play. If the ball had been out of play when "Dudi" shot and the goalkeeper saved it, then it would have been a corner kick, so that's how the referee explained it to me. However, like everyone else, we make mistakes, and that's how I approach it," he explained.

Before the match against Miedź, a question was asked about Wisła's physicality. At the time, the coach decided not to elaborate on the topic, but after the final match, he addressed the issue: "I didn't want to talk about it earlier because the entire team was battling the virus. We contracted it in Warsaw, and on the way back, several players developed symptoms. I think a few had already played Friday's match and weren't feeling their best, so the question about physicality was asked. Now I'm expanding on it, what could have been the cause. Practically the entire staff was out for two days, as was a large part of the team, so it was something that happened to us at the end of the match. And it certainly didn't help us prepare for either Friday's match or the match against Miedź," he analyzed. The topic of the Krakow team's mentality was also raised: "I think it's natural that, in addition to the classic physical and muscular fatigue, there's also nervous system fatigue. And something that required a lot of stimulation before each match, but then the emotions subsided. We had to get pumped up again. It's also natural that some players certainly felt a lot of fatigue in this regard, resulting from the number of matches in this round, so of course it was clear that the team was already feeling this round, and has been feeling this whole year quite strongly," he replied.

Journalists asked the coach to summarize the season. "I don't see it as a relief. It was definitely a difficult time for the team. The preparations were certainly, even from the beginning of the season, very unusual. There was no time for the team to work hard, because they were recovering at such a match-by-match pace. Later, the players who joined us also had very different times in terms of their physical preparation. Often, after long breaks, they also needed time to build that form, and this was also visible in some players. For example, Łukasz Zwoliński was in good form for a few matches, but it was also clear in the last two or three that he was also falling a bit. Roda and other players also had problems. It was definitely a very demanding time for the team, because there were eight matches, plus two in the Polish Cup, so the workload was definitely greater than usual at the first league level." And these players definitely deserve a good rest so that they can work hard later, because the preparation period will be very, very important and we definitely have to look very good from the start, because the margin for error is very small," he continued.

The break in the season is an opportunity to rebuild the team. Will that be the case with the R22? "Regarding transfers, I don't know at this point. I think the president has publicly stated that if there are transfers from the club, there will be room for transfers to the club, because that's due to the budget and our capabilities, so I can't say anything more on that matter at this time," he said.

During the break in the season, President Jarosław Królewski arranged a meeting with coach Mariusz Jop to discuss the future. "I think such a conversation will be between me and the President. For me, the matter is still open, and the President can still make the decision he deems best for Wisła Kraków," concluded coach Mariusz Jop.