Wolski: I am happy that I can work with talented players

The U-16 team, led by coach Mickael Wolski, has completed its training camp in Wola Chorzelowska. The young Wisła players spent an intensive time there, and the White Star coach spoke about the details of their training camp, the friendly matches they played, and their prospects for the upcoming season in the B1 league.

The training camp in Wola Chorzelowska, which was a crucial part of the preparations for the league, has now come to an end. How do you assess your time with the team and the work you've done?

"Wola Chorzelowska is an exceptional place to work. The accommodations are close to the training pitches, the natural grass is of excellent quality, the level of service, the quality of accommodation and meals, and the hotel staff were excellent. Importantly, the training camp saves time and gives me the opportunity to spend time with the team, which has allowed me to get to know my players both in terms of football and their personalities. I enjoy being close to my players in terms of football and their personal lives, as this has a huge impact on their performances. The training camp is also a time for bonding between my staff members, Kamil Król and Bartek Żelek."

Have you played any friendly matches during this time?

"During the camp, we played two friendly matches - against Rekord U-16 and Stal Mielec U-17. Regarding the match against Rekord, in the first half we decided to bring on trial players, as well as those we wanted to observe against such a demanding opponent. We got what we expected. The Rekord U-16 team is a dangerous team, but we defended effectively despite the difference in physicality and pace between the two teams. The boys held out for 25 minutes, then we conceded the first goal, and shortly after that the second. After the change of ends, we set up our team differently, fielded our best eleven at the time, and took control of the game. We dominated the opponent in duels and clearly dominated. We created many chances, but we lacked effectiveness, so we had to concede the superiority of our opponent, losing 0-2. In the match against Stal Mielec U-17, we swapped both lineups to be able to evaluate the second eleven as well. We made some tactical modifications compared to "We started the match well, dominated possession, but were plagued by counterattacks. We opened the scoring with Piotr Hejmo's goal after a good team move. Unfortunately, we were caught off guard later in the match on a counterattack, and Stal equalized. Then, a loss of possession during the buildup led to Mielce's second goal. The goal at the beginning of the season is to give everyone the opportunity to show what they can do, so we made a lot of changes throughout the match, one of which resulted in Oskar Kukuła's late equalizer."

The camp certainly involved more intense work. What aspects did you focus on most during training camp?

"These seven days were a great opportunity to work intensively and double the training sessions. In the mornings, we trained with an emphasis on the physical aspect, including gym and running, as well as technical work with the ball. In the afternoon, the sessions focused solely on the game, in all forms of possession, attack/defense situations, and tactical arrangements."

The team has recently welcomed new faces. Have you managed to fully integrate the new players into the squad?

"This season, eighteen players have moved from the U-15 to the U-16 team, four are continuing their work with us from last year, and two have joined from outside. The group gets along well and the atmosphere is very positive. I must admit that I am fortunate to work with boys who are committed, eager to develop, and who also previously worked well with Krystian Żakowicz and Kamil Król."

What is the mood in the team before the start of the season?

"We're only fifteen days into the job, and we've used that time to analyze each player's skills. I let them play the same way they did last season so as not to be distracted by tactical issues at the start. The first thing I learned is that we have a quality team, with above-average technical skills. The players are intelligent, creative, and have a very good understanding of the game, while also having a good mentality. However, it's important that we're a team in possession, capable of keeping the ball. We have to deprive the opponent of control, because otherwise we will suffer physically. In summary, I'm really happy to be working with talented, committed players and with my assistant, Kamil Król."

So what will the final stage of preparations for league games look like?

"We will conclude our preparations with a tournament in Budapest this weekend. We will have the opportunity to compete against top teams there, which will allow us to fully assess the players' abilities and select the starting eleven for the start of the season. Then, we intend to seriously focus on the tactical aspect, perfecting positioning, developing automatic skills, and thus increasing the intensity of training."