#WISMIE: Coaching doublespeak

The Wisła vs. Miedź match is now history, but it's worth hearing what the coaches of both teams had to say about the clash. We have a few words for you from Albert Rudé and Radosław Bella.

Radosław Bella - Miedź Legnica

"We came here with a specific plan to win the match. I think we had our chances, which unfortunately we didn't capitalize on. It's definitely easier to play here when you score first, and we wouldn't have done it, and then in the second half, Wisła forced us into a bit of a defensive game. We lacked the pressing to push the ball out and get into Wisła's half. That's the first thing. And that's where the first goal started. The second is a consequence of what I said before the match, that we wouldn't calculate that we came here to win. A draw wouldn't have been enough for us. We went all in and conceded a goal in the 91st minute. It's a shame, because I think this match, with its moments, could have gone a little better for us. What's very important for us is that this defeat is a bit different than the one we suffered away in Katowice recently, because there's something to build on here. There were many good moments, many things we implemented. These two situations, in particular, were "copy and paste" from training sessions, which we trained based on opponent analysis. And we have to keep working, develop as a team, as people. I thank the players for giving me the fight today. We played until the end and tried to tip the scales in our favor. I also thank the opponents and the coach, because I didn't get to thank them after the match. So, let's hope there are always matches like this in the First League, because I think it was quite a good match for the fans. Thank you," he concluded.

In the coach's opinion, was the end of the match a result of Wisła's better disposition or Miedź's lack of consistency in constructing the announced offensive actions? "I think it's both. The change of our two strikers was caused by our inability to push our play into the opponent's half, and also when Krzysiek Drzazga and Bartek Guzdek came on, we were better off. And we also assumed that there would be a moment, if the game was even, we would have to work a bit in our low defense, but in the second half it got a bit out of control because we were positioned like that for too long. We actually wanted to give ourselves time to catch our breath for 2, 3, 4, or 5 minutes, and then go high up and try to win the ball. We reacted with changes, it was a little better, but the time until that first goal wasn't ours in this match. Our moments in this match were earlier. And I regret them. I don't regret making mistakes or defending low, because for me, defensive play is about keeping the ball in front of our eyes as long as possible, not behind us. Whether we're low, mid, or high, we have to meet these assumptions in the same way, but in fact, it was a weaker fifteen minutes," he added.

Albert Rudé – Wisla Kraków

"I think we expected a more open match. It certainly wasn't. The match was evenly matched, perhaps even chaotic, especially in the first half. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Primarily on our patience, composure, and playing safely so as not to concede goals. I think the team did a good job today. Above all, I have to praise the team's cool head, which ultimately earned us the goal. It's a very good result for us. Finally, I must emphasize that we felt the support of the stands for every player today. It didn't matter what was happening, what the score was, or how much time remained. We felt it, and it really helped us score two goals late in the match," said the R22 coach. "The emotional and psychological control we maintained was incredible. Especially in such a difficult match. It was a tough opponent fighting for the same goals as us. Often in such matches, you lose control, attack chaotically, and as a result, you concede a goal. This often happens when you lose control. The team kept a cool head," he praised his players.

The White Star players played an unusual two-man lineup up front. How does the coach assess the Rodado-Sobczak teamwork? "I think they played well, and there was good teamwork between them. We couldn't maximize that teamwork because of some passing errors in the final third, especially in the first half. In the second half, we had more patience and accuracy in that third period. We benefited from their teamwork. The assessment of this formation is positive," he continued.
The Kraków team finished the match without conceding a goal, a fact the Wisła coach also commented on. "Finally, a clean sheet... Our philosophy is to attack with multiple players and as many as possible. This is, of course, dangerous because you can concede goals. Our main goal is to score more goals than our opponent. In such a close match against a direct rival in the table, keeping a clean sheet is crucial. This ensured our dominance in the last 20-25 minutes," he emphasized.

The last question concerned switching from a four-man defense to a three-man defense. "That's a good tactical question. Our attacking and defensive functions are slightly different, that's obvious. I think sometimes you can be more aggressive attacking with a back four. The full-backs can then be positioned higher, the center-backs a bit lower. This helps with high-pressing; we attack with a three-man defense, which allows us to get more players involved in the attack. However, I must admit that I don't really believe in this type of structure. We have to adapt depending on the opponent and the moment of the match. We work on automaticity every day in training. That's more important to me than whether we play with three or four defenders, one, two, or three strikers, or wingers. The most important thing is to develop patterns and transfer them to matches. Regardless of the result, the stage of the match, or the pressure. That's our big challenge," concluded coach Albert Rudé.