Vladislav Lupashko Ahead of Puszcza vs Lechia

The White-and-Greens face a busy week with three matches on the schedule. During the pre-match press conference ahead of the clash against Puszcza Niepołomice, head coach Vladislav Lupashko spoke about the atmosphere within the squad, potential squad rotations, his approach to the upcoming opponent, and the team’s continued development.

Atmosphere in the Squad After the Derby:

The mood is certainly good, and everyone is in high spirits. We have three matches coming up this week. We have told the players that everyone will get a chance to play during this period. We have also made it clear that every player in the current squad will have an opportunity to get on the pitch. Our main focus is on the next opponent, but we are also keeping the following two matches in mind.

Staying Calm After the Derby Victory:

My wife often tells me off. She says it’s not good that I don’t celebrate after victories. I don’t dwell on wins. I don’t get carried away by success, neither as a player nor as a coach. I believe that too much emotion can make you lose your composure. Strong emotions make it harder to stay focused on what lies ahead. After the match, the players asked for some time off. If I had let my emotions take over, I probably would have agreed, but I didn’t. They were given one day off.

Potential Squad Rotations and Opportunities for Young Players:

The upcoming match is the most important one. I would like to invite as many supporters as possible to our two home matches. We will be giving opportunities to our young players. Two of our young talents, in particular, will get some playing time, so we will need your support. We are facing a very demanding opponent who are extremely effective from set pieces. We need to make certain adjustments and slightly change our approach. When defending set pieces, we will need to switch to zonal marking because our opponents place great emphasis on this aspect of the game.

Staying Focused Regardless of the Opponent’s League Position:

We must stay focused. Above all, our responsibility as a coaching staff is to maintain concentration, both among ourselves and within the squad. We have to be fully focused. That is our duty. We shouldn’t pay attention to the league table. We know that every team in this league presents a challenge. If you look at the results, you can see that matches are very difficult and closely contested.

For example, in their match against Termalica, Puszcza had three very good chances when the score was still 0-0. Looking at the results, you can see how differently matches can unfold. Take the game between Unia and Warta, for instance. In the second half alone, Unia created around 60% of all the goalscoring opportunities in the match. They put Warta under significant pressure, creating approximately six chances to score after the break. We have to understand that every match is extremely competitive and demanding.

Approach to the Match in Niepołomice:

First and foremost, my own approach to the team is what matters. If I show the players that a match is important to me, they automatically become more focused. We understand that even a team like Barcelona, who might play a home match and then travel to face a fourth-tier opponent in a cup competition, must maintain complete professionalism.

I also understand that while a home match may attract a large crowd, an away cup tie against a fourth-division side will naturally draw fewer spectators. We need to adapt more quickly to the realities of our own league. We have to adjust our mindset more effectively to suit the conditions in which we compete.

We have to become better. We need to develop and reach a higher level. Right now, we are a team that has to chase our rivals. We are in a position where we are trying to close the gap. Our priority is to help our young players become more consistent in their performances.

At the moment, we are focusing on maintaining a consistent level of performance throughout every stage of a match, because there are still moments in our games that I simply don’t like. Our aim is to perform consistently from the first minute to the final whistle.