In the 14th round of the PKO BP Ekstraklasa, we lost to Cracovia with a score of 1:2. We invite you to listen to the post-match press conference featuring coach Szymon Grabowski.
– The start of this game was disastrous for us. There was an individual error in the penalty area following a cross, which led to a penalty kick. We began the match in the worst way possible. Later, it looked relatively decent – we tried to take control in terms of possession and playmaking. However, another mistake occurred in the 35th minute while we were on the offensive. From the bench’s perspective, we were just about to be in a favorable position to equalize if Conrado had received and passed to Maks Khlan more precisely. But the situation ended with a second yellow card for Conrado, meaning we played the rest of the match with ten men. The end of the first half wasn’t easy for us. In my opinion, we should have gone into halftime down by just one goal, not two.
Another individual mistake that resulted in a goal put our team in a very tough spot, and during halftime, we agreed that we wanted to get back into the game, score a goal to get closer, and above all, fight back. We wanted to give ourselves a sign that even with ten men, we could still do a lot in a difficult situation.
I think we succeeded, and the team deserves praise for what we did after the break. We created chances, something we hadn’t managed to do earlier, and we put our opponent under some pressure, forcing them back into their own penalty area. We aimed to exploit runs beyond their defense line, as against such a well-playing team, we needed to find a plan. Another idea was to cross from half-spaces. In the 95th minute, we made a mistake, but this time offensively, as one of these half-space crosses could have turned into a great scoring opportunity, which would have been a significant reward for us.
Unfortunately, we lost the match, but I am very pleased, especially with my players’ attitude in the second half.
On Conrado’s individual errors:
– Conrado made individual mistakes, even unforced by the opponent, especially the second one. I don’t want to defend the players too much, but on this field, where we had to play today, the ball caused issues not just for him but also for other players at times.
On the goalkeeper change:
– The change was primarily due to an injury, fortunately not serious, but Szymek hadn’t been training with us regularly, so we decided to bring Bohdan Sarnavskyi back.
On the players’ physical preparation:
– I’m very pleased with how we performed today. Even with ten men, we managed to dominate our opponent at times, and we looked physically good or even very good. We’ve made some adjustments in training recently, and if we look at our statistics, we’re moving in the right direction, which was already evident in the match against Piast. I think we’re gradually improving our performance and speed metrics, and I hope that this will soon reflect in our match results.
On the players’ attitude before the match and early in the Game:
– I’m not sure if it was a lack of belief or something else. I think we’ll be wiser after analyzing and talking to the players. But I saw good behavior from Maks in the first few seconds when he retrieved the ball from the air. Then there was an individual error that led to a turnover. Cracovia then pressed us harder, but in my view, we had possession and gave it away too easily. Was it a lack of belief in winning? I don’t think so. Everyone needs to stay focused on their tasks from start to finish to avoid such situations.
On the post-match talk with the club president:
– The president and I primarily discuss each upcoming game, as our main goal is to earn three points. Winning the next match would help calm everything down, both around the club and in the locker room.
Today was a positive sign, and these players proved to themselves that they could achieve this, whether it’s Mena, Khlan, Zhelizko, or Kapić. If we approach every game with this courage and commitment, we’ll have a good year-end.
On squad matters:
– We have issues that we can’t avoid, and my task now is to prepare the players we have available as best as possible. Today, for instance, Miłosz Kałahur showed that he could still be counted on. After a strong performance in Mielec, he contributed again today, which I think boosted his confidence as we approach the end of the season.
We have players like Tomek Wójtowicz, who hasn’t had many minutes so far due to health reasons, but I hope that as he gains more minutes, he’ll also play more confidently.
We know that players like Conrado, Zhelizko, Mena, and Bobcek would be leading or key figures on our team, but our situation is as it is. Now it’s a chance for the players who are available – they’ll have the opportunity to show their skills and fight for points for Lechia, which should be their main focus. It’s also my task to prepare them as well as possible for these matches. As for changes in the squad, they weren’t due to health issues but were based on my observations in training and during the match.
We invite you to listen to the full conference here:
