Carver: I Want Our Team to Dictate the Game
As usual before the #LGDWID match, Lechia Gdańsk coach John Carver met with journalists to discuss his plan for the game, the team’s health situation, and his assessment of the upcoming opponent.
On the team’s mentality after two consecutive losses:
There’s no reason to panic after two defeats. It’s my job and the coaching staff’s responsibility to make sure the players feel mentally strong and well prepared. What we need to do is simply go back to our basics — commitment, effort, and more ambition going forward when we have the ball. We must remain disciplined and organized, but also show more courage and enjoy playing football, so we can demonstrate our potential. Of course, the team’s health situation has also affected our lineup choices.
On what kind of Widzew he expects:
Their new coach is clearly full of energy. He’s brought in a very aggressive style of play — not just physically, but in how they attack space with several players. It’s a completely different team compared to the first round. They had an intense transfer window and brought in many new players. For example, Fornalczyk — I really rate him for what he did last season in Korona Kielce. I think the new coach has given them new spirit, especially in the way they attack.
On drawing a tough opponent in the Polish Cup:
TYes, it’s always nice to play at home again, though maybe not necessarily against the team currently leading the table. Of course, that’s something we’ll deal with closer to the game. You know me — I don’t like to look too far ahead. My focus is always on what’s right in front of us. It’s our responsibility to play in a way that earns the support of the fans.
On whether Bartek Kłudka will get more support on the wing after the Radomiak game:
Widzew play in a similar system to Radomiak, so we expect similar challenges. They have a similar type of striker and wingers who play in much the same way. That’s something we’ve analyzed closely over the last few days. We’ll need to handle it properly if we want to win.
On possible lineup changes:
You know me — I won’t reveal everything right away. We have a few issues at the moment. There’s still a virus circulating in the team. I’d love to share more details, but I can’t. We’ll manage it and be ready for every scenario.
On what kind of Lechia he wants to see:
I want my team to work harder in both phases — with and without the ball. I want us to dictate the tempo of the game, to be braver and more forward-thinking. That’s what helped us last season when I arrived, and it worked. Going back to those foundations is the first step.
On the importance of the match in the league standings:
Yes, I’m fully aware that another loss would increase the gap rather than close it — and we can’t allow that to happen. We know exactly where we stand. It’s up to us to take responsibility and reduce that difference.
On what frustrated him most after the loss to Radomiak:
I was mainly upset about the result itself. I wasn’t angry at Tomek personally. I said it after the match — he’s been fantastic since I arrived here. He could have had a hat-trick that day, and then we’d be sitting here in a much better mood — myself included. I know how important he is to us, and I’ll never criticize him publicly. He’s one of our most courageous and hard-working players. He keeps finding those positions to score. If he wasn’t getting into those situations, that’s when I’d be worried.
On players at risk of suspension (Zhelizko, Olsson, Vojtko, Bobček):
I try not to talk to them individually about that, because once you start mentioning it, those things tend to happen. I won’t tell players to change the way they play — every team in the Ekstraklasa faces this issue. If it happens, we’ll deal with it, just like we have in the past.