Lechia began October with a home draw against Wisła Płock. After the game, head coach John Carver shared his thoughts on the match.
On the match as a whole:
It was certainly a very interesting match, but also an interesting week. We missed Camilo of course. Ivan needed two or three more days to be ready to play. Riki Kapić played despite carrying an injury and there was a big question mark over his involvement after he finished Thursday’s training with some issues. Alvis also has an injury. I’m disappointed we only got one point, but I’m not disappointed with how we played. We conceded from a set piece after the ball hit the crossbar and their player scored with a header, but apart from that our goalkeeper had very little to do. We have to remember we faced a good side, disciplined and well-coached, who are high up in the table and don’t concede many goals. We pushed hard to win, to break them down, but even with a lot of possession we couldn’t do it. Their goalkeeper made it tough for us. Considering everything – the past week, the state of our team, and the quality of the opposition – I’m satisfied with how we played.
On making only one substitution:
I was very focused on trying to win the match, but I was also aware that we could lose it. I was happy with how we were controlling the game and with our possession. Yes, I could have made one or two more changes. We replaced Aleksandar Ćirković because he’s not yet ready to play the full 90 minutes. But when you have players like Bobček or Kurminowski, you keep them on because you want to win the game.
On the goal conceded:
We shouldn’t have even allowed that foul in the first place – that’s the most important thing. There are things we need to improve in terms of defending crosses. In the previous match, we hit the crossbar and post and the opposition reacted quicker; this time it went against us. The key is that we shouldn’t have allowed that foul at all.
I’d also like to highlight Matus, who has only just returned after breaking a finger – in fact, it’s still not fully healed. He’s trained only two or three times since then, so great respect to him for sacrificing his own health to play.
On possession not leading to goals:
That was Wisła Płock’s strategy. We knew they play like that, so we expected this type of match. They’ve had success by conceding possession and hitting back. I think we weren’t quite creative enough in the final third to break their defensive structure. The opponent defended very well.
It was a game without many clear chances for either side, but if I look for positives, it’s that they didn’t threaten us too often. In the end, we gave you a rather dull 1:1.
On not approaching the youngest fans after the game:
I like to hold a short meeting with the team straight after the match. Previously, we had the press conference first and then I’d speak to the players, but that delay was too long. That said, the youngest fans are a very important part of the club. Earlier this week, many young fans attended our training, collected autographs, and took pictures with the players. I’d like to invite anyone who felt let down to come and meet the team. We’ll try to find a solution so that the young fans can wait for us in the stand after the final whistle – we’ll go to them straight after. We’ll do our best because they are the future of this club.
On the plan for the coming days:
We have a plan. Some players need to rest, which is important after such an intense period.
Others who are not yet fully fit or 100% ready will have extra training sessions. We’ve arranged a friendly match on Thursday for players returning from injury or those who haven’t had many minutes, such as Bujar Pllana. It’s important for them to get match practice. I just hope that the players going away on international duty come back without injuries.”
On Tomas Bobček returning from international duty:
We’re not in close daily contact with the national team staff, but we receive updates on what the player is doing in training and how his physical data looks during the camp. We know how he was managed while away and how to handle him here. Last time, it was his debut call-up, so he pushed himself very hard. This time I’ve told him to be more careful and take care of himself.
