Carver: We scored at the moments when we had to

The year ended in excellent fashion for Lechia Gdańsk, who defeated Górnik Zabrze 5–2 in front of their home supporters. The match against the Upper Silesian side – and not only that – was summed up by head coach John Carver.

Coach’s comment on the match:

I think we started the game very well, then the match was stopped for 16 minutes. Sometimes that helps, and sometimes it hurts – and in this case, that break hurt us. We got back into the game after Górnik’s equalizer. I think that third goal calmed us down and gave us a real positive boost.

The decision in stoppage time regarding the foul on ‘Nojgi’ was very soft. At halftime we calmed down, reorganized our play, and I think the second half showed a really good and very professional performance from our players.

We scored goals at the moments when we had to. We also made substitutions at exactly the right time. Another positive aspect was the feeling of relief after the win, because after the previous match many things were said by the visiting team that were not pleasant for me. We showed some of those comments to our players, and I think it worked and motivated them.

The league break comes at a good moment for the White-and-Greens. Does the coach regret that the team will not continue playing right now?

There is a lot of truth in that question – I absolutely agree. When you play like this and win matches, you want to play every few days. I told the players to go home, rest, and enjoy the holidays, but the real work will begin in January.

I have often said that we have set the bar very high for ourselves and we cannot go below that standard. And honestly, I would not allow that. My job will be to raise that bar even higher when we go to Turkey and continue the work we are doing.

Goals are being scored both by the team’s top scorer and by other players:
I think that if you look at our team now, it’s more about collective strength. Tom benefits from that because he scores the most goals, but for me the most important thing is the development of the entire team and the ideas that we bring to this group.

How does the coach assess Kacper Sezonienko’s performances?

He is fantastic and gives us a huge amount of energy. He runs so much that sometimes he doesn’t even know when to stop. He is an incredible example for everyone in our dressing room.

When I arrived here, he played very little – practically not at all. During those moments when he wasn’t playing, he fought, ran, and gave everything in training from the first to the last minute. The same applied when he only received a few minutes on the pitch. I think what is happening now is his reward, and now he can reap the benefits.

Plans for the transfer window:
Of course, we have an incredible plan – but you definitely won’t find out the details. Still, you can always ask the question. A group always needs new signings. The idea is to continuously raise standards – not only for the players, but for the whole team.

Since the moment I arrived here, I have been talking about how important it is to develop the entire backroom staff and support system working behind the scenes, which often goes unnoticed. In general, if someone stops developing, they have a problem – and we will not allow that to happen.

The coach also sent Christmas wishes to the entire Lechia Gdańsk community:

Taking this opportunity while sitting here, I would like to wish you and all our supporters a wonderful Christmas. I hope you spend it with your families.

I would also like to thank you for your support – you have all given us incredible backing since I arrived here.