Carver: When we play at home, we are capable of beating anyone

Ahead of Tuesday’s Polish Cup match, head coach John Carver met with journalists at a press conference. The boss answered questions before the game against Górnik Zabrze.

Lechia face a double clash with Górnik Zabrze this week. Which match is more important?

The first one, but only because the most important game is always the next one. We have to manage the players carefully, as we will play two matches only a few days apart. It’s possible that we will field two different line-ups, but I trust all my players. Whoever I choose must do their job, and I believe they will. There will definitely be changes.

The league match against Górnik is Lechia’s chance to climb out of the relegation zone:

It would be nice to spend Christmas outside the relegation zone. On Saturday we actually had a taste of that feeling, as for a moment we were in a safe position. Of course, we are not treating the cup match any less seriously. We are preparing for it just like for every other game. The only difference is that we had less time.

What kind of opponent is the coach expecting?

We watched their last match. When you lose, you want even more to win the next one. Their squad has a lot of quality. We expect a tough game, because they are still the league leaders. In our first meeting this season, we didn’t play badly at all, yet we left Zabrze with no points, which shows that they’re a good team. I must add that when we play at home, we are capable of beating anyone. We won’t change our style of play and I don’t think they will either, so we’ll see how the game unfolds. I definitely want to avoid a basketball-like pace and a constant exchange of blows.

How will preparations for the double clash look?

The analysis of the cup match will actually be the analysis for Friday’s league game as well. A lot will depend on the personnel on the pitch in each match.

Alex Paulsen was recently on the bench. Is he being considered for the cup match?

We decided to rest him for the Termalica match because he had only just returned to training. We’ll see if your predictions about him returning to the starting XI are correct (laughs).

November 30 marked one year since John Carver took charge at Lechia:

It was a fantastic year, and some people say it feels like more time has passed. Since I arrived, we’ve been under constant pressure because we’ve always had to fight our way out of the relegation zone, but it was also a good year because we saw how the team evolved, how they played better and how individual players grew. When I came here, I said I wanted to see progress in the team and in the players. I think we achieved that. We want to make even bigger steps, and that hasn’t changed.

In the match against Termalica, the coach made substitutions late. Why?

We discussed it and considered making changes from the 70th minute. Immediately after the game, we started thinking about how to manage the squad for the two matches against Górnik. We communicated with the players and began the analysis. At the same time, we also make sure not to overload the players with too much information.

Ivan Zhelizko received his fourth yellow card on Saturday. Will the club appeal?

That process is already underway and after the conference we will discuss the details. In my opinion, it wasn’t a foul worthy of a yellow card, but unfortunately that doesn’t matter now. The outcome of the appeal may influence Ivan’s playing time in both matches against Górnik.