Coach Szymon Grabowski answered journalists’ questions ahead of the upcoming match against Piast Gliwice.
On Bujar Pllana’s absence:
– The absence of one player is always an opportunity for another, and that’s how I approach the situation regarding the center-back position. Andrei Chindris and Loup-Diwan Gueho are competing for the spot, and one of them will take Bujar’s place.
On Piast Gliwice:
– Piast is, above all, a very good team. I think they are a good representation of a strong team, or even a very strong team in our Ekstraklasa. They have a few experienced players in terms of age and some very experienced ones in terms of appearances in the league. They also have a great coach who, as both a player and a coach, has gained considerable experience in Ekstraklasa. Piast is a top-tier team in the league. Therefore, our tasks will need to be executed perfectly. We will certainly approach this match with the same, if not even greater, respect and regard as we did for Legia Warsaw.
On working on the defense:
– Of course, we would like to keep a clean sheet, and that’s the mindset we will bring to this game. We’ve prepared for this match by focusing not only on individual discussions but also on several analyses that aimed to show our players the weaknesses in our structure, especially in low-block defense. We know that our defensive play hasn’t been impressive, to put it mildly. But by eliminating mistakes we can’t control, like the one in the last match, we can look at our defensive actions with cautious optimism. I hope that after Friday’s game, we’ll be satisfied that we didn’t make it easy for Piast’s players to score. We’ll be happy if this becomes our second clean sheet, and we return from Gliwice with a victory.
On the team’s mentality:
– I don’t want to keep talking about how hard we work, how well we train, or how good the players look, because that hasn’t changed. I’ve known this team for almost a year and a half, so I know what they’re capable of in terms of work ethic. We’re at a point where we need points. Points will give us momentum in how we operate. As a group, we function well, but each player individually analyzes their situation and may sometimes struggle with what they see in themselves. So, of course, the mental state isn’t at its peak, but we’re not down, and we don’t approach the next match as a lost cause. The awareness we all have will help us maintain even greater discipline on the pitch, and that discipline will translate into points.
On confidence in on-field decisions:
– Obviously, everything is judged by the result. Confidence and mentality are tested by the outcome. At the moment, the results aren’t satisfying for us, the players, coaches, or fans. But the most important thing is awareness. That’s why I strongly believe that soon confidence will return. One, two, or three correct actions on the field will help us avoid conceding a goal, and eventually, they will allow us to score. We’re at a point where we just have to start turning things around and focus on our work without feeling sorry for ourselves.
On lineup changes:
– If everyone is healthy, which at the moment they aren’t, we can expect more than one change. If things turn out differently, we’ll see, but we are preparing for various scenarios. We also want our players to bring more positive energy when substitutions happen.
On midfield setup and Rifet Kapić’s performance:
– The plan for Legia was for Riki to drop a bit deeper. We saw the quality Legia had in midfield, and we wanted to crowd that area of the pitch. What the plan will be for Piast, I won’t reveal, but I know players like Ivan Zhelizko, Riki Kapić, Maksym Khlan, Camilo Mena, and some of the more experienced guys will take responsibility in this match because they are players we really need.
