Wójtowicz: I feel better in my new position with every game

Lechia Gdańsk defeated Pogoń Siedlce 1:0 to claim their first victory of the season. After the match, we spoke to Tomasz Wójtowicz, who has recently been playing in a new role in midfield. The White and Greens player discussed the team’s breakthrough, his new position and the growing quality within the squad.

On the victory over Pogoń Siedlce:

We had been on a run without a win, and that certainly wasn’t helping anyone. This was a very important breakthrough for us. The new players have added quality to the team, and that has also increased the confidence of the whole squad. They haven’t been with us for long and are not yet in their best form, but they have already shown their quality. I think we will keep improving with every game. We already played better against Pogoń. Perhaps we still lacked a little efficiency and a clinical touch in front of goal, but you can see the progress.

On playing with a man advantage following Pogoń’s red card:

To be honest, when you’re on the pitch, you don’t really think about what happened before. During the game, you don’t even focus on the fact that you have an extra player. It didn’t affect us, and it’s good that we managed to break this “curse”.

On the upcoming run of three away matches:

This victory will definitely give us a boost. We have three away games ahead of us, a bit of a mini-marathon, so this win will lift our spirits and make it easier to approach the next matches. We know that we have managed to bounce back. I don’t even know exactly what the table looks like at the moment because I don’t check it, and I don’t think this is the right time to be looking at it yet. We have to enjoy and appreciate this victory. With all the difficult situations we have been through, this is a ray of hope for us.

On his new position in midfield:

It’s a kind of experiment by the coach, who decided that I could do well there, especially considering the squad situation we were in. It’s a completely different role on the pitch – different responsibilities, different physical demands, basically everything is new. But with every game, I feel more comfortable in this position. Against Pogoń, our positional rotations also worked quite well. If the coach needs me there and I can help the team in this way, I have no problem with it.

It’s difficult to compare playing out wide with playing in midfield. However, I think I’m a versatile enough player and I’ve already played in so many different positions that it’s easier for me to adapt. There are players like Joshua Kimmich who are also very versatile. Maybe the coach has discovered my new position? We’ll see. There are still a few positions left for me to try! Maybe not in goal, because we have good competition there and I’m not going to push my way in (laughs).

On playing without a recognised striker:

The coach’s philosophy and style of play involve a lot of rotation. Sometimes even the striker’s position is very fluid. We have shown that we have enough quality in the squad to play without a recognised number nine. I think it worked quite well. The squad is getting stronger every day, the quality of the team is improving and we can look to the future with optimism.

On the “checkmate” after Artur Shakh’s goal:

I play chess sometimes! There was definitely a “check”, and it was good that Artur found himself in the right place and scored the goal. The “mate” came with the final whistle (laughs). You have to appreciate moments like these. They help build the team and the whole community around it. The fans had also been waiting a long time for a victory. It was a huge weight off our shoulders. I’ve experienced worse runs in my career, but I’m glad this one is over.

On the team’s chemistry and the new players:

It’s getting better and better. It’s not easy to join a new team in a new country. Artur showed in this match that he played much better than a week earlier. I’m convinced that he will continue to improve with every game.