Marek Jozwiak for “Wprost”: Forget about this player. Czechs demolished us

The Polish national team, under the guidance of a new coach, was brutally tested by well-trained Czechs. Byalo-Chervoni were losing 0:2 in two minutes, and the whole match ended with a score of 1:3. In the post-match comments, our representatives, led by Robert Lewandowski, admitted that they could not withstand more determined opponents. We asked former Polish representative Marek Jozwiak to comment on Friday’s game.

I think it’s good that we’re talking today and not right after the game, because then you don’t know what to say.

After such a match, it is better not to say anything, lock yourself in the closet and think it over carefully (laughs). The Czechs lowered us to the ground in three minutes. It was a knockout. The game ended in the third minute.

Now it’s cool, how would you comment on yesterday’s meeting with the Czechs? The Poles tried to somehow return to the game …

Trying and doing are two different things. Firstly, the Czechs did not give us a chance to return to the meeting. Only when they let off the gas did they manage to make 2-3 beautiful moves and score an honorable goal.

We didn’t have much to say until the 80th minute. Santos needs to rethink a lot of things. For example: is our protection adequate in this form and arrangement? This match showed that some still have a lot of work ahead of them.

The Czechs destroyed us physically, aggressively and morally. With a new manager, a new opening and such a rival, we couldn’t meet the requirements.

There were no Poles…

The Czechs brutally knocked us to the ground and did not let us return to the match.

For example, did Petr Zelinsky, from whom we demand so much, have support in the middle of the field? I don’t think so, because neither Linetti nor Belik offered it to him. We will not demand that in such an environment he was the leader of the midfield. This is beyond his capabilities. He needs to have someone to play with because Napoli’s Zielinski and the national team are two different players with completely different players around them.

Fernando Santos has to set up the midfield so that Piotr Zielinski feels comfortable, because he is helped by partners, not absent people.

But we played the lion’s share of the game not at all in the center, but with long passes on the flanks or on Lewandowski.

I wonder why we didn’t play in the middle, assuming we were building the action from behind. In the second line there should be players who can cope with the aggressive play of the opponent, with high pressure. They must be able to get past the opponent’s first pressing line and deal with the second one. This meeting was not like that. Maybe this game was a kind of hint to Fernando Santos on how to build a central scheme.

Is this also a hint to take Grzegorz Krychowiak to the next training camp?

Forget about Krychowiak. If we want to move forward, let’s build a team of younger players who will secure our future, and let’s not be afraid of that. The fact that we lost this game brutally is a good lesson for us.

Then how can we play with Albania?

Looks like Peter Zelinsky. Similarly, Robert Lewandowski should have the support of the second striker in the next match. The entry of Karol Swiderski showed that Robert and the Polish team feel better with two ahead. Whether it’s vertical or horizontal, it doesn’t matter, but then our captain will always be relieved, because the defenders will also take care of someone.

We also need to start using the wings, but not Sebastian Szymanski, who is nominally a central midfielder. Paulo Souza put it on a pendulum once and the effect was what it was. Szymanski is not the kind of guy who, with his size, will fight in the side zones of the field and make his way there. His skills and the fact that he is a creative person should be used differently.

Monday’s match against Albania will be no easier than this one. There were voices that we were coming back with six points. I immediately said that I would be satisfied with four “points” and a draw in the Czech Republic would be a success. And it turned out like this…

In general, the Czechs did not play anything spectacular, it was a simple ball, but extremely spectacular.

I would like to see such a ball. You could see how they pressed and how well they beat us in the side areas of the field.

With three defenders and a swing, we were tactically outflanked. We did not know which parts of the field to attack. The Czechs brilliantly used the entire width. Young Jurasek, whom no one knew before, took down Cash, and then Gumni. Recall that the Czechs in defense had players who play in the Greek and Czech leagues, they were not outstanding central defenders, and yet their representation was monolithic.

Maybe we should ask ourselves what is better to take: the Arsenal reserve or a player who plays at Ekstraklas every few days?

Fernando Santos must answer this question himself. We need to develop and I think that Jakub Kivior still has a lot of time to catch the minutes and progress, but he has to play. I’m glad that Arsenal signed him, but I don’t think his next step should be not Arsenal, but a strong Ligue 1 side. Like William Saliba, who went on loan to Marseille and a year later became completely different player. Practice alone will never replace 90 game minutes.

Let’s not beat Kivior because he’s young, but at his current position, he couldn’t match physical strength and speed in the game. It is Bednarek who must put up this young defense. He has already played so many matches for the national team that he should feel responsible for this team. Not only in post-match interviews, but also on the field, which is expected from experienced players.

Artur Jedrzejczyk would have been the leader of the defense in this match and would have looked much better against the backdrop of the entire defensive line. But the choice was what it was. Sometimes it’s worth reaching out to players who play regularly and are in top shape, because that’s what a qualifier should look like.

We didn’t get a single yellow card, they got two - Soucek rode for Belik and Brabek for Lewandowski. They beat us physically and we could not respond to their aggression. The fact that the players had some health and heart left was evident because they tried and wanted to do something, but the opponent effectively interfered. We need to be better in physical contact, if you lose 1 on 1 and the opponent takes you down and takes your balls, you have no right to win. We lost physically and tactically.

If so, is it possible to positively assess one of the representatives after this match?

As always, Wojciech Szczesny did his best and Karol Swiderski found himself in two shooting situations. I also consider Michał Skuraj and Damian Szymanski, who scored a goal, to be positive. But that was the moment when the Czechs let us go. However, it is good that the players on the bench were able to react positively, which gives me hope.

On the other hand, who do you think disappointed the most?

The whole team, it makes no sense to list individual people here. Everyone played at a very bad level, but you have to remember that you lose because of individual mistakes. We have a lot of things to improve. We count on three players from the Polish national team: that Szczesny will defend something, Zielinski will create something, and Lewandowski will score something. They need support from the rest of the team to help them reach their common goal of winning.

The attacking players from the Czech Republic - Chlojek, Kukhta and Zvankara had support on the flanks, midfield and aggressive defense, which played ahead and did not allow us to take action.

After the game, there were comments that if something goes wrong, then it will be in this match - do you feel that way too?

No, because if someone has such an attitude, then it is better to give this match for a penalty. Waste of money and time. It was a very important match for us. By starting with a good result, we were able to build a better starting position for the future. Yesterday, Fernando Santos saw that words do not follow deeds and this needs to be changed.

Do you believe Santos will handle this?

In this he must help the players.

Leo Beenhakker also started the Euro 2008 qualifiers with a 3-1 loss to Finland and we all remember what the future was like when we won a historic promotion.

And for it to work. May this failure be the beginning of something new and better. If the players thought that Fernando Santos would win the game on his own, they were slightly wrong. They should win with it, not the other way around.

Finally, will the clash with Albania become our favorite “match for everything”?

You need to prepare well for it, analyze and select personnel. This meeting must be approached very reasonably, because it will not be easy either, especially after such a beating with the Czechs.