“We’re stronger than a month ago”

A month after a 0:3 loss against Pogon, Lech is travelling to Szczecin again. However, this time the two teams won’t face each other in the Polish Cup, but in the league. The recent clash against Pogon was Bjelica’s first loss against that club and it ended a series of 5 wins in a row. “We’re stronger than a month ago and it’s not because we won 4 out of 5 recent league matches, but because we worked very hard during those past 3 weeks. I believe my team will play better and the poor performance from Szczecin won’t take place again,” said the Croatian coach.

The August match was a special one for Maciej Skorza who took over Pogon at the beginning of the season. It was the first time the coach faced his former team since he left Lech. “He’s got great tactical skills. Together with good physical and mental fitness, it helped Pogon win the two-leg clash. Tactics is not going to work unless the players are prepared well and determined to win,” explained Bjelica. “I know Skorza was successful at Lech. I want to congratulate him on his successes in the past and wish him all the best with Pogon, just not in the upcoming match, only in the ones afterwards,” added Bjelica.

Maciej Gajos won’t be able to play in Szczecin and, therefore, Abdul Aziz Tetteh will most likely captain the team against Pogon. “If he plays, he will have the captain armband. However, Makuszewski and Putnocky might also take over the role during the match. The armband itself is insignificant. All that really matters is the behaviour on the pitch. We have Lasse who directs the team and the defensive line. Dilaver can take the responsibility as well. It’s very important for the players who don’t have the armband to play as if they wore it. We have a strong team and it doesn’t matter who’s got the captain armband. Every single player on the pitch needs to be a captain,” emphasised Bjelica.

The Croatian hopes that Makuszewski will have a significant impact on the team. The player debuted for the national team a week ago. “I haven’t noticed any change in his behaviour. He’s acting exactly the same as he did before his debut. He is a great guy and a good footballer. The debut for the Polish team might be an extra motivation for him, as well as the whole team. He isn’t in a perfect state following the two national team clashes. We will see if he will be at my disposal for the upcoming game,” explained Bjelica.

Makuszewski is not the only player who’s struggling with health related issues. Majewski and Jevtic are in top shape either. “Radek won’t play because we don’t want to risk it. He needs a couple of days to be back in good form. He might be ready for the next game. Meanwhile, Darko’s looking better, but not good enough to play 90 minutes. We will see how he performs during the training session and we’ll decide from there whether he will make it to the match 18,” said the Croatian coach. “It’s a similar situation with Vujadinovic. He seems better too. He’s been training with the team for the past 2 weeks, but he’s still not at his best,” finished the coach.