Sousa would never have figured it out. The biggest surprise in Michniewicz’s frame

This is the biggest surprise in the wide list of appointed players. But he was not invited to the staff for incentive or credit. He is 26 years old and for a long time does not fit into the profile of a young, gifted one, from whom the Polish national team may find comfort in a few years. It is also not the revelation of this season, reaching the staff gates. Few tried him on to the staff at all. He will also not come to the training camp as a favorite of Czesław Michniewicz, because they have never worked together. He was not brought to the national team by great talent, but by hard work, reliability and patience, after all, he will reach it only ten years after his debut in the 1st league.

Paulo Sousa would not have noticed Patrick Kun. That is why the general manager has to watch the matches of the Premier League

And let Kun not take even a bit of joy from the fact that Michniewicz appointed as many as 33 players to his first training camp, and experimenting is characteristic of the first selection calls. And for and for Jerzy Brzêczka and Franciszek Smuda, the first training camps were attended by footballers who never had contact with the national team again. Kun does not have to share their fate, however. He can take advantage of opportunities, and coaches quickly fall in love with his diligence and reliability. We also hear that he has the makings of becoming a dedicated soldier of the new selector. He is professional and suitable as a “task man”, because he quickly learns tactics, and on the pitch he plays responsibly and meticulously carries out the tasks entrusted to him. And Michniewicz, a pedantic tactician, likes such players.

Although Kun and Michniewicz do not know each other, the midfielder clearly benefited from the change of the coach. Paulo Sousa would most likely never pay attention to him. He treated Ekstraklasa negligently. He had a terrible opinion about the players playing in it, so he did not appear at the matches and it is not even sure if he watched them in Portugal. He himself has repeatedly mentioned that there are systems (analytical platforms, such as InStat or WyScout) that allow him to remotely monitor the players playing in it. And if Sousa was called from the top league, then young players, such as Kacper Kozłowski, Kamil Piątkowski, Tymoteusz Puchacz, or clearly distinguished ones – like Jakub Świerczok before Euro. And after a while they left Poland for the stronger leagues. Kun does not match this key. Experts and journalists, on the other hand, hoped many times that Sousa would find “his Mączyński” on the domestic football fields, whom Nawałka incorporated into the team, although the idea was far from obvious. But the Portuguese emphasized that he did not see such players in the league.

And Kuna would probably never notice it either, because neither he is young, nor has he great statistics – four assists in 22 games for the leader of the league, Raków, and a long compilation with his most effective plays will not be created. To see his potential to play in the national team, you should watch matches. Preferably whole, live and as thoroughly as possible. Evidence? Not for every manager.

What can Patryk Kun bring to the Polish national team? “Among them, it has the most offensive values”

The presence of Kun on the list of those called up also suggests that Michniewicz is planning to play with three center-backs and pendants, because on the left side, Kun has been playing for the club in such a position for years. Apart from him, the selector also appointed Arkadiusz Reca and Tymoteusz Puchacz to this position. It is difficult to name the favorite among them to go to the final of the play-offs in the first team (on March 29 with the winner of the match Sweden – Czech Republic).

– I didn’t close the swing position. Patryk Kun defends the best of the entire group appointed to this position, he works well in 3-4-3, stands out and plays well in reception. I would love to see him against a stronger rival. Understanding the tactics will also be important, because the swing is to be involved in every offensive action – argues Michniewicz. – I’ve been watching him for a long time. He has amazing motor skills and wisdom on the pitch. I talked about him with the Pope. He deserved this calling, so he gets a chance.

We asked coach Adam Łopatko about what Kun can bring to the team, who years ago appointed him to the youth team of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and later led him in the seniors in Stomil Olsztyn. Currently, Łopatko is the National Coordinator of Training and Licensing of Trainers in. So he looks closely at the staff, Raków and Kun himself.

– It is not known yet what line-up the national team will play and what position Kun would play, because he will work as both a left pendulum and a winger. Regardless of this, he will bring a good game to the team with the ball at the foot. The whole world is looking for players who play well in duels, and he has it. He can pass the rival, boldly dribble, and at the same time his first thought is to go forward with the ball – be it a pass or a leading. He also has great speed and efficiency, so he takes a lot of these kilometers in each match. In addition, he has worked a lot on the defensive game – analyzes Łopatko.

– Numbers? Raków has a specific position and Kun always has an offensive “ten” in front of him, i.e. an offensive midfielder who often drinks cream, assisting and scoring goals. With fixed fragments, Kun stays safe, so he doesn’t have it, and besides, the statistics are a bit false, because they don’t count second-degree assists or even earlier passes that fuel the action, such as in the match against Lech Poznań, when it’s his intelligent pass for the other side to Fran Tudor allowed Raków to score. But yes, Patryk is not greedy for scoring goals. He misses it a bit and I know that Raków’s coaches encourage him to play that will give him better numbers – says his former coach.

– As for the understanding of the tactics mentioned by the coach, I am calm. Patryk is a very clever and bright footballer. It grabs everything very quickly. For me, it played in a few settings and it moved quickly. Just how quickly he adapted to the pendulum game tells a lot. If a footballer understands the game and understands what is happening on the pitch, he can do it regardless of the system. However, I do not fully agree that for him the key was hard work, not talent, because I believe that the ability to work really hard is also a talent. Of course, in his yearbook, there were boys who had previously been called up to youth staff, but had not reached the professional level. And he supported his good genetics and natural skills with very hard work and that is why today he got a call. I don’t want to judge the other players called to this position, but I think Kun has the most offensive qualities among them. His left leg is very well positioned and can be of use to the representation – adds Łopatko.

Kun will not change the game, he will not turn out to be her savior, but he can be useful to her. The left pendulum lacks an obvious favorite for the game, and the Kuna’s solidity and tactical volatility will probably appeal to Michniewicz. But here, in a way, we agree with Sousa – often what distinguishes a football player at the international level is not enough. Will this be the case with Kun? It’s definitely worth checking out.