Aside from the 2016 European Championships, where they lost on penalties to Portugal in the quarter-finals, Polish performances at major tournaments so far this century have been limp and typically ended with them at the bottom of their group.
At this year’s Euros, they were once again outclassed, brought up the rear in Group D, and are clearly one of the weakest teams in the tournament. It might be uncomfortable reading for Polish fans, but a draw and two defeats is about par for a team that, aside from Scotland, are the least capable of retaining possession.
While that is all rather damning, there are reasonable caveats for their short-lived tournament and, more importantly, signs that the future may be brighter.
Firstly, Poland had a nightmare draw, being pitted against such stern opposition as France, the Netherlands, and Austria. Poland are simply an inferior team to their group rivals.
When faced with higher-caliber opposition, there becomes greater emphasis on the coach's ability to find marginal gains. Poland have lacked this at recent tournaments, playing a tentative and predictable brand of football.
There are a few different approaches to attempting to level the playing field with the elite. That could be relying on unpredictability like Slovakia, rigidity and stubbornness like Slovenia, or adopting and becoming fully wedded to a very specific strategy, which for the mightily impressive Austrians is a highly pressing and fast transition approach.
Enter coach Michał Probierz, who has sought to rid the team of their predictability. He has made their formation less set in stone, flitting between a 3-5-2 and a 3-4-2-1. The starting lineups in all three matches have contained surprises.
Playing the dynamic Szymanski and Urbanski behind target man Buksa in their opening match and then making three changes early in the second half while the game was level suggests a boldness to Probierz’s decision-making.
Playing two out-and-out forwards in Buksa and Piątek was also a little leftfield. Although it was not especially effective, it showed a willingness to be flexible.
Broader context
Probierz picked up the baton near the end of the group qualifiers and did a decent job of invigorating a dispirited team, following the disastrous stewardship of Fernando Santos, and navigating through the playoffs.
The mood was gloomy prior to his appointment, and recently, their most influential players, Lewandowski and Szczęsny, have stated that they have started to enjoy coming to national team training camps again.
While the results he has earned thus far are not especially impressive, there is a decent case to say that had Probierz been in charge for the start of the qualification campaign, Poland may have found qualification less of an ordeal.
Better results and a higher-placed finish would have potentially given them a more favorable seeding and thus avoided the group of death they have faced in Germany.
Probierz may not be a tactical mastermind, but he is bold, willing to play front-foot football when the time is right, and has the support of his players. This is in stark contrast to the insipid football during Czesław Michniewicz’s (coach at the 2022 World Cup) reign and the disengaged and unpopular Santos who succeeded him.
“I see that despite these European Championships, this national team has a future. There is potential; something has been created, and young people are coming in who want to play good football,” Robert Lewandowski said after the draw against France.
Despite a lack of young and exciting prospects breaking through, Kacper Urbanski aside, faith in their coach, squad togetherness, and tactical flexibility mean Poland should take a glass-half-full perspective on their future.
