Ahead of tonight’s EURO 2016 qualifier in Warsaw, RTÉ Sport spoke to local football journalist Jakub Jarząbek to get the Polish view of the Irish team and the Group D campaign, as both sides battle it out to qualify for next summer’s tournament in France.
Ed Leahy: What is the mood in Poland and within the squad going into the game?
Jakub Jarząbek: We expected a good result in Glasgow, that would have led us to EURO 2016, so it's a little bit confusing and difficult to concentrate again. But we are full of self-confidence and in a fighting mood towards tonight’s game.
EL: Poland started the campaign really well and beat the World Cup winners Germany 2-0 in Warsaw. Did you think that the team would have already qualified before tonight’s match against Ireland?
JJ: Yes, I thought so. We deserve to qualify; it will be a big kick for development of football in our country.
EL: Ireland beating Germany was a bit of a shock. What was the reaction to the result in Poland?
JJ: It was very shocking. For some time, when we were losing in Glasgow, and Ireland were leading in Dublin, our situation started to look terrible. Hopefully, it didn't affect our players, who secured the tie in the final minutes of the match.
EL: How did Poland play in Scotland and now, how important was that last-minute goal?
JJ: It was very important. We started the game perfectly, with an early opening goal scored by Lewandowski. Then we controlled the situation and had some chances to score another goal. The first goal for Scotland was a shock, but the shot itself was fantastic, which gave our keeper no chance. Then we returned to our game and - bang - another goal!
We fought very hard to get back in the game and equalised in the final minutes. It rebuilt our self-confidence before tonight's match.
To sum up, the first 40 minutes were outstanding. We played very good football, top European level. Then it started to look different, but then we came back to the game and secured our group situation.
EL: What is the Polish opinion of this Ireland team and do they believe that Poland are a team with more quality players?
JJ: Yes, I think that taking into consideration only players' ability, we are the stronger team. But Ireland balances that with a strong will to succeed, character and physical strength. We also now have started to become a mentally strong team, but Ireland is way ahead.
EL: Are the Ireland players well known in Poland and which players are considered to be the most dangerous for this match?
JJ: A typical Polish fan would recognize only the Keanes - Robbie and Roy, maybe even without knowing, that they're not brothers. Personally, I recall many famous Ireland players from the past - such as Niall Quinn, Jason McAteer, Damien Duff and Kevin Kilbane.
At this moment, we do not fear any Ireland's player in particular. We are afraid of the team itself, its charisma and will to succeed. But of course we have to respect players such as Wes Hoolahan, Robbie Brady and Seamus Coleman.
EL: The sides played out a 1-1 draw in Dublin. Do you think it was a fair result and what were your memories of the game?
JJ: Yes, in my opinion it was fair result. Maybe the Irish team had more chances, but we were also determined to succeed. It was a very important game to build the atmosphere within the team. We had our problems during the match, we fought with them, and finally earned a draw, which was a good result for us.
I enjoyed watching this game. It looked tense and dynamic. I was of course afraid of losing during the Irish domination in the second half.
EL: One of Ireland’s best qualities has always been the team spirit that exists within the group of players. Has Poland developed a similar spirit, which makes the team become better than the sum of its parts?
JJ: This is a continuous process, which started, I think, a year ago. Before that, our team was not united, we didn't fight our problems within the squad. Old head national coaches such as Franciszek Smuda and Waldemar Fornalik had basically the same players available, but haven't secured any successes.
Now, with Adam Nawałka on the bench, and Robert Lewandowski as a captain it looks different. We showed many times during qualifiers, that we are a team, not a group of random players. Now it starts to look very optimistic.
EL: Are Poland a different team at home? The atmosphere in Warsaw looks very special. Is it a major factor for the Polish team?
JJ: Yes, the new stadium built for EURO 2012 is a magic place. Every match there is better, because we have still a lot to do in terms of the atmosphere that is created by Polish fans, but it is undoubtedly a crucial thing. Polish fans in past were divided because of club team conflicts but now, as a team grows on the pitch, the atmosphere also starts to look different.
10. There is a perception, perhaps unfair, that Poland are a one-man team. How important is Robert Lewandowski?
JJ: At this time he is very important, considering his current form and last matches, when he was demolishing every rival he played with.
He is a different than the player he was two or three years ago. He grew up mentally because of being a team's captain.
But the key to our successes in these qualifiers was our ability to "create" other important players, to enlarge their impact on the game. When they are giving more, Lewandowski has more space to fit in with his scoring ability.
EL: Apart from Lewandowski, who are the key players in this Poland team and what are their strengths?
JJ: Kamil Glik is our defence leader. He is a captain in Torino, but regularly there are rumours about him transferring to another big club. He is a director, who organizes our defence play and he is a strong character.
The same we can say about Grzegorz Krychowiak from Sevilla. He is still making a progress, and he is on his way to becoming one of Europe's best central midfielders.
And thirdly, [the injured] Arkadiusz Milik. Putting him into our team's offence formation enabled us to play more differently. He is scoring many important goals and we can count on him during these qualifiers. He is a young player who plays in Ajax Amsterdam and has a bright future ahead.
EL: The last time the sides met in Dublin, Poland were missing some key players. How is your team looking for this game? Are all your key players fit and available?
JJ: Probably it will be the same situation right know. In Glasgow, two days ago, our three players were injured. Probably one or two of them will be missing - Łukasz Piszczek, Maciej Rybus and Milik. Missing any of these three will be very important and a big problem for our team.
EL: And of course, which team will win to secure their place at EURO 2016?
JJ: I expect a very tight and tense game! I can't decide which side will win, because the situation is very complicated. But I believe in our team.
Jakub Jarząbek writes for one of the biggest football websites in Poland, www.footbar.pl.
