Poland’s chances of promotion to Division A of the Nations League have significantly diminished following their defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to former international Maciej Murawski, who has criticised the lack of squad rotation during the recent international window.
The national team currently occupy third place in their group with just four points from four matches, sitting well behind Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Speaking to Polsat Sport, Murawski, who earned six caps for Poland, questioned coach Jan Urban’s decision to field largely the same starting eleven across four games in 11 days.
“When you play four matches in 11 days, the players have three disrupted nights and that must cause fatigue in the next match,” Murawski explained. He pointed out that players often finish matches at 11pm, then face media obligations before returning to their hotels, frequently going to sleep very late or in the early hours.
Lewandowski’s impact and absence
Robert Lewandowski’s importance to the side remains undisputed despite his age, Murawski said. The Barcelona striker’s absence was keenly felt in Monday’s match against Bosnia, a game that was not rich in chances. “We had several opportunities and perhaps Robert would have converted one of them,” the former player noted.
By contrast, Lewandowski’s presence proved decisive against Romania, where he scored three different types of goals in a match that Poland won despite Romania playing with ten men. “He earned a penalty through his vast experience, because until that moment the match was very difficult for us,” Murawski recalled.
Fatigue and missed opportunities
Poland have shown quality in patches across their Nations League fixtures, according to Murawski. Against Sweden, they could easily have secured a draw, whilst the home match with Bosnia should have yielded three points. The away defeat to Bosnia was particularly avoidable, he suggested.
The problem lies not in ability but in execution. “We have good periods of play, we have quality players,” Murawski said. “But in these matches, having good fragments of play and having chances, we cannot tip them in our favour.”
He attributed this partly to limited rotation. Apart from Lewandowski, Poland fielded the same starting eleven for three consecutive matches. Defenders Jakub Kiwior and Jan Bednarek played all four full matches, something that rarely happens even at their clubs. “Even at Porto they don’t play full matches every three or four days,” Murawski observed.
The Bosnians in Monday’s defeat possessed less skill but greater determination and aggression, he said, likely because Polish players had far more kilometres in their legs over the preceding fortnight.
Testing squad depth neglected
Murawski emphasised that the Nations League should serve as preparation for Euro 2024 qualifying, providing an opportunity to test a wider pool of players. “Even if it comes at the cost of results, but in our case there was little rotation and in the end the result is not satisfactory anyway,” he said.
Midfielder Kacper Potulski played solidly in one match but was not given another chance. Goalkeeper Wiktor Nowak, by contrast, played four consecutive matches and looked noticeably tired by the final game, making poor decisions due to exhaustion.
“When are we going to test new players? When the qualifying matches are already here? That’s definitely too late,” Murawski warned. “The Nations League is for that purpose. And we’re playing the whole time with the same group of 12 to 13 players.”
What this means for Poles in the UK
For Polish football fans in Britain, these results make Poland’s path to the top tier of European national team football considerably harder. The team’s current standing means qualification for Euro 2024 through the Nations League route is unlikely, making the standard qualifying campaign next year crucial. Supporters hoping to see Poland compete regularly against Europe’s elite sides will need to wait, and the national team may face an uphill battle in the qualifiers if squad depth remains untested. Matches are broadcast on UK sports channels with Polish-language commentary typically available via streaming services.