Poland survey EURO damage

Shell-shocked Poland are hoping a good result against Serbia on Wednesday can repair some of the damage caused by an abject home defeat by Finland at the weekend.

New age
With Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker making his competitive debut in the opening UEFA EURO 2008™ Group A qualifier, the stage seemed set for a rousing evening in Bydgoszcz. Finland were considered relatively comfortable opposition, with the expectation that Poland's first game under their first foreign coach would mark the start of a brave new era. Instead Beenhakker's men capitulated to lose 3-1. A mistake from goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek and the dismissal of defender Arkadiusz Głowacki for conceding a penalty were the crowning indignities of an awful night. "I don't know what happened, but we played a completely different game to what we were supposed to and what the coach told us," said midfielder Jacek Krzynówek.

Familiar problems
If Beenhakker's arrival had hinted at a fresh ethos, the problems were familiar ones for those who watched Poland's 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. The players appeared to lack physical strength and froze under the floodlights. As Beenhakker said: "It was not Finland who won the game, it was Poland that lost it." There was a sense of deja vu about the defeat. Having endured a frustrating failure at the 2002 World Cup, Poland had begun UEFA EURO 2004™ qualification under new management but lost their first game 1-0 to Latvia in Warsaw. They subsequently failed to reach the finals, and already some pundits are suggesting Poland should forget about UEFA EURO 2008™ and focus on the 2010 World Cup.

Beenhakker questioned
Beenhakker's role in the reverse is also being mulled over. For many, the 64-year-old has simply not had enough time with the team, while others were shocked by the apparent lack of ideas and fighting spirit in his side, who had also succumbed 2-0 to Denmark in a recent friendly. The trainer has also been criticised for failing to bring new blood into the squad. Although debutant Łukasz Garguła came off the bench to score Poland's late consolation, his colleagues were largely veterans of previous campaigns. Beenhakker did, however, take a chance on 20-year-old right-sided midfielder Jakub Błaszczykowski, who failed to shine on his international bow.

Road open
History provides little comfort for Beenhakker. Even Poland's greatest coach Kazimierz Górski, whose side won bronze at the 1974 World Cup, never managed to lead the country to the UEFA European Championship. Nonetheless, the Dutchman will be hoping the road to Austria and Switzerland has not closed yet, and a massive improvement will be demanded in Warsaw on Wednesday. "I'm tired of making excuses for our defeats to the fans," said left-back Michał Żewłakow. "I'd like to forget this match." Unless Poland produce something special against Serbia, they might not be allowed to.