Image via Mikolaj Barbanell/Shutterstock
During the build-up to a tournament, there’s always plenty of discussion about squad players. Players who shouldn’t necessarily be starting, but injury or other enforced changes mean that players on the bench can become crucial to a good run.
To look at a good Polish example, take Łukasz Fabiański. After Wojciech Szczęsny was injured in the first game of Euro 2016, Fabiański had to step in for the rest of the tournament and was a big reason why Poland got to the quarter finals.
Obviously, I don’t want any of the assumed starters for Poland to get injured before this World Cup, but tournaments have funny ways of making unsung heroes of players.
Another important feature of any good tournament squad is having players who are versatile. For this reason, it’s been pleasing to hear Czesław Michniewicz reaffirm this point several times in the run-up to his announcement of the 40-man shortlist last Thursday.
One player I think could be crucial for this versatility is Przemysław Frankowski. The 27 year-old most recently played in the 2-0 loss to Holland in Warszawa last month, and despite his quiet first-half looked quite the threat at the start of the second 45, particularly the brilliant cross he provided to Arek Milik, who then blazed over.
Frankowski is able to play as a wing-back or traditional winger on either side of the pitch. That kind of versatility could prove invaluable at a tournament, and whilst he’s on the borderline of making that final squad, I’d like to see him in it.
It’s not just that he’s versatile, but he has displayed real quality this season for Lens in Ligue 1, and did so again last night in their big 1-0 win away to Marseille. Frankowski didn’t have it easy, often having to display more discipline defensively than usual in that right wing-back role, and had to be seen to by the medical staff in a lengthy stoppage for what appeared to be a broken nose just before half-time. Despite this, he played the full match.
In my opinion, Frankowski should be first back-up in those wing-back positions at the World Cup. Michał Karbownik has had a great upturn in form recently as a left wing-back, and Bartosz Bereszyński did well for Poland against Wales, but I think Frankowski should be an option ahead of both of them in Qatar, if he goes.
For more, @ekstraklasaexp on Twitter and @ekstraklasaexports on Instagram to know when new posts go live.
Comments