Image via Mikolaj Barbanell/Shutterstock
Yes, it seems like everyone keeps banging on about the Polish national teams dearth of quality midfielders, but that’s on account of it being the biggest issue facing Czesław Michniewicz with just over fifty days to the World Cup in Qatar. There’s question marks over the health of Krystian Bielik and the performances of Grzegorz Krychowiak, and despite Michniewicz calling up Jakub Piotrowski, he didn’t feel it pertinent to give him any time on the pitch in either of Poland’s Nations League games.
Michniewicz did call up Mateusz Łęgowski, who got five minutes at the end of the game against Holland, but the 19 year-old from Pogoń Szczecin isn’t a serious option for a spot in Poland’s midfield, at least not yet in my opinion.
It would make much more sense, if we’re looking at young Ekstraklasa midfielders, to consider Łukasz Łakomy of Zagłębie Lubin. The 21 year-old from Puławy used to play for Legia’s 2nd team in the III Liga after coming through their academy, before joining Zagłębie in order to play first team football. He was mostly limited to time off the bench last season, but this year he has been a key player for the side. Łakomy has recently signed a new contract at Zagłębie, after a move to the Eredivisie with Go Ahead Eagles didn't quite materialise.
Having watched him play so well this season in a box-to-box sort of role, it does beg the question why someone like Łęgowski, who is coming off the bench at Pogoń, was chosen for the senior side ahead of someone like Łakomy, especially when you look at his statistical output.
Obviously, the Ekstraklasa is a different level to senior international football, but you’d expect Łakomy to be able to add something a bit different to Poland’s midfield, which often has the job of relieving pressure or finding a progressive pass up the pitch.
We’ll see if Łakomy can keep up his good performances, and if there is a place for a young midfielder in Michniewicz’s World Cup squad, I hope it goes to a dynamic midfielder like Łakomy or Kacper Kozłowski.
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