European Football Championship 2008: The Euro-Files: Poland

In the latest instalment of previews ahead of Euro 2008, we put Poland under the microscope...

This summer the Red Eagles will be looking to make it third time lucky at a major international tournament. This will be their first ever appearance at the European Championships, but their scintillating performance in qualifying, where they finished above Portugal, Serbia and Finland in top spot, mirrors their form going into the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, which could spell bad news for 65-year old coach Leo Beenhakker.

In 2006 the Poles were third highest goalscorers in qualifying but capitulated in Germany. Similarly, in 2002, Poland beat favourites Ukraine to claim top spot pre-tournament but went home at the first hurdle.

Flexible

Poland have continued their good form from the qualifiers and are unbeaten in four friendlies. In Beenhakker they have a coach with a proven track record. The Dutchman helped Trinidad & Tobago to their first World Cup in history in 2006 and took a point off Sweden in their first game. They held England for 83 minutes in the second.

Beenhakker, awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta for services to sport, has won 14 of his 24 games (58% success rate) and while he's still trying to catch previous coach Pawel Janas, who won 47 in 73 (64%), his impressive record against the stronger nations sets him aside from his predecessor. One blogger calls it a 'modernisation', but Beenhakker's success - and he was unbeaten against his main rivals in Group A - has been producing a side capable of playing 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or 4-3-3. His approach leaves the defence less vulnerable than Janas' attacking 4-4-2 formation.

Competition for places

Beenhakker is combining the use of wingers, such as Jakub Blaszczykowski and Jacek Krzynowek with more defence-minded central midfielders like Mariusz Lewandowski. Before it was a case of 'we'll score more goals than you', now it's more calculated.

Midfielder Radoslaw Sobolewski's decision to retire after qualification has seen competition hot up in the middle. Krzynowek, 15th in our Castrol Performance Index midfielder rankings with 1098 points, is expected to play. Alongside him it could be Dariusz Dudka, a centre-back by trade who has proved he can do the job, or youngster Lukasz Gargula who impressed in the Armenia friendly. Beenhakker isn't afraid to blood promising domestic youngsters and did so in a number of Poland's recent qualifiers.

In attack Euzebiusz Smolarek is expected to figure. According to the CPI the Racing de Santander striker was the 11th best striker in the qualifying rounds with 1,646 points, but with six goals in 13 internationals many consider Heerenveen's Radoslaw Matusiak to be as influential. Celtic FC's Maciej Zurawski's inability to hold down a first-team place could see him benched, while Artur Wichniarek, who returned to the squad for the first time in four years against the Czech Republic in February, will also be hoping to impress.

Strength in numbers

Arguably the most hotly contested debate involves the no.1 jersey. Celtic's Artur Boruc is one of the top five ranked goalkeepers with 2,796 CPI points after keeping six clean sheets in qualifying. Spartak Moscow stopper Wojciech Kowalewski is 15th in the CPI with 807 points, but Manchester United's Tomasz Kuszczak and Arsenal's Lukasz Fabianski appear to be ahead of him in the pecking order. Kuszczak boasts six clean sheets in 12 games for United, Fabianski two in six for Arsenal. Interestingly, Fabianski was given the nod in the second half of a 2-0 win against the Czech Republic in February.

With a dwindling number of friendlies left before the finals, the pressure is growing for Beenhakker to name a squad that will ensure that the Red Eagles soar in Switzerland this summer.

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