Legia Warsaw send Hibs message ahead of play-off crunch as boss licks wounds amid painful loss to newcomers
Hibs have been sent a message by Legia Warsaw as they get set for meeting in the Conference League
Legia Warsaw boss Edward Iordanescu has urged his side to make four key improvements - as he sent a message to Hibs ahead of their Conference League meeting.
As David Gray’s side won 2-0 at Livingston in the Premier Sports Cup ahead of the play-off first leg at Easter Road this Thursday, Legia Warsaw were wounded 1-0 by Ekstraklasa newcomers Wisla Plock in their latest league clash. A Marcin Kaminski goal downed Legia who head into the Hibs play-off games off the back of an exit from the Europa League against Cypriot outfit AEK Larnaca.
It has left head coach Iordanescu demanding more maturity, confidence, trust and better duelling ahead of their clash with Hibs, with his side winning two of their four games domestically so far this campaign. A message has also been sent the way of Gray and co, as he wants to use the upcoming double header to prove why his team will be fighting to become Polish champions come next year.
Legia Warsaw on shock defeat
Iordanescu said: “Congratulations to the hosts on their victory. They did a great job and started the season brilliantly. They've clearly been working together for a long time and have good chemistry. Their morale and confidence are high. This result is very frustrating for us.
“I'm here to explain the reasons for the defeat. I'll take it upon myself; don't blame the players. After a great start to the season, it's obvious we've started to lose some energy and confidence. The match showed how much work lies ahead.
“I thank our fans for their support. I promise I know what we have to do. I know how to work. I have a lot of experience. One of the most important things is that we have to be more mature. If we're playing against a team that's very confident and then concede a goal after 10 minutes, we know we'll have to put a lot of energy into that kind of competition. The rest of the match is history.
Legia Warsaw message to Hibs
“We controlled 90% of the match. We had shots, we kept the ball. We have three days to recover for the next match. We have two matches ahead of us to qualify for the Conference League group stage. We have to win this match and qualify, and then we have 10 months to prove we deserve to be Polish champions.
“We allowed our opponents to play in a way they were comfortable with. Conceding a goal allowed the home team to start their best period of the match in a low-key defence. Our crosses were not having any effect. We checked the statistics and analysed our opponent.
“We knew these crosses were a difficult task. We played around the penalty area, looking for our chances. I brought on a second striker to open up the penalty area. These kinds of games are won by individuals. We need to have more confidence and trust. We need to take more duels.”