There is always a danger in judging a new coach too quickly. But there is also a danger in pretending that 11 days of preparation somehow erase what a team still is. Oscar Garcia has seen both sides of that reality already. His Pogoń Szczecin debut ended in a 0:1 loss to Legia Warszawa, and now the next stop is Cracovia Vs Pogoń Szczecin on Monday at 19.
Garcia was blunt enough after that first defeat. He admitted that, honestly, he had expected three points. He also made the point that the match itself was even enough, before Pogoń conceded a late goal from a set piece. That is the sort of detail that matters, because it tells you this was not a collapse so much as a reminder that new ideas do not instantly turn into new results.
The bigger issue is time. Garcia has said he is only beginning the process of installing a new style of play at Pogoń Szczecin, one built on possession, intensity and bravery. That is a perfectly reasonable ambition. It is also a long way from becoming a finished product, and Garcia said exactly that: the team is still far from the level he wants. In other words, this is not a manager who is hiding behind excuses. He is telling you the truth, which is that a new football identity does not arrive because the calendar says it should.
Bravery is the plan, but the details still need work
That is why the Cracovia match matters. This is Pogoń Szczecin's second league match of the season, and the first real chance to see whether the work on the training ground has started to stick. Garcia said the break has been useful because the team needs time for training, and that is hardly a controversial point. If anything, it is the most important line in the whole discussion. A coach can talk about brave football all he likes, but a side still has to earn the right to control games, manage moments and avoid cheap goals.
Garcia's public message is clear enough. Pogoń will keep trying to play boldly, they will analyse the opponent, and they will look to fight for three points. That is the right tone, especially after a defeat that came with the frustration of being so close to a better result. But the real test against Cracovia is not whether the philosophy sounds good. It is whether the performance looks more connected, more organised and more convincing than it did against Legia Warszawa.
At this stage, that is the fair verdict. Pogoń Szczecin are not being rebuilt in a weekend. Oscar Garcia knows it, says it, and is trying to work through it properly. Monday at 19 will not settle the argument, but it will say a lot about how quickly this project can stop being an idea and start looking like a team.
