Hložek must play at Euro, Schick is not a top striker, says former national team coach

Experienced coach František Komňacký talked about the Czech Republic’s selection for the upcoming Euro. He also reminisced about his involvement with the national team, in 2012 he was promoted from the group.

According to the experienced coach, even a player who has not had such experience with the national team in the past has a chance to make it into the starting line-up for the tournament.

“Especially one who you don’t see so much during the season and you only see him once or twice live in the club. It can happen that at the final training camp someone will draw attention to himself like that, and then you tell yourself that he has a phase and that you will use him.”

This is the case of Vladimir Darida from Euro 2012. Back then, Komňacký was assistant to Michal Bílek for the national team and the skilful midfielder impressed them so much that he started in the starting line-up.

“That’s exactly the case. We knew about him, Michal Bílek was watching him. But it was only in training that we saw clearly how mobile he is, how he knows his way around every situation, how he always offers himself, how he has a good shot. Then it was no problem to put him in place of players who had been in the team for a longer period of time.”

This time Adam Hložek, who scored 15 league goals at the age of 18 and finished first in the scorers’ table, can become the “golden greenhorn”.

“Of course he offers himself. Adam is such an outstanding talent that it’s probably not entirely possible for him to be there just for the numbers. Then you can talk about the fact that he’s a talent that hasn’t been here for 20 years and the coaches haven’t even tried him. It depends on the circumstances, for example how the group develops.”

And does Komňacki trust our forwards? Not much, for example he doesn’t identify with Patrik Schick as the number one forward.

“Even though Patrik Schick is our best player at the moment, I don’t think he is the top striker at the European Championship either. I would say that even in that position we will be a bit heelier.”

Source:: iSport