Skuhravý explains why he stripped Jedlička of the Baník captaincy

Baník Ostrava played out a 2:2 draw away at Slovácko in a Czech league fixture, and after the final whistle head coach Vladimír Skuhravý explained why he had stripped defender Martin Jedlička of the captain's armband ahead of the game, handing it instead to Michal Fridrich.

"We talked about various things during the week, and Jedle simply needs to focus on his own game — that's what we decided. This team doesn't have a captain right now. Half the teams in the NHL don't have one either. This is about building a team, and right now I want the players themselves to step up as leaders," Skuhravý said. According to him, the decision may have stung Jedlička, but he needs to concentrate on his own performance.

Before kickoff, both squads observed a minute of applause in memory of Baník's late sporting director and former elite goalkeeper Luděk Mikloško. Fans, who filled almost the entire stand behind the away goal, chanted his name.

"What has shaken us most right now is Luďa Mikloško's death. I get chills thinking about the legacy he left in the players and the club, and how powerful the response was. We were playing for him too, and I think he would have enjoyed today's game," admitted the Baník coach.

Return to Uherské Hradiště

For Skuhravý the match carried a personal subtext as well: in the summer he came within a whisker of extending his contract with Slovácko after a successful playoff run, before switching to Baník at the last moment. Part of the home crowd whistled at the coach throughout the game.

"It was a wonderful return for me, and I'll always be glad to come back here. A few fans who don't respect my decision can't throw me off balance. I was ready for anything and expected to be booed. But meeting the people and players I wanted to see was very warm. I'm a Slovácko fan at heart, I like the way they play," Skuhravý said.

The match: two goals in three minutes

After a disappointing home defeat to Pardubice, the coach made four changes to his lineup. Baník survived two dangerous moments from Havlík and opened the scoring first: in the 25th minute Fridrich converted a penalty awarded for Slončík's foul on Gilberto.

However, early in the second half the hosts struck twice within three minutes — through Ndefe and Blahuta — flipping the scoreline. "Suddenly you lose the ball and fear sets in. Instead of being proactive, you start backing off. That was a hard blow for the boys," Skuhravý assessed.

Lukáš Vorlický had a hand in both conceded goals, playing more than 45 minutes for the first time in his career — 74 minutes on this occasion. After his shot the ball rebounded off goalkeeper Jedlička to Ndefe, and ahead of the second goal the midfielder used a clever backheel to open up space for Havlík, who set up Blahuta.

"I expected to see him in the lineup. In the first half the boys marked him well, but then on a couple of runs down the flank he broke free. I love that player. If there's no pressure or vigilance, a player like him will punish you. But both situations could have been defended — we were caught napping," the coach admitted.

An 87th-minute equalizer and the league standings

Baník's defense once again looked shaky. "The fact that we're inconsistent isn't about the system or the players — it's about the state they're in. They need support, and I don't care what anyone thinks. I want to get somewhere with this team," Skuhravý shot back when asked about the defensive issues.

Substitutions came to the rescue: in the 87th minute, substitute Kmeť launched an attack, Škrkoň slid the ball into the box to Šancl, who leveled the score with his first goal for Baník.

Thanks to the draw, Baník avoided a fourth straight defeat, but heading into the international break the club sits 11th with 10 points after nine rounds. "I'm not satisfied, and I certainly expected more. Progress isn't as fast as it should be — this team has the potential for more. I didn't come to Baník to finish tenth," Skuhravý concluded.

Source: sport.cz