Michal Gurgul is an 18-year-old left back who plays for Lech Poznan in the Polish Ekstraklasa, the highest football league in Poland. He is also able to play as a left center back, as he sometimes does in formation switches during the games. This is the first season in which Gurgul is the undisputed starter for Lech Poznan and he has been performing really good during those games. In the first 18 games, Michal Gurgul started and played in 17 of them. In those games he contributed to a great amount of 8 clean sheets. The left back also got his first nomination for the Polish national team, but he still needs to make his debut.
Often compared as a Polish version of Giorgio Chiellini, Gurgul stands at around 1.8m tall and has an ectomorphic body build. He doesn’t go all too often into ground or aerial duels, but he often still looks decently in them. He often times it well when he goes into a physical duel, for example after a tough run of an opponent. When they’re weaker, he goes in and tries to take the possession away. Most of his muscles are in his shoulders which he often uses and back for shielding off the ball. Gurgul has quite decent acceleration and pace but slows visibly down in longer runs. His fitness is pretty good, he averages 84 minutes in the 17 games that he played. He doesn’t always move a lot without the ball, but it’s still decent. If he walks around, it’s often because of the formation of his team. Mentally he is already on a really good level. He doesn’t really crashout against opponents or the referee and keeps his cool during doubtful decisions. Helps his teammates around by showing around with his arms to an open space or teammate.
Gurgul looks promising defensively, but some parts of his game could be polished; for example, his footwork and positioning while defending in 1v1 duels. Maybe he often feels more comfortable to stand a bit more diagonally with one foot forward and his back to the side of the field, but it works for him. But he was occasionally caught with that, and an opponent cutted more early inside and went past him easier. He covers his back well. But if an opponent slips behind his back he can make a good run tracking him back and defending well. Gurgul’s positioning overall is pretty good though, he can stand or get in the lines of a pass or a cross and clear the danger if needed. Mostly, he stands quite wide or goes into a position like a left center back in a back three. Gurgul can give a press higher up the field, but he often leaves a lot of space behind him open, which is pretty dangerous. He can make a hard, clean tackle to get the ball away from an opponent or get it for a throw-in. Overall, his defensive abilities are already quite good. But of course, Lech Poznan is a good team in Poland, so he has less defensive work than some of his colleagues on his position. But he can get a bit better in almost every aspect, but it’s definitely not bad.
Offensively Gurgul is also very active. He gets the ball very often during the games and he distributes it further to his teammates. His passes are often low, but he can give a good high long pass if needed. He isn’t always very progressive with the ball. If there isn’t a really good passing opportunity forwards, he prefers to pass it sideways or back to a center back. Gurgul is also left footed, but if needed he can use his right foot for a quick short pass. He positions himself quite wide, but at the height of around the half of the opponent’s half he cuts more inside. He can come in a real central position or even come at the height of the penalty box, but that happens rarely. But then he creates a lot of space for a possible counterattack, and he would need to make a long run back. Occasionally, he overlaps the winger to stay as a wide option on the wing. Gurgul isn’t a player that often runs with the ball, let alone dribble past someone. He can control the ball well, but he doesn’t really make any long runs with it. He is calm while possessing the ball but can slightly panic when getting pressed and just make a very quick pass which could end up in losing possession. He almost doesn’t shoot throughout the game. His offensive abilities are there. He isn’t a player that would really get you assists, as he is too way back to really be able to give them. But his involvement in the offensive side of the game is visible, and you’ll see him often near or with the ball.
Michal Gurgul is definitely a player you should have on your radar. Some clubs from top 5 leagues are already showing interest in him, which shouldn’t be a surprise with his abilities, the number of minutes on a high level and his performances. He will be the starting left back of the Polish national team soon as well, which will only be positive for his CV. At this moment, staying at Lech Poznan is the best option he has. Moving quickly abroad could end up badly, with possibly not getting off the bench or getting downgraded to a youth team. But the potential is there, now we just need to wait if he’s going to fulfil it.
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