Having featured for 90 minutes against Blackburn Rovers in our penultimate pre-season outing, Kacper Łopata says he has steadily felt his match fitness improving over the past few weeks.
The central defender was one of seven Reds first teamers who stayed on the pitch for the duration in Lancashire as preparations for the new campaign continue ahead of the big kick-off on 5 August.
“That’s just generally how pre-season goes; you play a couple of 45s and gradually build-up,” began the 21-year-old, speaking exclusively to iFollow Barnsley. “Obviously the first 90 is always tough.”
Łopata has only been at Barnsley for a month or so since arriving from Woking in early June and has integrated well into the Oakwell dressing room.
That relationship off the pitch is crucial to an understanding when players cross the white line, and the Poland youth international believes the partnership between his fellow defenders is stark contrast to the beginning of pre-season.
“I think I’ve settled in really nicely; the boys are really good with me – I’m generally quite reserved, but I’m fully enjoying it so far,” he continued.
“Defensively, things like that take time. I’ve been here for a couple of weeks now and, from the start to now, it’s night and day, and it can only get better.”
What can only be beneficial for Łopata’s development is the input of Reds Head Coach, Neill Collins, who made more than 400 Football League appearances at centre-back during his career.
That experience is invaluable, and Kacper feels that he and his teammates are already demonstrating the patterns of play on a matchday that the Scotsman is implementing on the training ground.
“That’s always a positive, you know,” insisted the Pole. “The gaffer maybe sees things because he can put himself in my shoes and that’s always a positive.
“There’s a lot of front foot stuff, pressing and winning the ball in the opposition half, which is hard work – very hard work – especially for the midfielders and front line, but we’re all getting used to it and taking everything on board.”
You can watch Kacper’s post-match interview on iFollow Barnsley.
