Is time running out for Jozwiak as winger has struggled to make his mark?
WHEN Kamil Jozwiak came off the bench against Queens Park Rangers, a game Derby would lose 2-1, the Sky Sports commentators remarked that “on his day” he could be a real handful.
It was a slightly underwhelming compliment. It should not have been this way.
Jozwiak was brought in for around £3m to be a key cog in Derby’s attack. A tricky winger capable of stretching defences vertically and providing a lightning bolt outlet in transition.
Now in his second season, the Poland international has featured only five times since late September.
He had lost his place to Jason Knight, Sam Baldock and Festy Ebosele to name just three - and of course two of those, Baldock and Knight, are not natural wingers.
It speaks to how far down the pecking order he has fallen, though he did return to the team to start the 1-0 defeat of Blackpool on Saturday.
It is not just his ineffectiveness in attacking phases. Jozwiak has been inconsistent with his defensive output.
While he runs around plenty and works hard, he often switches off at key moments and allows his marker to run off him.
He will often be in the wrong position to start with - which last season resulted in Liam Rosenior and Justin Walker often shouting “IN!” at him, wanting him to drift inside to condense the formation and force the opposition outside.
Time is rapidly running out for Jozwiak to prove he has been worth his outlay. His price tag and high wage suggest he will be a casualty of Derby’s cost-cutting sooner rather than later.
The tangible impact on games simply has not been there.
In 13 appearances so far this season, Jozwiak has yet to register a goal or an assist.
He had started the season lively, linking well with Ravel Morrison and Tom Lawrence as part of Wayne Rooney’s new look, fluid identity for the team.
But his impact in the statistics has been poor.
Jozwiak has created only six chances this season, not one big chance, and has attempted only six shots all campaign - resulting in an xG (a chance by which a player is expected to score) of 0.72, which is lower than Curtis Davies (1.19) and only slightly ahead of Lee Buchanan (0.69).
He has also only attempted two crosses all season, though Rooney’s team have been moving away from the method of working it out wide and tossing balls into the box, it is still part of their game.
And as a winger, Jozwiak would be expected to put in a high volume of them.
Overall, in 55 appearances for the Rams he has scored only one goal (a spectacular curling effort in a 2-0 win over Swansea City at Pride Park last season) and notched only three assists.
He has had several close calls - the woodwork here, a good save there, and a brutal call ruling out a wouldbe winner against Nottingham Forest last season. But at some stage it is fair to ask for a better final product.
This is not a new criticism, however. Before Derby even signed the 23-year-old, his qualities at Lech Poznan were streaky at best.
His YouTube highlight compilations showed an exceptionally skilled winger who could take on his man and dazzle you with quick feet. But closer inspection showed a raw player who was inconsistent and wasteful.
To compound the frustrations, Jozwiak has often looked like a totally different player when performing for his country. In the last 12 months the wide man has scored three times for Poland and has looked a constant threat when going forwards. He looks to be brimming with confidence and often produces at a level seldom seen by Derby fans.
It should not be ignored that he plays with some of Europe’s top performers, such as Robert Lewandowski, but his individual game steps up when in the red and white
POLISH WINGER COULD BE ONE OF PLAYERS AT PRIDE PARK TO COMMAND A DECENT FEE IN NEXT WINDOW
of Poland.
During his first season in the East Midlands, he admitted he had struggles. Adjusting to life amid a global pandemic on and off the pitch was tricky for him. Especially in a country that was not his own. The Polish winger admitted the off the field factors played a part in his on field product.
Adding to the difficulties was the loss through injury of his best friend Krystian Bielik. The pair are close and Jozwiak admitted seeing his friend in tears on the Pride Park turf after tearing his ACL against Bristol City in January played on his mind.
Behind the scenes Jozwiak is a likeable character. Jovial and warm, his team-mates have taken a shine to him, and he to them. But at times they get equally frustrated with his final ball, wayward shooting or decision-making.
Everybody inside the club is pulling for him to come good. But it feels like his days are numbered.
Outside of the on-the-field reasons why things have not worked out, Jozwiak is one of the players at the club who could command a decent fee if he were to leave and Derby look to rebuild from top to bottom.