Jan Urban under pressure before Poland's Nations League start

Jan Urban is facing mounting pressure over his future as Poland head coach, with scrutiny growing after a difficult run of results and criticism over his absence from the World Cup. According to reports cited in Poland, the upcoming Nations League campaign could prove decisive for the 64-year-old.

Early uplift has given way to fresh uncertainty

Urban's arrival initially changed the mood around the national team after the previous spell under Michał Probierz. Poland went unbeaten across the first seven matches of his tenure, a sequence that included two meetings with the Netherlands and helped secure a place in the World Cup play-offs.

That momentum did not carry through when it mattered most. Poland beat Albania but then suffered a damaging defeat to Sweden in the play-off final, missing out on qualification. Further criticism followed after the May-June camp, when Poland lost 0:2 to Ukraine and drew 2:2 with Nigeria.

The sense now is that the positive start has been replaced by a more fragile atmosphere around the team and its manager.

Reports suggest Urban's standing has weakened

Piotr Wołosik has suggested Urban cannot feel secure in the role, arguing that a poor opening to the Nations League could trigger a change before the turn of the year. The central issue raised in the discussion is not only results, but also what has been described as the coach's passivity in recent weeks.

Despite support from Polish FA president Cezary Kulesza immediately after the defeat to Sweden, including an offer to extend Urban's contract, the tone around the national team appears to have shifted. The latest reporting points to a cooling in relations after what had initially been seen as a honeymoon period.

World Cup absence has become a major talking point

A key source of criticism has been Urban's decision not to attend the World Cup. That has been presented by commentators as a missed opportunity to watch Poland's upcoming opponents in the Nations League.

Bośnia i Hercegowina and Sweden are both in Poland's group in League B, while Romania are also set to face the national team. Tomasz Hajto was among those to argue that the head coach should have used the tournament to study Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sweden more closely.

The debate has also prompted comparisons with past criticism aimed at Fernando Santos, who was accused of not travelling enough to watch matches. In that context, Urban's absence has become symbolic of wider doubts over the direction of the team.

Nations League could define the next phase

Poland are due to play four matches in Group 4 of Nations League B during the international window at the turn of September and October. Those fixtures now carry added significance, not only for the team's competitive aims but also for Urban's position.

Zbigniew Boniek has also spoken about dissatisfaction in some quarters with the current situation around the national side. Taken together, the criticism from prominent voices has reinforced the sense that the autumn could be a defining period.

For now, Urban remains in charge. But with the atmosphere described as uneasy and expectations rising ahead of the Nations League, Poland's next set of games may shape far more than their place in the group.