After Sparta, I had a block in my head, says Šulc. He was saved by a loan and a fateful coach

When you went to Jablonec in the summer, you said you were going there to reboot and get back to your cool. Is it going well?

I’m good at it. I equaled my season high with two goals, and I also had two assists. I appreciate the chance I got in Jablonec, and I made it to the base. Coach Horejš has been helping me a lot since the beginning.

You chose the apple tree because of it too, you see? You know each other from a joint camp in České Budějovice.

I thrived under him at Dynamo and enjoyed the football he wanted to play. He brought his people from Budějovice to Jablonec, for example assistant Kohout and goalkeeper coach Maceje. We play good football and we play it well, it just doesn’t bring results yet. Hopefully that will change in the spring.

How long did it take you to get back in shape?

In the beginning, I did not do well in Jablonec. The February match with Pilsen at Sparta and everything around it left its mark on me, it was very unpleasant.

You didn’t convert three goals, Sparta equalized and in Pilsen you definitely condemned yourself to the position of a substitute.

We had a block in my head and I couldn’t get rid of it for a long time. But now I’m getting back to being comfortable.

Is there less pressure in Jablonec than in Pilsen?

I wouldn’t say it’s smaller. We want to play at the top, but we are 14th, so the pressure is on before every game. We definitely have the squad to play higher than where we are now. But it wasn’t possible in the fall.

I would highlight seven red cards, which is extreme. No one in the league got more in the fall. Only against Sparta did we take points in a weakened state, otherwise it crushed us every time.

Can a winter break help you? You can start from scratch in the spring.

Clearly. The table is very balanced and if you make a streak you will quickly get higher. True, in the spring we start with a heavy draw. Slavia away, Zlín at home… These two matches will tell.

At the age of twenty-one, you are already on your fourth loan, before Jablonec you went through Jihlava, Opava and Budějovice. How are you taking it?

I don’t mind moving, I’m a loner and an introvert. I don’t mind being alone. But I sat down with the guys quickly in Jablonec, the group is great there. Krobík, for example, helped me a lot (defender Jan Krob) with Tomáš Hübschman.

Hübschman is nineteen years older than you, he could be your dad.

(smiles) I’m lucky with veterans. I was in Opava with Pavel Zavadil, in Budějovice Jarda Drobný was with Tomáš Sivok, and now I have Tomáš in Jablonec. I’m glad I could meet these fighters on the field.

As for Pilsen, which you belong to: did you watch the big matches with Bayern, Barcelona and Inter Milan in the Champions League?

I crossed my fingers, but it didn’t work out. The summer promotion to the main stage was quite important, hats off to the boys. I would also like to play the Champions League someday, but right now I’m concentrating on Jablonec. And for my performances to return to the level they were at, and maybe even improve.

Is it true that you will also spend the spring in Jablonec?

Looks like it. So far, no one from Pilsen has contacted me to say that I should return there for training. I would like to play as much as possible in Jablonec again to get in shape before the EURO 21.

Did you regret not being nominated for the successful draw with Iceland in September?

I took it in stride because my performances were not up to the point of being in the 21st. Coach Suchopárek kept me in the nomination even when I didn’t play much in Pilsen, but I probably wouldn’t have helped the team much in the playoffs. I was rooting for the boys on TV and I believed they could do it.

And what do you say about the draw for the European Championship? He didn’t spare you.

England, Germany, Israel… It’s a tough draw, but you can’t choose for the EURO. We still have a few warm-up games, so we can prepare well. I’m glad I can be there again.

What do you expect from the friendlies with Portugal and Norway?

They are great opponents, just like us they will be at the European Championship. Their quality is comparable to what will await us in the group. We have a lot of new guys in the team now, but at least the coaches can try them out and expand their overview. Then there will only be a meeting in March and they will fly to Georgia in June. Hopefully we will be as strong as possible.