Ryan Giggs called the first year of his reign as Wales manager/coach a “free hit” as his remodelled young side struggled for consistency and cohesion through a series of friendly and semi competitive Nations League and China Cup matches. Four wins and five defeats in his first ten matches accurately summed up an introduction to the job which I would call unconvincing if I had to describe it in one word.
Well, today the real stuff started with a match at Cardiff City Stadium which, naturally enough, brought back memories of that opening game when Slovakia were defeated 2-1 to set the tone for Wales’ glorious Euro Finals tournament in 2016.
Getting to the Semi Finals three years ago was something that I would imagine virtually every fan of the national team would say was the highspot of a lifetime spent supporting the Welsh football side, but that achievement casts a long shadow for whoever comes along in its aftermath.
Throughout most of Wales’ history of competing in major international football tournaments, a record in a qualification group which included just one defeat and four times as many victories would be judged a success even if it wasn’t enough to take us through to the latter stages of the competition, but seeing as it came in the tournament after Euro 2016, our qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup has to be viewed as a failure.
It’s against this backdrop that Ryan Giggs starts his first qualifying group for a major tournament and the fact that he has chosen, a little too early in my view, to consign stalwarts such as Chris Gunter, Andy King, Joe Ledley, Sam Vokes and Hal Robson-Kanu to the subs bench or worse and rely on the “kids” will not buy him another free hit during his second year in the job- nothing short of qualification will do under the new standards that apply in Welsh international football.
I’m sure Giggs will be pleased therefore to have seen his team edge to a 1-0 win that, while a tad unconvincing, was I would say well deserved over the ninety minutes – indeed, I have been a bit surprised to see a few reports and comments since the game claiming that we were fortunate to win.
Giggs’ dispensing with the old and ringing in of the new continued today with Ashley Williams missing from the starting line up of a qualifying game for reasons other than suspension or injury for the first time in absolutely ages – I’ve not checked it, but I would have thought it was a decade or more.
James Chester was one of quite a few injury absentees today, but who is to say that Giggs wouldn’t have opted for Chris Mepham and James Lawrence in central defence, with a grand total of six caps between them before today, even if the Villa man had been available?
The previously mentioned King and Vokes were other injury absentees, as were more likely starters Aaron Ramsey, Tom Lawrence and Ethan Ampadu, so, besides at centreback, Giggs’ options looked somewhat limited in central midfield where Matt Smith was selected alongside Joe Allen.
Therefore, I think it to be expected that Wales’ performance would be a little patchy in places, but I would still rate it probably our second best under Giggs after the 4-1 demolition of the Republic of Ireland in the autumn.
That game was notable for the attacking pace, fluency and flexibility shown by a front four that gave the Irish a torrid time and a precociously eye catching showing by the teenager Ampadu who looked like he had been playing international football for about fifteen years!
I’ll come to today’s attacking quartet shortly, but first I want to say that, albeit in a different way, Smith was almost equally as impressive as Ampadu had been six months ago. With Allen his usual dependable self, Smith helped provide a double shield in front of the composed Mepham and Lawrence which helped ensure that Slovakia barely got a look in as an attacking force in the first hour of the game.
The visitors certainly had the better of the last quarter of the match mind as the previously under employed Wayne Hennessy came to Wales’ rescue on three occasions. However, for me. this was not through any falling off in the level of performance from Smith And Allen, more that I thought Giggs’ substitutions, which included Ashley Williams for goal scorer Daniel James, rather handed the initiative to the Slovaks.
For whatever reason, I’ve seen little of Swansea City this season, so I’ve not really been able to comment to any great degree on the rave reviews winger Daniel James has been getting, but, based on today and the jacks’ recent FA Cup tie with Manchester City, I must say I’m very impressed.
It wasn’t just for his crisply taken fifth minute goal that I rated James as the best out of the attacking quartet who, while pretty fitful on an individual basis, came up with enough of the sort of play which routed the Irish to keep the Slovakia defence on edge throughout the game.
There were two or three moments of quality from Gareth Bale, but no more than that and the list of Welsh competitive games since he, or Aaron Ramsey, have been a major influence on proceedings is now a worryingly long one.
David Brooks played a part in the goal and was close in the first half after a wonderful run and shot which showcased the talent that enabled him to win both the Wales Player and Young Player of the year awards this week, while Harry Wilson looked a little short of confidence in front of goal after a long run without scoring during what has been a successful loan at Derby overall – he should have done better with what was probably Wales’ best chance of the second half.
I must admit I was a little disappointed with the front four at times because I thought there were plenty of opportunities that went begging for want of the sort of precision passing that a Ramsey might have provided.
However, what marks this attacking quartet out as potentially something special is the speed they operate at and, to be fair, only some of the very best, the early Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale circa 2014 for example, are able to combine blistering pace with precise technique. Therefore, it is a compliment to James, Brooks, Wilson and one or two other youngsters available to Wales that I can see us being able to hit such heights from time to time in the coming years.
What we saw in the first half especially offered the hope that Wales will be able to trouble even the best defences in the future. Slovakia don’t fall into that category, but, as I mentioned earlier, their back line never looked happy on a day when I would estimate that Wales played to no more than about fifty per cent of their attacking potential.
Two things from today illustrate what I mean. First, in the lead up to the goal, Brooks did well as he cut in from the right, but his pass, intended for James, was a poor one. Even so, experienced Slovakian right back Pekarik was still spooked enough to make a present of the ball to the Swansea winger who needed no second invitation to drive home low from the edge of the penalty area. The second thing which showed the visitor’s discomfort was the number of bookings they picked up. While not all of them were for fouls on the Welsh attackers, seven yellow cards is an indication of a side that became increasingly frustrated at having to chase shadows for much of the game.
Results on Thursday and today leave Wales in the best position out of any of the five sides contesting a group from which the top two finishers go on to the Euros next year. Favourites Croatia were unconvincing at home in beating the side who were supposed to be the groups minnows in Azerbaijan 2-1, but today came a cropper by the same score in Hungary, who, in turn were beaten 2-0 in Slovakia in midweek. Our group has the look of one of those where everyone is capable of beating each other at home at the moment, so a repeat of our ability to pick up away draws during our last qualifying campaign in our games in Croatia and Hungary in June would leave us in a strong position going into the autumn.
The news wasn’t as good for Wales’ under nineteens though as a 5-1 hammering against Spain to follow on from the 2-1 beating by hosts the Netherlands rendered the final game of their qualification group against Slovenia meaningless in terms of making it through to the Finals in the summer.
