Qatar Tango - Wales Watch

Problem is there is a lack of particularly midfielders and central defenders coming through.
Too many players had a poor World Cup.
Still great to see at last Wales on the world stage. Where were Scotland and the Irish?

 

In Scotland and Ireland?
Just a guess

 

Interesting to hear Bale talking like he fancies a crack at Euro qualifying again.

I'd not be against him being in the squad still, but we have to have far less reliance on him and Rambo.

Colwill, Brooks, Wilson, Cooper etc. all need to start to step up now.

Not forgetting Zac Davies too...

Clearly none of them have the class of their soon to be predecessors but that doesn't mean they still can't achieve good things.

 

Spot on Brizzo.

Great job getting there - poor job being there.

Only natural, but far too much expectation placed on the recent heros and not enough quality within the squad to compensate when it didn't come off.

Now it's over, a rebuild required. The youngsters coming through are very promising and will need time. Maybe having the older heads retained within the squad would be a good move for continuity - as long as they're no longer regarded as "must play" starters.

 

Been listening to Radio Wales phone in with majority of callers stating simply they were proud of Wales with very little criticism of Page and the players.
Only one caller of those I heard said the obvious:Wales just don’t have the sheer number of PL quality players to call on, and have to do the best they can with what they’ve got and have to play them even if only half fit.

 

Do without the half fit ones next time as, apart from Wales penalty v USA, they brought little to the party.

If not 100% match fit, don't select them in hope.

P.S. With hindsight the draw v USA wasn't a bad result.

 

I said it elsewhere, Ukraine was our final.
Since then our key players have hardly kicked a ball and we've struggled, not winning a game in the run up to the WC.
The 3 players who make us tick have either been in dispute with their clubs, Ramsey and Bale, or injured, Allen.
Those 3 are the ones you want on the ball pulling the strings.
Bale has the magic, Ramsey the vision and Allen glues it all together. Thats when the 'lesser players' come alive. They perform because of the other 3.
Ramsey and Bale's lack of game time showed. Well undercooked. Their touch and passing were poor. Allen wasn't ready to play.
The 1 touch, 2 touch little triangles weren't there. Poor first touch and inaccurate passing all over the field.
No complaints about any of them, they've been great for us, but it was 3 games too far.
Still think they'll have parts to play in qualification for the euros, but they'll have new roles as supporting players. The question is, who picks up the batton.
A lot of exciting youngsters coming through with pace from the likes of James, but they arent the players to control a game.
Time for page to make some big calls and implement the next stage of the evolution.

At 58, the first time I've seen Wales at a WC, for which I thank the players and coaches.
I've witnessed enough near misses.
We didn't acheive the standards we have in the last 6-8 years At the tournament which is disappointing.
No blame. It is what it is.
Dust ourselves down and move on. We'll always be a small team from a country with a small population, we just need to keep punching above our weight.

 

In reality and without stating the obvious Wales central midfielders were apart from the unfit Ramsey and Allen, a pair of journeymen from Swindon and Portsmouth, an inexperienced championship player from Cardiff, one from MK Dons and another from Dundee.
At the back the reserve defenders are all in the championship save Gunter playing in the 4th tier.
Up front the reserve striker Harris struggles at championship level.

 

Don't want to open old wounds, but never was a truer word spoken...............

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/gareth-bale-dubbed-biggest-down-25692116

 

Personally, not wounded to nothing to open. Just me

 

It was an expression used in the general sense - why take it personally?

 

And close behind Bale for that unwanted accolade, I'd put Ramsey.

Allen was injured coming into the tournament.
Bale and Ramsey just well undercooked.
The 3 players who made our team tick, well below par. Most of our play goes through them and they bring others into the game.
With Bale and Ramsey, it was self inflicted with conflict with their clubs and poor choices of destination.

We just about made it past Ukraine, and its been downhill since then.

Ronaldo in a similar position.

 

I didn't. I was making sure that I made it clear that my views were personal.

 

Surely all our views are personal?

(and I'm not calling you Shirley)

 

Yes they are but I was addressing your suggestion that I took something personally.

 

I didn't - you were the one who posted......

 

You said in response to mine

 

You mentioned "personally " first...........

 

As in all things, context is king.
I used the word "personally" first.
You used "Why take it personally"
Different uses different contexts.