Wales v Czech Republic - Millennium Stadium - 02.06.07

Giggs is gone. To be fair I think most Welsh fans had been expecting this decision for a while. I know I had, it's crossed my mind before every game I've been to in the past two years. He could have gone after the play off loss against Russia or joined the exodus of players after Mark Hughes last game against Poland. He didn’t, he stayed around became captain and put in some of his best displays for Wales. Notably the double header against Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan where he pretty much single handedly dragged us to our first competitive wins under John Toshack. He clearly embraced his role as captain of his country, I’m sure it meant more when Gary Neville got the nod ahead of him for his club when Roy Keane left in 2005. It’s hard for me to imagine Wales without Giggs, I was eleven when he made his debut against West Germany in 1991. His commitment has been questioned over the years and his displays criticised at times. Let’s be honest, he really should have clocked up more than 64 caps in that amount of time but I think it’s crazy to suggest he somehow saved his best performances for Manchester United. I’m not sure what some people expected from the guy given the players around him and the level of opposition.

All opinions aside Saturday was a great occasion for all Welsh fans. It would have been nice to have had more than 30,000 in the Millennium Stadium for his send off. Had there been more than three days notice of his retirement I’m sure more could have made it here. I’ve read on a couple of message boards that the atmosphere in the stadium was once again dire. I have to disagree with that, ok it wasn’t amazing but it was miles better than the San Marino game. The Czech supporters were great, the “Thank you Ryan too” banner they unfurled at the start of the match was much appreciated by us Wales fans. Call me soppy but I like this mutual respect between fans. There’s a nice trend of Welsh crowd not booing the National Anthem of the opposition. You can understand some of the lads getting carried away against England and Northern Ireland but what’s the logic of jeering an anthem just to be offensive. I’ve always felt that if you boo the anthem the team will often react and play with more fire in their bellies. It’s the first step on a rocky road and before long we’ll be throwing patio chairs at foreign police officers. Anyway kudos to us for not doing it.

The game itself was great, it proved that there is such a thing as an exciting goalless draw. I’d say it was the best I’ve seen us play in ages. Beaumaris born goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was excellent on his first start for Wales. (Re: My Blog 06.03.07 for more info) Naturally his shot stopping on the day caught the eye but what I liked was the confidence he had when collecting some of the Czech crosses. The defence looked strong. Jan Koller wasn’t given a sniff. Gabbidon thankfully had blown away the cob webs the week before against New Zealand and along with James Collins and Nyatanga they looked untroubled for most of the match. Ledley was brilliant down the left, it was a benchmark performance for him and he couldn’t have timed it better with Giggs going. Simon Davies looks like he’s growing in confidence since moving to Fulham, he had a great opportunity to score in the first half but didn’t hit it immediately as was required. His head dropped for a bit but he did alright in the second half. Apart from rattling the cross bar Koumas was quiet by his standards but did everything efficiently. It looked like he was clipped by one of the Czechs early on and struggled after that. Bellamy ran and ran like he always does for us, with Giggs gone he’s now our ‘main man’ and I’m sure he’s up to it. Ricketts and Robinson did their best and arguably put in their best performances for Wales but I can’t help but feel they were the weak links. If you swapped them for Bale and ideally David Jones of Derby we would look alright.

And Giggs? Well Giggs was Giggs. Giggs took the ‘Man of the Match’ award. Giggs gave a performance that pointed out how much we’d miss him. Giggs split the Czech defence and for a brief moment looked like he was going to score his greatest goal for Wales. Oh I can’t tell you how much we willed him to put that past Petr Cech, the noise would have been immense! I’ve got to admit I found it quite emotional when he passed the armband onto Craig Bellamy. I thought it was a great touch and a very symbolic gesture. I hadn’t realised until seeing the interviews on telly that he’d cried. I think that was final proof of how much playing for Wales meant to him. On a lighter note I found it quite funny when he was being subbed because he took his time walking off the field as he was enjoying his standing ovation. Any other situation he’d have been booked for time wasting. The Czech Republic who needed all three points clearly wanted him to hurry the hell up and get off the pitch.

He described the game as a ‘benchmark performance’ for Wales. It could have been a case of the team raising their game for the occasion, them wanting to give Ryan Giggs a decent send off. Although I’d like to think we’ve turned a corner, I’d like to think it was an indication that something clicked together. Perhaps now we know we’re not going through we may find ourselves playing without pressure and pick up a few unexpected points. I as a realist understand we’re not going through to Euro 2008 but I’d just like to say Wales have still got 18 points to play for and......oh come on let me dream!!!

Euro 2008: Wales Squad for Rep of Ireland and San Marino

John Toshack has announced his squad to face the Republic of Ireland and San Marino for the make or break matches at the end of the month. Let’s be honest, even if we win both games it’s unlikely we can mount a realistic challenge against the resources of talent of the Germans and Czechs. Both countries have started well and have built up formidable goal differences. We’ve got some nightmare games to play besides from the big two. Cyprus are lethal at home just ask the Irish and Germans. Then there’s the away game against the Slovakians. That said I’d love to have a bloody good go at taking all of them the distance. We have games in hand on everyone in Group D now it’s up to us to utilise them. If you look at the facts concerning our three games so far it’s not as bad as you might think. We went down to a last minute goal against the Czechs, we were hammered in a freak game against the Slovaks (6 shots on target, 5 goals) and we comfortably beat the Cypriots. I don’t think we’re credible contenders I just reckon us Welsh football fans should get behind them for these two games.

No amazing surprises with the squad. Want away Shrewsbury Town midfielder David Edwards is the only uncapped player included. There was no sign of Derby’s David Jones joining up. He holds dual nationality (Welsh/English) and he’s been keenly monitored by the Welsh F.A for some time. In interviews he’s referred to international football as being a ‘distraction’ and he refuses to make a decision on a country, I can’t see old Tosh being impressed with that attitude. Watch this space! I was sorry to see that John Oster has again been left out of the squad. Oster has yet to play for Wales under John Toshack, I’m not entirely sure whether there’s a particular reason for this. I know he’s had his personal problems in the past but he’s practically a regular in the Premiership. Defender Rob Edwards is another player I feel is unlucky to miss out. I know he featured in the 5-1 Slovakian drubbing but he’s been an integral part of a Wolves team unbeaten this year and pushing for promotion.

I have to admit Toshack has left me totally confused with his choice of goalkeepers. He’s gone for Danny Coyne, Darren Ward and Paul Jones. Ward definitely deserves included and should be our first choice to start against the Irish. Coyne has done well to reclaim his number one jersey at Burnley after being injured for such a lengthy period and I’m sure most Wales fans wouldn’t mind another look at him. I can see why Tosh has picked those two but how on Earth has Paul Jones made the squad. Legendary comedian Bill Hicks believed that in the event of a nuclear holocaust the only two things to survive would be cockroaches and Rolling Stone Keith Richards. I now believe you could add Paul Jones to that list. Jones is forty in April and he hasn’t played any first team football since October. He’s not even second choice at Q.P.R any more and they won’t be renewing his contract at the end of the season. The average Wales fan assumed that his ill fated 50th cap against Slovakia was his last and that the whole affair signalled the end of his involvement with the national team especially after he was dropped for the Cyprus game. I know the chances of him playing are next to nothing and he’s only there to make the numbers but why not take a younger keeper for the experience. If I was Lewis Price I’d be gutted, especially after taking over from Jones for the Cyprus match and doing a good job. I imagine Jason Brown of Blackburn is also feeling a tad annoyed, he’s sat on the bench for two of the Euro 2008 qualifiers and kept a clean sheet against Liechtenstein in the November friendly but Jones has had the nod ahead of him. Don't get me wrong I like Jones a hell of a lot, he was such an important player for Wales at a really exciting time during the Euro 2004 qualifiers. If our current team shows half the pride in wearing a Wales shirt as he did throughout his career we’d be alright. All I’m saying is let’s give someone else a chance.

And talking of young Welsh keepers… Predictably after writing a blog all about his achievements Wayne Hennessey conceded three against Barnet on the weekend ending his fine unbeaten run. Typical.


Wales Squad to face Rep of Ireland and San Marino

Goalkeepers: Danny Coyne (Burnley), Paul Jones (QPR), Darren Ward (Sunderland).

Defenders: Gareth Bale (Southampton), Danny Collins (Sunderland,) James Collins (West Ham United), Richard Duffy (Portsmouth (loan Swansea City)), Steve Evans (Wrexham), Danny Gabbidon (West Ham United,) Craig Morgan (Peterborough United), Lewin Nyatanga (Derby County (loan Barnsley)), Sam Ricketts (Hull City).

Midfielders: Andrew Crofts (Gillingham), Arron Davies (Yeovil Town), Simon Davies (Fulham), David Edwards (Shrewsbury Town), Carl Fletcher (Crystal Palace), Jason Koumas (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Ledley (Cardiff City), Carl Robinson (Toronto).

Forwards: Craig Bellamy (Liverpool), David Cotterill (Wigan Athletic), Jermaine Easter (Wycombe Wanderers), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Chris Llewelyn (Wrexham), Paul Parry (Cardiff City).

Henn-mania

Welsh talent has featured quite prominently in collecting football awards over the last few days. Jason Koumas deservedly picked up the ‘Championship Player of the Year Award’ at the ‘Football League Awards’ in London on Sunday. Close to winning that gong for himself, Gareth Bale had to settle for the award for the ‘Football League Young Player of the Year’. Cardiff City’s Chris Gunter was deemed the ‘Championship Apprentice of the Year’, an award Lewin Nyatanga won last season. I’m sure it won’t do his growing confidence any harm. His team mate Joe Ledley received the ‘Goal of the Year’ award for one he scored back in August against Barnsley. Not a bad haul overall and with Ryan Giggs playing his 700th game for Manchester United last weekend it was generally a good week of achievements for Welsh football.

The story that captured both my attention and imagination this weekend was that of goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. If you haven’t heard of him yet you might do soon if his record continues. Wolves stopper Hennessey is in the middle of a successful loan period at Stockport County. Since January he’s kept nine clean sheets totalling at 810 minutes of football helping Stockport to nine wins in a row. This record breaking run has lifted them from 15th place to 6th in League Two catapulting them into a promotion race and has earned him the ‘League Two Player of the Month Award’ for February. Obviously Hennessey can’t take all the credit for this run but you’d have to admit it looks favourably on him that the run coincided with his arrival at the club. What makes his achievement even more incredible is that these nine games are the only professional matches he’s ever played. After six clean sheets Hennessey revealed in an interview that the Stockport fans had affectionately started singing ‘Wales Number One’ during matches. After nine games without conceding you could suggest those fans were closer to the mark with a chant which originally may have been sung in jest. He’s already broken into the Under 19 and Under 21 squads, I read somewhere on the net this weekend that he apparently scored a 40 yard free kick against Turkey Under 19s. A writer in Western Mail this week said he’s already savouring the prospect of him and Lewis Price battling it out for the Welsh No 1 jersey. So at 6ft4 Wayne Hennessey could be destined to be the biggest thing to come out of Beaumaris since…well...ever.

As an Everton supporter I have come to learn not to get too carried away when a player shows signs of early promise. In the late nineties when Everton were annually involved in relegation dogfights they were forced to rush the development of their younger talent. Michael Ball, Francis Jeffers, Michael Branch, Danny Cadamarteri and Jon O’Connor, all thrown in at the deep end, had initial success when bursting onto the scene and naturally at times of trouble it was hoped these players would be Everton’s ticket back to the big time. Strikers Branch and Cadamarteri both seemed prolific at first but along with O’Connor they moved on then slowly slipping down the football leagues going from club to club. Believers of their own hype, Ball and Jeffers earned big moves away from Everton but the pair never really fulfilled their early potential. Therefore I try to approach any talk of the next big thing with caution. I do however appreciate it’s difficult not to rush things when resources are thin. Wales have been pushing their youngsters through the ranks for years. You can see it in the current Welsh squad, many of our players are eligible for the under 21s and some could even play for the under 19s. But in fairness if they’re good enough and are better than what else is on offer they should play no matter the age. If things continue to go well for Wayne Hennessey he may get his chance at full international level earlier than expected.

Good luck against Barnet on Saturday Wayne. I’m sure I’ll have jinxed everything for him now.