FT: WALES 1 - 0 LATVIA. Match thread

[Wales-Bales]

I walked to the ground looking up the Latvian team. Almost all play in the their national league. Apart from seeing a few who looked more at home in a basketball team it should have been our easiest game. If Wilson scored early doors I think it would have been.

The idea that a competent team of international players can't move from managing a game away against superior opposition to controlling a game at home vs weak opposition in 90 minutes is laughable.

Page's football philosophy went up in smoke in Qatar, so it's a new project and I expect to see improvements as we move forward.

[cyril evans awaydays]

Page's football philosophy went up in smoke in Qatar, so it's a new project and I expect to see improvements as we move forward.

Interesting observation but what has that to do with your prognosis that a barely competent international team can't go from not being able to string a pass together to zipping the ball around the pitch in one game?

There are definitely teams I have seen in the FA Cup this year and in previous years that can't adjust. Usually they on a giant killers ground though.

Four points out of 6 is magic. The Turkey games will be pivotal., I agree with you that Page is not Cesar Minotti but if you look at the squad and bench last night it is difficult to see what different options he could have put on the pitch.

It was the slowness of passing that did me. It was so easy for Latvia to keep their shape even with 25% possession.

[Wales-Bales]

Interesting observation but what has that to do with your prognosis that a barely competent international team can't go from not being able to string a pass together to zipping the ball around the pitch in one game?

There are definitely teams I have seen in the FA Cup this year and in previous years that can't adjust. Usually they on a giant killers ground though.

Four points out of 6 is magic. The Turkey games will be pivotal., I agree with you that Page is not Cesar Minotti but if you look at the squad and bench last night it is difficult to see what different options he could have put on the pitch.

It was the slowness of passing that did me. It was so easy for Latvia to keep their shape even with 25% possession.

Mepham and Rodon need to be comfortable playing out from the back and they don't always inspire confidence, but it was good to see Ampadu interacting with them against Croatia. Our midfield also needs tweaking if we are going to play this kind of football, so hopefully the new coach is working on it. Having Johnson back should make a difference, as he is one of the better counter-attacking players in the PL. I'm not overly concerned with the current setup as there is definitely a path forward.

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Interesting observation but what has that to do with your prognosis that a barely competent international team can't go from not being able to string a pass together to zipping the ball around the pitch in one game?

There are definitely teams I have seen in the FA Cup this year and in previous years that can't adjust. Usually they on a giant killers ground though.

Four points out of 6 is magic. The Turkey games will be pivotal., I agree with you that Page is not Cesar Minotti but if you look at the squad and bench last night it is difficult to see what different options he could have put on the pitch.

It was the slowness of passing that did me. It was so easy for Latvia to keep their shape even with 25% possession.

Its easy to have 75% possession when you knock it about between the back 3 and a holding midfielder. It was so boring.

I get that Wales aren't a force in international football but it was a shit game and if I never watch an international game again it wouldn't bother me.