Everton - has the penny finally dropped?

[G rangetown Blue]

Finally realising what we've known for years.
The 'captain of Wales' is an overrated phoney.
Ridiculed in Lyon mid week, and dropped from the 1st team on Sunday, hopefully he will announce his retirement from playing for OUR country in the near future too......they say good things come in threes.

Here's hoping.

[Vimto]

https://media.giphy.com/media/jsEeoTDPdZDzy/giphy.gif

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Finally realising what we've known for years.
The 'captain of Wales' is an overrated phoney.
Ridiculed in Lyon mid week, and dropped from the 1st team on Sunday, hopefully he will announce his retirement from playing for OUR country in the near future too......they say good things come in threes.

Here's hoping.

The Williams issue is something that whoever is Welsh manager has to sort out during the next campaign. It's unlikely that he'll be around for World Cup 2022 qualification and so whoever replaces him will need game time and experience in preparation for those qualifiers.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I think he's been a great captain for us , always giving 100 percent

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I think he's been a great captain for us , always giving 100 percent

Agreed.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

100% agree - I would want him playing for us rather than against us. No one can deny his dedication to the cause and to suggest anything else is just a wind up.

He's getting on now and we will need to find a replacement soon but he's been a great servant for Wales

[the other bob wilson]

Finally realising what we've known for years.
The 'captain of Wales' is an overrated phoney.
Ridiculed in Lyon mid week, and dropped from the 1st team on Sunday, hopefully he will announce his retirement from playing for OUR country in the near future too......they say good things come in threes.

Here's hoping.

Ashley Williams at 33 is player on the way down, but less than eighteen months ago he was an important part of a Wales side which achieved the best ever tournament performance and for eight of the nine years he has played for Wales he has, justifiably, been one of the first names on the team sheet - he also barely ever missed a game during that time. Your use of the word "we've" is I presume you using the Royal "we", because he has been one of a quartet of quality performers that Wales' recent successes have been primarily based on - he's going to take some replacing if his international career is, indeed, coming to an end.

[LordKenwyne]

Well unfortunately he'll be a key star in that film of EURO 16 that will be replayed for decades.

[Algynon]

I do not see any ready made replacements for him so I believe he will be in the team for some time to come. He has been a good servant for Wales and I think he has still got a role to play, both as center back and captain.

[Bluebird since 1948]

A fantastic servant for Wales but I agree his form has dropped off a cliff since leaving the Swans. Until there's another Welsh centre back playing at his level then he must stay in the first team.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

he's going to take some replacing if his international career is, indeed, coming to an end.

Absolutely. That's why I'm wondering if this qualification campaign is the right time to blood in his replacement gradually, whoever that might be - Ampadu possibly, though he's still young and raw. Should Williams be ready to leave behind a distinguished international career after the next qualifiers, we'd have someone with a little experience of playing at the level required as opposed to someone who has hardly kicked a ball for us.

[Bluebird since 1948]

Absolutely. That's why I'm wondering if this qualification campaign is the right time to blood in his replacement gradually, whoever that might be - Ampadu possibly, though he's still young and raw. Should Williams be ready to leave behind a distinguished international career after the next qualifiers, we'd have someone with a little experience of playing at the level required as opposed to someone who has hardly kicked a ball for us.

International sport is all about selection. I have never bought this idea of "blooding youngsters" on the international stage to get them up to speed. They are all pros, they train and play week in week out. By all means include them in squads or training camps but you should always play your best players, however old they may be.

Ampadus time will come, he's hugely rated at Chelsea and Conte brought him up three times in a press conference the other day and he wasn't asked about him once.

[Forest Green Bluebird]

The Williams issue is something that whoever is Welsh manager has to sort out during the next campaign. It's unlikely that he'll be around for World Cup 2022 qualification and so whoever replaces him will need game time and experience in preparation for those qualifiers.

Ampadu needs to be fast tracked.

[Forest Green Bluebird]

I do not see any ready made replacements for him so I believe he will be in the team for some time to come. He has been a good servant for Wales and I think he has still got a role to play, both as center back and captain.

Here's one:

Ethan-Ampadu-631459.jpg

[Pearcey3]

Finally realising what we've known for years.
The 'captain of Wales' is an overrated phoney.
Ridiculed in Lyon mid week, and dropped from the 1st team on Sunday, hopefully he will announce his retirement from playing for OUR country in the near future too......they say good things come in threes.

Here's hoping.

You must be gutted he was captain on the greatest night in Welsh football history. You must be gutted he was captain of a Welsh team reaching the semi final of a major competition for the first time in our history. You must be gutted he will go down as a Wales legend.
Go and scoff a jelly baby

[G rangetown Blue]

You must be gutted he was captain on the greatest night in Welsh football history. You must be gutted he was captain of a Welsh team reaching the semi final of a major competition for the first time in our history. You must be gutted he will go down as a Wales legend.
Go and scoff a jelly baby

I'm more 'gutted' that Welshmen seem to think it's fine for an English reject to captain our national football team if I'm honest.

[Chris Pontprennau Blues]

I think he's been a great captain for us , always giving 100 percent

I agree - Swansea have lost a captain and leader in AW and their demise is deffo linked

[jamieccfc]

I'm more 'gutted' that Welshmen seem to think it's fine for an English reject to captain our national football team if I'm honest.

I know a Yorkshire man who is more welsh than some people I know born in Wales. Ash has been brilliant for wales

[Vimto]

I'm more 'gutted' that Welshmen seem to think it's fine for an English reject to captain our national football team if I'm honest.

If thats all you wanted to 'say' then it is a shame that people bother replying to you on the subject.
But at least they illustrate, eloquently, that your hatred is historically irrational.
I'm sure most of us accept that, currently, AW is not the player he once was, and may or may not be again.

[Heathblue]

Finally realising what we've known for years.
The 'captain of Wales' is an overrated phoney.
Ridiculed in Lyon mid week, and dropped from the 1st team on Sunday, hopefully he will announce his retirement from playing for OUR country in the near future too......they say good things come in threes.

Here's hoping.

I read today that, West Ham have the worst defensive record in the premier league, I wonder who plays for them

[Eric the Half a Bee]

International sport is all about selection. I have never bought this idea of "blooding youngsters" on the international stage to get them up to speed. They are all pros, they train and play week in week out. By all means include them in squads or training camps but you should always play your best players, however old they may be.

To an extent that's the case, but that makes no allowance for partnerships learning each others' games. If Williams was to retire at the end of the next qualification campaign, surely it would be better if his replacement had competitive game time with James Chester (assuming he'll then become our main centre back) than if he was thrown in the deep end. Yes, whoever replaces Williams will have to be a good defender to get selected, but when making a strong start to a group campaign is important (something we failed to do this time around), preparation is key.