Where now for Wales?

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Obviously it's been fantastic to see Wales at a World Cup. Yes, we've been shit, but we've at least been there.

What have we learned from this tournament that will help us move forward? What has happened in the past that we should avoid?

I look at a few things. Euro 2004 qualification. We had a fantastic couple of years under Hughes where we did really well in some friendlies, won the opening 4 games in qualification (including the great win over Italy), then capitulated. Hughes kept faith in his old guard because he fancied a crack at England in the WC 2006 qualifiers. We made a dreadful start and when Hughes left, the old players left with him. Toshack and Flynn had a major rebuilding process to oversee, one they both knew they'd never see the fruits of.

We need to keep blooding our young players. The more experience they have at a young age, the better we'll be.

We need to ensure that our big stars are match fit. Bale (in particular), despite his stature, despite everything he's done for us, needs to find himself a club and play regularly. Blakey and Jess Fishlock talked on the phone in this evening to say that there's a huge difference between being fit and being match fit. The Bale dilemma is that his performances in the WC were abysmal, yet he's the only player who scored. If Bale can't get himself match fit, he no longer starts.

We need to get rid of the likes of Jonny Williams, Chris Gunter etc permanently and let the youngsters have a go. Big thanks for your service to the side over the years, but time to go now. Anyone over the age of 27-28 that is barely on the periphery moves aside for youth. I will say that I was slightly disappointed that Gunter didn't get a few minutes this evening - if anyone deserved a few minutes on the pitch in a world cup it would be him.

Any other thoughts? (Please not Davies in midfield)

[Pearcey3]

Yep Gunter should no longer be involved. Joniesta is only 29 though so may still be involved but really needs to be playing at a higher level.
The likes of Jordan James,Oli Cooper, Luke Harris, Ben Cabango and Rubin Colwill need to get chances. Other youngsters will breakthrough too.

The goalkeeping position is a problem. Hennessey’s career is coming to an end but Ward didn’t look up to it in this tournament.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Yep Gunter should no longer be involved. Joniesta is only 29 though so may still be involved but really needs to be playing at a higher level.
The likes of Jordan James,Oli Cooper, Luke Harris, Ben Cabango and Rubin Colwill need to get chances. Other youngsters will breakthrough too.

The goalkeeping position is a problem. Hennessey’s career is coming to an end but Ward didn’t look up to it in this tournament.

Joniesta will never play at a higher level than he does currently. Would you keep him in place of Oli Cooper? No. He goes.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Page needs to step down or be replaced

Of course like any welsh manager he's got a limited squad but he hasn't used his available team well for some time

Bale if he is to continue playing , needs to be with a league club , playing fairly regularly

And if he's to play for Wales it can't be for 90 minutes

Allen will retire at the end of this season , Ramsey might have 2 years in him left but not as a first team regular

Get flynn or flynns son or grandson to look for players as before

[superfeathers]

Youth - concentrate on the younger players moving forwards like you said. Get the younger boys some game time.

But keep bale and Ramsey involved with the squad. Not as guaranteed starters anymore but they have to stay involved and be ready as super subs. Their experience is vital to this squad.

Get a manager who has the balls to make the changes

[J R Hartley]

Page needs to step down or be replaced

Of course like any welsh manager he's got a limited squad but he hasn't used his available team well for some time

Bale if he is to continue playing , needs to be with a league club , playing fairly regularly

And if he's to play for Wales it can't be for 90 minutes

Allen will retire at the end of this season , Ramsey might have 2 years in him left but not as a first team regular

Get flynn or flynns son or grandson to look for players as before

He just signed a 4 year deal 2 months ago he isn’t going anywhere.

At the very least he will get the next Euro qualification.

[Citizen's Nephew]

Shouldn't the title of this thread really be "Where To Now Then For Wales?"

[Jordi Culé]

Shouldn't the title of this thread really be "Where To Now Then For Wales?"

Is this me or that comes across as very Jimmy Savile?

[BLUETIT]

But if Gunter goes, who’s going to supply the music ?

[Citizen's Nephew]

Is this me or that comes across as very Jimmy Savile?

Bloody hell, it does, doesn't it?! I can hear it in my head. Good spot! Was entirely unintentional of course as I had a more Gavin and Stacey script in my head but now it's just creepy! Thanks Jordi, I won't ever be able to get that image out of my head now!

[blue matt]

I will say that I was slightly disappointed that Gunter didn't get a few minutes this evening - if anyone deserved a few minutes on the pitch in a world cup it would be him.

I mentioned it earlier in the week

I truly believe that Gunts deserved a few mins, the game was done, it was lost, disappointed Page didnt bring him on for 5 mins

for me that would have been plus from tonight, seeing Gunts become a World Cup player

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I mentioned it earlier in the week

I truly believe that Gunts deserved a few mins, the game was done, it was lost, disappointed Page didnt bring him on for 5 mins

for me that would have been plus from tonight, seeing Gunts become a World Cup player

An absolute Welsh legend whose international career was probably better than that for his clubs. That cross for Vokes was far better than any cross we managed in this World Cup!

[Ivortheengine]

Page down the JobCentre to start with. He’ll see Rugby Coach Pivac, when he gets in the queue.

[the other bob wilson]

Agree about Gunter - would he have done much worse than Connor Roberts did? I wouldn’t have had him in the starting line up though, but, having been picked largely on sentiment it would appear, giving him a few minutes last night would have been an appropriate reward for all of his service to his country over the past fifteen years and you could argue that it would have made more sense tactically than putting Ampadu at right back.

[Jordi Culé]

I also agree that Chris Gunter should’ve had 5 or 10 minutes for the reason that it would’ve shown what a closed shop and how the squad had become a team of Pages mates, it would’ve been a great piistake to end with after some of the poor decisions he’d already done throughout the tournament.

Perhaps a Page could’ve asked Rush from the pundits gallery to have 5 minutes too?

No room for sentiment here and let’s be honest, sentiment contributed to Cymru not performing in this tournament.

The other major factor is Page.

I feel an ungrateful dick for writing all the above mind.

[Hilts]

I think disappointment at an ageing L2 player not getting on the pitch just sums up the tournament and the attitude to it.

Saying that the way Rodon Mepham Roberts played theres an argument he could have played on merit.

The reality is our full backs were injured our centre halves crap and Gunter doesnt get on. He was selected as an old boys reward.

[Cyncoed Slumdog]

But if Gunter goes, who’s going to supply the music ?

Jonny Williams does the karaoke. Gunter is in charge of quizzes.

[City123]

He just signed a 4 year deal 2 months ago he isn’t going anywhere.

At the very least he will get the next Euro qualification.

He needs someone more tactically astute alongside him. Can anyone say what the gameplan was at at the World Cup? What we wanted to do with the ball?

[Rjk]

In Bale we had an absolute superstar, one of the best players in the world at his peak and someone who could and did win matches single handed almost at times.

I don't see any of the current youngsters, as promising as they are, reaching anything like that level.

Ramsey was a champions league level player, and if we are lucky we might find a couple more like that

Realistically we are going to find it a bit tougher over the next couple of years, we do have some talented youngsters, so lets play them.

The next world cup will be 48 teams, with 16 qualifying from Europe - this makes it slightly easier to get there, and if we do manage to get there it would be almost impossible to get a group as hard as the one we just ended up in.
There will be 6 concacaf teams, 9 african and 8 asian going.

[Wash DC Blue]

If Paige is staying...rehire Osian Roberts.

Cap good eligible youngsters, play them regularly and have patience with them.

If the old guard stay on...use them as impact subs.

Come up with a campaign to stop kids playing rugby at school (almost a reverse of when I was growing up).

Never play Connor Roberts again.

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

Come up with a campaign to stop kids playing rugby at school

I think the WRU are already on that one 😁

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

I think south america have been stitched up a bit - they have won just under half of all the world cups (with UEFA winning the rest), and will have as many qualification spots as Concacaf who have a couple of quarter finals ever.

Does seem unfair

[Divine Wright]

...Another thing I sometimes wonder about is the motivation of the English born players.

I mean, I reckon that at least a proportion of them probably weigh up the likelihood of getting into the England squad and opt for Wales because they don't have the confidence in their abilities in terms of England but maybe they do when it comes to Wales.

The way things are looking , the next generation of Wales first teamers will be born outside the country...mostly in England.

You can talk about Rugby's effect on the Welsh national team but maybe the influx of players born outside the country also effects Wales-born players chances.

I sound like a right anglophobe but I do not underestimate the passion some have for playing for Wales. I think Dan James would be a Welsh player regardless of his chances with England, for example. Probably the same for a few others.

There are probably a few young, impressionable Ben Turners in there too there.......who I guess might develop an allegiance as their are growing up with the different Wales squads.

[Wales-Bales]

...Another thing I sometimes wonder about is the motivation of the English born players.

I mean, I reckon that at least a proportion of them probably weigh up the likelihood of getting into the England squad and opt for Wales because they don't have the confidence in their abilities in terms of England but maybe they do when it comes to Wales.

The way things are looking , the next generation of Wales first teamers will be born outside the country...mostly in England.

You can talk about Rugby's effect on the Welsh national team but maybe the influx of players born outside the country also effects Wales-born players chances.

I sound like a right anglophobe but I do not underestimate the passion some have for playing for Wales. I think Dan James would be a Welsh player regardless of his chances with England, for example. Probably the same for a few others.

There are probably a few young, impressionable Ben Turners in there too there.......who I guess might develop an allegiance as their are growing up with the different Wales squads.

A lot of English born players are the children of economic migrants, and it doesn't make them any less Welsh.

[Citizen's Nephew]

Watching Vinny Jones in a Welsh shirt trying to cope with Stoichkov was one of the funniest and most bizarre things I’ve seen on a football pitch!