FT: WALES 0 - 2 IRAN. Match thread

[Divine Wright]

I'd give the manager job to J R Hartley, it was a brilliant call to bring on Joe Allen.

Just to be clear. I am not being a turncoat and I don't subscribe to some of the more venomous bantz that has and will inevitably come from some quarters. I'm disappointed. But I was disappointed in the euros too. Our performances were not good there either. I think the FAW should have been braver after that tournament and been just a little bit more ambitious with regard to the coaching staff. The signs were there.

The players are not THAT old. 31 and 33 is not ancient. Other players at that age can still play to the highest level. But you have to start questioning Bales decision to go to the mls. Maybe him and Rambo are just too injury prone. That isn't anyones fault.

[Trigger]

Well. It's not cool being shown up for the average team we are on the world stage. Is it ? Backbone doesn't come into it. Are we there for the ride or are we there to play some football. It might be harsh but we are basically the Rangers-UCL of the World Cup.

......I mean, it was great to qualify but something has gone properly wrong. We have been completely ineffective. Iran or the US were did not play mindblowingly good football.

It's the fckin tactics I reckon.....Page doesn't the experience surely at this level. I dunno.

The group was doable with the right team and set up.

We took a lot of cheerleaders and unfortunately our better players just aren't what they were. Bale can still deliver tbf but needs energy and pace around him, a platform where he can get possession in the right areas.

We gave up so much space in both matches with the 5 at the back. Any lost possession and they were running at us, must be exhausting. Very naive. Very poor from Page again, similar to the Denmark game.

Some people seem to rate him but so far his tournament record is 1 win from 6, soon to be 7 unless we are being very optimistic.

[The Hooded Claw]

My god, that was a painful watch and a disaster in every way.

They couldn't string two passes together, far too many long balls, wasteful in possession, kept giving the ball to Iran (with Allen at fault for the last goal). It's the worst I've seen us play in a very long time and reminded me of the bad old days.

Special mention to Ramsey, who was absolute pants.

Iran wanted it more and were deserved winners. We couldn't get the basics right and have been punished for it.

Part of the problem, is that we've come across as Plucky Little Wales and we're happy just to be at the World Cup. I think that has affected our psyche.

And the pundits - Williams and Rush were so patronising about the performance. I'd be surprised if any player is worth more than a 4 out of 10, as no one came out of that with any credit.

Gabby Logan looked a bit awkward at the end of it.

At least we can now confirm that it's time for a rebuild.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

He’s carried the team for years you ungrateful kent

But both Bale and Ramsey have been very poor in these two games

[llan bluebird]

Bale and Ramsey are more powerful than the manager, they run the gaff.

Ramsey has never been the top of a double pivot, even younger and fitter, but he has gone. Bale shouldn't be even on the Park based on performances over the last 18 months

Allen hasn't started a game since September.

A weak management performance as they shouldn't have started. In their prime, Morrell wouldn't be able to tie Rambos laces but that prime was a long time ago.

[Hilts]

Yes Hilts…a winner

Yeah got that wrong.

England didnt pass the ball to them at every opportunity though.

[Wales-Bales]

We were playing with 8 when he was on silly

His 2 mistakes led to 2 goals.

[Barmy]

I think we were garbage in the final third the whole game,
Which means we carried Bale and to a lesser extent Ramsey for what?
Dan James is struggling and Page decides he’ The answer to our problems.
Ampadu worked his socks off. He did miss a few passes but we missed him when he went off.
Unfortunately at the moment it’s hard to see who will make us better,other than a better coach.

[Rjk]

He’s carried the team for years you ungrateful kent

exactly, I'm sure he didn't want to play badly, just one tournament too far for this side sadly

[Wash DC Blue]

At least we got there.
Something we've waited for for our whole lives for a lot of us.

No point in slating the players (Roberts aside) as they didn't stop trying in what were very difficult conditions.
Time, Fitness, Sharpness as caught up with the players that we have relied upon so heavily over the last 10 years.
They should be applauded and shown the gratitude for what they have given us. I for one will be forever grateful to them.

Page for me isn't the man to take us forward IMO.
Time for a new manager to do a Tosh like rebuild.

[Harry Bosch]

We never looked like scoring, never mind winning.
Though I did think our luck might be in when they hit the post twice.

Agreed, and we didn't really look like scoring against the USA either. For me we simply were not fit enough going into the tournament, either physical or mentally. So many of the squad seemed to be in a race this season to get fit for the WC. Bale and Rambo have been shadows of their former selves and we've carried them in both games. It was great for these Welsh legends to get to a World Cup but difficult to see how much their stars have waned, and Hennessey will be devastated to end his Welsh career with the red card. We've no chance of beating England and it would be good to give some of the other players some match time but I have a feeling we won't see too many changes while a miracle is still possible.

[Monster munch]

Well it was nice to qualify but both performances have been way off. I don't rate Pagey and Kit Symons as coaches, Bale has got them out of the doodoo far too much in recent years but now it appears that ship is now sailing and into the sunset and i'd prefer if we tried a new coaching set up (if thats possible as they are contracted for 2 years?)

Positives for the old guard players, they got us to the world cup, they had an awesome 2016 and decent enough 2018 tournament but expect most of them to retire now into welsh folklore and we start again for the euro qualification with the younger lads.

We're not out yet...but beating England based on the past 2 performances is almost laughable to even consider. Funny things can happen but that is one thing that just isn't.

Onwards we go but as I said above, Page and his gang just haven't got the minerals for us to create anything special in the long term.

[J R Hartley]

But both Bale and Ramsey have been very poor in these two games

They certainly have been poor, but not the only two. Only Kieffer Moore and Ben Davies can come out of both games with any credit.

However, to see the vile abuse thrown at two of Wales greatest ever players, who have given us moments we could only dream of in our lifetime less than 10 years ago smacks of the type of support we criticise England and their media for.

If it wasnt for Bale in particular we wouldnt even be in these finals. Hes the main reason we now expect to qualify for finals of tournaments.

Together Stronger? Only when its going well for some it seems. Short memories.

[chrisp_1927]

He’s carried the team for years you ungrateful kent

Bale has carried us a lot at times, which is why i think he deserves 45/50 minutes a game. He would be effective and a handful in a shorter period, but he can't last the 90

[Wash DC Blue]

Bale and Ramsey are more powerful than the manager, they run the gaff.

Ramsey has never been the top of a double pivot, even younger and fitter, but he has gone. Bale shouldn't be even on the Park based on performances over the last 18 months

Allen hasn't started a game since September.

A weak management performance as they shouldn't have started. In their prime, Morrell wouldn't be able to tie Rambos laces but that prime was a long time ago.

That's were he played in his best season for Arsenal alongside Arteta scoring 16 goals.

[Wash DC Blue]

They certainly have been poor, but not the only two. Only Kieffer Moore and Ben Davies can come out of both games with any credit.

However, to see the vile abuse thrown at two of Wales greatest ever players, who have given us moments we could only dream of in our lifetime less than 10 years ago smacks of the type of support we criticise England and their media for.

If it wasnt for Bale in particular we wouldnt even be in these finals. Hes the main reason we now expect to qualify for finals of tournaments.

Together Stronger? Only when its going well for some it seems. Short memories.

100% agree with you.

[Wales-Bales]

However, to see the vile abuse thrown at two of Wales greatest ever players, who have given us moments we could only dream of in our lifetime less than 10 years ago smacks of the type of support we criticise England and their media for.

Nobody has abused them, the truth is not abuse.

[J R Hartley]

His 2 mistakes led to 2 goals.

it is what is is. Ampadus mistakes went unpunished thanks to the woodwork or tight offside calls. Thems the breaks.

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

Trying desperately to find a positive - at least we don't have to support England against USA later...

[J R Hartley]

I've watched football since 1962. I don't think I can remember a player not actually touching the ball for 90 minutes. I think the Prince if Wales football almost achieved that today.

Youve watched football for 60 years and are still clueless after all this time. You should have taken up a different hobby.

[Wales-Bales]

it is what is is. Ampadus mistakes went unpunished thanks to the woodwork or tight offside calls. Thems the breaks.

[Hilts]

At least we got there.
Something we've waited for for our whole lives for a lot of us.

No point in slating the players (Roberts aside) as they didn't stop trying in what were very difficult conditions.
Time, Fitness, Sharpness as caught up with the players that we have relied upon so heavily over the last 10 years.
They should be applauded and shown the gratitude for what they have given us. I for one will be forever grateful to them.

Page for me isn't the man to take us forward IMO.
Time for a new manager to do a Tosh like rebuild.

Roberts aside 😂😂

[the other bob wilson]

But both Bale and Ramsey have been very poor in these two games

I think they’re both well in credit after what they’ve done in a Wales shirt after what is now almost sixteen years in Bale’s case and fourteen in Ramsey’s.

[PontBlue]

I was going to say you’ve got to have a working midfield in the modern game, but you need one full stop. The desperation to get Joe Allen “fit” says it all and, after winging it last year in the Euros, Bale and Ramsey’s completely unsatisfactory club situations have caught up with them with a vengeance. You cling to straws and hope for the best, but this has been coming since we scraped past Ukraine last June - the best ever Welsh team really needs a rebuilding job now.

Page isn't the person to rebuild us. This needs the type of overhaul Tosh did post Hughes.

[J R Hartley]

Bale has carried us a lot at times, which is why i think he deserves 45/50 minutes a game. He would be effective and a handful in a shorter period, but he can't last the 90

You brought up a "joke" performance from him for 2016 for some reason. I mean of all the Bale performances in the last 6 years to bring up some nothing game from 6 years ago makes you the joke I would say.

Thats why I called you an ungrateful kent and I stand by it.

If you want to bring up an Andorra performance what about the away game where he "Baled" us out of the shit yet again and it is regarded as one of the most important goals in recent Welsh football history. That set us on the road to qualifying for Euro 2016.