FT: WALES 0-0 POLAND. AET. Poland win on penalties.

[blue matt]

Ward is a decent keeper.

But Ward had faced 138 penalties in his life and saved none. He is 6 ft 3.

Hennessy is 6 ft 6.

Page should have made a proper call. Knowing Poland’s keeper was good on penalties he could not expect to compete with a keeper with a 0% historic chance of saving, when it was a higher probability that Hennessy could save 1, or even or 2, with his huge reach.

Page made a bad call and it was his call to make.

saved one in the Prem

saved 2 Pen's V Shed Wed's in the semi ( here is the 2nd )

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...d-winning-save

then saved one in the final for Huddersfield V Reading

[Wash DC Blue]

So a close, shittish game.

Transgender flag went around the the stadium at around 87 minutes and I swear it stopped me caring somewhat about the result.

I’ve been on my own Mikey Rayer today, regardless of the time zone.

Page is shiit.
The Welsh FA has always been shit and it’s even shitter with an Irish ShitC*nt politicizing shit.

I feel very fighty right now, like bumping into people on purpose for a fight like,

My Mrs jus beat the shit out of me with her slipper though.

[StraightOuttaCanton]

Ward is a decent keeper.

But Ward had faced 138 penalties in his life and saved none. He is 6 ft 3.

Hennessy is 6 ft 6.

Page should have made a proper call. Knowing Poland’s keeper was good on penalties he could not expect to compete with a keeper with a 0% historic chance of saving, when it was a higher probability that Hennessy could save 1, or even or 2, with his huge reach.

Page made a bad call and it was his call to make.

Ward really isn’t a decent keeper but your point on Hennessy is a good one

Moving Dan James to cover for Roberts felt like a waste. I’d have gone 4 at the back and left him to trouble them at the other end.

Flat as a pancake… trying to console myself with the fact we’d probably have 3 defeats at the Euro’s

[MacAdder]

saved one in the Prem

saved 2 Pen's V Shed Wed's in the semi ( here is the 2nd )

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...d-winning-save

then saved one in the final for Huddersfield V Reading

Yes of course.
Forgot about that one.
The sight of Hennessy in goal would have been pretty formidable for their kickers.

Add Ward to my Page list!

[Wash DC Blue]

It’s the weirdest qualifying game ever for me.
It could be that we qualified in 2016.
It could be that I saw our fading players in Qatar.

I remember though how devastated I was losing against Scotland for 86.
Being there for Romania for 94, Russia for 04, paying £300+ after coming home for a ticket v v Ireland for 2018 after not being able to attend 2016.

This time I don’t even feel sad.

I’ve felt it for a fair while, mainly due to the FAW, social media output.

87 mins or so in the game, the Transgender flag went around the advertising boards, and I have to thank whoever was responsible for doing that…it really stopped me caring about the result.

[Bobby Dandruff]

As soon as James stepped up, knew it.

I completely agree.

Choosing James, a striker known for his profligacy and lack of composure in front of goal, to take the last penalty was utter madness.

Was there REALLY no one else??

[Kind of Blue]

I thought the media and some of the pundits were far too cocky

Just don’t think that was the case Sludgey. Evenly matched and in with a shout at home is what I could pick up. Which I think is a completely fair assessment.

Arguably the better team over the course of the match for me, just about shaded. But that’s not how things work out in a one off shootout.

Gutted but more gutted with the Armenia performances at the end of the day. That’s what really cost us.

[the other bob wilson]

I completely agree.

Choosing James, a striker known for his profligacy and lack of composure in front of goal, to take the last penalty was utter madness.

Was there REALLY no one else??

It didn’t augur well when Ben Davies strode up to take the first one and I thought Neco was going to miss, but fair play to them both. It does rather show that we didn’t have many natural penalty takers on the pitch though - I was surprised not to see Broadhead take one (even though I can’t remember him taking penalties in club football) and, although I don’t always trust Ramsey from the spot, it seems a mistake not to get him on in the last few minutes with the intention of him taking one of the five.

[Grangenders]

I did wonder whether the subs could have been better used but to be honest whatever he did it felt it was destined to be a 0-0 and a penalty shoot out. Either keeper will be disappointed to have not saved several, given most kicks were nowhere near the corners,

But Poland are a team with many of their players playing in Europe’s top leagues whilst most of ours are championship level and unlikely to play higher. I fear we won’t be able to keep relying on easy qualifying groups and home play offs in future campaigns.

[Wozza16]

I don’t think it’s necessarily anyone better out there but Page really has fked up a strong advantage from the golden years.

The £8m miss for the FAW will sting a lot and unfortunately thousands of people will miss out on improved facilities which in turn helps provide better players going forward. At least they got 2 sell out games.

Be interesting to see our seeding, we’ve botched 1st and 2nd seedings which are important to hold, be interesting to see how the World Cup seedings end up like. Harder to qualify there so we need all the help we can get.

[Nobody's Rep]

I don’t think it’s necessarily anyone better out there but Page really has fked up a strong advantage from the golden years.

The £8m miss for the FAW will sting a lot and unfortunately thousands of people will miss out on improved facilities which in turn helps provide better players going forward. At least they got 2 sell out games.

Be interesting to see our seeding, we’ve botched 1st and 2nd seedings which are important to hold, be interesting to see how the World Cup seedings end up like. Harder to qualify there so we need all the help we can get.

I'm sure I saw somewhere that more teams qualified for this year's tournament than didn't qualify as they increased the numbers again so that has to be taken into context as well as to how bad it is not to have qualified

Bit like the city - lot of people don't like bulut but not many people coming up with viable alternatives if it were to change

[North Cardiff Blue]

They gave it their best, the defenders played well for both sides, Ward didn't have to make a save until the penalties and when he did he couldn't. I feared the penalties although Ward looked bigger and filled the goal a bit more he didn't get near any, and I thought Szczesney would have saved more. It's tough on Dan James who will always be remembered like Paul Bodin for missing the penalty that stopped us going to the Tournament.

I think Poundland will take a pounding at the finals it's a tough group and they will be cannon fodder, in a few months we may feel we had a lucky escape?

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

£8m lost by not qualifying. It would have cost the FAW a bit to get rid of Page with his 4 year contract to 2026 (!!!) but not that much. Should have gone after the Armenia defeat.

[Des Parrot]

I’ve only read the last page of comments, I can’t be arsed to read what went on before. From the moment I saw Kieffer in the starting line up I knew we were going to play Polands game. We tore Finland apart with our pace. Poland were (very) poor and very slow but we played into their hands because we were looking for Moore all of the time. My Polish colleagues were expecting to lose, in their opinion this is the worst Polish team in decades with a suspect defence.

The point about substituting Hennessey on is a good one. Dan James body language was all wrong, you could see the nervousness in him.

I’m disappointed this morning, as it’s an opportunity wasted because of caution / lack of self belief / giving them too much respect, whatever you want to call it. Opportunity wasted.

[the other bob wilson]

They gave it their best, the defenders played well for both sides, Ward didn't have to make a save until the penalties and when he did he couldn't. I feared the penalties although Ward looked bigger and filled the goal a bit more he didn't get near any, and I thought Szczesney would have saved more. It's tough on Dan James who will always be remembered like Paul Bodin for missing the penalty that stopped us going to the Tournament.

I think Poundland will take a pounding at the finals it's a tough group and they will be cannon fodder, in a few months we may feel we had a lucky escape?

One of the most annoying things about the night was that I didn't think the Polish defence was that good - they struggled with high crosses into the box all night and Johnson, especially, had the beating of them when he was able to get isolated one on one. Where Poland did well defensively was in the way they never really allowed the likes of Wilson and Brooks to get much of the ball in the sort of areas which caused Finland so many problems last week.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

You can see why Keiffer Moore is the 1st on the teamsheet - everything when through/up to him, even when he was out on his legs. Feel for Brookes. I rate him more highly than many do, he offers a lot more than just pure pace, and totally mystified why he was subbed so quickly.As the game progressed, they looked stronger, us weaker, and the pens had an inevitability about them..

[Trigger]

Just lack any depth.

I'd say half our bench had next to no chance of getting on, Ramsey sadly included.

We had to win it in 90 for me, longer the match went on Poland looked the stronger and I was surprised they also seemed to almost settle for pens than really going for it. Perhaps just cautious of the pace we do have on the break.

I think one FIFA place between the teams and on the pitch that played out.

I wouldn't blame page so much for this match, but ultimately it's a disappointment not to have qualified automatically from the group.

[2b2bdoo]

It didn’t augur well when Ben Davies strode up to take the first one and I thought Neco was going to miss, but fair play to them both. It does rather show that we didn’t have many natural penalty takers on the pitch though - I was surprised not to see Broadhead take one (even though I can’t remember him taking penalties in club football) and, although I don’t always trust Ramsey from the spot, it seems a mistake not to get him on in the last few minutes with the intention of him taking one of the five.

I assumed Broadhead came on because he might take a pen. Subs were all very bizarre.

Sad thing is I thought Poland were there for the taking, not impressed with them at all.

[WJ99mobile]

I completely agree.

Choosing James, a striker known for his profligacy and lack of composure in front of goal, to take the last penalty was utter madness.

Was there REALLY no one else??

He had the hardest penalty to take.

Maybe Wilson should have gone last

[WJ99mobile]

Just lack any depth.

I'd say half our bench had next to no chance of getting on, Ramsey sadly included.

We had to win it in 90 for me, longer the match went on Poland looked the stronger and I was surprised they also seemed to almost settle for pens than really going for it. Perhaps just cautious of the pace we do have on the break.

I think one FIFA place between the teams and on the pitch that played out.

I wouldn't blame page so much for this match, but ultimately it's a disappointment not to have qualified automatically from the group.

Couldn't have said it any better

[WJ99mobile]

It’s far from the first time Page has forgotten to use his subs in a key situation. Sorry, he’s done a passable job but not the manager to take us forward in my book. How you look at that last performance and decide to do the total opposite a few days later is totally beyond me.

I don't know, Moore really caused them trouble all game

[Cardiff Ultra]

This is a pretty balanced thread to be fair. Like most I couldnt fault Page too much other than not using all the subs when we looked gassed in extra time.

I think theres a lot of similarities between Page and Southgate. Both are solid and have done a good job with their teams. Both are probably a bit too conservative and both are starting to suffer from fans forgetting just how useless their teams were in the not too distant past.

[splott parker]

Just had the email off 442 to download the Euros 2024 wall chart. Stick it up your arse sprang to mind

[North Cardiff Blue]

The financial costs are massive, although we would have probably lost all three games, we would have picked up so much money through being there, plus World rankings for future tournaments. This was a great opportunity, Page blew it!

[Bobby Dandruff]

He had the hardest penalty to take.

Maybe Wilson should have gone last

I’m no football manager (other than 17 years in boys football lol) but in the break after FT and before AET starting I listed my 5 penalty takers as did my 2 sons and James wasn’t in any of our 5.

Very frustrating.