“ GUTTED / BUT BROUGHT BACK DOWN TO EARTH “

DENMARK 2 WALES 0

We hammered Ireland and I think everyone got way carried away, just my opinion.

Ireland are turmoil .

Denmark are not one of the top clubs.

Ryan Giggs has a lot to do and prove himself .

Personally I was shocked in tonight’s performance compared to the Ireland game , it was. Like we see were a different team.


The worrying part is, this was a stong Wales team.

Over to you Ryan Giggs.

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We were 2nd to nearly every ball, players just lumping it forward and not finding a white shirt, overall we looked tired.

We were 2nd to nearly every ball, players just lumping it forward and not finding a white shirt, overall we looked tired.

Very poor.
Maybe they should have flown out on Friday rather than Saturday.
Not an excuse for "fit" players but we did look tired.
Second best in all departments.
So much for all the hype after the Ireland game on Thursday

Terrible game, to many mistakes, everyone looked tired, and the tinkering around with the team didn’t help. Have to move on to the next game now, I still have faith we will qualify.

I thought we should have played brooks from the start to keep us on the front foot from the ireland game instead of playing a right back on the wing and i thought ampadu was playing a lot deeper sometimes sitting in the right back position he was so effective in the middle pushing forward against ireland , and i did think we looked a bit tired in the 2nd half but i think we will beat ireland away and denmark at the cardiff city stadium i really did not see a big gulf in class between us and the danes.

Have denmark played twice in 3 days as well ?

Have denmark played twice in 3 days as well ?

Either 3 days or max 4 days.

Surely not making this as an excuse, Wales should of been on a massive high after the Ireland match .

Have denmark played twice in 3 days as well ?

Either 3 days or max 4 days.

Surely not making this as an excuse, Wales should of been on a massive high after the Ireland match .

No they haven't. None of this team played in their friendly on wednesday. It was the Futsal team with some additional 2nd and 3rd div players. Wouldve contributed to the performance but not the reason.

In my opinion i believe that the team selection was the biggest contributory factor tonight.
On thursday we looked quite solid as a back 4, for whatever reason Williams couldnt play, Chester could do a decent job. But why move Roberts? He was solid on the right on Thursday! Something we havent been for a few years with Gunter there. He hasnt been the same player since the euros.
Why was Bale named captain? He is a talisman, world class, inspirational, role model and a professional. But a leader he is not. Also why have we gone back to him doing the throw ins? That didnt work the last campaign, and it wont work now.
Thursday we had a new fresh passing skilful style. So why tonight did we go back to the old way of playing that got us nowhere in the world cup qualifiers?
The responsibility for tonights performance lies solely at the feet of Giggs as did the praise for thursday nights dream show.

It was always going to be a tough game.

I've seen far more positives in the last 2 games than negatives and I'm very pleased to see us trying a new style. The awful performances last campaign meant we needed a big shake up. I'm very pleased to see the youngsters being brought in and used.

Still plenty of work to do and the proof will be on what we produce come the end of qualifiers.

Have denmark played twice in 3 days as well ?

Either 3 days or max 4 days.

Surely not making this as an excuse, Wales should of been on a massive high after the Ireland match .

Whilst Denmark were better team they were far less fatigued than Wales and it showed! And at end day we were not far behind them considering they were at home and have kept clean sheet in 7 of last 10 games ! Still all to play for and don't Denmark have a double header to play As well Unlike this wknd when their players had total rest?

Denmark drew with both of the World Cup finalists at the World Cup.

They are a good team.

Denmark drew with both of the World Cup finalists at the World Cup.

They are a good team.

Mate Wales are 19 ranked in the world, the Danish have had a near civil war in their squad

Denmark drew with both of the World Cup finalists at the World Cup.

They are a good team.

Mate Wales are 19 ranked in the world, the Danish have had a near civil war in their squad

Denmark are joint 9th.

They were fresh and desperate to prove their worth after the problems.

The fact that we are disappointed with the result shows how far we have come.

The two young Wales kids who will play key roles and the only three guaranteed starters that now exist

Monday 10th September 2018

By Ian Mitchelmore

Republic of Ireland were missing several key players - including Shane Long and James McClean - when they made the short trip across the Irish sea.

But Giggs had no such issues as he had a fully fit squad to select from with Martin O'Neill's side visited the Welsh capital


Ryan Giggs has seen his Wales side win and lose in the first two competitive matches of his reign as manager of the national side.

A stunning 4-1 success over Republic of Ireland at Cardiff City Stadium was followed by a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Denmark at Ceres Park in Aarhus four days later.

It means Wales currently occupy second spot of Group 4 in League B of the inaugural Nations League competition.

Here are the things we now know following Wales' first two competitive outings under Giggs.

The two Wales kids who will play key roles in the future



A total of six players made their competitive bows for Wales in the 4-1 thrashing of Ireland in Cardiff.




Connor Roberts, Chris Mepham, David Brooks and Ethan Ampadu all started the game against the Irish while Matt Smith came off the bench before Tyler Roberts was sent on for his first international cap.



The Leeds striker also came off the bench in the second half against Denmark as Wales desperately lacked a focal point up top as they tried to get back into the game when 2-0 down.

And following the retirement of Hal Robson-Kanu along with Sam Vokes' omission from the starting XI in the Nations League so far, it's clear to see that Roberts could have a very important role up front in the future.

But while all of the aforementioned young guns are set to form a big part of Giggs' plans during his reign as Wales boss, Chelsea youngster Ampadu appears to be one who is absolutely pivotal.

His versatility will be a huge plus if Wales need to shuffle the pack as Ampadu can operate in both midfield and defence.

And his composure and range of talents demonstrated in the games against Ireland and Denmark proved that - while he doesn't turn 18 until Friday - that Ampadu is already made for the big stage.







Who are Wales' guaranteed starters?

There was a time where - when at full compliment - the Wales team virtually picked itself.

Wales' Euro 2016 heroes had largely gone through the dark times together before their dream summer in France little more than two years ago.

But a fresh outlook under Giggs means that's no longer the case.

Aside from perhaps Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen, do Wales have guaranteed starters?

Danny Ward will struggle to oust Kasper Schmeichel from Leicester City's starting XI while Wayne Hennessey has been a top performer for Wales for a number of years, so you could argue he also slots in with the above.

But elsewhere, it's far from straightforward, as Giggs' shock team selection for the Ireland game showed.

But Gunter is under serious pressure from Roberts, and the same applies to Ben Davies who has Paul Dummett and Declan John for company.

Mepham and Tom Lockyer are providing competition at the heart of the defence too.





Which brings us nicely to the next point...





Strength in depth

Republic of Ireland were missing several key players - including Shane Long and James McClean - when they made the short trip across the Irish sea.

But Giggs had no such issues as he had a fully fit squad to select from with Martin O'Neill's side visited the Welsh capital.

Ahead of Wales' clash with Ireland, captain Ashley Williams conceded that he will not retain his place in the side if he does not deliver the goods on a consistent basis as there are players waiting in the wings to nick his spot, adding that there are two players battling for almost every position.

The Stoke City defender played the full 90 minutes of the win against Ireland, starting alongside Brentford's Chris Mepham as James Chester missed out.

And while Giggs' team selection for the clash with the Emerald Isle was certainly bold, it was also remarkably ruthless.

Chris Gunter - who had not missed a Wales game since October 2010 prior to the Ireland game - was left on the bench for the Nations League opener, with Swansea City's Connor Roberts starting in his place.

Both Roberts - who netted his first international goal in the second half - and Mepham performed admirably against Ireland, so much so that they retained their starting spots for the trip to Aarhus.

Harry Wilson, Ben Woodburn, Tom Lawrence and David Brooks are among those battling for the attacking berths while Man City youngster Matt Smith - along with seasoned pros Joe Ledley and Andy King - are pushing for midfield selection.

So it shows that no-one - even the stars of that glorious summer in France - can rest on their laurels under Giggs, as Neil Taylor has also found out.








Why Wales' Euro 2020 hopes are stronger than you may think

Scrapping 'meaningless' friendlies was part of the reason the Nations League was formed.

But it seems the competition could well be more beneficial to Wales than it first seemed.

Having facing strong sides in Uruguay and Mexico - who both played at the World Cup - in the buildup to the Nations League, Wales went into the fixtures against Ireland and Denmark with a feel for a big occasion already, despite the fresh look of the squad.

And scrapping it out with sides that are similarly ranked - at least when the Nations League draw was conducted - will no doubt ensure Wales can be more positive and play on the front foot when it comes to facing lesser sides.

It seems bizarre to think that Wales were the fourth highest seeds of the six teams in their qualifying group for Euro 2016.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium and Israel were included in pots one, two and three respectively while only Georgia and Andorra were lower than them.

But given their efforts in France along with their progression under Giggs, they're now in a far stronger position in the rankings.

Currently 19th in the world (they'll of course be even higher if you only look at UEFA sides), they're most likely to be the second strongest of the six teams in their qualifying group for Euro 2020.

And that probably means facing one big gun, but the rest of the group should consist of teams that Wales can realistically overcome both home and away.

Obviously it's far from straightforward when it comes to UEFA, but the groundwork that's been done should put Wales in a far more comfortable position when it comes to qualifying for the 2020 competition, whatever happens in the Nations League.

Highlights first-half

https://www.footballorgin.com/denmark-v ... ns-league/

2nd half

https://www.footballorgin.com/denmark-v ... -league/2/

Events conspire against Wales, but better team wins on the day.


Monday September 10, 2018

by The other Bob Wilson


Much was made of Denmark’s strange build up to their Nations League game with Wales yesterday. The attitude of many reporters towards the dispute between the Danish squad and the game’s administrators in that country was one of wry amusement as the players in top two divisions of the country’s domestic league backed their international counterparts by refusing to accept selection for the national team in their place, hence the decision to field a team containing lower league performers. Futsallers and keepie uppie specialists for the friendly in Slovenia which was lost by the not too embarrassing margin of 3-0.

What the bust up did though was ensure that while Wales would be playing their second match in less than seventy two hours, Denmark’s best players would be coming into the game fresh following the decision to suspend resolution of the argument over match fees and commercial rights until after the first of their Nations League games have been played. So the possibility exists that the Danes could still face the Republic of Ireland next month with their “novelty” team next month.

Wales were also not helped by the fact that their flight to Denmark on Saturday evening was delayed because of “technical faults” with the plane.

So, all in all, there were reasons to fear that there would be an element of after the Lord Mayor’s show following the thrashing of the Irish on Thursday for the Welsh team – especially considering that the Danes currently stand ninth in the FIFA’s world rankings (we are nineteenth), they had gone twenty games unbeaten (not counting penalty shoot outs) before the Slovenia farce and had only let in nine goals in those matches.

The odds were against Wales even without the disadvantages of their opponents being fresher and the travel delay and, realistically, there were all sorts of reasons not to expect a performance as entertaining and enjoyable as the one seen against the Irish – if they did end up getting anything out of the match, it would be much more likely to have been down to a backs to the wall showing in an attritional affair.

“Attritional” was the right word to describe the opening half an hour of the game as Wales, with Chris Gunter restored at right back as Connor Roberts was pushed forward in place of David Brooks and James Chester back instead of Ashley Williams, comfortably dealt with isolated attacks from the home team while also suggesting themselves that they might be able to create something from their more fluently put together attacks.

Actually, to be more precise, Wales were able to pass the ball in non threatening areas with some fluency, but they were barely ever able get within shooting distance as a combination of the Danes defensive efficiency and the advantage they enjoyed in power ensured that they were never in any real danger of conceding a goal.

Certainly, it is hard to imagine that Denmark would have allowed Gareth Bale the time and space inside the penalty area that Wales gave to the home side’s best player, Christian Eriksen, in the thirty second minute as the Danes switched the ball to the right for Brentford’s Henrik Dalsgaard to deliver a low cross which left Eriksen with enough time and space to take a touch before scoring with a neat, low drive from fifteen yards which went in off a post.

On the face of it, one of Joe Allen or Ethan Ampadu should have been there to make scoring much more difficult than it was for Eriksen. The Spurs man had got beyond the pair of them though and he was able to prove what everyone knew anyway – that he had the quality to punish Wales for such carelessness.

Within minutes, Wales’ Man of the Match Wayne Hennessey was producing the first of three or four good saves he made as he flew to his left to keep out a viciously struck shot by Pione Sisto at the expense of a corner as the Danes upped the pace.

The home side were now showing that they had more to offer going forward than the rather laboured stuff they produced during their World Cup campaign which ended at the last sixteen stage with shoot out defeat to eventual finalists Croatia in a match where they were, arguably, the better side over the one hundred and twenty minutes.

Wales got through to half time just the one goal down though, so they were still well in the game although they must have known that they needed to up their attacking game considerably. Up to then it had only a Gareth Bale (given the captaincy in Williams’ absence) shot not too far wide of a post and a nice move which put Roberts free in the penalty area into a dangerous crossing position, which came to nothing, to recommend it.

If the closing stages of the first period had suggested the home side were getting on top, the opening period of the second half saw Wales coping better without really suggesting that an equaliser was coming.

However, the visitor’s task, already difficult given the quality of their fresher opponents and the distraction of that delayed flight, was made virtually impossible by the awarding of a very, very harsh penalty against Ampadu just past the hour mark.

One of the concerning legacies of a World Cup which contained so much that was good for me was the way that the otherwise very successful VAR system was applied to alleged handling offences by defending teams in their own penalty area. A number of very dodgy spot kicks were given on review for “offences” which seemed to be much more a case of ball to hand rather than the other way around.

What these decisions showed was the, bizarre in my view, official interpretation of what consists a handball in the area. Therefore, I suppose there shouldn’t have been too much surprise really at German referee Deniz Aytekin’s decision to point to the spot when substitute Viktor Fischer’s cross struck Ampadu’s slightly outstretched arm from a distance of about two yards, but that doesn’t make the decision a correct one in my book.

Eriksen duly scored to, essentially, end the game as a contest and the only question really in the closing stages was whether Denmark could increase the margin of their victory – they probably should have done, but I’m still of the opinion that, while the outcome might well have been the same, the way the closing stages would have panned out would have been a lot different were it not for that penalty award.

That said, there was some significance in the fact that the Danes second goal originated from Gareth Bale losing possession cheaply on the half way line because it tended to epitomise a night when Wales’ big guns simply didn’t fire. Bale might have been given more protection from a referee who tended to favour the home side throughout, but really it was a quiet night from him, the same applied to Aaron Ramsey, while Allen struggled manfully without achieving much and Ampadu, who was certainly a big gun on Thursday, experienced the other side of the game in what was a frustrating evening for him.

It will be the Republic of Ireland’s turn to play two group games during the international break next month as they host the Danes and us before things end in November with them travelling to Denmark who will then come to Cardiff for what, hopefully, will be a winner takes all encounter.

Just a quick mention of other Wales game played in the past few days. The Under 21s were unimpressive in beating group minnows Liechtenstein in Bangor on Friday evening – two goals by George Thomas in the first ten minutes seemingly set the home team on their way to the expected big win, but they were unable to add to them and ended up hanging on for the win. Mark Harris, who had a goal disallowed and then had to leave the field following a nasty looking clash of heads, and Cameron Coxe were the City representatives in a team which conceded late on and then were relieved to see a header come back off their own crossbar deep into added time – Wales now entertain Portugal on Tuesday in what is a must win game if they are to keep their faint Play Off hopes alive.

There was also another Wales win over the Republic of Ireland yesterday, this time at Under 19 level. City representation was provided by captain Ryan Reynolds, Sam Bowen, Dan Griffiths and Sion Spence (Isaak Davies was also on the bench), with Spence getting the game’s only goal – the sides meet again on Tuesday.

Outclassed annis simple as that but still early days yet

Outclassed annis simple as that but still early days yet

Agreed Martin, but as you say, very early days yet