Planet Swans ArchivesWell that is it – another major finals is set to pass us by without any Welsh involvement as Wales were beaten in Cardiff tonight 3-2 by Poland effectively ending their involvement in the World Cup of 2006.
48 years will become 50 at least since Wales were last involved on the big stage as they surrendered a goal advantage with sloppy defending and ended the reign of Mark Hughes as it began with a qualifying defeat in Cardiff. 10 competitive games without a win stretching back to March 2003 is damming enough, just 6 qualifying wins in a five year reign makes for bad reading.
But this is not about blaming Hughes, this is about looking to the future which now sees us effectively with 6 competitive matches where we can plan for the European Championship campaign that will begin in two years time after the World Cup has been watched at home yet again.
Mark Hughes took over an ailing Welsh side in 1999 that was ranked outside the World Top 100 and he has brought some stability to the country moving us back to (prior to this week) within the World top 60. However, he has been criticised in quarters for his negative play and those tactics were widely blamed for our failure to get past Russia in the play offs last November.
That foundations that Hughes created in terms of stability and seriousness in Welsh football could have been built on with the appointment of a new manager. John Toshack was the wide favourite and Jack Brown stopped taking bets on his appointment after a flurry of big money bets just last week. However, things appear to have turned after the Poland game with Gary Speed immediately announcing his retirement from international football. This gives a very wide indication that whatever the set up it will probably include captain Speed who represented his country on over 80 occasions – many of them with great pride.
Pride that perhaps could teach a couple of his fellow squad members a lesson or two. The openness in which the likes of Robbie Savage and Craig Bellamy have dissed some of the names on the manager shortlist is nothing short of embarrassing as well as an insult to the people that have been supporting Wales through the years. Craig Bellamy’s body language on the BBC News at lunchtime showed someone that really didn’t care as Hughes was leaving and (his words) “None of the names excite me” Bit of a kick in the teeth for his captain whose name was always linked. This is of course the same Craig Bellamy that threatened to leave Newcastle if he wasn’t played up front when Sir Bobby was still there. The attitude is wrong and Bellamy needs to shape up or he will find that the football scrapheap will beckon a lot sooner than he expects it to.
Savage has been equally critical of the possible replacements and even after tonight’s game he commented that an appointment that he thinks is wrong will mean that several of the squad will take a look at their own futures. Said it before and will say it again, if that is the attitude then my attitude is have a look and bugger off – your country is, and always will be bigger than you.
The good news for these international prima donnas is that the FAW seem to have listened to the players and now the strong money is on a managerial ‘dream team’ of Brian Flynn and Gary Speed. That should keep the people happy who believe that representing their country is their right and not a privilege that the 50,000-odd people who watched tonight’s game would give their right arm for.
If that is the appointment then the FAW have taken easy street once again and I hate to say this but I will become an Armchair Wales fan. I will no longer line the pockets of the clowns that run our football association because they have the chance to see Wales progress and for any step that Mark Hughes took forward with Wales we will go back two with the easy appointment.
The players have been criticised for their performances and most players who have not won for 10 games always will be. It’s a fact of life and a fact of football. Perform and people will give the credit, don’t perform and the experts will pass their judgement. And if you don’t like it – tough – it is part of being in the public eye.
It is the attitude of the likes of Savage and Bellamy that make me glad I watch my club football in the lower reaches of the football league. I would hate to have 11 players week in week out with the attitude problem of some of our internationals.
The above comments may seem harsh but I am angry that we have this attitude when playing for your country should be a great honour that you will accept whoever has to lead that country. Sadly for some they wouldn’t know the word honour if it slapped them in their ponytails.
Pass me the remote control in time for the next game please.
