There was always likely to be a comedown from the high of World Cup qualification but a much-changed Wales team performed valiantly in defeat against the Netherlands in the Nations League on Wednesday night.
It looked as though Rob Page’s side had salvaged a draw when Rhys Norrington-Davies struck in the 92nd minute to cancel out Teun Koopmeiners’ opener, but Burnley striker Wout Weghorst headed in the winner moments later.
Wales have only four competitive fixtures to play before their World Cup opener against the USA on 21 November, giving Page limited time to decide who will be a part of his starting line-up in Qatar.
Here are five considerations for the Wales boss ahead of the tournament:
More from Football
From Haaland to Perisic - The full list of Premier League done deals this summer09 June, 2022
EFL in talks with clubs over scrapping 3pm blackout and expanding streaming services09 June, 2022
Opinion | Jack Grealish chose the wrong time to let his hair down with England World Cup place at stake09 June, 2022A taste of things to come?
With Wales now having four games remaining in the 165 days before their World Cup campaign opens against the USA, the meeting with the Netherlands could have been a preview for Qatar.
Wales are in Group B, also with England and Iran, in the Finals while Louis van Gaal’s team are in Group A.
The groups are paired with each other in the last 16, meaning the two could meet in the knock-out stages when they kick off in the first week in December.
Not that last night could offer much in terms of a form guide with the two sides making a combined 18 changes from their last fixtures.
Hennessey or Ward?
After Wayne Hennessey’s heroics against Ukraine, the starting position is surely his to lose, between now and November.
Danny Ward won his 26th cap against the Netherlands and continued a string of solid performances for his country in the first half last night.
And the second half saw Adam Davies brought on to win his third cap, with pretty much his first task being to pick Teun Koopmeiners’ shot out of his goal.
Interestingly, none of the trio were first team regulars last season – Hennessey started just twice for Burnley; Ward once for Leicester and Davies’s last league game came for his old club Stoke on January 3.
Hennessey was magnificent on Sunday but a lack of first-team action for the keepers over the next few months could be an issue.
Brennan Johnson’s role
Not many footballers enjoyed a post-season like the Nottingham Forest forward who helped his club win the play-offs and his nation reach the World Cup Finals within the space of a week.
Johnson, 21, made an impact off the bench against Ukraine and started up front, with Dan James, last night, where a lack of service severely limited his effectiveness as a “false nine.”
Related Stories
Kieffer Moore remains Wales’ target man of choice but Johnson offers a very different attacking option with the one asset that is irreplaceable at any level of the game – pace.
Next season could be a huge one for Johnson, who scored 19 times for Forest last term, and the World Cup could play a large part in that.
Strength in reserve
The seven changes made by Robert Page were wholly reasonable after the extraordinary effort in beating Ukraine on Sunday.
With veterans Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey rested completely and talisman Gareth Bale coming off the bench late, Wales started just three players over the age of 25 and with defender Ben Davies the “senior citizen” at 29.
It shows the quality currently being developed by Welsh football although whether there is a genuine world-class star, along the lines of Bale, among them is highly debatable.
Reduced support in Qatar
The 2-1 Nations League defeat, clinched by Weghorst’s injury-time winner, ended a run of 19 home games unbeaten for the Welsh.
Much of the underdogs’ success in recent years has been based on a phenomenal home atmosphere and Norrington-Davies looked to have earned a point in the 92nd minute.
But at a much more subdued Cardiff City Stadium, Wales lacked their usual inspiration, begging the question what effect playing in Qatar, with limited travelling support, will have on them.
from Football | News and analysis from the Premier League and beyond | iNews https://ift.tt/ZGyUuDP
Post a Comment