Welsh brought back to earth by Danes
RYAN GIGGS was delivered a reality check after a week in which his swashbuckling style of play was likened to that of Manchester United under Alex Ferguson.
Those comparisons came after his side’s comprehensive 4-1 win over embattled Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland side in Cardiff, though this defeat in Denmark was as straightforward as they come.
While the Danes possess world class quality in Christian Eriksen and were playing at home, it will still be a sobering thought for O’Neill and his players that the Welsh team which ran rings around them a few days ago was then casually swatted aside by Ireland’s World Cup play-off tormentors Denmark.
The home victory came courtesy of an Eriksen masterclass, with the Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder scoring in each half to settle this Nations League B Group 4 clash.
Eriksen brought the X-factor, taking his tally to 15 goals in his last 18 games for the national team. The visitors, even with Gareth Bale up front, looked toothless and tired.
Wales managed a single shot on target after Bale was named captain for the first time and Giggs said: ‘We took the plaudits on Thursday, now we’ve got to answer the questions after a defeat.
‘When you don’t get the press right, and Eriksen is free on the edge of the box, which is something we talked about, you’re in trouble. For the young players, it was a learning curve.’
‘Against a very good team and physically with the quick turnaround we found it difficult.
‘I tried to freshen up it as much as I could and also keep that rhythm of playing so well.
‘But you had a team who played two competitive games in a short space of time and a team that didn’t — and it showed in the end,’ he added.
Eriksen’s first strike was so precise it pinged off the post on its way in, leaving goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey with no chance.
His second was cool and composed from the penalty spot.
Denmark’s manager Age Hareide summed it up best afterwards: ‘Technically, he is brilliant. Finishing, brilliant. Around the box, you are always looking for Christian.
‘I’ve seen so many teams try to knock him down but they just lose him.’
In the absence of Ashley Williams, Bale was handed the captain’s armband at Ceres Park, a cosy stadium in the remote woodlands of Aarhus. ‘I just felt he was the most experienced,’ explained Giggs.
‘He leads by example and he’s very vocal in the dressing room.
‘When Gareth speaks, especially the young players listen and it wasn’t a difficult situation.’
Bale led the Welsh into an encounter that came with plenty of pre-match controversies.
An ugly dispute between the Danish football association and their players over commercial rights created the possibility of the Danes fielding a team of unknowns.
Unfortunately for Wales, an agreement at the 11th hour meant the futsal players on standby were not needed.
The 2,000-plus visiting supporters did not let the Danish players off lightly, however, as they sang ‘You’re only here for the money’ and ‘Greedy b ******* ’ throughout.
Wales encountered their own problems on the eve of this match, too. Their private plane was grounded in Cardiff because of a technical fault, leaving the team unable to arrive at their hotel in Aarhus until the early hours of the morning.
However, Giggs insisted their travel problems were no excuse for their tired efforts.
Denmark broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute through an unmarked Eriksen on the edge of the box.
With his first touch, he set himself. With his second, he scored.
A lapse in concentration by Wales had cost them, with 17year-old Ethan Ampadu the likeliest candidate who should have been covering Eriksen.
An hour in, Denmark were awarded a penalty after German referee Deniz Aytekin deemed the ball struck the arm of Chelsea’s Ampadu.
It was harsh, considering Viktor Fischer’s cross came from four yards away, and Wales’ players protested.
Aytekin ignored them and Eriksen made no mistake.
While the Dane showed himself as a master of angles and movement, Bale barely had a sniff a few days after scoring one of the goals of his career against the hapless Irish in Cardiff.
One opportunity from a freekick saw Bale smash his shot into the wall, summing up his afternoon.
Afterwards, the Real Madrid man called for patience.
‘We have to look at the positives,’ Bale said.
‘We are still working on things. It is a process but we want to get results. We have to keep going.’
Eriksen could have secured his hat-trick with a 30-yard effort in stoppage time but Hennessey, who produced several stellar saves, denied him the match ball.
Even so, his work was done and Denmark had their comfortable win. Wales, meanwhile, left Aarhus having been brought back down to earth.
As for Ireland, in Poland preparing for tomorrow night’s friendly, this was a result and performance by the Danes to leave O’Neill and his squad fearful of what they will be facing next month.