Memories of dark days fuel Coleman’s fire

WALES popped plenty of corks in celebration at their ride to the Euro 2016 semi-finals, but Chris Coleman is refusing to think about toasting more success just yet.

The Wales manager can too easily remember times when it felt like the wheels were falling off to allow for complacency at a good start to World Cup qualifying.

‘Any success I have had has not happened overnight,’ Coleman said. ‘The journey has never felt like me sitting in the back of a limousine sipping champagne. It has always been more like riding up a hill on a pushbike and the chain has come off.

‘It is so difficult and that is why a lot of people do not get to where they want to get to. Our boys, myself and the staff, we work really hard when we are together.

‘We all face pressure and we know what we are capable of, and they are prepared to do whatever it takes.’

Such a mentality explains why Wales will not take Georgia at home for granted tonight, nor be above looking to grind out victory against a side ranked 127 places below them by FIFA.

Georgia have won just one of their last nine internationals but, curiously, have found the better of Wales in each of their three previous encounters. For the Welsh there was a 2-1 friendly loss in Swansea in 2008, a 1-0 reverse in Cardiff in June 1995 and, most damagingly, a 5-0 thumping in Tbilisi in November 1994, a match Coleman (right) played in.

‘I remember getting hammered,’ the former centreback recalled yesterday. ‘They were dark days. That was my lowest moment in a Wales shirt.

‘I do sometimes touch on that with my players but we are lucky with this bunch, the attitude is first class. We have not had sunshine and rainbows, we lost a semifinal in the summer and it does not come any tougher than that.

‘It is those disappointments that bring you through. That is what hardens us to the situation we are in now. It is all to play for again, we have had a good start and there is a long way to go.

‘Georgia will be as tough as anything we face, for different reasons, in the next eight games. But we are ready.’

Coleman will be without Joe Allen, a significant blow given Wales are already missing Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey and creativity will be required to unlock stubborn opponents.

Allen’s hamstring injury, picked up in the 2-2 draw with Austria on Thursday, is deemed too problematic to risk. He may be back for Stoke on Saturday but he will not be extending his run of three goals in three games in Cardiff.

‘It’s a shame for us,’ said Coleman. ‘With the problem he’s got you could play him and it could go any minute. So you have to be very careful.’

Dave Edwards of Wolves is expected to come in but inevitably there will be even greater focus on Gareth Bale to provide the spark. The Real Madrid star yesterday underlined the importance of taking maximum points against Georgia.

‘The point in Vienna was very well earned,’ said Bale. ‘That could be a crucial point come the end of the campaign. But we can’t afford to slip up against anybody, no matter who it is.

‘We will be gunning for three points. It is that snowball effect. We want to keep the momentum going.’