ROBERT EARNSHAW EXCLUSIVE
THE Welsh Dragon could be burnt out by the time the European Championships get underway.
That’s the fear of Rob Earnshaw, the former Wales striker, who fears the relentless domestic and international schedule could have a huge impact on the country’s chances of repeating its Euro heroics from 2016.
Wales face Italy, Switzerland and Turkey
in their group at this summer’s tournament.
But they will meet them after nine months of almost non-stop football.
Earnshaw believes that could have a large bearing on how they fare at a second successive European Championship.
And could also hinder their chances of qualifying for a first World Cup since 1958.
Earnshaw said: “It doesn’t help (having World Cup qualifiers before the European
Championships), I don’t like it.
“You’re preparing to go into a major tournament in a couple of months time but you’ve already started trying to qualify for another one.
“It’s a hard one for the players and the staff to manage.
“Maybe this is the only way they could have done it because of everything that has happened in the past 12 months but it’s not ideal.
“You’re thinking
about a different tournament, playing games in a different tournament but you’re really gearing up for a competition you’ve already qualified for.
“You have to get on with it, it is what it is and hopefully it doesn’t affect anything resultswise at either the Euros or in qualifying. There are going to be a lot of very tired footballers at the Euros. You’re asking an awful lot of these players.
“The schedule is crazy – they’re playing way more in a shorter space of time this year than they would have ordinarily.
“You want players to be fresh for a major tournament, you want to see the best players in the world and you want to enjoy those players.
“Is that going to happen after the amount of football they have played since September? I’m not sure you are.
“It’s something we really have to think about.
“We will all love watching the Euros, but it’s not easy to be physically ready for these tournaments after playing so many matches over the course of the season. It’s really not ideal. There should have been an adjustment leading up to this summer.” Earnshaw believes that this Wales’ side is capable of making it to Qatar 2022.
That would be a feat that would end a 64-year wait for a World Cup return.
But in a tough group, he thinks Wales have already been disadvantaged.
He added: “Look at that game against Belgium on Wednesday night.
“You’re being asked to play against one of the best teams in the world, a team with unbelievable players, having only had one real training session.
“What kind of preparation is that?
“That’s what the national team is faced with.
“Again, that’s not ideal, that’s not good – either for Wales or for the qualifiers as a whole.”
Despite a 3-1 defeat to the team that finished third at the World Cup in Russia three years ago, Earnshaw has seen enough of the country’s youngest stars to convince him that the future remains bright.
He said: “I think there has been an evolution – we’re seeing a lot of fresh new players coming through.
“They need a little bit of time to adapt to international football, a few caps to find their feet.
“Then I think we’ll see them come through, develop and help us to continue winning.
“I think players like Harry Wilson and Neco Williams have a very big future.”
You want players to be fresh for a major tournament, you want to see the best in the world and enjoy those players