Bale won’t settle for second best
GARETH BALE seemed almost affronted by the question. To most observers Wales are in a fight with Slovakia for second place in Euro 2020 qualifying Group E behind World Cup finalists Croatia.
That is not how Bale sees it, as he made clear when asked for his thoughts on today’s potentially pivotal game against Slovakia in Cardiff.
‘We might be the underdogs but there is no reason why we can’t go on and win the group,’ he said. ‘We have targets that we’ve set and we’re going for top spot.’
This is the mentality Bale brings. A serial winner with Real Madrid, he is not afraid to make public the high demands he wants for his country. The immediate task will be made harder by the absence of Aaron Ramsey through injury.
It was revealed yesterday that the Arsenal midfielder had not sufficiently overcome a thigh problem and returned to his club for treatment.
Ryan Giggs had been hopeful of his involvement, but said Wales were prepared to go another way.
‘It’s a blow, especially the form he’s been in, but it gives a chance for somebody else,’ said Giggs. ‘We made sure we had a Plan B and we’ve worked on that in the week. We’re going to miss someone like Aaron, but we’ve prepared for it.’
The emergence of David Brooks, Harry Wilson and Dan James has eased the attacking burden that sometimes weighed heavily on Ramsey. The three forwards have all enjoyed standout moments for their clubs this season and are part of an exciting crop of youngsters Giggs can call upon.
This hugely important fixture presents an opportunity for them to create memories at international level. ‘They’re exciting young players who are playing well,’ said Bale. ‘We’ve got a lot of new players but there’s a lot of experience in the squad as well. Us oldies are helping the younger lads. I’m actually the longest-serving player in the team and I’m not even 30 yet!’
Bale said initiation songs for debutants were still demanded and recalled his own effort of Oasis’s
Wonderwall from 2006. ‘It won’t be coming out again,’ he said. The mood in camp this week was also lifted by a video showing clips from the previous Euro qualifying campaign as well as the opening match of the finals tournament, which came against Slovakia.
Wales won 2-1 thanks to a Bale free-kick and late Hal Robson-Kanu goal, with Ben Davies instrumental in clearing off the line from Marek Hamsik after three minutes.
‘We’ve watched videos of the last qualifying campaign to relive it,’ said Bale. ‘We’re ready to give everything on that pitch. Everyone knows what it takes to qualify.
‘We’ve got that experience from qualifying for the last Euros. We want to be playing in the major tournaments. We need to produce again, work hard as a team, grinding out the winning mentality, that feeling, progressing game by game.’
Hamsik remains Slovakia’s best player even though he has moved to China, and Bale predicts another hard-fought encounter. ‘We know it will be a difficult game, they’re a good team, we are too, it will be down to who performs best,’ he said. ‘We need to make it a fortress here. We want to get off to a good start and we know it’s a massive game. You don’t want to be playing catch up.’
Davies is backing Bale to deliver. ‘He’s come under a bit of flak at Madrid but for Wales he’s always been brilliant,’ said Davies. ‘He’s always the player that wants to put his heart on the line.’
After a year of friendlies and Nations League this is the real action for Giggs. He said. ‘I knew getting Wales to a major championships is the goal, that’s how I will be judged.’
‘We might be underdogs but we have targets and we are going for top spot’