WALES VERSUS WALES... HOW GIGGS’ QUALIFIERS RANK WITH COLEMAN’S HEROES OF EURO 2016
RYAN Giggs’ Wales have marched to Euro 2020 and are determined to make their mark on the finals once more.
Most members of Chris Coleman’s semi-final class from France 2016 have been pushed to one side by Giggs, who has put together a much younger side playing with greater panache and style.
Five stars remain constants – Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Ben Davies and Wayne Hennessey – but there are significant other changes in personnel and approach to matches.
At the Euros four years ago, Coleman had a ready-made team of Premier League regulars, seasoned footballers who wowed out in France, before disappointingly falling short at World Cup qualifying.
Giggs’ current crop lack that experience and know-how, many of them have been playing in the Championship. But there is a feeling that, in time, they could be even better and get Wales to a World Cup, something that proved beyond Coleman.
But how to the Coleman and Giggs Wales teams really measure up? We take a look...
GOALKEEPER AND DEFENCE COLEMAN’S TEAM: Wayne Hennessey; Chris Gunter, James Chester, Ashley Williams, Ben Davies, Neil Taylor.
GIGGS’ TEAM: Wayne Hennessey; Connor Roberts, Chris Mepham, Joe Rodon, Ben Davies.
Seasoned professionals under Coleman versus the rich promise of a totally new-look back four Giggs is putting together.
The defences also demonstrate the difference in style between the two teams. Coleman opted for five men at the back, protected by holding midfielders Joe Ledley and Joe Allen, and let Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey loose at the other end of the pitch.
Giggs chooses four defenders and gives full-backs Roberts and Davies a licence to bomb forward at every opportunity.
The Euros came at the perfect time for Coleman’s back line. Swansea City skipper Williams was a captain colossus for club and country, Taylor and Davies were also getting regular top-flight football, Gunter played week-in, week out in the Championship. Hennessey was Crystal Palace’s first-choice goalkeeper. Chester was only in and out with West Brom, but he always played well for Wales and netted a big move to Aston Villa.
Giggs made a big call to rip up that defence, but the gamble has paid off handsomely.
It will take an awful lot for any defender to eclipse what Williams has done for Wales, but Mepham and Rodon – the likely first-choice pairing next summer – absolutely ooze class. They are technically excellent in possession, big and powerful, win headers and can sprint, which is required in the modern game.
Aged just 22, they could each play for a top-six club in time, which was beyond Williams and Chester, brilliant though each has been for Wales. Tom Lockyer, who has played the last two games in Rodon’s absence, will also hope for a move into the top flight.
As for Giggs’ full-backs, they are just sensational going forward.
To be fair, Gunter and Taylor also shone from advanced positions in the Euros, one setting up Sam Vokes’ famous goal against Belgium and the other scoring against Russia.
Roberts and Davies, though, have an extra edge of class about them in the final third of the pitch and get forward more regularly.
Wales record cap holder and stunning servant Gunter wouldn’t have expected to lose his place at the age of just 28, but Roberts has given Giggs’ side a new dimension with his swashbuckling forays down the right.
Davies was always excellent and played in the middle previously, but five years at Spurs have turned him into an even better player.
There is a worry over the lack of game time for Hennessey in goal, who has lost his Palace place, but he never lets Wales down as demonstrated by his vital double save against Hungary.
VERDICT:
You can’t buy the experience Coleman’s defence possessed and at the moment you’d say they have the edge. But even though every one of the older guard served Wales magnificently, you just sense that in time Giggs’ young defenders have the ability to take things onto another level.
MIDFIELD COLEMAN’S TEAM: Joe Ledley, Joe
Allen, Aaron Ramsey
GIGGS’ TEAM: Ethan Ampadu, Joe Allen, Aaron Ramsey
Coleman had a brilliant trio out in France. Ramsey was the best midfielder in the tournament, Allen joined him in the official team of the championship. Ledley was an unsung, battle-hardened ace.
On paper, Ampadu seems to ooze more class than Ledley, but is that really fair?
At 19, Ampadu has played more times for Wales this season than RB Leipzig, while last year his Chelsea opportunities were limited. By the time he was 20, Ledley had 100-plus appearances behind him in a Cardiff team regularly chasing promotion and who reached an FA Cup final.
He also went on to shine for Scottish giants Celtic in the Champions League and for Crystal Palace in the Premier League. Ledley was underrated, Ampadu needs that kind of regular football.
Allen has clearly gone backwards at club level, given at the last Euros he was a Liverpool player under Jurgen Klopp, whereas this season he has been bottom of the Championship with Stoke. For some of the qualifying campaign that affected his Wales form, but he was back to his very best against Hungary and will be a big player again in the summer.
Ramsey – what is there to say? Previously an Arsenal kingpin, he will be looking to have as much influence at Juventus.
He’ll stand out once again at the Euros next year – bleached blond hair or not.
VERDICT:
Allen, Ramsey and Ledley were each Premier League players under Coleman, which obviously isn’t the case today. Ampadu has such rich promise the current trio could have the edge in time, but again not just yet.
FORWARDS
COLEMAN’S TEAM: Gareth Bale, Hal Robson-Kanu/Sam Vokes GIGGS’ TEAM: Gareth Bale, Dan James, Kieffer Moore
Bale, of course, was in his pomp back then, one of the best three footballers in the world and his brilliance drove Coleman’s Wales to the Euros.
He’s not that 100 gallop per hour force today, yet still greatly influences matches and it was Bale’s run down the right and cross that set up Ramsey’s opener versus Hungary.
The opposition don’t feel a need to double mark Bale any more, but he still leads by example, picks and chooses his moments these days and as captain leads from the front.
After a dip in Wales performance, Bale has been re-energised by the youth and and fearless play of others around him.
One of those is James. A sensation and better player than Robson-Kanu.
His blistering pace and direct running will make him one of the standout performers at Euro 2020.
And if James is not playing, the equally-gifted duo of David Brooks and Harry Wilson are in the shakeup.
The Vokes-Moore dynamic is interesting. Vokes played in the Premier League and would appear to have far greater pedigree than Moore, who has spent his career at Truro City, Dorchester Town, Yeovil, Forest Green, Rotherham, Barnsley and more recently Wigan.
Yet, that famous Vokes goal against Belgium aside, you could argue Moore is making a greater impact at the highest level, giving Giggs’ young side the much-needed extra dimension of a 6ft 5in centre-forward who is physical, wins headers, holds up play and is a goal threat. He helped transform Wales’ Euro hopes.
VERDICT: Bale was better back then, but the sudden emergence of James, Brooks and Wilson means the current side carry greater threat and trouble defences more.
SUBSTITUTES
Giggs’ side have the edge here. 100 per cent. People are asking who makes way for Welsh Player of the Year Brooks when he returns from injury. The answer is no-one. Who on earth can you possibly leave out?
Wilson was the matchwinner in Azerbaijan, scoring one goal and setting up another, yet had to be dropped against Hungary to accommodate the return of Ramsey.
Brooks and Wilson are great options from the bench, Tom Lawrence and Ben Woodburn will also be in the Euro mix, while seasoned campaigners like Ashley Williams, Gunter, Chester, Taylor, Andy King and Sam Vokes are desperate to get their places back. Amongst Coleman’s backup stars were Simon Church, David Vaughan, Dave Edwards and George Williams.
VERDICT:
The current side have far greater strength in depth, Giggs having created the competition for places by giving the younger players their opportunity.
STYLE OF PLAY
Wales were brilliant in beating Russia and Belgium at the Euros, but there were lots of qualifiers during the Coleman reign where they were too defensive, while he should have changed the Gunter-Taylor wingback situation sooner than he did.
Giggs has altered that mind-set, created a more adventurous and easy-on-the-eye team who are swashbuckling, capable of scoring more goals and controlling matches.
Just ask Hungary.
VERDICT:
Coleman’s side wowed, but became stale in the World Cup qualifiers with too many draws. Giggs’ team will win matches in greater style.
TEAM SPIRIT
Gareth Bale described the last Euros experience as like ‘being with my mates on holiday.’ He made the same analogy ahead of Hungary with the new group of players.
The special Welsh team spirit and camaraderie is what drives them to exceed expectations at times.
VERDICT:
You’ll never better the dressing room togetherness Wales had at Euro 2016, which was as a result of friends coming through the age-grade system together. The same might be happening again with Giggs’ side.
MANAGERS
Coleman’s achievements were historic, may never be beaten, but there is a sense amongst some that he struck lucky at the right time with a ready-made group of players who were Premier League regulars. Plus Bale in his pomp, of course.
But how on earth can you take anything away from him? At the very least, he organised the dressing room that enabled the talent to be unleashed. Giggs has moulded his own team, dipping into the lower leagues for players he felt could cut it with Wales and he gets enormous credit for that.
VERDICT: Bale reckons qualifying this time is an even bigger achievement. Not many great players make great manager, but Giggs is attempting to follow Zinedine Zidane as one of the exceptions to the rule. He’s already done a remarkable job, but the only way you can eclipse getting to the semi-finals is to go one stage further! Or reach a World Cup, which unfortunately proved beyond Coleman.
OVERALL VERDICT
This is very much a tale of the proven team versus the players of rich promise following in their footsteps.
The balance of gifted young guns such as James, Brooks, Roberts, Mepham and Ampadu, playing with established stars Bale, Ramsey, Allen, Davies and Hennessey, should eventually give the current side the edge.
They’re not there yet, though, simply because the younger brigade are still learning about international football.
Expecting them to reach the semifinals again is a step too far, but another couple of years on this is the team that can finally end 60 years of World Cup hurt by reaching Qatar 2022.