As world-class in Cup hunt
Bale during the Euros a year ago, he stepped up as the talismanic leader Wales needed and produced a midfield display that had world class stamped over it.
Twenty four hours earlier, I watched Tottenham’s hugely vaunted Dele Alli produce a totally ineffective display for England against Scotland.
Whatever the merits of the two No10s at Premier League level, on the international stage Ramsey has a range of passing and creative cutting edge beyond that of his Tottenham rival.
The Arsenal man prompted and probed throughout for Wales and ran his socks off for the team.
As for his penalty? Well, he chased a lost cause in the first place to force Serbia keeper Stojkovic into a howler of an error. The spot kick itself was sheer genius. To have that calm in the heat of battle, in that frenzied atmosphere, was almost unreal.
Move over Mr Panenka. LITTLE JOE IS OUT OF NEXT GAME Wales were hit by the suspension of Bale for this game and they’ll be without Joe Allen next for the must-win September clash with Austria.
His booking for a foul in the second-half was Allen’s second yellow card of the qualifying campaign and boss Coleman will have to find an alternative against the Austrians.
Allen will be a miss. After Bale and Ramsey, he vies with Ashley Williams as Wales’ most important player and either Andy King or David Edwards will have to offer the same defensive resilience and passing ability further forward. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? We’re more than halfway through the group and on paper Wales look to have got their most difficult fixtures out of the way.
The remaining four matches, two in September, two in October, are eminently winnable according to the players.
Wales meet Austria next at Cardiff City Stadium, before heading to Moldova three days after. In October it’s Georgia away, followed by a potential rip-roaring Cardiff finale with Martin O’Neill’s Ireland.
Speak to Coleman’s players in private and you sense a genuine belief that 12 points really can be taken from those Autumn games.
Serbia have Moldova and Georgia in Belgrade (probably six points there) and fixtures away to Ireland and Austria where they could slip up.
The Irish have Georgia and Wales away, Serbia and Moldova at home.
With Austria in the mix too, there are plenty of twists and turns to come yet before the top two spots are decided in Group D. AN IRISH ROW LOOMS Whisper this quietly, particularly to the hard-core group of Wales football fans who want nothing to do with the home of Welsh rugby, but we could be heading for something of a controversy over where the October 9 Ireland finale takes place.
The Austria match a month earlier has been pencilled in for Cardiff City Stadium, the venue Wales have made their new home fortress and which Chris Coleman loves because “35,000 screaming Taffs get in the faces of the opposition.”
However, the FA of Wales are leaving their options open for Ireland and say the venue is still to be confirmed.
That, of course, means Principality Stadium is in the background as an potential scenario.
Why? Because at more than twice the size of CCS it could cater for the huge demand to watch a game which could be make or break for Wales’ and Ireland’s World Cup hopes .
Wales’ players, like Coleman, have made it clear they want to play the home of the Bluebirds. But the dynamic changed a little last weekend when Wales hosted such a spectacular Uefa Champions League final.
The FAW hierarchy were present in person to witness the incredible atmosphere. Imagine the ground being full of almost 70,000 screaming Taffs, to slightly alter Coleman’s words, and the atmosphere that could create, they must have thought.
The will of the manager and players will surely hold sway, but the prospect of the team returning to their former Principality Stadium home certainly cannot be ruled out at this stage.
Particularly not for a match which could have everything riding on it and an entire nation will want to witness.