And so begins the Giggs era... what can we expect from his Wales side?
RYAN Giggs takes charge of Wales for the first time against China in Nanning today. And while there are several absentees – including Arsenal man Aaron Ramsey – from his 23-man squad for the China Cup, the players included in the travelling party offer an exciting mix of youth and experience.
Here are the ways Wales could line up under Giggs on his debut as manager of the national side...
4-3-3 Potential Wales XI: Hennessey; Gunter, Chester, Williams, Davies; Allen, Evans, King; Woodburn, Bale, Vokes.
GIGGS has a wealth of options at his disposal when it comes to the defensive positions, but a straight back four consisting of Chris Gunter and Ben Davies sitting either side of the centre-back pairing of Ashley Williams and James Chester looks to be the strongest option.
It would allow the manager to go with three in the centre of the park, with Lee Evans likely to come in alongside Joe Allen and Andy King in the absence of the retired Dave Edwards and injured Derby man Joe Ledley.
And that provides plenty of protection for an attack-minded front three of Liverpool youngster Ben Woodburn, Real Madrid Star Gareth Bale and Burnley striker Sam Vokes to wreak havoc at the top end of the pitch.
3-5-2 Potential Wales XI: Hennessey; Chester, Williams, Davies; Gunter, Allen, Evans, King, John; Bale, Vokes.
THE “five-at-the-back” song was a regular chant from the Wales faithful during Chris Coleman’s tenure.
And given the members he has with him in China, a near first-choice back five, or three-central defenders with wing-backs, system could well work against the hosts in Nanning.
James Chester, Ashley Williams and Ben Davies can occupy the central roles as usual while Chris Gunter and Declan John – the latter in the absence of Neil Taylor – can fill the wide positions.
It could even see Brentford’s Christopher Mepham come in at centre-back, with Davies shifting to the left.
The same midfield trio remains, with Allen, Evans and King starting in the centre of the park while Bale and Vokes will lead the line, or – if Giggs mixes things up as expected – the likes of Woodburn, Billy Bodin, Wilson or Tom Bradshaw could all feature up front.
4-2-3-1 Potential Wales XI: Hennessey; Gunter, Chester, Williams, Davies; Allen, King; Woodburn, Bale, Wilson/Watkins; Vokes.
GIVEN the absence of Edwards and Ledley, Allen and King are undoubtedly the first choice central midfielders in the squad, which means the pair could feature in-front of a back four in a 4-2-3-1 system if Giggs does go full strength against China.
That could provide a perfect platform for Giggs to unleash an attacking trio of Woodburn, Bale and one of Wilson or Watkins behind a lone striker, most likely to be Vokes if you’re talking first choice.
Who else could we see play at the China Cup?
IT was interesting to see Giggs name such a large squad seven days before his first match in charge of the national side.
But it was evident that there were going to be drop-outs, with Ethan Ampadu, Joe Ledley, Tom Lawrence and Neil Taylor all withdrawing from the squad prior to the trip east.
With two matches to play, you’d expect that the vast majority – if not all – of the 23-man squad will get some minutes under their belts at some stage.
And given the club commitments of those in the squad, it’s unlikely that Wales will be at full strength from the outset against the hosts in Nanning.
Goalkeepers Chris Maxwell and Michael Crowe are back-up to Wayne Hennessey while Swansea City right-back Connor Roberts is an option and can play in a back four or five, with the same applying for Declan John on the left.
Mepham – who is listed as a midfielder on the official squad sheet but has often been deployed at centre-back with Brentford – is likely to make his international bow at some