We have to be realistic, says Wales boss Ludlow ahead of Euro 2021 qualifying games
WALES manager Jayne Ludlow has called for realism ahead of Wales’ opening Euro 2021 qualifiers, while outlining ways the set-up is still yet to develop.
Wales go into their opening Euro 2021 qualifier next week when they face the Faroe Islands, as they begin their bid to try and qualify for their first major tournament.
Having narrowly missed out on World Cup qualification after suffering defeat to eventual fourthplace side England, the squad are enjoying their highest profile and public backing to date, and are hoping to carry the momentum from their last campaign into the next campaign.
And while national manager Ludlow is looking forward to a new challenge - with Euro 2021 being staged across the border in England - the ex-Arsenal player has called for realism and outlined how her staff can only spend around 25% of their time on their senior’s women’s duties.
As well as the senior team, Ludlow oversees all Wales’ women’s age-group teams.
Speaking at a press conference following the launch of the FAW’s new campaign for women’s and girls’ football in Wales, Ludlow said: “It would be really nice for us as an entity right now to think we can make a success of this campaign but I sit here in all honesty and go we’re building for the future.
“It might not be what people want to hear, but we are still building.
“If you look at everything that’s now in place in Wales, and will be in place in the future, future qualification campaigns will hopefully be, not easier – that’s the wrong word – but campaigns in which our national team manager will be selecting a fully professional squad. The reality is we don’t do that.
“So, has the environment changed much for us over the last two years? No.”
Currently, more than half of the squad are full-time professionals, with semi-professionals and amateurs then joining their teammates on international camp.
Asked if she was ready for the scrutiny that comes with the BBC showing every qualifying game live, Ludlow responded: “If I’m honest, from a me perspective, the individual perspective, if I’m honest the role I have is so big, I don’t have time to dwell on it.
“Like tonight [Monday], I’m going home, I’m watching an Under-19s camp game from last week and I’m prepping the performance squad sessions for this week. That’s the reality, that’s my job.
“If it was just national senior team, maybe it would cause me more of a problem because then I sit and I think too much.”
Wales’ most decorated female footballer, who enjoyed a stellar career with Arsenal, added: “In the future, do I hope that the person sitting here and answering your questions is solely a national team manager? Hell, yes.
“Those teams we are coming up against now, I can’t categorically say for Faroes or Belarus, but I do know every other team we come up against has a full-time senior team manager.
“So, for us, when we say we’re still developing, we are still developing as an association and as a national senior team.”
The former Wales international says she is “thankful we’re developing and we’re growing in all areas”.
“I think from an individual perspective and from a staff group perspective, I think it would be just nice for people to understand the roles we have.
“When you look at our priority area, it’s obviously the senior national team, but it takes up a quarter of our job.
“At times, are we restricted? We’re going into September, we have an Under-17s UEFA tournament, we have an Under-19s UEFA tournament.
“The U19s actually runs the same time as the seniors and we have one group of staff, so that part for us, for me in this role, I want to be successful in all parts.
“We want our youth team doing well, we want them pushing, because that’s the future senior team.
“But there’s a limitation to what individuals can do. So we have to split our priorities.
“Having said that, I think we do a great job, and we are pushing each other to do an even better job in the future.
“What doesn’t change is our commitment to all our senior players, we will give them as much as we can give them from a support and preparation perspective, and when they’re with us, they shouldn’t see any different.”
Wales kick off their Euro 2021 qualifying campaign away to the Faroe Islands next Thursday (August 29) before facing Northern Ireland at Rodney Parade five days later, on September 3.