Welsh struggle to find way under Giggs despite new generation of talent
Disjointed playing style and injuries to key men have put too much onus on world-class Bale
No defined style of play
Ryan Giggs has shown plenty of faith in a new generation of talented players coming through the Wales ranks. Daniel James, Harry Wilson, David Brooks, Ethan Ampadu and Chris Mepham have given a fresh feel to the squad, and all of them could feasibly be key players for the next decade.
The inclusion of the youngsters, however, has not always had the desired effect in terms of the team’s overall approach. Giggs wants Wales to play quick, attacking football, which makes the most of their thrilling pace in the forward areas, but too often they have appeared sluggish and short of invention.
The recent victory over lowly Azerbaijan was another performance devoid of any clear style. Giggs acknowledged the criticism of his side’s approach this week, pointing out the lack of time he has to work with his players.
This is a reality of international management, though, and Giggs is nearing his second anniversary in the job, winning seven of his 15 matches, so it should not be entirely unfamiliar. Given the number of exciting players at his disposal, plenty of supporters believe there should have been more progress in performances.
Overreliance on Bale
Giggs has made it clear that he does not want his side to be dependent on Gareth Bale in attack, insisting that the responsibility to score and create goals must be shared between the cohort of young attackers in his team. This is easier said than done, and Bale remains comfortably the most important figure in the side.
When Bale struggles, Wales have tended to struggle, too. Against Hungary in June, for example, the Real Madrid forward lacked sharpness after a difficult end to the season in Spain. He subsequently fell well short of his own usual standards, missing a crucial chance as Wales fell to a damaging 1-0 defeat.
In their ugly 2-1 win over Azerbaijan last month, Wales needed Bale to score an 84thminute winner to rescue a worryingly disjointed night.
The country’s record scorer had also been behind their opener, taking the shot which led to a comical Azerbaijan own goal.
That said, it is only natural that the team should be dependent on their star player. Perhaps a more pressing problem for Giggs is finding a system which allows Bale to perform at his best. The Wales manager said in June that it was a “juggling act” trying to find the most effective position for Bale, who has played centrally, wide and as a lead striker for his country. “We have so many players who can play off the right or No10,” Giggs said.
Injuries to key men
Arguably the biggest challenge that Giggs has faced in this qualifying campaign has been the absence of Aaron Ramsey. The Juventus midfielder, who is such an influential figure for his country, has not played a single match in this Euro 2020 qualifying campaign. The hope within the Wales camp is that he will be available for Sunday’s game against Croatia, however, after he stayed behind in Cardiff to work on his fitness.
Giggs has also been without Bournemouth midfielder Brooks, the Welsh footballer of the year, after he suffered an ankle injury in July. Brooks, 22, is due to return next month, but may not be ready for Wales’ final two qualifying fixtures, against Azerbaijan and Hungary in November.
Defensive instability
In his past eight competitive matches, Giggs has made a total of 14 changes to his back four. He has yet to find a settled defensive line-up, especially at centre-back. Ashley Williams was left out of the previous international squad, but has been recalled for games against Slovakia and Croatia. Joe Rodon, the young Swansea City defender, has impressed on his two appearances for his country and he will surely benefit from more stability in the back line. As is the case with Brooks and Ramsey, some of these issues have been out of Giggs’s control – an injury to Mepham, for example, means that the Bournemouth defender will be unavailable for these two qualifiers.
Behind the defenders, first-choice goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey has played just one match for Crystal Palace this season after losing his place to Vicente Guaita. “We have very good goalkeepers, but they are not playing as regularly as they would like or I would like,” Giggs said. “Outfield players need to be fit and in their rhythm and that goes for goalkeepers as well.”