Key roles to play
WHY ROBERTS AND AMPADU COULD WELL BECOME CENTRAL TO GIGGS’ WALES PLANS
RYAN Giggs has seen his Wales side win and lose in the first two competitive matches of his reign as manager of the national side.
A stunning 4-1 success over Republic of Ireland at Cardiff City Stadium was followed by a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Denmark at Ceres Park in Aarhus four days later.
It means Wales currently occupy second spot of Group 4 in League B of the inaugural Nations League competition.
Here are the things we now know following Wales’ first two competitive outings under Giggs.
THE TWO WALES KIDS WHO WILL PLAY KEY ROLES IN THE FUTURE
A total of six players made their competitive bows for Wales in the 4-1 thrashing of Ireland in Cardiff.
Connor Roberts, Chris Mepham, David Brooks and Ethan Ampadu all started the game against the Irish while Matt Smith came off the bench before Tyler Roberts was sent on for his first international cap.
The Leeds striker also came off the bench in the second half against Denmark as Wales desperately lacked a focal point up top as they tried to get back into the game when 2-0 down.
And following the retirement of Hal Robson-Kanu along with Sam Vokes’ omission from the starting XI in the Nations League so far, it’s clear to see that Roberts could have a very important role up front in the future.
But while all of the aforementioned young guns are set to form a big part of Giggs’ plans during his reign as Wales boss, Chelsea youngster Ampadu appears to be one who is absolutely pivotal.
His versatility will be a huge plus if Wales need to shuffle the pack as Ampadu can operate in both midfield and defence.
And his composure and range of talents demonstrated in the games against Ireland and Denmark proved that - while he doesn’t turn 18 until Friday - that Ampadu is already made for the big stage.
WHO ARE WALES’ GUARANTEED STARTERS?
THERE was a time where - when at full compliment - the Wales team virtually picked itself.
Wales’ Euro 2016 heroes had largely gone through the dark times together before their dream summer in France little more than two years ago.
But a fresh outlook under Giggs means that’s no longer the case.
Aside from perhaps Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen, do Wales have guaranteed starters?
Danny Ward will struggle to oust Kasper Schmeichel from Leicester City’s starting XI while Wayne Hennessey has been a top performer for Wales for a number of years, so you could argue he also slots in with the above.
But elsewhere, it’s far from straightforward, as Giggs’ shock team selection for the Ireland game showed.
But Gunter is under serious pressure from Roberts, and the same applies to Ben Davies who has Paul Dummett and Declan John for company.
Mepham and Tom Lockyer are providing competition at the heart of the defence too.
Which brings us nicely to the next point...
STRENGTH IN DEPTH
REPUBLIC of Ireland were missing several key players - including Shane Long and James McClean - when they made the short trip across the Irish sea.
But Giggs had no such issues as he had a fully fit squad to select from with Martin O’Neill’s side visited the Welsh capital.
Ahead of Wales’ clash with Ireland, captain Ashley Williams conceded that he will not retain his place in the side if he does not deliver the goods on a consistent basis as there are players waiting in the wings to nick his spot, adding that there are two players battling for almost every position.
The Stoke City defender played the full 90 minutes of the win against Ireland, starting alongside Brentford’s Chris Mepham as James Chester missed out.
And while Giggs’ team selection for the clash with the Emerald Isle was certainly bold, it was also remarkably ruthless.
Chris Gunter - who had not missed a Wales game since October 2010 prior to the Ireland game - was left on the bench for the Nations League opener, with Swansea City’s Connor Roberts starting in his place.
Both Roberts - who netted his first international goal in the second half - and Mepham performed admirably against Ireland, so much so that they retained their starting spots for the
trip to Aarhus.
Harry Wilson, Ben Woodburn, Tom Lawrence and David Brooks are among those battling for the attacking berths while Man City youngster Matt Smith - along with seasoned pros Joe Ledley and Andy King - are pushing for midfield selection.
So it shows that no-one - even the stars of that glorious summer in France - can rest on their laurels under Giggs, as Neil Taylor has also found out. WHY WALES’ EURO 2020 HOPES ARE STRONGER THAN YOU MAY THINK SCRAPPING ‘meaningless’ friendlies was part of the reason the Nations League was formed.
But it seems the competition could well be more beneficial to Wales than it first seemed.
Having facing strong sides in Uruguay and Mexico - who both played at the World Cup - in the buildup to the Nations League, Wales went into the fixtures against Ireland and Denmark with a feel for a big occasion already, despite the fresh look of the squad.
And scrapping it out with sides that are similarly ranked - at least when the Nations League draw was conducted - will no doubt ensure Wales can be more positive and play on the front foot when it comes to facing lesser sides.
It seems bizarre to think that
Wales were the fourth highest seeds of the six teams in their qualifying group for Euro
2016.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium and Israel were included in pots one, two and three respectively while only Georgia and Andorra were lower than them.
But given their efforts in France along with their progression under Giggs, they’re now in a far stronger position in the rankings. Currently 19th in the world (they’ll of course be even higher if you only look at UEFA sides), they’re most likely to be the second strongest of the six teams in their qualifying group for Euro 2020.
And that probably means facing one big gun, but the rest of the group should consist of teams that Wales can realistically overcome both home and away.
Obviously it’s far from straightforward when it comes to UEFA, but the groundwork that’s been done should put Wales in a far more comfortable position when it comes to qualifying for the 2020 competition, whatever happens in the Nations League.