Bodin's Left Boot

Wales 3-1 Cyprus

It's official, John Toshack is a football genius.

Despite my reservations about the big man's system, Toshack more than proved why he's the manager of the Wales football team and I'm writing this blog.

In doing so, the Welsh boss also crucially silenced those misguided critics whose OTT sensationlist, knee-jerking reaction to Saturday's freakish drubbing at the hands of Slovakia saw the sorts of media commentary that the words 'rabid' and 'stupid' were made for.

Deciding against wholesale changes, persevering instead with his favoured 5-3-2 formation, Tosh's young guns ripped apart a poor Cypriot team with a sparkling show of irresistable attacking football.

The only tinkering came at the back, where Ipswich keeper Lewis Price replaced Paul Jones in goals (the veteran now surely having called time on his international career after his error strewn showing) and the ineffectual Rob Edwards made way for MK Dons centre-half Craig Morgan. The young former under-21 defender making his international debut.

Wales started as if hell bent on immediately exorcising the ghosts of Slovakia, with Bellamy and Earnshaw pulling the Cyprus defence apart with some searing runs. Both livewire strikers playing on the shoulder of their defenders and leaving their terrorised markers left for dead thanks to some fantastic through balls from Jason Koumas and Simon Davies.

In the first minute Bellamy broke clear of the back four and homing in on goal, he was cynically brought down by the Cyprus goalkeeper. Incredibly, much to the astonishment of Bellamy and the home crowd, the referee waved play on. At any other time it would surely have been a red card, but as it happened just over a minute into the game, you get the feeling the ref bottled it.

When the first goal finally arrived, after Wales had hit the post twice, it underlined Toshack's maxim of playing pass and move football - but this time with an end product. Koumas set Davies free on the right, the Everton star brilliantly skinned his man and sent the ball over for an on-rushing Koumas to head Wales into the lead.

Toshack had revealed this morning that he sat Robert Earnshaw down and read him the riot act over his wholly ineffectual performance against Slovakia. The dressing down evidently worked, with Earnie and Bellamy looking more of a partnership than at any other time they have lined up together.

Who said the two height restricted strikers couldn't play together. The dynamic duo caused havoc all night long. Wales' second coming from great play from Bellamy as he broke free, tying his his marker in knots and placing a pin point ball at the feet of Earnie who steered the ball gratefully into the net.

Cue Earnie's trademark somersault, as he answered Toshack's criticisms of his below par showing against the Slovaks.

Bellamy got his reward for a performance full of passion and strength of character to net his first goal for what seemed an age. The sense of relief was palpable as the Liverpool hit man grabbed Wales' third with a neatly place pitch shot, the captain being mobbed by celebrating team mates.

Cyprus did snatch a consolation goal - an exquisite finish from their striker Okkas, but by then the damage had been done and Wales had laid Saturday's debacle to rest.

In truth, Wales could have won by a cricket score such was their dominance and sheer volume of chances created.

Davies, Koumas and Bellamy were the undoubted stars of the show - with a rejuvenated Davies my man-of-the-match, but Gareth Bale again shone like the star he will surely become. He was a willing worker down the left getting forward at breakneck speed, tackling back as consumately as he burst forward, and performing with a maturity and a skill level way beyond his years.

Honorouable mention also to debutant Craig Morgan. Depsite turning out for MK Dons in League Two, the former Wrexham favourite stood strong and tall, nullifying the aerial threat of Cyprus' leading goalscorer Michael Constantinou.

Toshack called it spot on with Morgan's inclusion figuring Wales needed some strength and presence at the back to complement the more cultured skills of Gabbidon and Nyatanga. Morgan certainly gave Wales the sort of steely edge James Collins usually brings to the backline.

Lewis Price too gave a faultless performance and the Ipswich youngster must now be given the nod to claim the keeper's shirt ahead of Jason Brown and Danny Coyne.

The biggest negative of the evening was the yellow card Jason Koumas picked up. After receiving a yellow against Slovakia, he will now miss the Republic Of Ireland clash in March and will be a huge loss to Toshack's midfield.

So fast forward to Dublin's massive 80,000 capacity Croke Park and its debut as a football stadium with what is sure to be a hugely exciting 'local' derby.

Friendlies against Lichtenstein in Wrexham next month and against Northern Ireland next February will provide the warm-ups to the Irish showdown. As with everything Welsh football-wise there are bound to be a few unpredictable twists and turns on the way.

When it comes to supporting Wales nothing is straightforward!

Posted by Juan Estupendo at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Who would want to be in John Toshack's shoes today?

A mere 72 hours after the Millennium Stadium horror show, with visions of Saturday no doubt still fresh in his mind, Tosh has much to ponder - not least who starts against Cyprus tomorrow night.

Does he stick with 5-3-2, seen by many as a busted flush, or does he hold 4-4-2 as his preferred hand.

Of course, with limited personnel his options are just that, limited. If I was him I would dispense with 5-3-2 - at home Toshack needs to be bold, attack from the outset and get at the Cyprus defence. That's why I can see 4-4-2 as the only viable option, playing with true widemen would offer protection to his full-backs and offer a balance to a side that was pulled apart and left horribly shapeless at times against Slovakia.

He needs to inject pace and guile to the side and give it a fluid attacking look. That's why I say play Paul Parry - the on fire Cardiff winger - from the outset on the left with a remit to run at the Cypriots and cause some havoc.

The midfield would include Jason Koumas weaving some magic on the right, Davies attacking from the apex of midfield and Robinson holding in the middle, with Parry flying down the left.

Up front Earnshaw and Bellamy look an impotent pairing with Earnie, despite his goalscoring form at Norwich, looking horribly out of sorts at international level.

The two diminutive strikers just haven't gelled and despite limited options Toshack has to try something new. Wales have gone hours without a goal from open play - which tells its own story.

While not exactly the game to experiment with your front pairing, I'd plump for Wigan Athletic's tricky, pacy striker David Cotterill to take the second striking berth alongside Craig Bellamy.

Cotterill is a raw talent indeed, but Wigan splashing out £2m on his services in the recent transfer window, speak volumes of his Premiership potential. The box-of-tricks youngster would certainly offer something different going forward and would be an unknown quantity on the spy sheets of the Cypriot coach.

If Toshack wants to err on the side of caution, while harnessing a potent attacking threat, he could tinker with his midfield and harness the mazy, bewitching skills of Jason Koumas in the hole behind Bellamy with a midfield four of Parry on the right, Davies and Robinson in the centre and Cardiff’s exciting left sided midfielder Joe Ledley out wide.

This can operate as a 4-4-2 going forward and a 4-5-1 defending. There’s certainly enough attacking intent in both line-ups to give Wales a fighting chance of banishing their Slovakian demons and earning their first points of the Euro 2008 campaign.

At the back, well it could be a case of closing your eyes and hoping for the best.

The first casualty has to be Paul Jones. Sad to say, but despite his loyal service to the Welsh cause Jones has become a liability. As well as his painfully poor display aginst the Slovaks, his cubersome keeping cost us against the Czechs, when he was responsible for their winner - punching when he could have caught a cross that was subsequently played back in to the Welsh box only to be scrambled in past a static Jones.

Ipswich keeper Lewis Price has to now be given the go ahead between the sticks and offered the chance to make the number one shirt his own.

In front of Price, the options are threadbare. Despite his fault-filled display against Slovakia, Portsmouth right-back Richard Duffy hasn't become a bad defender overnight and I'd certainly give him a chance to redeem himself, alongside Gabbidon and Nyatanga the centre-halves and the hugely impressive Gareth Bale, the left -back.

It's a massive ask but Toshack has to instill belief into his beleaguered troops, which may be his biggest problem of all, but at least this game gives his charges an immediate chance to remedy Saturday's maladies and in doing so cast some rays of sunshine on another wise dark few days for Welsh international football.

Posted by Juan Estupendo at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wales 1-5 Slovakia

The writing was on the wall, well the side of someone's head, even before this Euro 2008 qualifier kicked off.

You know it isn't your day when your goalkeeper's hair-raising crop comes close to predicting the final scoreline.

Veteran keeper Paul Jones let himself on the mercy of his barber to produce a cut that consisted of a dragon shaved into the back of his head and the number 50, carved especially to celebrate his achieving a 50 cap landmark.

His dodgy barnet raised eyebrows even before he put in the sort of performance that words 'horror' and 'show' were made for.

That 5-1 scoreline was horrible enough, but the manner in which John Toshack's team spectacularly leaked five of the worst goals they are ever likely to give away, amazed even those Tosh supporters who have steadfastly supported him so far.

However, should we really be too surprised at the drubbing Wales received at the Millennium Stadium yesterday.

Look at the facts: Toshack took over a side which had gone 10 competitive games without a win and then lost 11 players through retirement, and since last month's game in the Czech Republic Wales lost five players through injury.

This is not in anyway to disguise the awfulness of the performance, but these are the inescapable facts that we as a nation to do not possess enough strength in depth to cope with such a serious amount of absentees.

Taking Mark Delaney, James Collins and Sam Ricketts from a defence that stood up so well to the Czech Republic, Carl Fletcher from our midfield and most telling of all, Ryan Giggs from our attack and you have a recipe for disaster.

Blooding so many youngsters was always likely to result in tears at some point, but the fact that the positive showings against the Czechs and the Brazil led to cautious optimism against Slovakia, made the scoreline even harder to stomach.

However, a decimated defence and a string of individual errors that you just cannot legislate for added to Slovakia's incredible strike rate of six shots on goal, five goals scored, equalled Wales recording their worst home result in 98 years.

Richard Duffy, Rob Edwards and, in particular, a woefully inept performance from Paul Jones were the catalysts for Wales leaking five in front of a disbelieving crowd of just 28,000 supporters, a worryingly small attendance given that not so long ago Wales were the best supported national team in Europe.

Like it or not, this is where we are. All those small-minded, knee jerk reactionaries baying for the return of Savage and Speed, have to understand that would be a massive retrograde step. We are building for the future, as Toshack has been at pains to point out - there's no turning back.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and it may be considerably longer before we see a Wales team that can qualify for a major tournament.

However loud his critics may crow and clamour for his dismissal - and today the media is full of knees jerking so violently their exponents are in danger of knocking themselves out - Toshack is in this for the long run. His wholehearted belief and investment in youth is already paying dividends and despite Saturday's drubbing there is still genuine cause for optimism.

Let's hope the Slovakia game was a one-off abberation, as the Cyprus game will be a genuine test of spirit, camaraderie and Toshack's management. How his young charges lift themselves on Wednesday evening against a Cyrpriot team brim full of confidence after disposing of the Republic of Ireland 5-2 may tell us more about his team's character and ability than Saturday's freakshow could ever do.

Ever the optimist, I'll go for a 2-1 Wales victory.

Posted by Juan Estupendo at 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)