Dai @colemans_dream reviews the ups and downs of Tuesday’s final group qualifier.
For thirty six glorious minutes, we dared to dream. Even after we’d heard that Croatia had gone one up we still had a glimmer of hope. A disallowed goal in Zagreb for our rivals brought raised eyebrows – will this be our night? Can Armenia nick a goal? In the end it didn’t matter after a frankly shocking penalty decision gifted Turkey a road back into the match. The tide felt like it had turned and despite our own disallowed goal, the reality was we rarely looked like we would need to worry about going’s on elsewhere – we hadn’t kept up our end of an unlikely bargain. As tired, weary and drunk limbs carried frustrated fans from the stadium that has seen us claim many famous wins, the dream was very much dead.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt all started so well. Wales took the game to Turkey and looked a threat in many different areas. Quick balls into the channels and patient build up using our full backs gave us a real early foothold. As the ball was recycled out to Neco Williams, he leant one way, shifted his body weight the other and darted passed the defender like the most nimble of gazelles. He drove across the 18 yard box and whipped a quick one bounce shot into the side netting. Wales had lift off. Over to you Croatia.
Embed from Getty ImagesWales continued to control things and whilst Cymru weren’t peppering the Turkey keeper, we were very much on top. The controversial moments began and continued in quick succession. Harry Wilson being the first to ask questions of the referee. Regardless of how soft I feel it may be, his tumble was outside the box. Not a penalty.
As Wales continued to push on, another great ball for Brennan Johnson to run onto in the channel saw his pace expose a Turkish defender. A desperate lunge followed and down went Tottenham’s new starlet. In an attempt to remain unbiased, whilst I think it’s a penalty I can see why VAR didn’t get involved and look to overturn. With their guidance being a high bar to change the on-field call, this was a marginal decision. Yes he brings down Johnson, but he also gets the ball. It’s tight on which happened first, but I can see why that one didn’t get given, even if I disagree with the officials.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe third one on the other hand is so clearly a penalty, it’s almost (emphasise almost…) funny. Following a corner and a recycled dink forward, Brennan Johnson is frankly rugby tackled from behind. Initially the defender barges into him before deciding that wasn’t enough, and puts both arms around him. To really sell the decision he then leans into Johnson and they both end up in a heap on the ground. The ref gives another wide sweep of the arms and we go again. Whilst I can attempt to defend the VAR decision elsewhere, this one in inexcusable. Apparently the check was over in 10 seconds. I cannot understand how this isn’t overturned. A decision which would have killed the game in our favour I think, against a Turkey side who were very much not giving it 100%.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhilst Turkey looked to attack us at the end of the half, an enjoyable 45 minutes concluded with relative calm. James had been moving the ball quickly and effectively, Ampadu was playing with brilliant controlled aggression and I thought Broadhead brought a bit of a sparkle at times with his running with the ball, even if he couldn’t quite link up with Johnson. The fullbacks were pushing on and I felt calm about our control of the game. The only downside was the text message confirming that Croatia had scored.
At half time, the game changed. Whilst Wales continued to use the ball reasonably well, we weren’t in control any more. The tactical shift to add another man to the attack for Turkey spread out our defence and midfield a little more, leaving pockets of space for Turkey to exploit. Whilst Ward has a couple of saves to make, the biggest concern was our lack of possession retention, for the second time in a few days. We were dropping deeper and deeper – Turkeys changes has impacted the game and we didn’t know how to react.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe referee, who had had an odd evening up until this point, then took centre stage. I felt he was wildly inconsistent with his decision making. Letting some robust challenges go as 50/50’s followed by awarding free kicks for the merest of touches. Until this point it was annoying but not game altering. That view changed fairly rapidly when a diagonal ball into the box led our captain for the evening, Ben Davies to turn and run with the Turkish attacker. In the process of doing so they brushed arms and the striker gave an Oscar winning performance as he flung himself to the ground in a way that would make Bruno Fernandes blush uncomfortably. The ref decided that this touching of arms was assault enough to award a penalty. Once again, how VAR hasn’t overturned that decision, is maddening. As the rage died down, Turkey rolled in their opportunity as Ward dived the other way, enabling the away fans to cheer their group clinching moment.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt killed us. The mood. The momentum. The atmosphere. The hope. Everything felt like it had gone. Page made substitutions, possibly too late in my eyes, but he didn’t make any changes. He hoped the new players coming on could utilise the system they were in and, from my viewpoint at least, that wouldn’t work. We needed a higher press.
We needed someone else in a central attacking area to fill the space between the Turkish defence and midfield. We needed the out-ball Moore offers and the foil he could present to Johnson’s pace and movement. Moore came on too late to make a difference and Johnson had a goal rightly disallowed for offside. We never really looked like scoring after the Turkey penalty in honesty. The referee blew his whistle after his colleague had done the same in Zagreb confirming our outcome early. Fans left. The hope in the air which engulfed us after seven minutes was replaced by a hush hanging heavy in the evening darkness. The dream is over. At least until the playoffs.
Embed from Getty ImagesSo – where next is the big question. Page is almost certain to be manager in March and the playoffs, in what I’m certain will be his make or break moment. I’ve tried hard to defend the manager of late, but I couldn’t mask my frustration during the last 20 minutes or so of the game. The manager looked lost. Caught up in the emotion perhaps, unable to change things. When Moore came on, Brooks gestured to the bench for clarity as to what he was to do. He got ushered wide by Brennan as some level of confusion reigned. As much as the players like and support the manager, such basic tactical changes and ensuing uncertainty ask questions which likely provide uncomfortable answers. We looked like we didn’t know how to press as a unit higher up the pitch. We didn’t seem to recognise what to do as Moore strode onto the pitch, hoping to create a last gasp miracle.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhilst I reiterate that our shortcomings don’t fall solely at the feet of the manager, I wonder if the referee did Page a favour in the end. These shocking decisions masked some level of confusion at the end of the game and an inability to affect a game which seemed winnable. Fans, players and manager joined to have a common enemy (rightly so) in the officials but really we had enough time and opportunity on the bench to win the game with or without the referee. I suppose we wouldn’t have needed to do something or turn the tide without the referee’s intervention in the first place although it felt somewhat inevitable that Turkey would get a goal in the end. Who knows. More “what ifs” in a campaign full of them.
Embed from Getty ImagesWe all know the Armenia fixtures cost us a place at a stein filled summer party we are desperate to attend. Whilst the playoffs may offer a late back door entry to a summer of footballing fun, the time between now and then must see some real soul searching and reflection being done. We need to know how we want to play as a side. We need to know how we can try and turn a game if it doesn’t go our way and we need to learn to better manage those changes in a game. We need to get back our defensive solidity – 2 clean sheets in 8 campaign games isn’t getting us to a tournament.
Whilst player minutes week to week, a squad in genuine transition and injuries to our talisman offer Page an excuse to point to, overall I do not think we are playing to the sum of our parts. Our talent was that we used to exceed the sum of our parts whilst a world class footballer could weave some magic. The sprinkling of magic dust has headed to the driving range and the solid foundation which it was placed on hasn’t been present.
Embed from Getty ImagesPage has big decisions to make between now and March and his margin for error is non existent. Success for him means success for us. Failure for him changes our summer plans and likely, his employment status. I hope he does what is required and takes us to a third successive euros. The question of if he will or not is beginning to look hard to answer, in a positive way.