Wales have broken new ground by reaching the 2022 World Cup, though it will be hard to find many fans supporting their performance in Qatar.
A chaotic drop in stoppage time, with Iran losing 2-0, was followed by a soft exit from arch-rivals England, a 3-0 defeat that ended Wales’ first trip to the World Cup in 64 years. a whimper instead of a clap. They can’t wait that long for another jump to the top of world football.
Disappointment in Qatar came as Wales failed to do justice to themselves despite neither Gareth Bale nor Aaron Ramsey showing their best football. Euro 2016 vintage almost expired; Now a new generation is coming.
This is led by Nottingham Forest striker Brennan Johnson, who is now tasked with following in Bale’s footsteps after the former Tottenham and Real Madrid star retired from football. Of course, this is a big problem, given Bale’s status as the greatest British footballer of all time; With 111 caps, 40 caps and three major tournaments, he is without a doubt the greatest Welsh footballer of all time.
Johnson is still a 21-year-old who was loaned to Lincoln City less than two years ago. But he has the support of manager Rob Page as Wales prepare to open their UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Croatia and Latvia.
Wales will be without experienced Ben Davis or Wayne Hennessy in these games, with Johnson’s own participation in question due to a groin injury. But when the time comes, Page insists Johnson will be ready.
“Brennan is the best player,” he said.
“He is probably one of the best strikers in the Premier League at the moment.
“His journey over the last two years since we took him to the first team has been really impressive. But we have to do it with young players.”
Angesichts des Drucks, nach vorne zu treten, um die balenförmige Lücke zu füllen, argumentiert be.
“Top players handle the pressure. He will be all right,” he added.
“Gareth was a world-class man in his own right, absolutely. Brennan still has a lot to develop and improve. He’s showing a lot of potential right now, but we can’t compare him to Gareth. These are different types of players.
“No expectations are expected of us, he just has to keep playing the way he is and will continue to create chances.”
Johnson’s Nottingham Forest teammate Neko Williams (also 21) will be at the center of this development with him in Wales, led by Page, who signed a four-year pre-World Cup deal to keep him until 2026, and new captain Ramsey. who is now the lone elderly statesman on the rookie team.
Swansea striker Liam Cullen, 23, was one of three players called up this week in place of Davies and Hennessy and responsible for Johnson’s defeat. He is one of seven players who could make their debut for the national team in the upcoming games.
“Now it’s not just Brennan who needs to come and play, it’s an opportunity for those around him to take on that responsibility,” Page added.
“We want success. The most important thing for us now is that we do not just hope for the question “Can we qualify?”.
Wales squad for UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Croatia and Latvia
Goalkeeper: Danny Ward, Adam Davis, Tom King
Defender: Neko Williams, Ben Kabango, Oliver Cooper, Tom Lockyer, Joe Rodon, Chris Mepham, Ethan Ampadu, Connor Roberts, Morgan Fox
Midfielder: Sorba Thomas, Jordan James, Nathan Broadhead, Wesley Burns, Aaron Ramsay (Captain), Joe Morrell, Harry Wilson
Forward: Daniel James, Kieffer Moore, Luke Harris, Brennan Johnson, Tom Bradshaw, Liam Cullen, Mark Harris
With an expanded 24-team European Championship and a subsequent 48-team World Cup invited to compete in 2026, Wales’ hopes of continuing their recent major tournament appearances have risen.
But just qualifying is no longer enough. Inspired by Bale and Captain Johnson, this new Welsh club wants more.
Source: I News
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.