ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - OCTOBER 10: Wales fans give support to their team during the Euro 2016 qualifying football match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Wales at the Stadium Bilino Polje in Elbasan on October 10, 2015. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)
Wales made history on Saturday night as they sealed qualification for the European Championships in France next summer...
Gareth Bale Can Make History by Helping Wales Reach Euro 2016
Oct 13, 2014
CARDIFF, WALES - OCTOBER 10: Wales striker Gareth Bale in action during the EURO 2016 Qualifier match between Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Cardiff City Stadium on October 10, 2014 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Wales have not qualified for a major football finals since the 1958 FIFA World Cup and are not generally considered to be a side to worry about, but two factors have come together to boost their chances of reaching the European Championship finals in 2016.
With one of the world's top players in their midst, Gareth Bale, and the expansion of qualification allowing the top three teams in each group to have a chance of making the finals, Wales have made a good enough start to the current campaign to have a realistic aim of making France 2016.
The Real Madrid attacker has already stated that reaching the finals would equal winning the Champions League in his career achievements, per BBC Sport (h/t Reuters), and if it is to happen Wales need Bale to have a telling impact in the upcoming game against Cyprus.
Bale-ful Influence
Wales don't have a squad full of stars but do have a first-choice XI which should be able to compete with most teams in their group...when all are fit.
CARDIFF, WALES - OCTOBER 10: Wales striker Gareth Bale gets in a shot at goal during the EURO 2016 Qualifier match between Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Cardiff City Stadium on October 10, 2014 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Bale scored both goals in Wales' opening victory, a 2-1 win in Andorra, and almost scored a late winner in the second game, an important 0-0 draw at home against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Even though he was almost man-marked out of the occasion by Muhamed Besic in the latter game, Bale still showed he is capable of moments of magic to shift the momentum of a match and create chances for his team.
The former Spurs man is already in the top 10 all-time scorers for Wales with 14 goals to his name, and along with the likes of Ian Rush and Neville Southall he is regarded as one of the finest talents to play for the nation. Where Bale can succeed where those others failed is in leading the team to a major tournament—if consistency and luck play a part too.
11 - Gareth Bale has scored 11 goals in his last 15 appearances for Wales. Fulcrum.
In some ways, the challenge Wales boss Chris Coleman faces with Bale is similar to that with Fernando Santos and Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal: How can he get the player close to goal, able to attack, shoot and score as often as possible, when other attackers around him are not at the same level?
MADRID, SPAIN - OCTOBER 05: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid celebrates with Gareth Bale after scoring his team's 5th and his third goal against Club Athletic during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Athletic Club at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
Also like Portugal, Wales have a decent number of options in central midfield—not on the same level, perhaps, nor with as much depth—but are currently missing their best two in the middle, Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey. Those two, plus Joe Ledley, form a more-than-respectable platform to provide service to Bale...but outside of Bale himself in the front line, there is little goal threat for Wales.
Fun fact: Gareth Bale scored ONLY 3 less goals than the rest of the Wales squad. [SkySportsHQ] pic.twitter.com/d4INrncmQZ
Bale is the only squad member to have more than three international goals—the unfit Ramsey and Sam Vokes both still have single figures too—and clearly the left-footed wide man's athleticism, direct running and willingness to shoot from any angle mark him out not just as the team's biggest threat but also their most frequent outlet for team-mates to pass to when under pressure.
CARDIFF, WALES - MARCH 05: Wales player Gareth Bale (l) is congratulated by manager Chris Coleman after being substituted after he had scored the third Wales goal during the International Friendly between Wales and Iceland at Cardiff City stadium on Marc
One interesting tactical alteration that Coleman looked at was Carlo Ancelotti's recent switch for Real Madrid against Villarreal: Bale and Ronaldo were both deployed for part of the game as a front two. The rest of the team sat back in two blocks and simply looked to feed counter-attacks to those two at every opportunity.
In the absence of quality attackers to call upon, beefing up the midfield and using Bale as a free, central forward could be an option for Wales within games.
Welsh Hopes
Realistically, despite sitting top of Group B right now, Wales are not likely to end the qualification phase in that spot. Belgium are the big favourites, with Bosnia-Herzegovina the probable candidates for second—making Wales' draw against that rival all the more important.
That draw followed Bosnia's surprise defeat against Cyprus in the opening weekend, highlighting two important factors: the possibility that Wales could finish in the top three or even two if they find their own consistency and resilience; and that there are big dangers in the group outside of Belgium and Bosnia.
Israel would probably be considered the rivals for third place, but Wales play Cyprus on Monday night and cannot afford the same mistake Bosnia made by dropping points against that opposition. The squad is not deep enough, playing at a high enough level or filled with enough talent to overcome many episodes of dropped points in a 10-game campaign.
They do, though, have Gareth Bale, a player who can make the difference between a defeat and a draw or a draw and a victory in any given game.
If he can hit the net again versus Cyprus and leave his side with seven points from three games, Wales will start to view a top-three finish and thus a play-off spot for Euro 2016 as a possibility more than just a pipe dream.
Zidane Says It Will Be 'Tragedy' If Gareth Bale Never Plays at Major Tournament
Sep 9, 2014
LISBON, PORTUGAL - MAY 23: Gareth Bale of Real Madrid kicks the ball as Assistant coach Zinedine Zidane of Real Madrid throws a bib during a Real Madrid training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final against Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadio da Luz on May 23, 2014 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)LISBON, PORTUGAL - MAY 23: Gareth Bale of Real Madrid kicks the ball as Assistant coach Zinedine Zidane of Real Madrid throws a bib during a Real Madrid training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final against Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadio
Ryan Giggs spent every other summer sitting on his couch and watching his Manchester United team-mates play in World Cups and European Championships. Zinedine Zidane fears that a similar fate could befall fellow Welshman Gareth Bale.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Zizou said it would be a "tragedy" if Bale was never to make it to a major summer tournament:
Gareth is desperate to play in a major tournament with Wales – he did not want to be sitting at home in the summer while all his team-mates were in Brazil.
It will be a tragedy if he never gets to play in a World Cup or European Championships. He is one of the top five players in the world – for him not to be there is just wrong.
One player can’t qualify for Euro 2016 – but what Gareth can be is Wales leader. It doesn’t matter who they play in the qualifiers – when Gareth is always on the field – they always have a match winner.
Wales have only ever qualified for the one World Cup (1958) and one European Championships (1976). However, the Dragons are off to a winning start in their Euro 2016 qualification group after pulling off a Bale-inspired 2-1 win in Andorra on Tuesday evening.
The Real Madrid star will probably never have a better chance to reach a major tournament than this: The 2016 edition has been expanded to 24 teams, meaning nearly half of UEFA's 53 member nations will qualify. Hence, UEFA's bloated format could help Bale avoid "tragedy."
Andorra's Artificial 3G Pitch Evokes Criticism During Wales Euro Qualifier
Sep 9, 2014
Wales' Euro 2016 qualifier against Wales is being played at the 3,300-capacity Camp d'Esports del M.I. Consell General.
The venue has evoked controversy because of its artificial 3G pitch. According to a manufacturer, it is artificial grass interspersed with black rubber "crumbs," laid upon a thin base layer of sand.
Andorra only laid their pitch six days ago, but it passed a UEFA inspection. Wales Online note that Real Madrid did not want Gareth Bale to play on the surface, which is usually less forgiving and more prone to causing injuries than grass.
Plenty of fans on Twitter have criticised the playing surface during the game, with many noting that it appears to be worse than the kind of fields amateurs play on.
Real Madrid's Gareth Bale and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey Make Wales Aim High
Sep 9, 2014
CARDIFF, WALES - SEPTEMBER 03: Wales players Aaron Ramsey (l) and Gareth Bale look on during a Wales training session at Cardiff City Stadium on September 3, 2014 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
If ever the dangers of a team pinning its hopes on one megastar were apparent it was this weekend, as Portugal spluttered to a home defeat to Albania. If Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence on Sunday fatally compromised Paulo Bento’s team, Wales have no such worries with his Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale as they begin their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
Fortunately for Wales, even if plenty is expected of Bale as they embark on the road to France, he has company. Aaron Ramsey’s dizzying ascent over the last 18 months or so means that, even if he doesn’t quite share the same profile as Bale, Wales now have two bona-fide cracks in their midst.
What this also means is that the pressure is squarely on Chris Coleman to deliver. Hardly a universally popular appointment when succeeding the late Gary Speed in early 2012, Coleman can change perceptions of him if he should lead Wales to a first major championship finals tournament since 1958.
While the contributions of captain Ashley Williams, Liverpool’s Joe Allen and Neil Taylor could be important, it is Bale and Ramsey, and—crucially—Coleman’s handling of them which will define Wales’ immediate future.
His management of Ramsey, in particular, has already come under close scrutiny. The manager took the bold (and controversial) step of taking the captaincy away from Ramsey in October 2012, shortly after Wales were hammered 6-1 in Serbia.
“I think he has felt the pressure of it,” Coleman reasoned at the time, as per BBC Sport. Williams’ promotion at the Arsenal man’s expense was, at the time, the subject of much debate.
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 31: Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Arsenal at The King Power Stadium on August 31, 2014 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Excepting the horrendous leg injury he suffered in February 2010, it was arguably the first major step back in Ramsey’s career trajectory to that point, having become Wales’ youngest-ever full international in November 2008 at the age of 17—and subsequently the country’s youngest skipper shortly after turning 20.
The midfielder’s stratospheric growth, at least at club level, might lend credence to Coleman’s thinking, but only results in the forthcoming qualifying campaign will truly back him up. Wales’ task is not easy but, as with various minnows and underachievers who have already debuted in the qualifiers, the expanded format offers widespread hope.
It is not unreasonable to expect Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina to lead the way in Group B, but Wales should be in the mix for third spot at least. There are few pushovers once Tuesday’s opener at Andorra is out of the way. Israel twice held Portugal in the qualifiers for World Cup 2014, and Wales themselves are among the teams to have fallen in Cyprus in recent years (Wales lost 3-1 in Nicosia back in 2007).
Bale needs to reprise the role which has seen him flourish for Tottenham and Real Madrid.
Yet after the (supposed) demons of the Comunal d’Andorra la Vella’s artificial surface has been negotiated, there is a real chance to make a dent in the group. Bosnia and Cyprus both visit Cardiff in the space of four days in October, and the opportunity is clear. One of the main dangers ahead of this run of fixtures is the sense that Bale will take care of himself, rather than actually needing to be managed. Coleman has openly floated the idea of the Real Madrid star being used at centre-forward, as reported by BBC Wales' Dafydd Pritchard here.
If one lesson can be learned from Ronaldo and Portugal, it’s that the very best should be placed in as similar conditions that they thrive in for their clubs as possible. Coach Bento’s successes in getting the best out of his talisman have come in not overthinking Ronaldo’s role. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The marriage of circumstance, ahead of a 24-team tournament, and the two supreme talents at their disposal, give Wales their best chance of making it in a while. It’s now down to their boss to show he can handle his portion of the pressure.
Pressure on Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey to Succeed Where Giggs Failed for Wales
Sep 5, 2014
CARDIFF, WALES - SEPTEMBER 03: Wales players Simon Church (l) Aaron Ramsey (c) and Gareth Bale look on during a Wales training session at Cardiff City Stadium on September 3, 2014 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Ryan Giggs seemed to play forever for Manchester United, yet almost never for Wales.
In a 24-year professional career that saw him represent United 963 times, Giggs made just 64 appearances for his national team. To put that into some sort of context, James Milner is already on 49 caps for England—and he only made his debut five years ago.
Injury was a contributing factor in Giggs’ limited involvement, but so too was an unspoken—but fairly evident—desire to preserve himself for his club commitments. When Giggs retired from the international arena as a 34-year-old he cited a desire to prolong his United career as a key factor; the reality was that he had already been doing that for a number of years.
Wales were never likely to reach an international tournament, so for Giggs a number of qualification games (and almost every friendly encounter) came with more risks attached than potential rewards. On more than one occasion timely knocks kept him from joining up with Welsh squads, eliminating any risk of him picking up a more serious problem in pursuit of a fruitless cause.
The one occasion Wales did come close to reaching a major tournament was in 2003, after they finished second (behind Italy) in qualification for the 2004 European Championships. Giggs started in all eight of those group games, scoring once in the 4-0 rout of Azerbaijan.
Wales’ finish earned them a play-off place in which they were unlucky enough to be drawn against Russia. But a 0-0 draw in Moscow left Mark Hughes’s side a home win away from a first international tournament since 1976.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. Wales edged the game at the Millennium Stadium, but after Vadim Evseev had headed his side into an undeserved lead, Russia held on. Giggs missed arguably his side’s best chance, poking a shot against the post moments before half-time.
It was as close as Giggs was to get to that particular dream, as he joined the likes of George Best as one of the greatest players never to grace an international tournament. The near-miss had seemingly re-stoked his passion for the international game, but with Giggs not the only member of that Wales team entering the latter stages of his career, making that last step up was never likely to be feasible.
"This is as low as I've felt in football,” Giggs told BBC Sport that night. "The only way to get over disappointments in football is to look to the next challenge.”
CARDIFF, WALES - OCTOBER 11: Ryan Giggs of Wales shows his frustration during the Euro 2004 Group 9 Qualifying match between Wales and Serbia and Montenegro at the Millennium Stadium on October 11, 2003 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty
Giggs cannot be blamed for Wales’ shortcomings during his playing career; like Best he had the misfortune of being a supreme individual talent in a country whose size and circumstances made producing even one such player statistically surprising. Yet barely a decade on from that close-but-no-cigar moment in Cardiff, head coach Chris Coleman now finds himself blessed with two world-class talents to build his Dragons side around.
In attack he has Gareth Bale, the most expensive player in the world and one of the jewels in Real Madrid’s dazzling crown. Then in midfield he has Aaron Ramsey, a player rapidly emerging at Arsenal as one of the Premier League’s most impressive all-round talents. These are two players almost any club side, let alone a national team, would love to have at their disposal; how Giggs would have loved to play alongside either during his time.
Wales’ talent is not limited to Ramsey and Bale, however, with a number of players in the squad now established at Premier League level. Swansea City stalwart Ashley Williams marshals a defence that includes Neil Taylor and Ben Davies, while Liverpool’s Joe Allen and Crystal Palace’s Joe Ledley can partner Ramsey in a midfield that has tasted title pursuits and Champions League campaigns.
Coleman’s squad not only has talent but some depth too (except perhaps in attack). In long qualification campaigns, that can be equally significant.
That cohort of players has led some to dub this a “golden generation”—a phrase that has typically proved to be more a curse than a premonition, as any England fan might tell you.
We obviously know that there's quality in the squad. I think a lot of the players have been together for quite a long time as a group, which makes us feel like we've got a great chance. I think the 'golden generation' is a matter of opinion for some people and for other people to discuss. We try not to focus too much on that.
In a group that includes Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Israel, Cyprus and Andorra, Wales would surely like their chances of qualification (most likely via play-off) even under the old format, where 16 teams qualified for the final tournament.
For the first time, however, the 2016 Euros will involve 24 of the 53 European participating nations—meaning a third-place finish in Group B could be enough to secure automatic qualification and will guarantee at least a play-off berth. While it might be a dangerous oversimplification to make, on the eve of the campaign—the first game is away to Andorra—it would seem Wales are in a head-to-head battle with Israel for that third spot.
The odds, previously so against Wales (and other smaller nations) that Giggs occasionally struggled to see the point, now seem to have been tipped back in their favour.
“It's a good start if they can get the win against Andorra,” Giggs told the BBC recently while stressing the need for a good start. “You cannot take anything for granted in football, but if you want to qualify you have to beat the likes of Andorra. You have top players who are at top clubs and can frighten any team. It is about gathering momentum and going from there.”
For Real Madrid and Arsenal, it is perhaps an interesting turn of events. Manchester United were never too disappointed when Giggs was unable to join up with the Welsh squad, as it ensured the left-sided midfielder was able to stay a little fresher for them as year after year they launched trophy assaults on three or four fronts.
At 23 and 25 respectively, it is perhaps too soon for Ramsey and Bale to be thinking about ways of preserving their longevity like that, and surely their clubs would not dream of trying to influence them in any way. But the new circumstances leave open the possibility of a creating a problem almost directly opposite to the one Giggs wrestled with: With qualification suddenly a viable prospect, might both players feel obliged to play through injury in order to help achieve it?
While Wales’ squad is better than it has been in many years, they will remain hugely reliant on the talents of their two stars to make the difference. Without them, even factoring in all the other established names, Coleman's side are an ordinary one. The likes of Andorra and Cyprus might be put to the sword without issue, but what happens if Bale and Ramsey are struggling with knocks when Wales host Israel next September, desperately needing at least a point to stay on track for qualification?
Then it becomes about individual careers as much as a national desire to end a tournament drought. Qualification would be amazing, but an ill-timed or serious injury could irrevocably change the course of both players' club careers. Suddenly the club-versus-country pressures will take on a whole new aspect.
CARDIFF, WALES - SEPTEMBER 03: Wales player Gareth Bale (c) looks on under the watchfull eye of mananger Chris Coleman (r) during a Wales training session at Cardiff City Stadium on September 3, 2014 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Ryan Giggs never got to represent Wales in a major tournament—an experience he was so desperate to taste that he eventually agreed to represent Great Britain in their ill-fated Olympics campaign in 2012.
Through fate and circumstance Ramsey, who also played in those Games, and Bale (who was a late, Giggs-esque withdrawal due to injury) have a glorious chance to lead their country to a major tournament, although it might bring with it a whole new set of difficult challenges. Only time will tell.
Wales vs. Finland: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Nov 16, 2013
This weekend's international friendlies act as a World Cup tune-up for many. But for Wales and Finland, that's not quite the case.
After both nations missed out on a bid to Brazil this upcoming summer, their sights are now set on building momentum for the upcoming 2016 Euro qualification rounds.
While the friendly has no World Cup implications, there is no shortage of talent and star power between the two, and it's sure to make for an exciting 90 minutes.
Here's a full breakdown of the Wales-Finland friendly.
Top Storyline: Can Bale, Ramsey Build Momentum for Coleman?
After months of speculation, Wales manager Chris Coleman spurned Crystal Palace to sign a new contract with the national team, per The Independent's Andrew Gwilym.
It was unclear if Coleman would stay after a woeful World Cup qualifying campaign, but that question has been answered for the foreseeable future.
Now his players must prove that he made the right decision and it starts with Wales star Gareth Bale playing with the team in Saturday's friendly, according to The Daily Express'Phil Cadden.
After moving to Real Madrid from Tottenham, Bale hadn't appeared in a Welsh strip since September, missing the nation's final two World Cup qualifiers.
He'll likely line up alongside Aaron Ramsey to anchor the attacking front for Wales. Ramsey has always shown promise in his career that was never truly fulfilled on the pitch until this season—he leads table-topping Arsenal with six goals in the Premier League.
Should both of these stars display the level of prowess with their national team as they have in club football, there should be no way that Wales misses another World Cup. If they can get Bale and Ramsey playing together as one unit, this team could be near impossible to beat.
If Wales want Coleman's next two years to end up much better than his first two, they need just that from their stars.
Prediction
Finland have lost two of three—losing by a combined 5-0 to Spain and France—with the lone win coming against Georgia. While Wales are no powerhouse, they boast a player or two at each position who is near-elite.
Motivated by playing at home, and under new-found comfort knowing that Coleman is sticking around, Bale and Wales should pull it together and easily beat this overmatched team.
Wales 3, Finland 0
Mapping the Rise of Liverpool and Wales Starlet Harry Wilson
Oct 16, 2013
On Tuesday, 16th October 2013, the Welsh national team gave a debut international cap to 16-year-old Liverpool youngster Harry Wilson.
Wilson is a very talented winger with a bright future, and seemingly, the world at his feet. Some have even gone as far as to compare him with £85 million man, Gareth Bale and a young Ryan Giggs.
But let’s not overhype this any more than the situation that it actually is.
Wales have jumped ahead to give Wilson his first cap, which plainly and simply stops England ever getting their hands him.
Great moment for me personally tonight, would like to thank everyone for the support and all the kind messages!🙏
That’s why he played three minutes at the end of a very long and unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the Welsh – and no more.
But that doesn’t mean Wilson doesn’t have an exciting future ahead, both for Wales and Liverpool.
Having moved to Merseyside from North Wales to join Liverpool’s Academy in 2005, Wilson made his debut for Liverpool’s Under-18s in February this year.
Since then he has been a regular face in the Reds’ Under-18 line-up and even impressed to get a substitute’s appearance in the Under-21s game against Southampton earlier this season.
Wilson plays mainly from the right wing although he easily interchanges between left and right, forming a nice relationship with the equally impressive Ryan Kent. He is extremely quick, has fantastic technique and an eye for goal. Liverpool fans may recall him beating Seyi Ojo and Ryan Kent to the title of ‘King of the Academy’ over a series of drills filmed for Soccer AM in August.
Wilson exploits his pace on teams he faces, finding space down the right wing and progressing Liverpool’s attacks. Whilst he is still slight on the physical side, he has plenty of time to mature into a player fit for the first team.
Indeed, his style of play, exploding forward on both the counter-attack and high pressure would suit Liverpool’s style of play right now, if only this was 2017.
Belgium vs. Wales: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Oct 15, 2013
Belgium confirmed their automatic qualification to Brazil 2014 with a 2-0 win over Croatia last Friday in Group A, a day which also saw Wales beat Macedonia, 1-0, at home.
Chris Coleman's side may be heading to Brussels with little to play for besides pride and form heading into the impending Euro 2016 qualifiers, but with their hosts likely to be sapped of their intensity through their success, Wales may not have to try too hard to go out of the World Cup qualifiers with a bang.
That's not to say that Belgium will drop points at home, but a less determined defence may let slip a consolation goal or two.
After all, Kompany and Co. have only dropped one point in their nine qualifying games so far.
Should Scotland and Macedonia enjoy better luck elsewhere, Wales could drop to the bottom of the table to become the wooden spoon winners of Group A.
Sam Vokes returns to the Wales squad after having overcome an ankle injury, as Craig Bellamy and Chris Gunter are set to win their 78th and 50th caps, respectively.
Meanwhile, Marouane Fellaini is ruled out for Belgium due to suspension and a wrist injury.
Coach Marc Wilmots may decide to experiment with his first team selection with the likes of Christian Benteke more than ready to swap in for Romelu Lukaku.
Prediction
At this stage, Belgium won't be keen to drop unnecessary points, regardless of their opposition, and Wales will face a real struggle to get anything from their game in Brussels.
Regardless of who they play up front, the home side are overflowing with flair, attacking talent and well-rounded defenders. It would be a surprise if they didn't take all three points through a commanding lead against Coleman's visitors.
As reported by the BBC, Coleman is unsure about his future as Wales boss and this game could turn out to be his match for signing off as national manager.
With a number of exciting young players in their ranks, ranging from Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey to Jonathan Williams, a change of coach may be in order to assert a grander vision for the future, perhaps with Belgium as a model of excellence of sorts.
Returning to the game at hand, however, it seems as though the upstarts from the low countries will finish on a triumphant high.
Final: Belgium 4, Wales 1
Why the Future Is Bright for Wales with Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale
Oct 9, 2013
What are the odds that two of the best players in world football today would be from Wales?
The little strip of land along the British Isle's west coast is not even a sovereign nation. Ruled by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the United Kingdom, Wales.com claims that the country is home to just over three million people.
Therefore, it is approximately 100 times less populated than the United States of America. Even England is 17 times more populated.
Nevertheless, two of the hottest commodities in football at the moment were born in Wales—and within a few years of each other.
Until very recently, Gareth Bale would have universally been held in higher esteem than Aaron Ramsey. The former was spectacularly shredding every team that was unfortunate enough to face him on a weekly basis whereas the latter was just beginning to emerge from a slump that had lasted nearly two years.
But while Bale was swashbuckling his way to a world-record €100 million transfer to Real Madrid, Ramsey was laying the foundation for one of the most remarkable metamorphoses in recent football history.
Few entirely sane people would declare that Ramsey has now surpassed his countryman in virtually any measurable category, but the Welsh national team now has two exceptionally prolific weapons with different abilities to build its future upon.
Chris Coleman, the manager of the national team, must carefully consider how he will utilize the riches that he has been given.
Essentially, his strategy must be one of maximizing freedom.
Bale and Ramsey are easily the two best players on the Welsh national team. No one else's quality approaches theirs and, aside from Ryan Giggs, no Welshman ever has.
Why, then, should either player be isolated by the relative mediocrity of his teammates?
Bale was in a roughly analogous, if not quite as pronounced, situation during the latter months of his time at Tottenham. Though he played with men who were significantly better than those who join him on the national team, he still could have been hampered.
Andre Villas-Boas recognized this and freed Bale from the fetters of the left wing. That was still his nominal position, but Bale was allowed to use his pace to roam about the pitch and migrate to wherever the best attacking area was.
He then won the PFA Player of the Year award.
The more Tottenham could funnel the ball to Bale's feet, the more opportunities he had to orchestrate a moment of magic. He nearly carried Spurs into the Champions League.
At Real Madrid, he will not have such liberty. Cristiano Ronaldo is at least Bale's equal and the left wing of the pitch at the Santiago Bernabeu is firmly in his control. Isco is one of myriad players that make it difficult to stick Bale in central attacking midfield.
But when he returns to his native land, there is absolutely no question about who the star of the show will be.
If Bale is to own the attack, Ramsey should make the midfield his domain.
At Arsenal, he is somewhat restricted by the specialization of his teammates. Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta play in a more withdrawn position while Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla are solely attacking players. All—and especially the latter three—seem impossible to drop at the moment.
So where should Ramsey go?
Luckily, he is versatile and fit enough to be deployed in several different positions across the midfield, or even on the wing for a short time.
Arsene Wenger faces a painful weekly decision about where to put Ramsey, but Coleman must ponder no such quandaries.
Rather than using Ramsey's versatility to firmly insert him into an awkward position based on the tactical makeup of the rest of the team, Coleman can instruct Ramsey to follow the ball and be both Wales' distributor and metronome.
Ramsey has played in both roles for Arsenal. Recently, he has displayed that he is fit enough to excel in both of these taxing roles and constantly pressure the other team off the ball.
Such an exceptional player should not be constrained, if at all possible. As in Bale's case, this is impossible to avoid at the club level. But once he steps into the Millennium Stadium, the entire tactical objective changes.
When two players of this caliber are let loose and permitted to work in tandem, they can personally affect the outcome of a match and improve others' play at the same time.
In the fairly recent past, Giggs was the only player of this caliber that was available to the national team's manager.
He is thus one of the best players in the history of football to never play in a World Cup.
The Welsh currently sit at the foot of their World Cup Qualifying group. However, their transformation has not been completed.
In four years, a significantly different story could very well unfold. Ramsey and Bale will both be in their primes by the time Russia opens its doors in 2018.
Regardless of how Wales does if it gets there, the goal for one of the world's least successful footballing territories should merely be to qualify. Then, two of the three best Welsh players in history will be at their footballing peaks.
There can be few more exciting prospects for a Welsh football fan.
