World Cup – Wales reporter notebook: Rob Page’s real test starts now | Football News

Sky Sports News reporter Geraint Hughes reflects on Wales’ difficult World Cup campaign and discusses what is next for Rob Page, Gareth Bale and Welsh football…

There is a huge frustration on the surface right now because Wales haven’t performed anywhere near their ability and there can be a number of reasons why.

One reason is the fitness of players in terms of minutes players have had on the pitch prior to a tournament like this. We can debate the quality of the football on show, but the intensity is high – and you’ve got to expect that when you’re playing against the world’s best. If you’re a little bit down on your levels, that’s hard.

The Iran game was horrible and the first game against the USA was not great either. The short-term positives are not good. However, there is a bigger picture with Wales in getting here and what can be learned in this environment.

There are a number of young players who wouldn’t have necessarily had minutes on the pitch. The England fans probably saw Rubin Colwill last night – he could be one of the future talents for Wales. So, there is a bigger picture going forward.

On the face of it, Wales are better than that – and they have been for a number of years. They’ve found a will to win, but they didn’t find that while they were here.

Rob Page clearly changed his tactics last night by setting up with a back four. His preference is a back three, but I think this change was to get Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale into the game more. If they’re higher up the pitch, they’re going to have more effect. It’s been noticeable in the first two games, just how deep they were. How can players like that affect a game when they are so far back from the final third?

Tactically, Page got it right. Wales can adjust, and they have done in so many games in qualifying and the Nations League, swapping from a back three to a back four. So, the change in formation wasn’t alien to the players and the plan was to contain England, wait for their impatience or a mistake and try and get a goal.

Lack of match fitness has collided with a number of players not being in form. Though the players were not to blame – they tried. When you’re out of form, you’re out of form, and Rob Page hasn’t got the pool of players that England have got.

Clearly, they thought they were going to get out of the group stage and that was the aim, but Rob Page cannot be criticised too much.

He was given a four-year contract not long before this tournament. The contract was not to come and do great things in the World Cup. It was about four years to build Wales, to make sure they become serial qualifiers. They’ve done it at the last two Euros and a World Cup.

Wales know this generation of players are slowly going to go through the autumn and into their retirement phases. So, it’s about bringing through younger players. Page has worked with the Under-21s prior to becoming the assistant manager and then manager.

Page brought a number of young players here to Qatar that are not part of the squad, but they trained with the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen. It’s about the future talent pathway, finding players, getting them into clubs, and then playing for Wales.

Page, bizarrely, starts earning his money today, planning for the European Championship campaign and to get Wales to the next World Cup. It’s a great challenge for him and he knows it. Everyone – because he’s a really nice man – hopes he makes it.