Expect different Cymru by September, says Grainger
Cardiff, Wales 09 April 2021. Wales manager Gemma Grainger ahead of the International Women's Challenge match between Wales Women and Canada Women, played at Cardiff International Stadium. Credit: Will Cheshire / Y Clwb Peldroed
Gemma Grainger has revealed her side could look different ahead of the next set of European qualifiers.
While attention is focused on facing Finland next Saturday, Cymru manager Gemma Grainger has suggested her side will look very different when the European qualifiers come around in September.
When asked if there would be possibly new faces involved in the next campaign, Grainger gave a definitive answer.
‘Yes, I do yes. For me the planning has already started’
‘We want to look at the team, can we integrate new players into the team, potentially a new playing style as well. We want to continue to evolve’
‘It will be a different looking team in September, I don’t know what that looks like right now, but what I can guarantee is, the planning that will go into that team will be very thorough.’
This of course leads to questions of if any of the players in the current squad may move on.
Questions have been raised whether the Switzerland game was Helen Ward’s last, and there have also been murmurs over the futures of Jess Fishlock and Kayleigh Green.
All three feature in this camp, which is the same 26-person squad as the playoff matches against Bosnia and Switzerland.
Grainger also cooled fears and pushed back any talk about pending retirements.
‘No, no conversations beforehand [about retirement before the playoff matches]. I think at the end of a campaign, naturally there are changes in the players, in the group, and in the staff group as well’
‘One of the main things for me is, how do we give these players the best opportunity to keep representing their country?’
‘When you have players that are experienced like ours, and who are as passionate as ours, it’s our job to make sure that we make that route available if that’s what they want to continue to do.’
With no fresh faces in the camp, Grainger sees this camp as an opportunity to close a chapter on one of the most important times in Welsh football.
‘The game against Finland is the next step, we’re going to close the chapter and review, but the Finland game is going to be the next step to say who we want to be on the pitch, off the pitch’
‘Speaking to some of the senior players over the last couple of weeks, their mentality has been, let’s get back together, moving forward.’
One obvious absentee from this camp is Tash Harding.
Harding has been ruled out due to a non-football related issue but has still seen regular playing time at Aston Villa.
Asked whether there was a chance that Harding could play for Wales again, Grainger was coy in her response.
‘The guidance for me is that when the FAW tell me she is available for selection, and that’s the point that I will start to think about it then’
‘But until then, it’s out of my control and I’m very much focused on this next camp and the players that are here.’
Cymru of course, while not qualifying for the World Cup, set a historic precedent, as they attracted record numbers of fans.
In a sense, this is a team of history makers, and while they didn’t reach their ultimate goal, Grainger is still proud of what they’ve achieved so far.
‘When we look at attendances, particularly the Bosnia game, it’s quite overwhelming to see the support that we have’
‘What really hit me was, on the Saturday before the game (against Bosnia), Cardiff City had played at home and got around 11,000 at their game, and then we played and got 15,500 and that really sunk into me the magnitude and just how these players have inspired people’
‘I’m proud, but mostly proud of the direction this team is inspiring, because it’s overwhelming to see the impact these players are having on people’s lives.’
WALES SQUAD TO FACE FINLAND IN PINATAR ON SEPTEMBER 12TH
Laura O’SULLIVAN (Cardiff City Ladies), Liv CLARK (Bristol City), Safia MIDDLETON-PATEL (Manchester United), Rhiannon ROBERTS (Liverpool), Josie GREEN (Leicester City), Hayley LADD (Manchester United), Gemma EVANS (Reading), Rachel ROWE (Reading), Lily WOODHAM (Reading), Sophie INGLE (Chelsea), Anna FILBEY (Crystal Palace), Angharad JAMES (Tottenham), Georgia WALTERS (Sheffield United), Charlie ESTCOURT (Birmingham City), Jess FISHLOCK (OL Reign), Carrie JONES (Leicester City), Ffion MORGAN (Bristol City), Meg WYNNE (Southampton), Elise HUGHES (Crystal Palace), Kayleigh GREEN (Brighton and Hove Albion), Helen WARD (Watford), Ceri HOLLAND (Liverpool), Maria FRANCIS-JONES (Sheffield United), Chloe WILLIAMS (Blackburn Rovers), Morgan ROGERS (Watford), Chloe BULL (Bristol City)
