Should Rob Page follow Gemma Grainger’s example?

With consecutive defeats against Armenia and Turkey, Wales’ hopes of qualification for Euro 2024 have been seriously dented.

The results have been disappointing, but perhaps most frustrating of all, there appears to be a tactical naivety in this Welsh team.

During the halcyon days of 2016, there was always a plan. Fans knew they would get a solid defensive performance, with Gareth Bale up the other end of the pitch ready to torment opposition defences.

Even under Ryan Giggs’ brief tenure, Wales played possession football and wait for the right opening.

There is no doubt that in the early days of Rob Page’s reign that we saw a mix of compact defending and pacey breakaways, a tactic that of course got us to the World Cup.

Since that joyous day against Ukraine, to say things have stagnated would be an understatement, and the Welsh Way that was once recognisable, is now a distant memory.

With supporters and journalists alike questioning whether Page will continue his journey with this team, attention turns to what we want from a new manager.

Do we want someone who brings youngsters through? Do we want someone who will utilise our pace up front? Do we want someone to sew up the defence?

The Welsh Way is in a state of flux. Or is it?

Fans of the women’s team have enjoyed seeing a side that has been flourishing under Gemma Grainger and the standard of football has come on leaps and bounds.

Tactically, there are so many things that Grainger’s team do well that Page and his side can learn from.

Let’s look at the midfield. Against Armenia, the middle of the park looked at times non-existent, with Ethan Ampadu carrying all the defensive duties on his shoulders, while Aaron Ramsey and Harry Wilson would galivant forward and often neglect the Chelsea midfielder.

Against Turkey, the defensive pivot of Ampadu and Joe Morrell looked competent, until Morrell saw the red mist and botched Page’s masterplan.

In the women’s team, there’s a midfield three who have a dynamic and understanding unmatched by many in world football.

When you look at the style of play of Sophie Ingle, Angharad James and Jess Fishlock, a layman of women’s football could pigeonhole each into a certain category.

Ingle, an excellent marshal in front of the defence, a role akin to Ampadu. James, someone who can pick out a pass with ease, a role Ramsey is used to. Fishlock, a player who can play further forward and create anything on her day, like Wilson.

But the three are so much more than that. They can all interchange and play each other’s role in the midfield. Ingle is criminally underrated as a creative force, and when she goes forward, James does an exceptional job of sitting in.

While she does have a free role, Fishlock knows when the other two need extra bodies in the midfield and when she has the right to roam free.

At times, the men’s midfield looks one dimensional and none of them are willing to do the roles the others do. The trio of Ampadu, Ramsey and Wilson could learn a lot by looking and learning from one of the world’s elite midfields.

Match Report: Cymru 2-4 Armenia

Looking at the forward line, the mix of Dan James, Brennan Johnson and Kieffer Moore offered very little against Armenia. Balls would be floated up to Moore to knock down to his two wingers, who never looked like they would threaten a defence ranked 97^th in the world.

Everything is so regimented and there’s a fear to try and do something unique, a trait a certain forward used to do oh so often.

While the attack under Jayne Ludlow wasn’t exactly free flowing, under Grainger, the forwards have been unleashed.

A young hungry frontline of players like Hannah Cain, Carrie Jones, Ffion Morgan, Ceri Holland are causing problems for each and every team they face.

The way they interchange from one wing to the other, and the way they can all play through the middle means opposition defences are always kept on their toes and never know what to expect.

If the men move away from this strict style of attacking play, they could reap the benefits that the women have had.

The full back position is an area the women’s side are blessed with. Rhiannon Roberts has been an important factor in Wales’ rise under Grainger, while Rachel Rowe and Lily Woodham on the other flank provide a perfect balance.

Like Connor Roberts and Neco Williams, going forward they are superb and contribute a lot to the attack, but it’s defensively where they differ.

Against Armenia, Roberts sometimes would bypass his defensive roles, while against Turkey, Williams was targeted and dominated on the wing.

Razza, Woodham, and Rowe do a lot going forward, but they know when to defend. They can create a solid back four with Hayley Ladd and Gemma Evans, who always play at the top of their game in a red shirt.

They can also thwart the best in the world, which brings us onto the conversation of difficult opponents.

When confronted with the fact that Wales have only won one of their last eleven (now twelve) games, Page pointed out that the level of opposition has been difficult, and any team would find those games a challenge.

His comments of course carry credence. Belgium, England, the Netherlands, Croatia are all opponents who possess some of the best talents in the world.

However, what fans find troubling is the fact that, after those games, we never had a feeling that we were heading in the right direction.

Between 2014 and 2017, even in games we lost against Belgium, Portugal, and England, you could see something was building and you knew this team will come good and defeat one of the so-called big teams, which they did.

Now, in those defeats in the Nations League and the World Cup, any trace of positivity is quickly evaporated because the performances have been abject at best.

In Grainger’s two years in charge, the team have played some of the top teams in the world. Games against Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, and France have all been close and have highlighted that this team is certainly building and growing.

Their good performances have led to four-time world champions USA to invite them over to California to be their final opponents before they defend their crown in Australia and New Zealand.

Against the teams not penned in at the top of the FIFA rankings, Grainger’s side have swept teams like Greece, Kazakhstan, and Northern Ireland aside, something they weren’t doing under Ludlow.

The men have struggled to get over the line against Estonia, Azerbaijan, and Latvia, but the defeat against Armenia represented a low that hasn’t been seen since before the Gary Speed era.

There’s no denying the women’s side are on a journey that the men were on late last decade. The defeat away in Switzerland had vibes comparable to that 2017 defeat against the Republic of Ireland.

A major tournament isn’t far away, because you can see that there’s constant improvement in the women’s side. The tactics, the depth, the young players coming through, everything is clicking together.

A lot of those fundamentals are missing with the men’s side, and if those issues aren’t addressed soon, we may be looking at a lost generation.

If the men’s setup is looking for inspiration from anywhere, attempting to replicate what the women are doing would be a hell of a place to start.

Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell