Wales v Denmark preview: Pressure, attacking problems and the opposition
Wales manager Gemma Grainger at full time. Wales v Greece in a FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifier at Parc y Scarlets on the 26th November 2021. Credit: Lewis Mitchell
Wales manager Gemma Grainger has stressed her side are under no pressure at all heading into their first home game in the Nations League.
After being defeated by Iceland on Friday night, Wales are on the back foot in Group A3 of the Nations League.
After playing against Denmark tomorrow night, Grainger’s side have two tricky away games next month against the Danes and Germany. However, the manager says there is no pressure on her players at all for tomorrow’s game.
“There’s no pressure whatsoever. I don’t see the pressure. The pressure is the privilege of being in League A. I’m excited for tomorrow; I know we’re going to perform. The result will be whatever the result is. I want to be on the right side of the result of course, but I’m excited to see the team play”
Vice-captain Angharad James, on the other hand, stated there will always be pressure when turning out for Wales.
“There’s always pressure when we put the red shirt on. We put pressure on ourselves as individuals every game. Whether that’s against Denmark or Kazakhstan, it’s the same thing every time. We want to get out there and win the game, and I’m confident that our players are ready to get points in this group.”
Attacking quandaries
The biggest concern amongst the Red Wall heading into this game is the state of the attack.
While they did have more of the ball against Iceland, chances were at a premium, and the three players in the frontline really struggled to impose themselves on their Icelandic counterparts. While fans will worry, Grainger isn’t too concerned about their lack of goals.
“I’m not worried at all. When you create chances against higher ranked opponents, that’s the aim to start with. I’d be more worried if we weren’t creating those chances. We need to speak about the fine margins in training and in team meetings.
“If we weren’t creating chances, that would be a different conversation, but when you create chances, it is all about those finer details. The players are making the right runs, and it’s about finding that consistency in those runs and getting numbers in the box.”
Kayleigh Green led the charge on Friday, while Elise Hughes was introduced in the 89th minute. The Crystal Palace forward is the Championship’s top scorer, but Grainger says she will get her chance eventually.
“Every player is competing for a starting spot. It’s not just Elise, it’s Kayleigh Green, it’s Carrie Jones, it’s Mary McAteer, they’re all competing for a starting spot.
“It’s about making sure those players come onto camp and continue their club form. It’s not about not recognising her club form, we know how well she’s doing.
“Ultimately, she will get her chances at international level, but there’s obviously a difference between Championship football and international football. But we want to plan and track the development of our players.”
Denmark insight
Tuesday’s opponents Denmark come to Cardiff in high spirits, after beating Germany in their opening game. Inter Milan midfielder Sofie Junge says the result has done a lot to boost confidence inside the camp.
“The game did a lot for our confidence. We believed in ourselves before the game, but I think we all remembered our defeat in Euro 2022 to Germany when we lost 4-0.
“It was a great result, but the way we won it was important too. It wasn’t just parking the bus and going on the transition, we created other chances, and we controlled the game in large parts.”
There are a lot of young prospects currently coming through the Danish ranks. The likes of Sofie Svava and Kathrine Kühl play for some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and Junge is excited for what the next couple of years could bring.
“We have a really talented group. I see especially in the young players, that their level of technique is a lot higher than it was when I was their age. With us older players, we have to do well to keep up!”
For all the young players in the team, their most notable star is Pernille Harder. The attacking midfielder has recently made the move from Chelsea to Bayern Munich.
Her former Chelsea teammate and Wales captain, Sophie Ingle, was full of praise for the Danish captain.
“There’s a lot of things that make her special. Her professionalism to start with, everything she does day in, and day out is top tier. The way she eats, recovers, the fact she wants to analyse her game straight away.
“She demands on the pitch too. She wants the ball to feet, she can run at you, she can run in behind. All those daily habits make you a top player, and that’s what she does really well.”
Two years ago, Wales faced Denmark in Gemma Grainger’s second game in charge, with the behind closed doors game ending 1-1.
Now with a strong crowd touted to come and support the team, Junge is expecting a tough battle.
“We know Wales have a lot of great players from the WSL and around the world. We have a lot of respect for Wales, and we are expecting it to be a difficult game. Wales always play with their heart, and they are tough in the battles, so we have to be prepared for that.”
Wales face off against Denmark at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday September 26th, with kick-off at 19:15.
