Wales v Denmark U21 preview: Tempering expectations and Joe Low

Despite a strong first half to their European Championship qualifying campaign, Wales’ U21s are not getting ahead of themselves ahead of their clash against Denmark.

After defeating Iceland on Thursday night, Wales went top of Group I and are unbeaten after four games.

Having never reached a major tournament at U21 level, there is cause for excitement amongst fans of that the team could make it to Slovakia in 2025, especially after a good start.

However, Matty Jones is keen to temper expectations and make sure his team stay grounded.

“We have to remind ourselves about the process. The last couple of days have been key reminders to warn against complacency.

“It’s not a case of feeling lucky because we’re doing something and it’s just falling into place, we have to remind ourselves of what got us here so far.

“Yes, we are having conversations about where we currently are on our journey, but we’re passionate about keeping players grounded, members of staff grounded, and knowing what our key objectives are.

“The outcome at the end will take care of itself.”

The same message and sentiment is felt within the playing squad, as goalkeeper Ed Beach explained.

“We’ve got a nice little feeling for sure, but we can’t get complacent.

“Don’t get me wrong we’ve started amazingly, and we do have a lot of confidence, but there’s a point where we’ve got to keep it down low for the moment, keep performing well, and there may be a point where we can say we’re near and we want to get the job done.

“But we’re not naïve, we’ll take each game as it comes, and I’ve got a lot of hope that we can qualify.”

Inform Low

The match winner on Thursday was Wycombe defender Joe Low.

Low is certainly in the form of his life at the moment, and Jones was keen to praise the mentality of the towering defender.

“Joe is a player who was in the system within the younger age groups and then sort of fell out of the system for a couple of years. But his club career developed, and he got given opportunities.

“The first time I got a proper look at him was when he was at Walsall, and even though I had been monitoring him afar, I spent a couple of days with him and Walsall to see if it was realistic to bring him back into the fold.

“The opportunity we gave to him in Pinatar in March was excellent, and I felt like Joe grabbed that opportunity with both hands. He showcased his abilities in the games against Colombia and Scotland, and it progressed for him from there.

“The discussion between me and Rob grew pretty quickly about him and all of a sudden, he’s a consideration to step up into the senior squad. It’s tremendous for him.”

Low is part of a defence that has looked solid throughout the qualifying campaign so far.

Beach is delighted to have the centre-back in front of him and says his stint in the senior squad has certainly helped.

“What a guy he is. Whenever he’s on the pitch you knows there’s a goal threat in him. He’s a big boy and he knows how to use his body well on the field.

“We’re a good defensive unit and he is a big part of that, and it’s always nice to have those sorts of players playing in front of you, because you feel a lot more protected as a goalkeeper.

“Him being in the senior team and playing senior football over the last few years has certainly helped and made him such a good professional.”

Denmark test

Monday night sees Wales reignite their rivalry with Denmark.

Wales faced off against the Danes in the first game of the campaign, and it was eventful to say the least. Two red cards, three penalties, but a Rubin Colwill brace helped Wales to a 2-2 draw.

Despite the draw, Jones says the squad were disappointed to come away with only a point.

“It was a game where we came away disappointed.

“Playing against the top seeds in the group when we’ve been seeded fourth, it was always going to be a very tough challenge, especially away from home. We reminded the players that it was a fantastic achievement to get the draw out there.

“But since then, we’ve been on a fantastic journey in which the players have told a wonderful story, and we feel like we’ve grown since that game, we’re in a much better place.”

A game against the group’s top seeded side presents a whole host of different challenges, but as Jones said, Wales are in a good moment.

However, he knows it won’t last forever, but he and the squad are ready for whatever comes their way.

“We’re unbeaten now in eight games, and the players are playing with such confidence and the team belief is really strong.

“We know that will come to an end at some point, and we’re prepared to manage that emotionally when it does happen.

“However, we have to take advantage of the momentum that we currently have. We know what we have with this group.”

(Featured Image: Ashley Crowden/FAW)