Euro 2012 qualifier preview: Wales v Bulgaria
A new dawn for Wales then, but it’s hardly a glorious one.
For these next two games at least, caretaker boss Brian Flynn is the small man who steps into a big job with his country, replacing big man John Toshack, who resigned last month having made little to no progress in achieving Wales’ long held goal of qualification for a major tournament.
Defeat in Montenegro last time out was the final straw for Toshack, and may have already irreparably damaged the chances of qualifying for Euro 2012. Those chances will be over if they lose to Bulgaria at the Cardiff City Stadium tonight.
Pressure heaped on the slight shoulders of Flynn then, and it is pressure that has hardly eased with the unavailability of captain Craig Bellamy, who is considered too unfit for national team selection despite playing 94 minutes – and scoring – for Cardiff against Barnsley last weekend.
Swansea’s Ashley Williams will take over the armband, and naturally he’s delighted.
“It is great that Brian has decided to make me captain for these two games,” said Williams, “and it is the proudest moment of my career.
“Training has been brilliant under Brian, everything has been really positive and really lively. He is in charge for these next two games and he has named me captain but for staying on as captain beyond that we will see where we are after these games.”
Uncertainty does indeed reign over Welsh football, but despite defender Danny Gabbidon’s decision to retire from international duty this week, there is an air of optimism about the Flynn reign, however short it may turn out to be. Shorter than the man himself in fact.
The former Wrexham and Swansea boss – who has been steadily improving the fortunes of Wales under 21s over the past six years – has handed a welcome recall to Stoke defender Danny Collins, one of increasingly few Premier League players available to Wales, but one of many who fell out with the stubborn Toshack.
He is likely to form a defensive unit with namesake James Collins and Williams, with much of the attacking threat almost certainly coming from Tottenham’s in form Gareth Bale. Millwall’s Steve Morison will lead the line, while young Reading pair Simon Church and Hal Robson-Kanu – who have both played under Flynn with the under 21s – wait in the wings.
Bulgaria followed up last month’s 4-0 loss to England at Wembley with a damaging 1-0 home defeat to Montenegro, results that leave them bottom of Group G and which led to the resignation of coach Stanimir Stoilov.
He’s been replaced by German legend and World Cup winner Lothar Matthäus, and while the 49-year-old has been unable to coax Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov out of international retirement – surely to the relief of Flynn – he does still have the likes of Aston Villa’s Stiliyan Petrov and Bolton’s Martin Petrov to call upon.
With England the clear favourites in this group, these two have already suffered heavy blows in the race for second place. Another one and they’ll find themselves knocked out.
With new managers in at both countries, and the desire not to lose perhaps outweighing the longing for victory, a draw looks on the cards.
Prediction: Wales 1 Bulgaria 1
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