After being outed by Denmark in the round of 16 of the 2020 Euro Tournament clouds of uncertainty started flying over the heads of the Wales national football team, with doubts about what the future both near and far hold for them. With the Qatar 2022 World Cup Tournament being the next big hurdle in the international football horizon and with soccer predictions today having the Wales team still with very lively fighting chances to make it to FIFA’s biggest tournament in the world, what needs to happen for Gareth Bale and company to continue holding on to their spot as one of Europe’s new and refreshing teams? Let’s take a look.
Will Gareth Bale Be In Qatar 2022?
When you think of football in Wales you automatically link your initial thoughts to Gareth Bale, of course with the likes of Ryan Giggs and Ian Rush as well. The Real Madrid forward has become the all-time leading player in international caps for Wales as well as goals scored so of course one cannot easily disassociate the Welsh national team without Bale leading them into the field. After seeing his side exit the Euro 2020 tournament from a 4-0 defeat against Denmark all of the usual questions and doubts about his future in the Welsh side came to flourish once again. While Bale tried his best to avoid getting into any unnecessary back and forth dramas, a sense of frustration did cloud over the Wales star.
While the idea and rumor of possible retirement plans surfaced once again, Bale made it clear that he would play for his national side until the last day he ever plays professional football. With the 2022 World Cup Tournament under a year and a half away and while still being under contract with Real Madrid for one more year, a contract he is more than serious about finishing, Wales can rest assured that their captain will most likely be there in the frontlines of any and every match they have on their way to Qatar. After the World Cup if he does decide to retire then all the praise and power to him, but until then, Bale and Wales will march on.
Wales Needs To Continue Developing Their Young Core Of Players
Wales entered the 2020 Euro as the third youngest squad in the tournament with only five players being 30 years old or over. While Wayne Hennessey, the Crystal Palace goalkeeper stands out as the oldest player in the squad at 34, he will most likely stay with the team for the future being, especially if you take into account that he is just four games away from reaching the 100 international caps mark. Other Wales historic players like Chris Gunter and Joe Allen are all well into the idea of staying at least until Qatar 2022 and with the previously mentioned Bale and Aaron Ramsey both still firing at all cylinders for the Welsh, this veteran core should end up working wonders breaking in the new generation of players already making strides to take Wales to the next level.
With the 2022 World Cup qualifying matches set to finish by the end of November and with Wales still with clear fighting chances to make the tournament in Qatar, this is as good of a time as ever to continue strengthening the roster which bolsters a mix of seasoned battled proven veterans who want one more big ride with their national team with the younger up and coming stars of the future.
Should Ryan Giggs Step Aside From Managing?
Ryan Giggs, the Wales and Manchester United legend has been on a leave of absence from his post as the Welsh national football team manager because of facing charges of assaulting two women. While Giggs has denied the charges, he is still due to stand trial in early 2022, leaving a big question mark regarding his future as manager of Wales towards Qatar 2022. While Giggs has been dealing with all this, Robert Page has thrived in his role as interim manager for the national team. The former Wales captain has taken over the job and helped the team go through smooth sailing both in easy and difficult circumstances.
Page’s management of the team and the successes the side has earned make the decision of leaving him on the post into Qatar 2022 as the best and soundest choice around. He has the support of his players and of the fans and of the Wales Football Association biggest heads as well, so if it’s not broken then why fix it?
