This blog’s pre-match questions were focussing on Coleman’s
comments he may play Bale in a more central role going forward, and last night
did little to dispel such dreams as folly.
Bale was his usual emphatic self – scoring one, setting up
another and going inches close to a second goal with a well-executed volley.
But it was the return of Craig Bellamy and the fluidity of
play between the three units that would have pleased Coleman most.
Bellamy, at 33, is “back in love with football” according to
both Coleman and Cardiff boss Malky Mackay, and on the 45 minutes he showed in
Swansea it looks like being true.
He didn’t give the ball away at all in the first 30 minutes.
He chased balls, he linked up well with Bale and the also-returning Jack
Collison either side of him, and although he was caught offside once or twice,
even that showed a desire to get ahead.
Collison’s return also gives us extra options, especially
with former skipper Aaron Ramsey pulling out just before kick-off through
injury.
Wales were playing a more fluid 4-3-3 formation, with Bale,
Collison and Bellamy alternating depending on where extra cover was needed in
midfield. One step back, Joe Allen anchored the midfield three with Joe Ledley
and David Vaughan moving forwards and back as phases developed.
Ledley looked more like the attack-minded youngster who came
through at Cardiff City. Willing to get forward, he was happy to come short for
whoever was holding up the ball and, particularly when on his favoured left
side, displayed a good passing range.
While lowering the numbers in midfield obviously put extra
pressure on the back four, they looked relatively stable. By far Wales’
Achilles heel of late, other than a few moments of heart-in-mouth lunges, they
coped.
Sam Ricketts slotted in at centre back on his return to the
Liberty Stadium he used to call home for Swansea City. He looked composed on
the ball and holds more experience than Darcy Blake, who Gary Speed favoured in
that role.
Captain Ashley Williams put in one of his better recent
performances alongside him, while Adam Matthews and Ben Davies at full-back
look better with every game.
It wasn’t perfect. One moment of mazy dribbling from the
visitors resembled the second Serbian goal in that 6-1 mauling back in October,
while striker Marc Janko did have a little too much room at times, but overall
it was a step in the right direction.
Perhaps most pleasing at the back was Boaz Myhill in goal.
His distribution of late has been pretty poor, with his performance in the Serbia
game coming in for added criticism. He was visibly more comfortable receiving
back passes on Tuesday, and his kicking was much more assured, while he
produced a couple of relatively difficult saves up high with the ball swerving
all over the place from the powerful feet of Austria’s midfield.
With usual number one Wayne Hennessey’s fitness continuing
to be in doubt, it was evidence that his goalposts may be in safe hands from
now until he returns.
There was also a goal for a player other than Bale, although
he did provide it. His tantalising second half cross was guided home by the
head of substitute Sam Vokes, his fifth for his country.
He is the first Welsh player other than the Spurs winger to
score since he netted twice in the 4-1 win over Norway in November 2011, which
means that other than those two, the last Welsh scorer was Ramsey one month
earlier – Wales’ 2-0 win over Switzerland in Swansea (and yes, Bale scored the
other, as well as the only goal in a 1-0 win over Bulgaria in between).
So with Scotland and Croatia coming up next month Coleman
has some positive conundrums to consider. If fit, will Steve Morison come back
in to lead the line, and will he play with zero, one or two other attackers
either side of him?
Will Vaughan, Ledley or Collison partner Ramsey and Allen, if
all are available, and who will slot in at center back alongside Williams?
Only time (and fitness) will tell, but following an abysmal
2012 (the Scotland win aside), Welsh fans can now look forward to 2013 with a
smidgen of hope that Brazil 2014 is on the other side of the hill.
0 comments:
Post a Comment