It was the draw Coleman had been hoping to avoid, but Russian Federation and Slovakia are the other opponents in the group meaning the most daunting rivals had been avoided. Whatever team we got from Pot Four it would have been tough, so we might as well play someone close to home. Wales players Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal and Ashley Williams of Swansea City are Premier League regulars, while Gareth Bale of Real Madrid played for Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur before moving to Spain for a world record transfer fee of 85 million pounds ($129.33 million) in 2013. I have a lot of respect for their coach, staff and player and the job they’ve done. Russian Federation and Slovakia are teams we know less about but we will know every bit as much about them by the time the tournament comes around.
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“There are three tournaments before then and I want to see progress in each one, each one should be a stepping stone with tangible signs of improvement in results and the way that we play. Whatever we say or do, once the referee’s whistle goes it’ll come down to what those 22 players can do out on the pitch”. You take what you get, really.
“Sometimes you have an off-day and it doesn’t matter who you play, so you just have to concentrate on yourselves”. The Czechs may be unfancied but they should provide value for money, having topped a group featuring Iceland, Turkey and Netherlands despite keeping only one clean sheet. “But that is why we are here, we deserve to be here and the tournament will be a fantastic one”.
Though England would meet Wales in a historic fixture in France, the neighbouring countries will meet at a tournament for the first time after 136years that both teams first met.
Ex-Wales and Arsenal striker John Hartson believes Wales must look at their opening game against Slovakia in Bordeaux as a golden chance.
“It’s a long way away, there’s another six months to go. I’ve not come across either of those two teams in my global career-which is unusual given how many matches we play”, Hodgson added.
Under Coleman Wales have risen up the world rankings and now sit 17th and the former Fulham manager, who admitted he did not want to face England before the draw, knows he must embrace the game.
All Hodgson and his players must do now is deliver.
“I’ve been very impressed with Wales – they have a strong spine”. But Wales winger Gareth Bale perhaps has the edge on them after scoring seven goals in qualifying. I remember that feeling when we missed out.
“In the build-up to the March game I will become frustrated if I got a 23 in my mind at the end of February watching games and seeing people carried off injured”.
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“I’ve actually just had a quick chat with Roy Keane at breakfast and he was offering any help they can give us. I’ll fret now for the next couple of weeks and then I’ll look forward to it with enthusiasm after that”.
