Coleman is keen just to avoid England in the group phase for Wales’ first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.
Advertisement
England and Wales have been drawn in the same group for Euro 2016 with managers Roy Hodgson and Chris Coleman welcoming the clash.
Three suicide bombers blew themselves up outside Stade de France on November 13, while France was playing Germany, raising the question of what the carnage would have been if they had entered the stadium.
Wales conceded only 4 goals in 10 qualifiers – including two clean sheets against world number one side Belgian – and England often struggle to break through deep, resolute, impassioned defences, something that Wales most certainly have.
Speaking after securing qualification Hodgson said: “I’m sure those people who race over tomorrow to look at it will see something a little bit different than in June because there is work to be done”.
“I feel good about it. There was always a very good chance we would meet one of the home nations”, Hodgson told BBC Sport. It would be a great match to be involved in if we were to get England.
Before dreams of worldwide tournament football can truly take hold Vokes, and his Burnley team-mates with aspirations of being in France, know they must continue to impress in the Claret shirt between now and May.
Ex-Wales and Arsenal striker John Hartson believes Wales must look at their opening game against Slovakia in Bordeaux as a golden chance.
“Well, we’ve got them”, he said.
“There’s three games and to you’ve to find a way of getting four points to get out of the group”.
It appears that being seeded first often counts for very little, with three of the last five winners coming from pots three and four.
Hodgson has rewarded Vardy by handing him four caps, but the 28-year-old faces competition from the likes of Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott for a place in the England manager’s squad for France.
“I was so honoured and proud to be here, representing Wales was a fantastic feeling. We should embrace it and what an occasion it will be”. They will also have to face Albania and Switzerland.
“We are better as underdogs, as soon as they are favourites we collapse”.
The draw for next summer’s UEFA European Championship is made on Saturday. But we will do a lot of analysis so that in June we will be ready to play.
“The matches will be very hard”. They will have a real go.
You can use the simulator as many times as you like to see the possibilities.
Advertisement
Right then, let’s dot some i’s and cross some t’s before we get underway.
