Robert Page is a terrible manager, but still the most successful manager Wales has ever had. Can these two statements coexist? For some, seemingly so. They would argue that Wales’ achievements under his stewardship were in spite of him rather than because of him, but how can you quantify these things?
The truth is that you can’t really. Not from the outside anyway, so all we’re left with is our own personal prejudices and shared perceptions. What we can say is that Page’s managerial CV was not particularly impressive and that he probably wouldn’t have stood much of a chance at landing this role, were he not in the right place at the right time. Many a successful career was born or reinvigorated this way though because it is often the nature of the profession and the industry.
How supporters assess managers is endlessly interesting though. Some are willing to start with a clean slate, while others will never really get past their preconceptions. Obviously, all managers are ultimately judged by results, but as the current European Championships have proven, sometimes success is not enough either. England were pelted with cups and Belgium supporters booed their team off in their final group games, despite both progressing to the knockout stages.
Embed from Getty ImagesGareth Southgate is actually an interesting reference point because he inherited the England job in much the same way as Page and has gone on to enjoy great success. He conducts himself magnificently and the players appear very fond of him, yet his conservative nature is a source of frustration and some fans even disapprove of how “woke” he is. It is truly the hardest job in world football and England’s toughest opponent will always be their own fans and media, who load them with incredible pressure.
Steve Clarke has done a remarkable job with Scotland to reverse their fortunes, but after a very disappointing tournament, plenty now want him replaced. A victim of his own success, they come up short at the highest level, but what were the expectations for such a limited squad? This is probably as high as they can climb, but for some that is simply not good enough.
Page has been ridiculed for constantly referring to a period of transition, but you suspect that what he really means by that is what am I supposed to do without Gareth Bale.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhat elevated Wales in the last decade was three exceptional players and they have not and cannot be replaced. There are plenty of sides at the Euros that have been elevated by generational talents. You have to enjoy it while it lasts because legends do not grow on trees.
Chris Coleman was a more popular Wales manager, but his time in charge was broadly similar to that of Page. He kind of inherited the role, despite fairly limited credentials, qualified for one tournament, narrowly missed out on another and paid for it with his job. He made Wales solid and got the ball forward to Bale and Aaron Ramsey as quickly as possible, which was both smart and common sense. He also fostered a unique team spirit, or maybe it just happened around him and he just encouraged it. Sometimes the best thing to do is get out of the way and not feel the need to stamp your authority on everything.
In recent years, the Welsh camp has often felt like a stag do, with football games instead of pub crawls. It was successful and therefore in everyone’s best interests to preserve the sanctity of that. Compared to previous generations, it made a refreshing change from mass withdrawals and injuries that cleared up just in time for the next league game. You can’t fabricate that though, it either exists or it doesn’t and maybe that particular era is now drawing to a close.
Embed from Getty ImagesIf Wales now need a reboot, they have a clean slate and a promising squad, but no talisman. A collective system and style of play to maximise what they do have is now required. If they are to go Welsh once more, then Craig Bellamy and Osian Roberts are really the only shows in town. Both have limited experience, but share sharp minds and a passion for their country. Either would make for a fascinating appointment and both would probably fancy it too, but both have also been overlooked in the past.
Otherwise, Wales will be forced out of their comfort zone to look further afield, which may not be such a bad thing and is probably long overdue. Thierry Henry is a popular choice, despite a mixed managerial career to date and a job managing the France Under-21 side at next month’s Olympics. I’ve always thought that Welsh football should capitalise on the best candidates from their internationally renowned coaching facility, of which Henry is a graduate and the reason behind his link, but the reality is that he would have one foot out of the door from day one and the role would likely have to fit around his media duties.
I think Page did OK. He did not deserve the scorn he received from some, but did not warrant tribute programmes from the BBC anointing him a Welsh legend either. The truth is usually somewhere in between the two and he did as well as you would expect, thriving and struggling in exactly the ways that you would have expected. A change of personnel was needed, but a change of approach will be equally important. There is no need to rip everything up and start again, but the Welsh FA has moved with the times in recent years and become a far more dynamic and modern organisation. Its now time for an appointment in that mould to revive and elevate the team’s fortunes.