Wales youth must improve says Villa man James Collins
James Collins believes Wales have a year to improve their act after a traumatic failed World Cup campaign.
The stand-in captain knows that a major crisis that was threatening manager John Toshack was only averted by Wednesday’s grimly-fought 2-0 victory in Liechtenstein.
Collins maintains that Wales face a year of preparation and improvement before they will face serious examination once again, with the younger players at least having one more year of experience at international level.
The Aston Villa defender captained Wales for the first time on Wednesday, when some much-needed pride was restored with a determined win in their final Group Four qualifying match on a bitterly cold night in the Alps.
A fourth victory in ten gruelling qualifiers leaves battered Wales as one of the fourth-seeded teams when the Euro 2012 qualifiers start next season.
Collins said: “We were aware of the pressure on the manager and then we heard some (Toshack out) shouts from the crowd, which was strange because one minute they were shouting for the manager’s head and then asking him to give them a wave.
“Fans will have their opinions but they must know that the players are working well as a team, the manager is doing a good job and we’re looking forward to the next campaign.
“It’s just out of frustration, they were looking for something to blame after Saturday’s defeat in Finland. They have every right to voice their opinion, they paid their money to make a long trip to support us and they are entitled to have their say, but we can assure them that we will always do our best.
“Now we have 12 months before the next competitive games in the European qualifiers, and we know we have to be ready by them. We keep talking about the progress of the young boys in the squad but these next 12 months out of competitive (international) football will be vital for them. They can grow as players at their clubs and grow as men, so it is an important time for them.”
