Wales are aiming to qualify for the World Cup without Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey for the first time in almost 20 years.
Bale has long since retired from Wales duty, while Ramsey has also not been selected for this month’s crucial World Cup play-off campaign, and the midfielder is currently without a club since Mexican team UNAM in December.
Both players have been vital to Wales during their great spell under Chris Coleman and Rob Page, but now it’s time for a new generation of players to shine.
Wales are two wins away from qualifying for the World Cup and will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off semi-final on Thursday night, but if they advance they will face either Italy or Northern Ireland in the final.
So what does Craig Bellamy’s side need to do to reach the finals this summer? Former Wales international striker Robert Earnshaw spoke exclusively to Sky Sports about what is in demand.
Wales is now more than ‘Bale and the rest’
Since the 2022 World Cup, we have had to move on from Bale and Ramsey. And I’ve seen it before.
I was around the team when I saw Gary Speed, Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy leave their playing days. And the whole team thinks, “Who’s next?”
If you look back at 2016 when they reached the Euro semi-finals, it was either by hitting a team on the break or by world-class moments from Bale or Ramsey. I don’t play like that now.
Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey were Wales internationals.
What needed to happen was that Wales needed to get better as a team, tactically and structurally. Right now, I’m playing possession style soccer.
Craig Bellamy came in and changed a lot of things, so tactically we are now as good as any international team.
But at the same time, the players on our team have stepped up and taken more responsibility on the defensive side and winning games, who leads us in terms of creating magic and winning games.
We have so much talent that when we didn’t know who it was going to be, Harry Wilson became that guy.
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Wales face Bosnia on Thursday in the first of two games they need to win to qualify for this summer’s World Cup, but will in-form Harry Wilson be the player to lead them there?
David Brooks is a talented player. Brennan Johnson is a talented player. But what we’ve seen is Wilson transitioning into the most decisive player and becoming a superstar.
I think we have a certain level of confidence in participating in the World Cup. When we beat North Macedonia 7-1 a few months ago, it was a signal that ‘this is what this Welsh team can do’.
Because up until that point, there had been ups and downs. We lost to England, we lost to Canada, but there was still belief that Bellamy was building something. And we needed to build something without looking like a ‘Bale and the rest’ team.
We now have a tactically very good Wales team.
Should Ramsey have been called up?
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Wales manager Craig Bellamy has expressed anger over leaks from camp ahead of the selection of his squad for World Cup qualifiers.
It was a difficult decision for Bellamy to leave Ramsey out for these games.
But facing the playoffs, what Bellamy needs is a player who can run. And you have to be at the top physically, in terms of how far you run. The request is, “If you don’t do this, you can’t play.”
Aaron has been out for a while and hasn’t played any games, so it’s hard to pick him. Of course, Ramsey will always add something to the team. He has a really smart and intelligent mind and always brings his experience to the table.
However, the game against North Macedonia showed Bellamy that there are other players who can do the same thing as Ramsey. They had a huge influence on Bellamy’s decision to remove Ramsey. There’s a feeling that Bellamy definitely has faith in those players.
Of course, if Ramsey is playing in the game, he’s on the team. However, due to his current fitness, he has had to sit out.
How will Bellamy approach the playoff campaign?
Bellamy will go into these games pretty calm. But while he is very calm, he can also be very excited. Knowing him, he loves soccer and he loves these challenges.
He’s completely different than he was as a player, but I know that fire still burns in his heart. But on the outside he would be calm.
Earnshaw (left) has known Bellamy for many years and is confident he can take Wales to the World Cup.
What he does is tell the players exactly what he wants from the game. There is probably no manager better equipped to prepare his players for what lies ahead. He must have been analyzing these games for months.
But what has enjoyed Bellamy’s time in Wales so far is that they are completely fearless. There will be no provisional Wales squad for Thursday night’s match.
One of the things he really wants to tell you before these games is, “Don’t be afraid of the game, the moment, the opportunity.” Don’t be nervous, remember what you were told before the game.
Once the game begins, he will complete 40,000 steps on the touchline. I know he really wants to take Wales to big tournaments, especially the World Cup.
I’ve known him for years, and I don’t think anyone in the entire locker room, including the players, wants that more than Bellamy did this week.
