Wales legend Chris Coleman
you may have seen on our social media we are releasing an in depth interview with Chris Coleman on Thursday evening, which looks back at the EURO 2016 qualifying campaign. It’s the first interview of its kind that Chris has done since he left the role of Wales manager.
We’re looking at increasing the reach of the interview as we believe it will be a great form of entertainment and nostalgia for people during this tough period. We would really like to work with WalesOnline by offering an exclusive clip of the interview- one where Chris talks specifically about Ryan Giggs’ time in charge of Wales and qualifying for EURO 2020.
SIX YEARS QUALIFYING
This is Coleman's game-by-game guide, as told to the FAW's Head of Public Affairs Ian Gwyn Hughes...
ANDORRA 1 WALES 2 (Sept 2014)
This is where it began, Gareth Bale's 81st minute winner rescuing the day for Wales on a horrible bumpy and they never looked back. But Coleman concedes he had gone into the game under pressure and had to convince the Welsh players of a new formation which eventually led to the famous 'Chrissie Coleman Had A Dream' chant from the fans.
Coleman's verdict
"We got there the day before, walk on the pitch. I thought 'Oh no, great leveller'. Everybody expected us to win 5-0 because we had Gareth Bale, but it doesn't work like that.
"There was a lot of pressure going into the game. I was at that stage where I didn't really care, I'd taken the criticism, heard what everybody had to say about me in particular. I didn't really care what people said or thought about me, wasn't worried at that stage. Just thought we needed to put a couple of decent results and good performances together to get it going.
"I was confident we would do that, but after 10 mins, when we were 1-0 down, I thought I'd be playing a lot more golf in the coming months because I'd have a lot more time on my hands!
"I gambled because building up to that game is when I told players we were going to change the formation. At that time nobody was really playing three at back, it was the 1990s last time anybody really played it. It derived from Holland really in the '70s, Johann Cruyff took it to Barcelona with his famous three at back, diamond midfield, one striker and two out wide.
"I'd watched Basel do it against Liverpool, 3-4-3 and just thought we had perfect players to do that.
"Telling the players there were a few gasps. We had to do a lot of tactical work on it, I had to convince them it was the right way to go for us.
"I know a lot of people were saying 'What the heck is he doing going five at the back against a team like Andorra?' I didn't really care about the abuse or the stick because I'd been getting that for the two years previously. Nothing new there.
"It was just a question of getting the players through it, giving them a run in that formation."
WALES 0 BOSNIA 0 (Oct 2014)
Bosnia were a really good side, but Coleman just sensed things were starting to turn with his team.
Coleman's verdict
"We went into an atmosphere at Cardiff which was different. It was a fantastic night, brilliant. We could have won it in the last minute with Bale, a superb stop by their keeper.
" Could just feel it on the players then, felt strength and confidence in formation.
Never seen a change in atmosphere like it.
WALES 2 CYPRUS 1 (Oct 2014)
Back to four at back three days after, felt we had to be more expansive, needed the 3 points. 2-0 up first half, we were caning them, then they nicked a goal. HT saying we're fine, we;'ll score again. Kingy sent off straight after HT. 40 mins with 10 men. o win, could feel the confidence in players. They were ready for anything. COmpletely different atmosphere compared to 3 games earlier.
BELGIUM 0 WALES 0 (Nov 2014)
Our fans there in 60000 seater stadia, 3-4k fans who sung from first whistle to when ref blew in 93rd min. When we got point, baleo kicked off line last min, we'd have lost. Didn't lose, drew 0-0, just think maybe, maybe this is it.
hotel afetr game, glass of wine, bite to eat, atmosphere was absolutely priceless.
ISRAEL 0 WALES 3 (March 2015)
That was when offensively the new formation clicked for us, bale and Ramsey off Hal, Allen and Ledley contrlling midfield.
ve Israel a lesson, they didn't know what had hit them.
real electirc atmosphere, israel expected, thought they'd win. We bossed it start to finish
Watching us play that type of football was really pleasing, they'd worked so hard to take the new formation on board.
I don't think anybody expected 3-09 with performance that completely bamboozled Israel but we were confident, set us up nicely for next one.
Owain fon Williams (bottom with Tranmere), Bale Real Mad. You get lucky sometimes, griup of people where you rub your hands together. That night Baleo sitting next to Owain, he was playing guitar, everybody singing.
Took me back when iw as a playerm, me and Speeds would get out guitar, giggle with players. No divisions with ranks, he plays for them, I'm in this league, everybody under same umbrella.
WALES 1 BELGIUM 0 (June 2015)
That was the night when everybody started singing the national anthem, we were under the cosh after 70-75 minutes.
I'm saying it today and getting goosebumps. Hanging on, the word desperation not strong enough to describe what going through on side of thempitch.
Our national anthem, I'm going to say it because I'm welsh, when it's sung like that, wow. It just gave the players that extra bit of belief, we were going through a really dodgy period, they were bombarding us. Then we came out of it, started to get up the pitch, hit them on counter.
It gave Belgium players a punch in tyh e belly. Normally creowd can go quiet, last 15 mins, everyboyd nervous. But when that happened. Neol Taylor won a tackle, noise like we'd scored a goal. Ourplayers huge boost. um players could see them getting lower and lower.
That's why when we got to quartres, Oh no belgium. Belgium supporters relaly confident. I remember syaing supporters may be confident, but I'm telling you players won't be happy with playing us.
OInce the whistle went, I didn't say this to anybody, I just knew we'd qualify. If you look at things that had happened, moments in game that went for you., situations that could have turned bad but didn't, it ends up going for you and you need things like that.
find that happens when have greta group of people prepared to do anything for each another obvs . Good players too. Everybody just starts believing.
At that point we could have played Italy, Germany, Holland, could have beaten the lot., Home or away. That wa sthe mood.
Build up, but belgium home marker to say 'we're here, do something no-one has done.'
Amazing feeling. I didn't speak to players about that, or say it publicly, but in my head no way anybody stop us from destination.
BALE right foot, easse ball went into net. Complete euphoria, pandemonium.
Car park, felt I'd been at a club and won promotion. Celebrations, Welsh flags, singing. As if we'd won something, I thought Tjhis feeling absolutely incredible.
Tears in dressing room. See tears when win league, cup or relegated. halfway through campaign tears, meant so much to everybody.
CYPRUS 0 WALES 1 (Sept 2015)
Hot night, pitch rock solid, diffs there through the decades, normally come away upset cos we'd lost.
Not that team. Bale hearder last 10 mins, what a header. Three more points with three games to go.
WALES 0 ISRAEL 0 (Sept 2015)
Bombarded them, couldn't score. Drew game 0-0. Got back to hotel, Cyrpus 0-0 Belgium 0 mins to go, with five mins to go Hazard scored.
BOSNIA 2 WALES 0 (Oct 2015)
Needed a point, played really well. They scored 20 mins to go, then again. I was gutted we had lost, fancied us to go unbeaten through campaign.
Israel home to Cyrpus, Israel won. I thought three points,. Then 3-4 secs, Cyrpus 2. We've qualified Chris. Mark Evans
layers jumping in with our fans, celebrating together.
I remmeber getting off pitch, few interviews in tunnel, dressing room, could hear nosie. ra three dya,s have to get back. Could ee pRambo looking at me waiting for me to say 'i e a beer'. Ok, let's celebrate back a hotel.
One big room by oursleves, players, staff, security guards who look after us. Singinglaughing,d rinking til 2-3 morning, which would never happen with another game coming up.
But unique situation for us. I can remmeber every min of that night as if it was last night. welsh fans down in reception and otuside.
Airport in morning to fly back, pandemonium. A lot of our fans had no sleep, very happy mood.
Wen to Craig bellamy erstaurant, glass of wine bite to eat. I trsut [players went back to hotel, I'm not sure tbh!!!
WALES 2 ANDORRA 0 (Oct 2015)
So happy for the fans, smiles on faces. Game irrelsveant, walking around pitch afterwards, looking at expressions, fans Wales through and through, seen the bad times, this was time for everybody to celebrate. priceless.
CRITICS
I didn't think I've showed you, Ive showed you. Managed 4-5 years iN prem league, left Real Socedad two points off automatic promotion before I resigned, Larissa second in Greek league before I resigned,
I just thought people judged me quickly with Wales. Just felt people jumping on bandwaogon first campaign which was a shame.
Never a case of I've proved you wrong. too much in moment of celebrating.
Nothing worse than having nation unhappy with you. I've experienced that. Nothing better than when they're hap[py and proud of you.
GIGGS
Amazing. I didn't come to games, didn't want to jinx it. Watched Hungary, brilliant, so jealous, know what's coming, what he's gonna experience at the tournament.
Funny, look at myself and Ryan, last 25 years we've known eachother, that's prob about 30-32 trophies we've won together!!
No, I was delighted with him. Having a chat with him in London last summer, one or two results gone against us, i was just sharing my experience with him. Good chatr. He never changes. if anybody was gonna get us there it was him.
GENERAL
I will never better team I had, never betetr atmopshere we had. I will certainly never get near to the honour of being in the front of something as poerfuln as that cos it's younr country.
work for clubs as manager and player, want to be passionat honest and loyal. But country a diff thing. Whenevr go to another country, backs to wall, it's you and everybpody around you v everybody else. Priceless feeling.
‘You Never Spell Wales With A Q - An FAW Exclusive Interview With Chris Coleman’ will premiere on the FAW’s Facebook and Youtube channels at 19:30 on Thursday 7 May, and will be available on demand straight after. The interview gives fans a fascinating game-by-game insight into the qualifying campaign that saw Wales reach their first major tournament in 58 years. Fans can watch the feature or set a reminder through the links below.
YouTube: https://bit.ly/ColemanQualifyYT
Facebook: https://bit.ly/ColemanQualifyFB
