Embattled Wales boss under more pressure after defeat to Slovakia

Seldom have the outcome of two friendly matches spelled the end of a manager’s reign.

But Wales boss Rob Page finds himself clinging to his job after a dismal four days.

On Thursday, Wales drew 0-0 with lowly Gibraltar, a country with a population comparable to that of Port Talbot, who sit 203rd in the FIFA World Rankings. There are just seven teams below them.

After a drab 90 minutes in the Algarve the 900-or-so Wales fans who had travelled to watch what felt like a competitive training session voiced their displeasure, with boos at the full time whistle echoing throughout a mostly empty stadium.

Then came the 4-0 surrender to Slovakia. The meek performance in Trnava appears to have been the last straw for many of the Red Wall - the most passionate section of Wales’ fanbase.

A smattering of boos protesting Page’s results have now turned into a tsunami of demands for him to vacate his post.

There are caveats to the recent performances. They were both end-of-season friendlies, essentially meaningless games that stood between the players and the beach after a long season. A season punctuated by the crushing disappointment of missing out on the Euros because of a penalty shootout.

The draw with Gibraltar is by no means the worst result in Wales’ history but it isn’t far off. Their opponents were in the midst of a 13-game losing streak that had an accumulative scoreline of 50-0.

After the game, both Lichtenstein - ranked 202nd in the world - and Gibraltar themselves posted on social media mocking Wales.

Yes, Page named a highly-experimental team but it must be mentioned that he also threw on £100 million’s worth of talent on the hour mark.

It was a camp that provided a chilling reminder of what it used to be like to follow Wales, before a golden generation shifted what was deemed acceptable.

Suffice to say that the recent results - and the performances that came with them - are no longer palatable.

Viewed in isolation, manager losing his job off the back of two end-of-season friendlies would appear a bit of an over-reaction. But this has been building.

Qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar was an enormous achievement and for Wales to appear on that stage is something to be celebrated.

But they were hopelessly outmanoeuvred and out-thought by their opponents at that tournament. Tactically, they were pulled apart by opposition who - individually at least - were not vastly superior.

Then there was chaos during Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, when Page required clear-the-air talks with FAW chiefs - namely CEO Noel Mooney - when speculation about his position abounded.

At the time, the players fell in behind their manager and claimed a shock win over Croatia. Page was emboldened and remained in post.

But despite beating group winners Croatia twice, Wales’ qualification was botched by an unthinkable home defeat to Armenia and a draw in the reverse fixture.

Play-off heartbreak against Poland followed and Page’s job was back under question.

He struck a positive tone post-match - for some, it was overly positive. Wales had more than enough quality in their ranks to have beaten Poland, even after fumbling automatic qualification.

But Page spoke of a team in transition and said they’d learn from the disappointment. It didn’t land well with a fanbase who now expect more.

The day after Dan James missed that crucial penalty, FAW President Steve Williams was moved to publicly back Page but now that backing will be tested.

The manager will now face a routine meeting with Mooney, Williams and the FAW’s technical director Dave Adams to assess the recent camp and the direction of travel.

During that meeting, Page will learn his future.

The boos and chants against Page over the last few days will have rung loudly throughout the FAW’s corridors of power.

Fans who are prepared to travel to watch friendlies against Gibraltar and Slovakia are your most hardcore supporters. The kind of supporters you need to keep onside.

When Page has come under fire in the past, he has pulled off a crucial victory to buy himself more time.

But time might well be running out.

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