Wales manager Rob Page says he “absolutely” wants to stay on as manager of the national team, despite agonizingly missing out on Euro 2024 qualification.
Wales took major tournament regulars Poland to penalties, with Robert Lewandowski’s side failing to get a shot on target in normal and extra time, before Daniel James missed a crucial penalty in sudden death to defeat Page’s side.
After missing out on a third consecutive European Championship campaign, Page has said he wants to continue in charge of the team through this “transitional” period.
Asked if he wanted to stay as Wales manager until the World Cup, Page replied: “Absolutely. With a team in transition and when we’re in transition, we’re one kick away from qualification.
“We’ve got the June games, the Nations League in the autumn and then the World Cup qualification campaign. That’s my full focus: building on what we’ve already started and the transition we’re in now.
“I just know that I have a great group of players, a great staff. We are going to the right staff. And in this group there are also young players to introduce, so that is my next goal.
“We didn’t go there this time. We have games in June so we can use that to bring in some young players and build on what we’ve got here.
“Because they’ve said it in the changing room and they’ve said it on the pitch: we’ve got a good group and we’re going places. And it’s good to be around.”
Page has signed a contract with the Wales FA until the end of the 2026 World Cup and while he admitted it was “hurt” to go out like this and a “horrible, horrible experience” through his first penalty shootout defeat – he is confident For the future of Welsh football.
“If we get our values right, with and without the ball, we will be a force to be reckoned with,” he said.
“is the [Poland] A good team and we saw them average. They didn’t have a target.
“So we’ve earned the right to be here. We’ll be disappointed and we’ll build on it.”
Earnshaw: I don’t think Paige should be under pressure
Former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw echoed Page’s sentiments that Wales are the place to be, believing in Page as a manager as he has shown he can improve players and the team.
Asked what defeat to Poland would mean for Page and the future of the Wales team, he told Sky Sports News: “It’s too early.
“Of course there will be an analysis and a review of how the campaign went, how the second half of the campaign went compared to the first half.
“There was a lot of pressure on Rob Page in the first half of the campaign because you couldn’t see any way Wales were going to get into a play-off, let alone stay in this position.
“They’ve been fantastic for seven or eight games. It’s heartbreaking but I’ll tell you: it’s a good position to be in Wales. It’s a good team. Aaron Ramsey didn’t even captain. [need to] come on.
“I don’t think there should be any pressure on him [Page]. He has shown that he can improve the players and the team. They played well, won games, and made plays. They were literally away from penalties for the fourth out of five tournaments.
“I think Rob Page will be devastated. But they’ve done very, very well. They’ve got a good team, match winners.
“They are very strong defensively. It is great that we have a 19-year-old Jordan James and Ethan Ampadu are now finding their skills. We have changed the central midfield, it is good. And we have to move forward. are the goals of
“But it’s just heartbreaking, heartbreaking that it’s punishment.”
What’s next for Wales?
After missing out on a place at Euro 2024, Wales face just one more game between now and September, in the form of a trip to Slovakia on June 9.
They then face Turkey on September 6 and Montenegro on September 9, when the Nations League continues.