" WALES v ENGLAND? "

Coleman will fly out to the Euro 2016 finals draw next month where Wales will discover their group stage fate

Saturday 14th November 2015

Chris Coleman has admitted he doesn’t want to face England at the Euros – but would love to have a crack at the old enemy before France.

Coleman will fly out to the Euro 2016 finals draw next month where Wales will discover their group stage fate and just who they will face when it comes to the big kick-off next June.

Because of their absence from summer tournaments since 1958, Wales will find themselves as bottom seeds – and could easily be paired with neighbours England in what would be a mouthwatering major finals meeting across the channel.

Yet national boss Coleman admits he is hoping to avoid the hype and the hysteria of a British derby on neutral territory, claiming the nature of the game could go against Wales and serve as a distraction in their bid to make it to the knockout stages.

Still that does not mean Cookie doesn’t fancy a showdown with Roy Hodgson’s side and has admitted he would be up for organising a red-hot warm-up with Wayne Rooney and co.

Wales have key friendlies to arrange before they get down to the serious business in France with windows for games in March and in late May and early June before the tournament’s opening game on June 10.

The Football Association of Wales are holding off from nailing down opponents for those matches until they know who they will be paired with in France with the manager aiming for tough opposition who will help push the team to the next level as the get ready to break new ground.

And – having briefly risen above them in the world rankings – that could include old foes England.

“I’ve been asked a few times about us drawing England – we know we will be drawn against one of the top seeds and England are one of them,” Coleman said. “But it would be viewed as a battle of Britain and there would be a lot of things that go with it that could make it a distraction. We will play three games, we don’t want it to all be about one of them.

Wales began their ramp-up games for Euro 2016 with a 3-2 home defeat to the Arjen Robben-inspired Netherlands, a game that provided Coleman with plenty of encouragement in the absence of star pair Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale.

And the remaining friendly fixtures take on added importance as Wales brace themselves for their first major finals challenge, with Coleman adding: “We will be wanting tough games. I want us to face sides who will really stretch us and make us work for everything and maybe have us needing to hang on for spells to get something.

“That is better than playing a lesser side and winning 2-0 or 3-0 because, no matter who we draw in France, we are going to be pushed to our limits and if we are not right at it we do not get results. We cannot coast against anyone and the best way to be in that mindset is to stretch ourselves and test ourselves beforehand. If we can get a top team in March we will be really pleased.”

I would say it's England who would NOT fancy meeting us.

Won't be happening in March we have an away friendly in Berlin against Germany and a home friendly against the Netherlands.

Surprised that Wales are leaving it so late as most of the top sides already have fixtures secured.

Anything to do with Wales dodging friendlies this last year lol

No way would i want to play England before the Euro's....

Last thing we want is a derby like atmosphere with injuries.

Play a safe eastern European team at home as a send off

I'd like to us to play Argentina or Brazil at Millennium,what a send off that would be??