' ASHLEY WILLIAMS '

' ASHLEY WILLIAMS '

Saturday 16th June 2016


Ashley Williams has revealed the words he used in an emotional post-game huddle in Lens that reminded Wales they've come too far to let the Euro dream go.

Wales' skipper rallied his team-mates in the immediate aftermath of injury-time defeat to England to tell them their Three Lions anguish is nothing compared to what they've gone through to get to France.

Wales boss Chris Coleman admitted his players were on the floor after old rivals England came from behind to stun a Welsh nation in the closing seconds of Thursday's Battle of Britain.

But Willimas gathered the players around him to urge the men who made history by qualifying for the tournament to forget about the pain of defeat and focus on what is needed to continue their Euro adventure with a win against Russia on Monday.



With the side having gone through some hurtful lows in the past, most notably the loss of Gary Speed, Williams told his team-mates they have already demonstrated resilience.

“What we have gone through in the past can help us,” said Williams.

“You can feel there were a lot of guys down, but a few people were speaking who understand this group, how tight-knit it is and the great atmosphere in camp and it is important we keep that.

"We are still in a good position it is not the end of the world.

“The message in the huddle was not to be too down and let it affect us. We spoke before the tournament kicked-off about how we had to respond if we had a disappointment and this is what we have to do next.


“After we beat Slovakia we knew it was not the time to get too high because we had not accomplished anything yet, and this is not the time to be getting down on ourselves.

“The work we put in means we should not be too hard on ourselves. This is football and these things happen. We have done so well to get here.

"We have done well in this tournament in a tough group. So let’s stick together and move on. That was the message; as much as it hurt we cannot get down about it.”

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Drop Taylor before it's too late

Drop Taylor before it's too late

Easy to blame Taylor but he was on his own throughout the game. Coleman should have seen this and changed tactics So that a left sided midfielder could have supported Taylor. However I'd better not slag Coleman off or I'll upset people on here

Drop Taylor before it's too late

Easy to blame Taylor but he was on his own throughout the game. Coleman should have seen this and changed tactics So that a left sided midfielder could have supported Taylor. However I'd better not slag Coleman off or I'll upset people on here

I agree with that, credit to Coleman for admitting that, It's difficult for Coleman to ask Gunter and Taylor to be effective in both ends of the pitch when realistically they are only comfortable defending. Only one player can do both and recently plays out of position, it's Davies, oops I have said too much

Drop Taylor before it's too late

Easy to blame Taylor but he was on his own throughout the game. Coleman should have seen this and changed tactics So that a left sided midfielder could have supported Taylor. However I'd better not slag Coleman off or I'll upset people on here

I agree with that, credit to Coleman for admitting that, It's difficult for Coleman to ask Gunter and Taylor to be effective in both ends of the pitch when realistically they are only comfortable defending. Only one player can do both and recently plays out of position, it's Davies, oops I have said too much

Ealing Bluebird will have a go at you now!

Drop Taylor before it's too late

Easy to blame Taylor but he was on his own throughout the game. Coleman should have seen this and changed tactics So that a left sided midfielder could have supported Taylor. However I'd better not slag Coleman off or I'll upset people on here

I agree with that, credit to Coleman for admitting that, It's difficult for Coleman to ask Gunter and Taylor to be effective in both ends of the pitch when realistically they are only comfortable defending. Only one player can do both and recently plays out of position, it's Davies, oops I have said too much

Ealing Bluebird will have a go at you now!

Id play declan john

I have no issues with people discussing teams. But you aren't just discussing teams.. Are you? You are looking for any angle you can to bash the manager even when there isnt any angle to start with just because you have decided not to like him. When we win you state he was lucky, when we lose you state it is down to his decisions. and even when his subs directly won us the game you amazingly claim they came too late its very tiresome for a true Welsh fan to read and have as much impartiallity as a Brexit promotion leaflet.

You just stated in the other thread that our qualifying group was easy, so even though we qualified from it (losing just 1 game in 10, conceding only 4 and beating Belgium as well as drawing with them away - conceding 0) and now overwhelming faves to get to the last 16 of a major competition - he is still NOT out most successful manager in the last 60 years and we should change the tactics that got us all of this because we lost 2-1 in the last second against England, yes England.

There is having an opinion, then there is having a vendetta. I'm afraid for a few on here, they have crossed into the vendetta territory, built a house there and barracaded themselves in. I will now retreat in the comfort of th rest of my proud nation who are positively beaming with pride at the state of the National side currently

Id play declan john

Shame Malone hasn't got a welsh granny

I have no issues with people discussing teams. But you aren't just discussing teams.. Are you? You are looking for any angle you can to bash the manager even when there isnt any angle to start with just because you have decided not to like him. When we win you state he was lucky, when we lose you state it is down to his decisions. and even when his subs directly won us the game you amazingly claim they came too late its very tiresome for a true Welsh fan to read and have as much impartiallity as a Brexit promotion leaflet.

You just stated in the other thread that our qualifying group was easy, so even though we qualified from it (losing just 1 game in 10, conceding only 4 and beating Belgium as well as drawing with them away - conceding 0) and now overwhelming faves to get to the last 16 of a major competition - he is still NOT out most successful manager in the last 60 years and we should change the tactics that got us all of this because we lost 2-1 in the last second against England, yes England.

There is having an opinion, then there is having a vendetta. I'm afraid for a few on here, they have crossed into the vendetta territory, built a house there and barracaded themselves in. I will now retreat in the comfort of th rest of my proud nation who are positively beaming with pride at the state of the National side currently

You are like a dog with a bloody bone!

I don't rate Coleman and believe that he is a lucky manager although in some ways its better to be a lucky manager than a good one. He inherited a team that had been developed by Toshack and then Speed who took us to a higher level. Qualification is now far easier than it was when we had the likes of Rush, Saunders etc. Our team of the early 90s would have made big tournaments had 24 teams been allowed instead of 16. Coleman has Bale whom I believe is the best welsh player ever (never saw John Charles play so may be wrong) and is probably one of the top 25 European players to have played the game. Against Andorra away when we played that wonderful 451 formation it was Bale that got us out of jail. Israel away it was the bale and ramsey show. Against Belgium home and away the tactics were spot on and Coleman deserves credit for that. We were dire against Bosnia and only just beat Cyprus. The previous campaign was a disaster.

Far play to you for defending him but to me he's a tactical dinosaur who is the wrong person for the job and it is he who will prevent us from achieving the full potential of the squad of players.

You are the one that brought me into this, not the other way around.

No, you dont like Coleman, thats all there is to it. In order to negate his obvious achievements you have turned to "luck", which is ridiculous considering the depth of his achievements has now spanned 3 years. Yes he has Bale, as did Speed, as did Toshack - yet none of them have achieved what Coleman has. Hughes had Giggs as did Gould (who also had Hughes, Rush and Saunders) and still did not achieve what Coleman has.

You say its easier to qualify these days to negate the claim of his achievements standing out against the rest. Yet we finished in 2nd place, losing just one. That is a position that would have qualified regardless of era, yet nobody did for 60 years.

Any time a team wins you can point out the players that played the best and say "they won because of x and y". The fact is, it was Colemans idea to give Wales this hard to beat counter attacking platform, and that is the reason we are here now, not because Bale scored, or Ramsey scored. Because we do not concede many goals and have the ability to spring counter attacks amd set piece plays. We are a limited nation with limited resources comtrary to what you may claim, Coleman realised this and going toe to toe with teams will have us at a disadvantage as our squad is worse than the majority of top 40 nations. We are a nation of 3 million that has 2 reading players in our starting 11 with a smattering of contributions from MK Dons and Wolves.

Our squad is nowhere near as good as you like to make out, we have 1 world class player, 3 excellent ones and the rest are made up of run of the mill Prem/Championship players. You are of course entitled to your opinion that he is a tactical dinosaur, but the facts disagree with you. We are on the brink of qualifying for the last 16 of a major competition largely down the tactics Colemans deployed throughout the qualifying campaign and the subsequent finals. A feat that no previous manager in 60 years managed.

We both know that we could qualify for the last 16 tomorrow night and you still will try to claim that he is the wrong man, wrong tactics yadda yadda. Its ridiculous in the extreme and so one eyed and bigotted it is painful. Bigotted may be a brutal word to use. Brutal, but true.

Why does everyone forget about 1976 when we made the last 8 in the Euros and there were less weak teams?

Why does everyone forget about 1976 when we made the last 8 in the Euros and there were less weak teams?

Well said. Was that Mike Smith's team?

Yes Gareth,Cardiff boy Terry Yorath was captain and Tosh was our star player.

Why does everyone forget about 1976 when we made the last 8 in the Euros and there were less weak teams?

Because it wasn't a European Championships Finals competition. In 1976 the Euro Champs Finals only consisted of 4 teams.

Why does everyone forget about 1976 when we made the last 8 in the Euros and there were less weak teams?

Because it wasn't a European Championships Finals competition. In 1976 the Euro Champs Finals only consisted of 4 teams.

Are you Colemans love child or are you roathie?

Why does everyone forget about 1976 when we made the last 8 in the Euros and there were less weak teams?

Because it wasn't a European Championships Finals competition. In 1976 the Euro Champs Finals only consisted of 4 teams.

Are you Colemans love child or are you roathie?

I am not the one with irrational posting here matey, it is probably more accurate to ask if he has stolen your wife judging by your views. I have just stated the simple fact that he is the most successful Welsh manager in nearly 60 years and has a case for going even further than that back.

Unfortunately I didnt make the rules in communist Russia 1976 so I dont know why you are having a go at me for. Get behind Coleman and the boys and stop wishing our demise. Its ugly.

Why does everyone forget about 1976 when we made the last 8 in the Euros and there were less weak teams?

Because it wasn't a European Championships Finals competition. In 1976 the Euro Champs Finals only consisted of 4 teams.

Are you Colemans love child or are you roathie?

I am not the one with irrational posting here matey, it is probably more accurate to ask if he has stolen your wife judging by your views. I have just stated the simple fact that he is the most successful Welsh manager in nearly 60 years and has a case for going even further than that back.

Unfortunately I didnt make the rules in communist Russia 1976 so I dont know why you are having a go at me for. Get behind Coleman and the boys and stop wishing our demise. Its ugly.

I've not wished our demise once so get your facts right. You might like to apologise for calling me a bigot. I won't hold my breath though.

I have no issues with people discussing teams. But you aren't just discussing teams.. Are you? You are looking for any angle you can to bash the manager even when there isnt any angle to start with just because you have decided not to like him. When we win you state he was lucky, when we lose you state it is down to his decisions. and even when his subs directly won us the game you amazingly claim they came too late its very tiresome for a true Welsh fan to read and have as much impartiallity as a Brexit promotion leaflet.

You just stated in the other thread that our qualifying group was easy, so even though we qualified from it (losing just 1 game in 10, conceding only 4 and beating Belgium as well as drawing with them away - conceding 0) and now overwhelming faves to get to the last 16 of a major competition - he is still NOT out most successful manager in the last 60 years and we should change the tactics that got us all of this because we lost 2-1 in the last second against England, yes England.

There is having an opinion, then there is having a vendetta. I'm afraid for a few on here, they have crossed into the vendetta territory, built a house there and barracaded themselves in. I will now retreat in the comfort of th rest of my proud nation who are positively beaming with pride at the state of the National side currently

Well played squire, I never thought we'd make a major tournament in my life time let alone win a game and go in 1 up against england ( just relieved to have celebrated against them even if short lived ) it's like the City I find people have unrealistic expectations. Be grateful for the bone we are thrown I say.

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Not in so many words no, but you clearly have no joy in our achievements. By calling them lucky and saying certain people involved in no small part in our biggest success in decades shouldnt be there etc etc you are begrudging us.

You are showing all the hallmarks of what rival fans do when the other team has success, amazing that you wish to do it supposedly with your own team. You seem to be begrudging any success we have and are falling over yourself to not attribute any credit or regognition of success to a man that is quite clearly masterminding it. Even when his subs lead to the on,y British side winning at the Euros in history you said "yeah but they came 20 minutes too late". Your one sided nature in the face of such amazing success is amazing to read.

I believe your dislike is because he is a jack and absolutely nothing to do with his managerial abilities, that is quite a bigotted stance in my opinion so wont be apologising on that front.

I have no issues with people discussing teams. But you aren't just discussing teams.. Are you? You are looking for any angle you can to bash the manager even when there isnt any angle to start with just because you have decided not to like him. When we win you state he was lucky, when we lose you state it is down to his decisions. and even when his subs directly won us the game you amazingly claim they came too late its very tiresome for a true Welsh fan to read and have as much impartiallity as a Brexit promotion leaflet.

You just stated in the other thread that our qualifying group was easy, so even though we qualified from it (losing just 1 game in 10, conceding only 4 and beating Belgium as well as drawing with them away - conceding 0) and now overwhelming faves to get to the last 16 of a major competition - he is still NOT out most successful manager in the last 60 years and we should change the tactics that got us all of this because we lost 2-1 in the last second against England, yes England.

There is having an opinion, then there is having a vendetta. I'm afraid for a few on here, they have crossed into the vendetta territory, built a house there and barracaded themselves in. I will now retreat in the comfort of th rest of my proud nation who are positively beaming with pride at the state of the National side currently

Well played squire, I never thought we'd make a major tournament in my life time let alone win a game and go in 1 up against england ( just relieved to have celebrated against them even if short lived ) it's like the City I find people have unrealistic expectations. Be grateful for the bone we are thrown I say.

Good lad Dessy

I can honestly say it made my summer just to be able to buy some flags and flaunt them. We should all be proud of being involved in the tournament. We're still in it with a chance to progress. Not bad for 1st showing in a major tournament in however many years.

Not in so many words no, but you clearly have no joy in our achievements. By calling them lucky and saying certain people involved in no small part in our biggest success in decades shouldnt be there etc etc you are begrudging us.

You are showing all the hallmarks of what rival fans do when the other team has success, amazing that you wish to do it supposedly with your own team. You seem to be begrudging any success we have and are falling over yourself to not attribute any credit or regognition of success to a man that is quite clearly masterminding it. Even when his subs lead to the on,y British side winning at the Euros in history you said "yeah but they came 20 minutes too late". Your one sided nature in the face of such amazing success is amazing to read.

I believe your dislike is because he is a jack and absolutely nothing to do with his managerial abilities, that is quite a bigotted stance in my opinion so wont be apologising on that front.

Nothing to do with him being a jack. If you've read my recent posts I've praised Williams, Taylor and Davies plus Allen.

Living in England I had to apologise to my neighbours for my celebrations v the Slovaks so don't give me any crap that i want Wales to lose

I can honestly say it made my summer just to be able to buy some flags and flaunt them. We should all be proud of being involved in the tournament. We're still in it with a chance to progress. Not bad for 1st showing in a major tournament in however many years.

Not in so many words no, but you clearly have no joy in our achievements. By calling them lucky and saying certain people involved in no small part in our biggest success in decades shouldnt be there etc etc you are begrudging us.

You are showing all the hallmarks of what rival fans do when the other team has success, amazing that you wish to do it supposedly with your own team. You seem to be begrudging any success we have and are falling over yourself to not attribute any credit or regognition of success to a man that is quite clearly masterminding it. Even when his subs lead to the on,y British side winning at the Euros in history you said "yeah but they came 20 minutes too late". Your one sided nature in the face of such amazing success is amazing to read.

I believe your dislike is because he is a jack and absolutely nothing to do with his managerial abilities, that is quite a bigotted stance in my opinion so wont be apologising on that front.

Nothing to do with him being a jack. If you've read my recent posts I've praised Williams, Taylor and Davies plus Allen.

Living in England I had to apologise to my neighbours for my celebrations v the Slovaks so don't give me any crap that i want Wales to lose

But managers are easy targets and you can put blame on managers for things you cannot see, motivation etc. if a player plays well then it is not as easy to say "he was crap" and bluff your way through it.

Maybe you dont want Wales to lose as such, but I am pretty sure you take solice that the defeat gives you some ammo to twist things to suit your anti coleman stance. Because when we win you never attribute it to him, so its a win win for you. Win and its the players success, lose and its his failure. Even you must see that.

Coleman's tactical subs gave you those celebrations against the Solvaks, the team that beat Spain in quallies. So maybe you should start showing the man some respect and stop castigating the man for absolutely nothing. He has been a revelation for us and continues to lead the best squad mentality and togetherness ive ever seen, and that spans club and international level.