Silence of Giggs speaks volumes

Czech Rep v Wales:  As Ryan Giggs scratched his chin and pondered, and John Toshack talked about the events of April 1975 in Budapest, it became clear to the rest of Wales yesterday that their team will have to embark on a magical history tour if they are to reach the European Championship finals.

Toshack initiated a debate about the historic nature of the Welsh quest with his statement: "If we are going to qualify then we have to come to one of these strong football nations and win - not draw, win. To qualify, winning home games normally isn't good enough."

With Germany and the Czech Republic in the group, Wales at least have the opportunity to realise an ambition but the fact that Giggs was unable to provide an answer to a question about Wales's achievements on foreign soil against a major country in his time - and he has been playing for them since 1992 - spoke of the degree of difficulty the Welsh have experienced on the road. Group D offers equivalent problems.

Wales's one appearance beyond the group stage came in 1976 when they reached the two-leg quarter-finals. Toshack was a player then and said the catalyst for progress had been a 2-1 victory against Hungary the previous year - "We won the group and that was the result that mattered."

But before and since there has been no major Wales triumph abroad. The beginning of the last qualification for Euro 2004 featured a 2-0 win in Helsinki but Finland may not fit Toshack's definition of "strong football nations". Slovakia, who reached the play-offs for the World Cup last November, and of course the Republic of Ireland are also in the group.

Wales began the last World Cup group with a disappointing draw in Azerbaijan and never recovered, finishing fifth. Mark Hughes departed for Blackburn and Toshack requested then that he not be judged until this campaign.

His moment has arrived, along with a squad sprinkled with youngsters and players from Leyton Orient, Gillingham and Hull City. Almost half today's expected line-up come from the English Championship. Robbie Savage remains in the cold.

Wales will be up against a Czech side in transition and, Wales hope, with one eye on their derby in Slovakia next Wednesday. Having started the World Cup brightly against the United States, the Czechs flopped against Ghana and Italy, though they ended up with 10 men in both defeats.

Since the 2-0 loss to Italy in Hamburg, Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky have retired. Milan Baros remains injured, as do Zdenek Grygera and Vladimir Smicer, while Jan Polak is suspended. Arsenal's new signing Tomas Rosicky will playmake and Petr Cech will keep goal.

John Hartson has retired and so Giggs and Craig Bellamy will try to unsettle the Czechs with their pace and movement.

"It's reasonable to say that we're not as well off for goal-scorers as we have been in the past," Toshack said.

In tonight's other match in Group D Slovakia take on Cyprus.

Guardian Service