King For Wales!

[Red Leicester]

Alright then, I'll try this:

<snip>...Toshack has named three uncapped players in his squad for the two internationals, Reading striker Simon Church and midfield duo Andy King (Leicester) and Joe Allen (Swansea). The three are likely to win first caps in Friday's friendly at Llanelli's Parc y Scarlets...<snip>

<snip>...Of the newcomers, King, 20, starred in Leicester's League One title-winning campaign while Allen, 19, made an instant impact for Swansea when he was given his chance.

King, Leicester's young player of the year with 11 goals from midfield, has scored once in six Wales Under-21 appearances and has attracted attention from Premier League sides Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and new boys Wolverhampton Wanderers...<snip>

From the BBC

Match being screened live ~ Friday 7:25 Sky Sports 2

[Red Leicester]

Wales' fading stars set for chop

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY: WALES v ESTONIA

Venue: Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli Date: Friday, 29 May Kick-off: 1930 BST Coverage: Live on Sky Sports2, BBC Radio Wales MW, Radio Cymru and the BBC Sport website

Wales manager John Toshack says he is ready to drop the few experienced players in his already-youthful team.

Injuries mean the 60-year-old is likely to field Wales' youngest-ever squad in Friday's friendly with Estonia.

And Toshack, still hurt by the woeful defeat to Finland in March, says he is likely to stick with the youngsters for the 6 June Azerbaijan World Cup game.

"We probably failed in team selection [against Finland], I should have stuck with the youngsters," said Toshack.

"[They] had done well previously, brought back players carrying injuries.

"It won't happen again. You are an idiot if you do not learn from things like that."

Toshack, who signed a two-year extension to his contract the weekend of the 2-0 Finland defeat, now plans to give more youth a chance in a thinly veiled criticism of some of his senior players.

Toshack is likely to give three more teenagers their chance against Estonia in Llanelli, with Swansea's Joe Allen, Leicester midfielder Andy King and Reading striker Simon Church expected to make their debuts.

"I am not sure how I will approach the final games in this group but the youngsters will have the shirts when next season starts," said Toshack.

"We seem to have so much trouble with call ups and injuries and going into matches with four or five players who lack competitive games.

"It can be key players, like Craig Bellamy, Simon Davies, James Collins and Jason Koumas.

"Some of them hadn't played for several weeks. It was certainly like that in the build-up to the last couple of qualifiers against Finland and Germany.

"The fact now is that half a dozen experienced players are not available again.

"Maybe these things happen for a reason, but it is happening too often.

"There comes a stage where you do not want to just carry on, going through the motions.

"If we have to rip things up and start again, then we do that.

"Youngsters do make mistakes, but you give them the benefit of the doubt.

"But when you see experienced players making mistakes you wonder whether you carry on with them or push even more youngsters through.

"You think you won't get where we want to go with these [experienced] lads, but we might do so with the youngsters.

"If you are not getting the benefit of your experienced players [because of injury], you must look elsewhere.

"So maybe we have to start again. Now we have to try to get better.

"Do we have the right type

"People need field craft, team players in key positions.

"I suppose the youngsters now are going to have to learn for themselves the hard way.

"From now on in, we will be looking for the spirit that I see in these youngsters. Their courage.

"Let's see how the kids do in these next two matches without many of the senior players again.

"I am not writing anyone off, but if they are not fit we can't pick them.

"But I was hurt by what happened in the Finland game, it was a bad result which knocked our confidence.

"Before that we had produced some very good performances in Germany and Russia with youngsters. We had won in Denmark too."

Seems like this is an ideal moment in time to start staking a claim, and I must say I reckon he's ready.

[Finnegan]

Oh fook off, Toshack. We've wanted rid of Fletcher and Robinson for fooking yeaaaaaaars but we "need their experience."

Could have "faded out" those ageing stars at the strart of your damn reign!

Seems like this is an ideal moment in time to start staking a claim, and I must say I reckon he's ready.

Meh. I've said all I'm going to.

I want Andy King to do well for Wales as much as anyone - I'd even have the audacity to say more so. He's just clearly not going to be making a position his own in the long term. Even with Davies and Koumas as injury prone as they are, he's down the pecking order as far as the young ones are concerned too.

Best of luck to him, completely, just don't be so eager only to be disappointed a few months down the line when he's back in the U21s having not made much of an impact yet. His time might come but he's got a lot of developing to do to beat Ledley, Collison and Ramsey.

[Red Leicester]

Oh fook off, Toshack

I love your love of Toshack.

I'm thinking that there weren't many who'd have said King was ready to step up to the first team and hold down a permanent position this time last season. He rose to the challenge.

I seriously reckon the lad has much more in his tank and this opportunity is one of those to help him step up a gear or two again.

Resilient, tenacious, adept - the potential to be a box2box player with a deft finish to boot? Even if this doesn't lead to regular A team caps in the short-term, it's going to be brilliant experience for him and can only aid his development.

Kingy is a babe.

[Finnegan]

I'd agree with most if not all of that. One thing that I will never take away from Toshack (and Evans, Saunders, Williams and ESPECIALLY Flynn - they should never be overlooked) is that he is a great influence on the young lads and he has done wonders for a number of careers.

I think, perhaps, he does get a little bit over hyped - I mean Cardiff, Arsenal, Southampton and West Ham all have pretty good youth facilities that deserve a maintsay of the credit for some of our brightest young stars but there's no doubt in my eyes that the chances they've had at international level have done them wonders.

And I do think exposure to the likes of Komas, Bellers and Davies along with his young competitors Collison, Ledley and Ramsey will do King a world of good. Totally. It's just a very big ask right now for him to really compare with these names in terms of threat.

As for Tosh, meh. He's tactically inept, often naive in his selection and treatment of people and he's woeful as a motivator. He's still got the job because there's no other option, to be frank.

[manchester_foxes_fan]

King starts..............................................................on the bench

http://www.faw.org.uk/news/1357

[Guest Bilo]

Estonia really are awful tonight. If Kingy gets a chance tonight, he will have an opportunity to stamp his authority on weak opposition and that can only be good for his confidence.

EDIT: A link for anyone who's interested.

http://www.p2p4u.net/live/pl1.php

[Thracian]

I have no fears for King. As an Academy player Kingy and City were winners instead of coming second. In Divison One Kingy and City were winners instead of coming second or nowhere.

Considering King was virtually ever-present for both that's no fluke and I cannot see him letting Wales down. Unlike some players Kingy's game is so simple, there's no reason at all why he should have any problem adjusting apart, perhaps, from the pace and I cannot imagine Estonia will often anything much quicker than he's already been used to.

Kingy lacks a bit of pace but his game doesn't rely on it anyway. It's all about one and two touches and his perception in seeing what's going on around him.

He might not be a star in the side to begin with but he won't let anyone down. He's well used to winning already and it's a habit I like in footballers.

[Corky]

I have no fears for King. As an Academy player Kingy and City were winners instead of coming second. In the Championship Kingy and City were winners instead of coming second or nowhere.

Considering King was virtually ever-present for both that's no fluke and I cannot see him letting Wales down. Unlike some players Kingy's game is so simple, there's no reason at all why he should have any problem adjusting apart, perhaps, from the pace and I cannot imagine Estonia will often anything much quicker than he's already been used to.

Kingy lacks a bit of pace but his game doesn't rely on it anyway. It's all about one and two touches and his perception in seeing what's going on around him.

He might not be a star in the side to begin with but he won't let anyone down. He's well used to winning already and it's a habit I like in footballers.

Don't get ahead of yourself Thrac

[davieG]

King debuts on 88mins

[Corky]

King debuts on 88mins

Bet he changes the game

[davieG]

Bet he changes the game

Looks like he'll be on the winning side as per normal.

[davieG]

Did he get a touch?

[Corky]

Looks like he'll be on the winning side as per normal.

Played the crucial role. Imperative in the Welsh victory.

Well done Kingy

[Ultra]

Did he get a touch?

Just a couple. His performance can accurately be described as Beckhamesque.

But a full cap is a full cap. I'm sure he'll be very proud of it.

[Thracian]

Don't get ahead of yourself Thrac

I'm getting old. But thanks.

[Red Leicester]

Bless him, it's an outing and a bit of experience but when all is said and done Finners has it nailed on - Toshack is a pillock.

I'm watching nothing happening in midfield that Kingy couldn't have improved. I know I'm stupidly bias, but...

Well done Andy, proud of you sunshine

[Finnegan]

Weak from Wales, really, and a little impotent. Like I said, tactically and in terms of motivation we're just lacking really. I don't care if it's Estonia on a Friday night - when you're that age you're supposed to be gunning to impress.

I think Earnie's largely lost the will to play for Toshack and I can't say I especially blame him.

Good to see Joe Allen and King get some time on the pitch, however brief. The key really wasn't whether or not they played (avoiding the 'Told You Sos' here) but really that they got to contribute to the squad and I imagine it will have been a good learning experience all the same.

As for whether or not King could have improved on Ramsey, Edwards, Collison or Ledley - haha. Perhaps just a pinch of bias mate, that maybe might really be getting ahead of yourself. But certainly I can probably see your point on today's evidence. Not the best display. I wish I could say I was more inspired by Welsh football right now but I have to be honest the life is seriously draining out of it for me.

I really, really, REALLY hope the lower ticket prices for the next campaign bring a lot of people back. But you need good football as well as a cheap day out to bring people in and the fact is that Sparky's team were entertaining, Toshack's isn't.

:\

[StanSP]

What was the result?

And 2 minutes or 90 minutes, King can now say he has represented his country at ful international level and well done to him.

[Thracian]

King debuts on 88mins

Masterful psychology. Show you trust the bloke for two minutes after announcing beforehand that you don't think he's ready!

[davieG]

Masterful psychology. Show you trust the bloke for two minutes after announcing beforehand that you don't think he's ready!

Maybe except he subbed a sub who had recently gone on and was injured, leastwise that's what it looked like.

[Red Leicester]

As for whether or not King could have improved on Ramsey, Edwards, Collison or Ledley - haha.

Ramsey was quality, Ledley reasonable, but there was little offered through the centre. King has been whooping teams like this all season, there's no question he couldn't have added a dimension to the attack which was painfully lacking.

The one thing I was struck by though was the real potential to qualify from the next WC campaign if someone is lobbed in with a half-decent approach to managership. I genuinely believe that.

I used to really admire Toshack.

[Finnegan]

Ramsey was quality, Ledley reasonable, but there was little offered through the centre. King has been whooping teams like this all season, there's no question he couldn't have added a dimension to the attack which was painfully lacking.

The one thing I was struck by though was the real potential to qualify from the next WC campaign if someone is lobbed in with a half-decent approach to managership. I genuinely believe that.

I used to really admire Toshack.

Truth but Toshack will always back himself and that's the problem. Toshack said his job, when he took over, was to strip us from the ground up and have us ready for 2010. That hasn't happened and nor does it look like it'll happen for 2012, either.

2014? Maybe. But I'd pray he isn't still in charge. He'll just never step down and say "Yeah, I've taken this as far as I can." He's too self important.

He's inept, though. What he's done off the pitch is staggering and can't be faulted, but we play some utterly bollocks football and we play it completely without hunger or drive. It's shameful. Even I've stopped wanting to go to the Millenium Stadium and I sat there through a 5 - 1 drubbing in front of 12000 people against Slovakia.

[Sir Fynwy]

Looks like King will be travelling to Baku for the qualifier on Saturday due to injuries in the squad.

[Finnegan]

Sigh. We must have the worst injury record in football.

I can't remember the last time we had a first eleven out.