Cymru U21 head coach Matty Jones and midfielder Charlie Crew spoke to the media this week about their final qualifier of the campaign against Austria at Caernarfon Town on Tuesday (5:30pm).
Cymru were narrowly defeated 1-0 by group leaders Belgium in Westerlo last week, and while they are unable to qualify for the finals that will take place in Albania and Serbia next summer, both are looking to end this campaign on a high.
“The mood has been fantastic,” said Jones. “The reaction from the game against Belgium, even though it was a loss, there was a sense of achievement. The togetherness, grit, heart and desire they showed was just a great show of what a good team looks like when you are in trouble. They stuck together, and it’s helped our training this week, the atmosphere has been fantastic.”
Cymru were reduced to 10-men just before half-time when Dan Cox was sent off for two yellow cards in quick succession. “We can’t play without emotional intelligence,” Jones added. “Tactical intelligence is one thing that we talk about often, but emotional intelligence is something that unfortunately players learn on their journey and through experiences.”
Last October, Cymru registered their best result of the campaign as goals from Gabriele Biancheri and Chris Popov sealed a 2-0 win away to Austria. “It was a difficult game,” said Crew. “We had just come off the back of a heavy loss against Belgium, so we had to put things right. The mentality switch was huge, and we’ve got to show that same mentality again.
“This is a really good group of players. We love each and every one of us and the staff are top as well, so to spend this much time away doesn’t really feel any different. It’s similar to club with the amount of rest you get and the preparation leading into a game, and now it’s nice to have a home game here in Caernarfon.”
Cymru will be without Cox and George Nevitt through suspension for the match against Austria. “We haven’t brought anyone in from standby,” Jones explained. “We’ve got enough strength and depth within the squad to get us through this second game, and it provides new opportunities for different personnel.
“We’re introducing and integrating young players knowing they’re preparing for the next campaign as well. At the same time, there’s a winning mentality and we want to win regardless of who we play. We want to perform, put on a good show, score goals and win games. But ultimately, there’s a bigger picture, and the younger players are doing exceptionally well.”
Austria played out a 1-1 draw with Denmark in their penultimate match of the group on Friday, and Jones has been impressed with their evolution at this level. “They’re very similar to us in terms of the last 12 months and how we’ve progressed and grown,” he added. “They’ve gone back to a younger model, and they’ve actually delivered a lot better than in the previous group.
“They went toe-to-toe against Denmark last week. We watched the game; we made sure we studied everything in terms of what they’re going to bring. Nothing was too dissimilar in terms of what we’re planning for. Their game plan is very much about the counter-press moment, and they’re very good at it. So, we know what’s coming, and we’re highly prepared for that.”
The match against Austria is significant in that it brings international football to the recently redeveloped Oval, the home of Novira Cymru Premier club Caernarfon Town. During the summer the club successfully hosted three fixtures of the UEFA U19 EURO Finals, and this is another proud moment for all involved.
“It’s a lovely, lovely ground,” said Crew. “The pitch is really nice. We’ve trained on it and we have absolutely no complaints whatsoever. The welcome has been really good from the manager and the chairman. They’ve made this place our home for these for these last three days, so hopefully we can repay them with a positive performance.”
Jones echoed the sentiments and is also looking forward to a special atmosphere as his side complete their qualifying campaign, and explained why he asked chairman Paul Evans and manager Richard Evans to speak to the players about what this match means to both the club and the local community.
“The humility and passion for Welsh football in this area has absolutely blown me away,” said Jones. “I do feel this is an opportunity to connect. I don’t want the game to pass us by and then for us to realise afterwards the type of support we’ve had. I already feel the love, the warmth and the excitement, and I wanted the players to feel that before kick-off. So, bringing them both in was really important to me.
“Paul Evans actually got quite emotional speaking about the commitment, loyalty and support that they’ve given to all U21 groups and what it means to him to have them all sitting in his changing room wearing the Welsh shirt on they’re hearts.
“It was really, really touching; it was exactly what I wanted to hear, and it was exactly what the players needed to hear.”
