Wales continued to bullishly provoke England in the pre-match mind-games yesterday when Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey both said that Roy Hodgson does not have a single player who would get into their team.
Bale was laughing as he made the claim but Ramsey looked more serious as he added that he believes that Wales are now the better team and that the pressure in Lens tomorrow for their Euro 2016 Group B match was all on England.
Hodgson had previously accused Bale of disrespecting England for saying that Wales have “more pride and passion” but the Real Madrid forward refused to back down yesterday and willingly expanded on his comments.
“It’s good they bit,” he said, smiling. “I didn’t say they didn’t have pride or passion. In my opinion we have more. They probably will say the same. I’m happy with the comments. We’ve got a massive team spirit, the best I’ve seen.
“Whatever sport it is, whether it’s football or rugby, I feel that we always take it [pride and passion] to the next level. It’s just my opinion. Nothing is fazing us, we don’t feel any pressure, we’re just going to go out and enjoy the occasion.”
Bale also stressed that Wales “know their [England’s] weaknesses” and was asked to respond to Jack Wilshere’s claim that England have the superior team.
“They are entitled to their opinion - I don’t care,” said Bale. “If they think they have a better squad, good for them.”
Asked how many England players would get into this Wales team, he said: “None”. Bale was applauded off the press conference stage by a group of Wales fans and his observations were then backed up by Ramsey.
“I believe we have the best team,” said Ramsey. “We’ve been through a lot over the years; we’ve been together through thick and thin. We’re seeing the rewards of that. We believe in ourselves. We have grown as a team.”
Wales have not beaten England since 1984 although they did briefly climb above them in the Fifa rankings last year before falling behind again before this tournament.
“It’s about time we did beat them,” said Ramsey. “We are top [of the group], they got a draw, all the pressure is on them. We’ve got no pressure, everyone is expecting them to win, hopefully that will play to our advantage. We are having fun.”
The relaxed sense of enjoyment is certainly in contrast to the tension that has often been evident around England at recent tournaments.
The decision by the Football Association of Wales to make their two highest-profile players available for interview yesterday would certainly have been carefully considered and manager Chris Coleman will hope that it sends a clear message about the quality and ambition of his team.
Coleman made the point earlier in the week that he thinks Wales “have always settled for too little” and wants his players to behave in a more self-confident way.
“If you want it, you have got to give it,” he said. Bale and Ramsey certainly did that yesterday, although they both acknowledged that any “mind games” will ultimately have only a limited bearing on what happens during the game.
Ramsey, though, did appear utterly genuine in referencing the difficulties that this Wales team have experienced as a reason for their superior collective strength.
“We have had some really low points and we are now experiencing some fantastic experiences,” he said. “We are dangerous going forward and create opportunities, we give everything and leave nothing out there. That is our identity. We will be more interested in doing our talking on the pitch.”
Ramsey was then asked about the specific tension that seems to follow England at major tournaments. “They always seem to do well in the qualifying campaign and then there is a lot of pressure when they get to the finals,” he said.
“That is something they experience but we don’t because we did so well in the qualification campaign and in getting here. We are first British team to get off to a winning start. The result puts us in a good position - we will have even more belief now. The pressure is all on them. We're relaxed. We're enjoying every minute of it, it's a new experience. Anything that happens is a bonus. There's no pressure.”
Ramsey admitted that he struggled to contain his tears when the Wales national anthem was played before the match against Slovakia.
Coleman also arranged for the players’ families to send them messages before the Slovakia match, with Ramsey especially moved by a video of his seven-month-old son, Sonny.
“It's been a while since I saw my little boy,” he said. “So much change happens. Seeing him and my wife was quite upsetting but they're all behind and realising we are doing something special.
"That was probably the biggest thing I've had to overcome so far. He's started crawling now and my wife managed to capture it on video so I was able to see it. He's got a mini Wales number 10 shirt.”
Bale also delivered positive news on the fitness of goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, who has had an injection after missing the Slovakia match with a back spasm.
“He’ll recover I’m sure for the game,” he said. Joe Ledley, who returned to play against Slovakia on Saturday just 35 days after breaking his leg for Crystal Palace, also says that he is ready to start.
