{"id":8028,"date":"2023-11-20T12:44:22","date_gmt":"2023-11-20T17:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/rob-page-wales-boss-says-his-side-are-not-thinking-about-a-euro-2024-play-off-ahead-of-crunch-turkey-qualifier-football-news\/20\/11\/2023\/"},"modified":"2023-11-20T12:44:22","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T17:44:22","slug":"rob-page-wales-boss-says-his-side-are-not-thinking-about-a-euro-2024-play-off-ahead-of-crunch-turkey-qualifier-football-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/rob-page-wales-boss-says-his-side-are-not-thinking-about-a-euro-2024-play-off-ahead-of-crunch-turkey-qualifier-football-news\/20\/11\/2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Rob Page: Wales boss says his side are not thinking about a Euro 2024 play-off ahead of crunch Turkey qualifier | Football News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rob Page says Wales are not entertaining any play-off talk with their full focus on beating Turkey and qualifying automatically for Euro 2024.<\/p>\n

Wales must overcome Turkey in their final qualifier on Tuesday and hope Croatia do not beat Armenia in order to secure a top-two spot in Group D.<\/p>\n

The Dragons are guaranteed a play-off place in March but it is not a route Wales want to tread, with Page and Ian Mitchell, head of performance psychology, addressing the topic with the players ahead of the sell-out Cardiff City Stadium clash.<\/p>\n

Page said: “We’re having no talk of play-offs. If we’re talking play-offs, we may as well call the game off on Tuesday. That’s our mentality and attitude.<\/p>\n

“We’re fully focused on the job we’ve got and we don’t want any regrets when that final whistle goes.<\/p>\n

“We were aware that (play-offs) would be the talking point because of the disappointment of the Armenia game.<\/p>\n

“I addressed that at a meeting with the players and I got Mitch to speak about it as well.<\/p>\n

“We’re not admitting defeat and thinking ‘why not?’ because potentially we can qualify if the other result goes our way.<\/p>\n

“What I don’t want to do is walk off at the end of the game, the result’s gone for us, and we could have taken charge of it.”<\/p>\n

Page: Energy can see us past Turkey<\/h3>\n
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Sky Sports News’ senior reporter Geraint Hughes gives his thoughts on what was a disappointing night for Wales in Armenia on Saturday<\/span>
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Wales had automatic qualification in their own hands before Saturday’s 1-1 draw in Armenia when Page’s side were perhaps fortunate to return home with a point.<\/p>\n

Croatia took advantage by winning 2-0 in Latvia to move into second spot behind already-qualified Turkey.<\/p>\n

Page suggested that he would be kept informed of events in the Croatia game in Zagreb on Tuesday as Wales seek to bounce back from their disappointing weekend performance.<\/p>\n

Luton defender Tom Lockyer is expected to replace the suspended Chris Mepham and make his first competitive appearance since September 2021.<\/p>\n

Brennan Johnson and Daniel James could also return to sharpen up the attack against opponents who beat Wales 2-0 in June and warmed up for their trip to Cardiff by beating Germany 3-2 in a Berlin friendly on Saturday.<\/p>\n

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Robert Earnshaw described Wales’ 1-1 draw with Armenia as devastating<\/span>
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Page said: “What we do need, from minute one, is energy.<\/p>\n

“Off the back of (Turkey’s) result against Germany and the threat they pose, we have to have energy in that team.<\/p>\n

“This is the first time in a while that we’ve had two competitive games in quick succession.<\/p>\n

“We’re not blessed with a pool of players coming in that are not playing too much domestically.<\/p>\n

“There potentially could be changes, or at least coming off the bench and having an impact.”<\/p>\n

Davies hoping for another ‘special’ Cardiff night<\/h3>\n
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Wales captain Ben Davies says they cannot give up hope of reaching next summer’s Euros<\/span>
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Wales are attempting to make a fourth major tournament in five and qualified for the last two – Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup – on emotion-charged nights at the Cardiff City Stadium.<\/p>\n

Skipper Ben Davies said: “We’ve put in some amazing performances in Cardiff over the years, and we’ve had some special nights there.<\/p>\n

“We’re not panicking as a group, we still have a chance. Our job is pretty simple, we have to win our game.<\/p>\n

“Playing in major tournaments for your country is the pinnacle and that dream is still there.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Rob Page says Wales are not entertaining any play-off talk with their full focus on beating Turkey and qualifying automatically for Euro