Speed: players have nothing to lose

NEW Wales boss Gary Speed believes his players will be in a “no-lose”position when they resume their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign against England in March.

The Millennium Stadium clash will be Speed’s second game in charge of Wales following a Carling Nations Cup appointment with the Republic of Ireland on February 8.

Although Wales currently prop up Group G, 10 points behind leaders Montenegro after suffering threesuccessive defeats, Speed has no intention of throwing in the towel.

The 41-year-old, yesterday confirmed as John Toshack’s full-timesuccessor, admits qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is “a big target.”

But Speed, who won 85 caps during a 14-year international career, wants his players to make an impression from the outset of his reign. “We want to consistently compete on an international basis,” said Speed, who quit his role as Sheffield United manager after just three months in charge. The England game is going to be tough because they are a good team.

“Results in the group so far haven’t been as good as we would have wanted, but in a way that gives us a good chance to start again and wipe the slate clean. We haven’t had the best start to the group, and all the pressure will be on them (England), as such.

“It’s a no-lose situation and it is something which could really kickstart us. It’s up to me to impress on the players how much enjoyment they can get out of playing for Wales. When you are playing well for Wales, and the team is playing well, there is no greater feeling. What we haven’t done over the last four or five years is beat anyone of stature, beat anyone who we weren’t supposed to. In this (Euro 2012) qualifying campaign, can we get into fourth spot, then third spot? It’s targets all the way. And if we win the next five games, you never know what might happen.”