Earnshaw blasts rankings system

WALES striker Robert Earnshaw has hit out at the FIFA world rankings and insists Gary Speed’s men will be paying no attention to them as they look ahead to their World Cup qualifying campaign.

The Dragons lie joint 112th, level with a Faroe Islands side who were seeded above them at the recent draw for the 2014 qualifiers.

Since Mark Hughes took Wales to within an ace of reaching Euro 2004 it has been a tale of woe for the principality.

Wales are already out of the race to reach next summer’s European Championship finals and their friendly with Australia in Cardiff tomorrow night is being billed as the start of their preparations for their bid to qualify for Brazil.

And Cardiff striker Earnshaw believes their current position is false given the calibre of players such as Craig Bellamy, Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.

He said: “I think the rankings are fake, they don’t tell the truth.

“I know they have to have them and put everybody into groups when they need to be drawn but they don’t tell the truth. I think it’s exaggerated, but it’s not something we need to think about.

“It’s a piece of paper that says we are in this position but if you look at the squad we are nowhere near that.’’