Toshack brings a long-term view to Wales job
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Your support makes all the difference.Wales have lost all four qualifiers under Toshack without scoring a goal and could finish bottom of Group Six. Toshack said: "It is a time I feel most vulnerable because of the decisions I have to make regarding the long-term future of this project. I know I have the experience to do better and I know I must do better."
Toshack has given senior debuts to seven players since succeeding Mark Hughes in November 2004. The loss of four senior players to retirement forced his hand to some extent, but the time was right to starting building for the future since Wales were already out of contention to qualify for the World Cup finals.
Toshack's forward planning is set to continue with the expected debut of 21-year-old goalkeeper Lewis Price. The youngsters Andrew Croft and David Cotterill were also promoted from the Under-21 squad this week and Toshack says he will not be afraid to throw them in at the deep end.
"I don't want people to think I'm taking out an insurance policy on my job, but it'll be a couple of years before we'll be ready," he said. "It's a difficult process but hopefully a year or 18 months down the line they will be experienced enough, know how we work and we can put the pieces into the puzzle as we feel fit.
"This is a road I've been down a few times before, particularly in San Sebastian [as manager of Real Sociedad] and I know what I'm doing is the right thing.
"When someone comes into a job at the particular time that I did it's usually because there are problems. And when there are problems like that, in this job you can't resolve them on a day-to-day basis. You've just got to be very, very patient, which is something I am normally not."
Toshack knows he must justify his rebuilding work on the pitch, and accepts the criticisms of his time in charge so far. But he says he has faith in his ability to get things right and insists the ingredients are "definitely" there to qualify for the next European Championships or World Cup.
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