Connor Roberts insists the future for Wales is still bright – whatever happens to the older generation of stars for whom the World Cup could be a final curtain call. The Wales defender claims the current crop of Wales players under the age of 30 can continue to ensure the nation regularly qualifies for the finals of major tournaments. The futures of Gareth Bale, 33, Aaron Ramsey, 32 this month, Joe Allen, 32, and 35-year-old Wayne Hennessey have been under the spotlight since Wales finished bottom of Group B in Qatar, with a single point from one draw and two defeats.

Gareth Bale insists he wants to carry on playing for his country but the real question now is whether his country needs him. As Wales’ World Cup journey came to an end, Bale and the rest of the squad stood and applauded their fans, packed into a small section behind the goal at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, a venue that holds few memories, only promises of a bright, shiny space-age future. But what future for this Wales team, their foot soldiers and their decorated generals, following a 3-0 defeat to England and the end of an underwhelming campaign in Qatar.

You know that sporting cliché, “We need a miracle.” Well, Wales need two. To stay in the World Cup, to make it out of the group stages and into the excitement of the knockout round of 16 in Qatar, Wales need two things to happen.

Dean Saunders has urged Wales manager Robert Page to ignore demands to axe Aaron Ramsey for the do-or-die World Cup clash against England. Wales midfielder Ramsey – so often the beating heart of Welsh triumphs over the years – has been a shadow of himself at the tournament so far. That has led to siren calls for him to be dumped by Page for the final group stage game, with either Joe Morrell, Jonny Williams, Dylan Levitt or Matthew Smith called in to replace him.

Gareth Bale believes in miracles and why shouldn’t he? This is a footballer who was once considered a cursed left back with Tottenham Hotspur who went on to win five Champions League titles as lethal attacker with Real Madrid. From a defender who always seemed to lose with Spurs, to a striker who won everything with the biggest club in the world.

Say it ain’t so, Joe. That phrase passed into sporting immortality when an American reporter allegedly asked baseball star ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson about his admission that he’d fixed the 1919 World Series. (He hadn’t). It was also asked – in a roundabout way – by reporters to Joe Allen on Sunday when he was quizzed on whether making the World Cup knockout stages in Qatar was now a lost cause.

Joe Allen insists Wales’ final World Cup group clash against is not “mission impossible” and has also defended Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey against their critics. Wales will go into Tuesday’s game against their oldest enemy requiring two small miracles to occur simultaneously. Firstly, they have to beat England for the first time since 1984 and prevent their biggest rivals from gaining a seventh successive victory.

Brennan Johnson insists Wales can shock England and keep their World Cup dream alive. Wales’ hopes of making the knockout stages were left hanging by a thread after losing 2-0 to Iran. England’s goalless draw with the United States on Friday night means that Wales still have a path to the round of 16, but qualification is out of their own hands unless they beat Gareth Southgate’s side by a four-goal margin.

It must have felt a long way from Tylorstown as Robert Page starred out towards the world’s media and tried to explain how the heady optimism of just 16 ago had evaporated under a hot Arabian sun. Little more than two weeks ago, the Wales manager was in his home village, announcing the squad he would take to take to a World Cup finals, the first Wales manager to do so for 64 years. Now, that adventure already seems to drawing to a close after just two games following a 2-0 to Iran which was unexpected, but felt feasible from the moment Kieffer Moore missed an early opportunity.

By Graham Thomas Kieffer Moore can terrify Iran when Wales play their second match at the World Cup in Qatar on Friday. That’s the prediction of former Wales striker Iwan Roberts, who was once a similar big, powerful target man for both club and country and became a folk hero at Norwich City. Moore is […]

By Paul Jones Wales striker Kieffer Moore plans to torment Iran in the air just like England did. England smashed six past Iran in their World Cup opener, with the Iranians having no answer to the Three Lions’ aerial power. The 6ft 5in Moore watched the first half of that game before Wales set off […]

Since it had been 64 years since Wales were last at a World Cup, Robert Page could have been forgiven for being sketchy about their tournament form. The Wales manager didn’t go for Ivor Allchurch and Terry Medwin up front, but, strangely, he did appear to forget the impact Kieffer Moore has had on his team over the past couple of seasons and the anxiety his presence causes opponents. It meant that Moore did not appear until the second half at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, where his eventual presence against the USA transformed Welsh fortunes – and the match – and enabled Page and his players to leave with a priceless 1-1 draw.