Robbie Savage

[cymrococh]

First Murph and now this...I may have to assess who I have become.

 

"Robbie Savage has again publicly criticised Wales boss John Toshack and says he should be in the national side.

 

The Blackburn Rovers midfielder, who has 39 caps, last September ruled himself out of playing for Wales again while Toshack is in charge.

 

"My performances for Blackburn Rovers this season merit a place in the Wales team, simple as that," Savage said.

 

"People might say I walked out on Wales but I retired because he (Toshack) told me I wasn't good enough for his squad."

 

Savage, 31, has not played for Wales under Toshack since criticising the new regime last season after Mark Hughes stepped down to become Blackburn coach.

 

The player has not spoken personally to Toshack to apologise and the manager has consistently remained tight-lipped about the situation.

 

Savage, speaking on BBC Wales' Midweek Sport programme, also criticised the Football Association of Wales for employing Toshack.

 

The Rovers midfielder points to Toshack's first, aborted attempt at managing his country.

 

The former Real Madrid manager took over as part-time Wales boss in 1994 after the sacking of Terry Yorath, but resigned after just one game in charge, a 3-1 defeat to Norway.

 

"For me, the Welsh FA is still run by dinosaurs," Savage added.

 

"Yes, I chucked my toys out of the pram but this is the man who walked out on Wales, I can't believe people are forgetting this.

 

"The Wales FA employed him again and he had a second chance, so why can't I?" "

[Guest Gaz_J]

Low-rent Roy Keane saga.

 

Always thought employing Toshack was a backward step, but I guess the list of candidates wasn't exactly brimming with talent (or indeed alternatives).

 

Anyway, Savage can go to feck - he went missing in a big way during the crunch games for the Euro champs in 2003. Sh***house.

[cymrococh]

He's still better than whoever we put in his place.

 

While Toshack's 'give youth a chance' policy is admirable, it might be nice to win a game now and again. Maybe even a qualifier.

[matty]

Savage should not play for two reasons.

 

1 - he's a c***.

2 - He's still a c***.

[cymrococh]

Savage should not play for two reasons.

 

1 - he's a c***.

2 - He's still a c***.

It's nothing to do with you, mouth.

[Guest Gaz_J]

Whoa! Steady on there. If Wales ever made it into a proper competition, the chaos surrounding them would show the FAW up as the incompetent pecksniffs they are. Best to just fail heroically at every last step than actually progress. It's safer...

 

Fair dos to Toshack though in blooding the youth. It'll be interesting the next couple of years to see if the Millennium Stadium windfall is paying off at grass roots level, and we have a burgeoning youth set-up to show for it. I'd hate to think of Savage being their 'role-model'.

[cymrococh]

fair point about Savage as a role-model. I just think that a country with the football recources that Wales has can't afford to ignore someone of his talent and experience (kicking people and being a pain in the ar*e is definitely a talent). Obviously though, he can't go back while Toshack is there and despite my feelings for Toshack, that is no reason to get rid of him.

 

I get the impression that Toshack is using this experience as an experiment, I've never believed that he is devoted to making Wales a winning side.

[Guest Red Mist]

Wales can't get a better manager than Toshack. Which Welshman has had a more successful managerial career than our John?

Edited March 8, 2006 by Red Mist

[cymrococh]

Why does it have to be a Welsh manager?

[Red_Rob]

Savage is a t***, but he's right. Toshack is letting a personal vendetta cloud his already dubious judgement.

[AntM]

I think Robbie Savage is a decent player

[Guest Gaz_J]

I get the impression that Toshack is using this experience as an experiment, I've never believed that he is devoted to making Wales a winning side.

 

Hmm, I see what you mean; If he does 'well' (as in; wins a few games, maybe a decent scalp or two) it'll enhance his profile around Europe. If the experiment goes t*ts-up he'll be back where he started, with everyone seeing he's not had a lot to work with. Either way he's had the oxygen of publicity...

 

Personally, I think a management team of Toshack/ Coleman on a guarnteeed five-year deal would be an ideal pairing to 'grow' with a young team trying to assert itself: We're never going to have the individual talent to take us a step further, so we may as well engender an all-for-one spirit in a settled side. We could yet surprise a few people.

[Guest Scot]

Why does it have to be a Welsh manager?

 

Who else would want it??

[Cobs]

Who else would want it??

[Stanley Leisure]

Anyone else hear the actual radio broadcast that the quotes came from? Its great stuff - the presenter just berates him for about 5 minutes and so Savage just wanders down an argument cul de sac and just stops - its great.

 

Its actually on Sky Sports news in about 3 mins.

Edited March 9, 2006 by Stanley Leisure

[Herbie von Smalls]

Anyone else hear the actual radio broadcast that the quotes came from? Its great stuff - the presenter just berates him for about 5 minutes and so Savage just wanders down an argument cul de sac and just stops - its great.

 

Its actually on Sky Sports news in about 3 mins.

i thought the presenter was rather partisan tbh. i'm no apologist for savage, who clearly can't think without speaking first, but leighton james was doing a pretty good impersonation of a toshack fan.

[Guest kaip]

Savage was having a barney on air with leighton james.......who is a c***