World Cup 2022: Boss Robert Page says Wales need to use their Qatar 'disappointment'
- Published
Robert Page won 41 caps for Wales as a player
Manager Robert Page says Wales need to use the "hurt" and "disappointment" of their World Cup exit to lift them to further major tournaments.
Wales qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 under Page, but disappointed in Qatar.
"We didn't meet expectations... and that's why it has taken me this long to speak - it hurts me," Page explained.
Page also said he expects Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey to continue to play a key role for Wales.
Wales' lacklustre World Cup performance saw them score only once in three group games and Page said he has "mixed emotions" over his side's performances.
"If I am honest it is a mixture of emotions. I am really proud to have got there and want to thank all the supporters who made the effort to go, but I have a bit of disappointment, I can't lie," he told BBC Sport Wales.
"It has not been an easy couple of weeks. It hurts watching World Cup games. But that speaks volumes about how far we have come as a nation.
"Look how far we've come. We have to build on that now. We have to learn from what we've done in Qatar and build on it for the future.
"It felt like we were just happy to get there and as a group we will address it and look to move forward.
"We didn't reach the levels we know we can, that is the disappointment. I take full responsibility for that."
Page received a vote of "complete confidence" from Football Association of Wales chief Noel Mooney, despite their World Cup disappointment.
After taking over from Ryan Giggs as interim head coach, Page oversaw qualification to League A in the Nations League for the first time, reached the last 16 of the Euro 2020 finals, and made history in June as Wales reached the World Cup finals for the first time since 1958.
However, the achievement of reaching Qatar - ending a 64-year wait - was tempered as they fell at the first hurdle.
An opening group-stage draw against the USA was followed by a 2-0 defeat by Iran and a 3-0 loss against England as Wales were knocked out.
Page was confirmed as permanent boss in September 2022, signing a deal that should see the 48-year-old in charge for the qualifying campaigns for Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup.
He says Wales are now entering a "transition" period where they must learn from their experiences at the World Cup.
"The level of performance we showed in the Nations League against Netherlands and Belgium, we fell below that," he said.
"If we'd have met those standards I feel we would have given USA, Iran and England more of a game.
"Of course there are lessons learned - could we have gone with fresher legs from the start? It's easy to say now, in hindsight.
"We need to get the next group of players coming through now. We've seen the athleticism from some of the teams at the World Cup and we need that to keep us at the top table.
"We need energy and pace in the team. We are already in the process of doing what we need to make us competitive.
"We know we need some fresh blood and new blood in the dressing room and changes will be made."
Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale have both struggled for regular games at their clubs this season
Bale and Ramsey 'still massive'
Page says he is still keen to see the continuation of Bale and Ramsey's international careers, despite his desire to get more youth into the squad.
Bale, 33, is Wales' men's leading goalscorer, most-capped player and has been their talisman since making his debut as a teenager.
Ramsey, 31, has been almost as important for his country, with the Nice midfielder starting all Wales' games in Qatar.
However, despite Bale scoring Wales' only goal of the World Cup, he and Ramsey fell way short of the exceptional standards they have set.
Formerly the most expensive player in the world at Real Madrid, Bale has already made clear he intends to continue for Wales, saying he'll "keep going as long as I can," and "as long as I'm wanted".
Page feels it would be foolish for Wales to move on from senior stars such as Bale and Ramsey, feeling they still have a "massive" part to play.
"When you are talking about the senior players, the likes of Aaron [Ramsey], Gareth [Bale] and Joe [Allen] and all the senior players there, they still have a massive part to play for us going forward," he added.
"How we use them might be slightly different, but they still have a massive part to play for Welsh football."
Page says that limited game time for their clubs negatively impacted Bale and Ramsey's form in Qatar.
Bale featured mostly as a substitute for MLS side Los Angeles FC this season, while Ramsey has only completed 90 minutes three times for Nice since joining on a free transfer from Juventus.
"Lack of match minutes was a big part of it [their lack of form] and that was the dilemma I had out there - it is your heart versus your head," Page said.
"They had both earned the right to be there. It isn't Gareth's fault he hasn't played as many minutes as he wanted. Does he still have the quality? Absolutely.
"Gareth still has a big part to play, whether starting games or coming off the bench and scoring winning goals for us."
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