But, in the immediate aftermath of Speed’s death, when we sharedWales’s grief as a nation, Verheijen took the unusual step of announcing his interest in the role via Twitter, only two weeks after ‘Speedo’ had passed away. “Hopefully the board will respectGary’s wish so (fellow assistant) Osian Roberts and I can lead the team toBrazil”, the Dutchman proclaimed, leading to claims ex-striker Iwan Roberts labelling Verheijen “selfish”.
The FAW responded by saying that the issue of the job had not been discussed, nor would it be until the New Year. And so, as the tinsel has been packed away back in the attic and we adapt to life in 2012 and, the issue has been raised again by a potential successor, although this time he is Welsh.
Chris Coleman’s name is more resonant to those familiar with the Premier League than Verheijen’s, although he cannot lay claim to having experienced any major tournaments, neither as a manager nor a player. His recent interest in the top job in Welsh football came after he announced this week that he would be leaving Greek second division side, Larissa. Before being in charge there – which only last 12 games – he had previously been at the helm of Fulham, Real Sociedad and Coventry City.
Save for the six games (out of twelve) he won at Larissa, his win percentage as a manager has never surpassed 40%, which is probably what prompted the verbose Roberts to label, in the wake of Coleman’s proclamation, that his “unlucky” countryman should not be given the job either.
Although the former Norwich and Leicester striker states that Coleman “did a fantastic job at Fulham”, he deems his time at Coventryless profitable: “He didn’t really do the best atCoventry. He struggled there in all honesty”. On Coleman’s prospects for the Welsh job, Roberts commented that he was “not too sure if Chris would be the answer”.
What the connotations are of Roberts’s continued commenting on the candidates is unclear, as he does not seem to be putting himself forward. However, what is clear is that the FAW need to act quickly, but professionally, if they are to continue Speed’s dream ofWalesreaching the World Cup in Brazil 2014.
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