Wales Reporter Notebook: Euro 2024 qualification can be achieved without Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale
Beware of overconfidence. That simple message combined with how to break down Finland’s defence and ensure Wales’ remains intact is a key part of Rob Page's build-up to their Euro 2024 play-off semi-final.
Wales dislike being favourites. It doesn't sit well outwardly with the group's mentality and most probably with most supporters. Underdog is far better. So why is this part of the narrative?
Don't misjudge by assuming the Wales players and Page are quivering wrecks with self-confidence doubts, they are not that. They believe in their ability and they have a very competent psychologist in Ian Mitchell who works with the team. He has been well known to the Welsh set-up for some time, he's also helped England and Gareth Southgate in the past.
Yet 'underdog' sits more comfortably with Wales, certainly when there is a lot of external 'noise' - that's code for people like me!
Wales like the backs-to-the-wall build-up, the David vs Goliath scenario. They can feed off it as they have done during several World Cup and Euros qualifying campaigns and at tournaments, most notably Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.
Wales are a small nation with a much smaller pool of available playing talent than some nations, so it's inevitable one would wish to prove doubters wrong and bring down a bigger, more powerful foe.
However, Finland - and I mean no disrespect to the Finns - are a team Wales should beat. Wales' players are man-for-man better, but are they a better team on the night? We'll soon see.
And that's where tactics and perhaps a little luck come in. Finland will be physical, they'll pose a set-piece threat and defensively they will aim to be compact and narrow Wales, negate the pace players like Brennan Johnson, Dan James and Neco Williams offer.
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