Rob Page has always been a man of maxims, but the Wales manager’s post-match press conference following Friday’s 4-2 Euro 2024 qualifying loss to Armenia was exceptionally Page-cryptic.
Everything happens for a reason, the Wales manager averred to a room full of confounded media. Maybe this is the slap in the face a starry-eyed nation needs. A reality check.
Only, the last few months since last year’s World Cup qualification have felt like one long tortuous uninterrupted cold-water slap in the face. Wales have won one game in their last 11 since defeating Ukraine in their qualification play-off final, a streak that has felt more like an agonising blur of familiar missteps and frustrations than individual spars. Wales have scored 10 goals in total, conceded 20 and kept one clean sheet.
