Gemma Grainger allowed herself a cursory smile before returning seamlessly to her reliably unswerving pragmatism. The odds of getting the Wales Women’s manager to admit, even in jest, that her side’s upcoming clashes against Greece and Slovenia – from which if four points are secured Wales will clinch a historic berth in the 2023 World Cup play-offs – are anything beyond “game day nine” and “game day 10” were always going to be slim.
But even international managers can outdo themselves.
“People talk to me about the play-offs, and I’m like 'yes, the play-offs exist, we’re currently not in the play-offs,” Grainger said in the lead-up to Wales’ penultimate qualifier away to Greece. “Our ambitions have been outlined from the beginning. We know what the target is, but it’s very much our focus [on Friday]." She pauses slightly, then adds: “Which is game nine.”
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In a landscape which habitually sees women’s football coverage swept up in romanticism and unabashed cheerleading, Grainger’s pragmatism is not only refreshing but grounding.
For those already having conniptions over the convoluted minutia of Uefa’s 2023 World Cup play-off permutations, Grainger’s straight-talking is exactly the tonic needed for a team which has demonstrated an excruciating habit of falling short at the final hurdle.
“It has to come from the top,” said Wales captain and Chelsea stalwart Sophie Ingle. “If Gemma relays that message, then that’s the way we’re going to deal with it as players.”
It is not to say that the squad doesn't know the facts. That would be to suggest Grainger isn’t the pragmatic strategist she has cut herself over this eight-game campaign (spoiler alert: she is). Indeed, Wales know only 11 European teams will qualify for the World Cup. They know they’re ranked 19th among them. And they know, deep down, with second-place in the group firmly in their hands, these games have big consequences.
“But we also know that the mentality and the culture that we’re building here is about qualifying for major tournaments consistently,” Grainger said. “So yes, these games are huge, but what’s more important is delivering in those games, hitting the standards that we’ve been in this campaign. We know if we do that, the results will take care of themselves.”
Ingle specified mentality as the chief slim margin which has prevented Wales from getting over the elusive major tournament line.
“In the past, we would say we believed, but did we really, as a whole?” Ingle said. “Whereas I think now, the full squad believes we can compete against the best teams.”
Such is the acid test. Wales arrive in Volos, Greece, as match favourites. So, too, against Slovenia in Cardiff next Tuesday. It is a position in which Wales have not historically found themselves, so often the underdog playing with 11 behind the ball and a game-plan of mitigation. Instead, Wales enter group I’s final stages as the team to beat.
Greece v Wales kicks-off at 6pm UK time on Friday, September 2. A record crowd of more than 10,000 is then expected to cheer Wales on in their final qualifier against Slovenia at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, September 6 (7.45pm kick-off).
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