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Ryan Giggs: Wales boss angered by 'complacent' display in Albania

By Dafydd PritchardBBC Sport Wales in Elbasan

Last updated on .From the section Welshcomments189

Ryan Giggs: 'We got what we deserved' in Albania defeat, says Wales boss

Wales manager Ryan Giggs was scathing in his criticism of his "complacent" players after their humiliating 1-0 friendly defeat in Albania.

Tuesday's loss in Elbasan was Giggs' fifth in nine matches in charge.

Wales wasted several chances before conceding a second-half penalty, which Bekim Balaj converted to condemn the visitors to defeat.

"They let themselves down," said Giggs. "The performance was not good enough and we got what we deserved."

"We controlled the game in the first half, but we thought it was going to be too easy. We were too complacent. Concentration wasn't there."

While Giggs recognised he and his side only had themselves to blame for the embarrassing result, Wales were not helped by some dubious refereeing decisions.

Albania midfielder Taulant Xhaka was lucky not to be sent off after headbutting David Brooks, and it was Xhaka who was brought down by Harry Wilson for the match-winning penalty.

Wilson should then have had a spot-kick of his own when he was seemingly fouled by Migjen Basha, only for referee to Dejan Jakimovksi to award Wales a corner.

"I don't think the referee or his decisions had anything to do with the result," said Giggs.

"We should have been out of sight by then so I don't want to put any blame on the referee."

This was meant to be a night of celebration for Wales and Chris Gunter, who was making a record-breaking 93rd appearance for his country.

He captained the side for only the second time but the occasion was spoiled by Wales' dismal defeat.

"It's a shame we couldn't mark it, this unbelievable achievement, with a positive result," said Giggs.

"Chris will be disappointed but, overall when you look outside this game, what he's done for Wales, what he's done for Welsh football is amazing.

"It might be a record that never gets beaten.

"It's a true show of how dedicated he is, how much he loves playing football, he looks after himself and he deserves all the plaudits he gets for breaking the record."

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189 comments

  • Comment posted by McWibble, at 03:13 21 Nov 2018

    The cheek of him. Have any of the BBC's reporters got the bollocks to call him out on the 179 times he declared himself unfit to play? Please, just let one of them have the guts to call him out.

  • Comment posted by Arsenal42, at 08:16 21 Nov 2018

    It's a bit hypocritical for Giggs to be calling the players complacent when he didn't even bother turning up for friendlies when he was a player

  • Comment posted by U17273362, at 23:19 20 Nov 2018

    Good of Ryan Giggs to turn up for Wales.Hardly ever did as a player.

  • Comment posted by BRIAN666, at 23:52 20 Nov 2018

    Serves Giggs right - evil gremlin of a man

    Days like these make me miss the great man Gary Speed all the more.

  • Comment posted by Gareth1980, at 08:09 21 Nov 2018

    Giggs is a winner and cannot cope with the level of football Wales play. Rather than motivate his players his, he prefer's to criticise them. He will never have a team of world class players so for me he is the wrong man for the job. Welsh Fan.

  • Comment posted by aintreehammer, at 08:49 21 Nov 2018

    Giggs got this one wrong. He needed to stand up and take the flak himself, but chose to publicly blame the players. Bad move, that could come back and haunt him. You would have thought that after all those years under Sir Alex he would have learned something? HAVE A GO IN THE DRESSING ROOM, NOT THE PRESS ROOM.

  • Comment posted by Glowing Gammon, at 08:27 21 Nov 2018

    Giggs turns on his players. I wonder how long he'll last?

    In other Wales related sports news, you've got to wonder about the 16 year old who abused the 6'3" 17 stone Gareth Thomas?! What sort of child was this? What sort of fearless lunatic would consider that a viable option? We need to know more.

  • Comment posted by Jon , at 00:13 21 Nov 2018

    unusual to see that best friend of this brothers wife turn up for a friendly

  • Comment posted by Redrob, at 00:20 21 Nov 2018

    There's no way Wales would have lost there under a decent manager. Giggs living on past glories and unable to set up the team competitively. Should nit have lost twice to Denmark but he managed that too. He's got to take responsibility and stop blaming the players who he picks and sets out on the pitch.

  • Comment posted by Them, at 09:58 21 Nov 2018

    At least they turned up to play, something you rarely did for a friendly

  • Comment posted by Johners, at 01:16 21 Nov 2018

    Well, at least Giggs is well qualified to comment on letting yourself down.

  • Comment posted by barca, at 22:45 20 Nov 2018

    Sack Giggs!

  • Comment posted by Googly, at 08:35 21 Nov 2018

    Looks like Giggs has ambitions of one day being Man Utd manager - he's already practising the 'it wasn't my fault, it was my players' school of management.

  • Comment posted by Finkelstein, at 08:30 21 Nov 2018

    Ryan Giggs: Wales boss angered by 'complacent' display in Albania.

    Wales got exactly what they deserved and that was nothing.

    Its a little rich of Giggs to say his players didn't turn up when he had a reputation for turning his back on Wales. I think the reality of management is beginning to hit Giggs and he realises that its not that easy even when you play third world opposition.

  • Comment posted by Glad All Over - CPFC, at 08:02 21 Nov 2018

    And to think some dismissed Scotland winning 4-0 in the same stadium because it was ‘only’ Albania.

  • Comment posted by firminos teeth, at 08:05 21 Nov 2018

    Giggs angered that his managerial reputation is going down......

    Good show of support there Giggsy.

  • Comment posted by sock, at 08:05 21 Nov 2018

    Ryan Giggs is typical of modern day life. You only learn your trade by experience. He needs to be managing a lower league team where there is football week in week out so that he can get it right. Giggs knows how to kick a football but is clueless about management. It's not his fault. He has been pushed into it. But he will learn nothing with a game every few months. I feel sorry for him.

  • Comment posted by matt, at 01:00 21 Nov 2018

    If your not going to put your best team out what do you expect

  • Comment posted by JOHN CULLEN, at 12:14 21 Nov 2018

    Why do these ex Manchester United players like Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville think they can go straight into top flight management without working their way up through the ranks. There are far more worthy managers who could do a much better job than Giggs. He just oozes arrogance, he thinks he should be manager of Man Unt!

  • Comment posted by derby mitch, at 12:04 21 Nov 2018

    At least he can be consoled by the sister in law 👌👌👌

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