Wales v Scotland: Chris Coleman’s job on the line in Cardiff showdown

Published on 11/10/2012 11:19

MUCH has been made of the pressure on Craig Levein’s shoulders going into tomorrow night’s World Cup qualifier, but his Wales counterpart Chris Coleman could face the axe if his side fail to pick up all three points.

• Chris Coleman under intense pressure following poor start

• Wales need a win against Scotland to revitalise their campaign

Wales go into the Battle of Britain encounter having lost both their opening matches in Group A against Belgium and Serbia, meaning that a win in Cardiff against the Scots is absolutely vital if they are to salvage any hopes of reaching Rio in 2014.

A 2-0 home defeat to a star-studded Belgium side could have been expected, but the manner of Wales’ 6-1 drubbing in Serbia, against a team with a widely recognised lack of firepower, has underlined the importance of tomorrow’s fixture.

While Welsh FA chief executive Jonathan Ford insists that Coleman, who took on the job following the tragic death of Gary Speed, has his full support, that position is likely to change if Scotland come away with a victory.

He said: “Some points on the board is a bit of a must in my mind.

“We sat down with Chris after the shock defeat in Serbia. Nobody wanted to come away from that match in the way we did and Chris took some time to reflect on what he was trying to do with the legacy that Gary had left us.

“The manager has to make his own decisions.”

Asked if Wales needed two good results against Scotland and Croatia, Ford said: “Absolutely. It was always going to be a very difficult task after Gary but our support is absolutely with Chris, 100 per cent.”