For the best part of a decade Wales’ mantra ‘Together Stronger’ has been an embodiment of the team itself.

The connection between the players was something other international sides could only envy whilst the red wall has supported its side across all corners of Europe.

From Chris Gunter telling fans to keep their chin up after the 2-1 loss to England at EURO 2016, or the spontaneous singing of the national anthem when Wales needed a goal against Austria, the symbiosis between players and fans has been one of unwavering support.

However, after Wales missed out on qualification for EURO 2024 and then drew 0-0 at Gibraltar before a 4-0 drubbing by Slovakia, fans displayed their anger at both the team and in particular manager Rob Page.

Ironic chants of “in transition” along with boos greeting Page when he tried to take the blame for Wales’ poor performance in Trnava, in the first open protest at Page’s reign as head coach.

There have been murmurings amongst fans for a while. Page took over as Wales’ head coach on an interim basis in November 2020 and led Wales to the last-16 of the European Championships before a 4-0 loss against Denmark where his tactics were criticised after the Danes switched things up in the first half.

Page led Wales to a first World Cup since 1958 in Qatar and was offered a new four-year contract, however, Wales crashed out in the group stages and despite a strong start to their subsequent EURO qualifying campaign, consecutive losses in the summer against Armenia and Turkey left them teetering on the edge of qualification failure.

Ultimately, they would fall at the final hurdle, drawing 0-0 in the play-off final against Poland before losing on penalties.

Speaking on this week’s Sportin Wales podcast talkSPORT journalist Laurence Mora feels Page has been consistently criticised for his failures whilst never praised for his successes.

“We shouldn’t expect to qualify for every single tournament, that’s an expectation that will never be fulfilled, however against Poland I felt we were so dominant and after 20 minutes it felt like that Polish team had nothing to offer,” said Mora.

“I felt we could have been a bit more positive from that position and maybe Rob Page is kicking himself a bit, as if we’d have been a bit more positive and gone after it then it would have been finished in normal time or maybe extra time.

“I can see what Rob’s trying to do and I think he deserves more credit than he deserves, people are a bit too down on him, he took charge in a really difficult time and the Ryan Giggs situation.

“He made life really easy for the FAW and smoothed things over for them, made it an easy transition and the players got behind him because he’s a great bloke and they played for him.”

Wales and Wycombe striker Sam Vokes was part of some of Wales’ most memorable nights, scoring the third goal in Wales’ 3-1 win against Belgium at EURO 2016 and says it was “tough” to hear fans booing their national team.

“Fans are entitled to their opinion, and they’re just as frustrated as the players and staff because it’s been a tough couple of months,” said Vokes.

“The group stages weren’t ideal from our point of view, the points we dropped were huge and that’s why we didn’t get there but I went to the play-off semi-final, and I thought that was as well as we’ve played for a long time.

“The Poland game was frustrating, and that group of lads will be hurting. The expectation is there from the fans and themselves, we’ve been to tournaments, got a feel for it and we want to get back there. But it’s not that easy there’re teams in the way.

“In the early years in the lead up to EURO 2016 there were some tough times, we experienced being out before the group stages even started in some instances and some bad losses away, the Serbia one, 6-1, sticks out massively for me.

“I hope this group will learn for this and that team against Gibraltar shows the transition we’re in as a group and a team as a minute and unfortunately sometimes you have to learn as a group.”

In ‘Transition’

That word “transition” has been at the heart of Wales fans’ frustrations. It has been at the heart of Page’s rhetoric in the post-Gareth Bale, Chris Gunter and Joe Allen era, however it perhaps hasn’t been accepted yet by the fans.

“The word transition is winding up Wales fans I speak to, about Rob Page using it,” said Mora.

“The reason a lot of Wales fans feel we’re not a team in transition is the nucleus of the team is the nucleus of the last two years just without Gareth Bale and Joe Allen, while Wayne Hennessey has moved on in terms of age and starting matches.

“Behind the starting team the squad players tend to be a bit older with the likes of Josh Sheehan etcetera, while Vokes and co were kids when the likes of John Toshack and Brian Flynn were pushing them through.”

For Vokes, the use of the word transition is representative of moving from “the greatest player for Wales ever” in Bale.

“Bale was the greatest, not just on the pitch but a leader off the pitch and it creates a whole different feeling when he was on the pitch in his flow state,” said Vokes.

“When Gareth was at his peak, we had a great team but sometimes we were just staying in games and he would find a way to win it for us, that Poland game would have been one where it’s 0-0 and he produces a bit of magic.

“It’s a huge transition, we’ve got some great players as a group, but I don’t think we’ve got that individual who can turn it for us in and win us the game. We do have that nucleus with the likes of Ethan Ampadu who has 50 caps which is amazing at such a young age, but we still have a lot to learn away from Bale and Allen.

“I think it’s affected us more than we thought when Bale retired, Allen and Gareth weren’t the most vocal, but they’d lead by example in training every day, some of the greatest players I’ve seen.”

Bale, Vokes, Allen and Aaron Ramsey were amongst a large group of youngsters given their debuts by Toshack, “thrown in at the deep end” according to Vokes before going on to achieve great things with the national side.

Mora feels perhaps a similar approach is needed under Page with the likes of Lewis Koumas, Ethan Biancheri, Charlie Crew and Fin Stevens waiting in the wings, ready to come through.

“I think some players in that game against Gibraltar played themselves out of international football rather than into it,” said Mora.

“It just showed there’s a gap between the first team squad and the talented youngsters coming through.

“Rob Page now has a choice to either take stick with these players on the periphery who don’t look ready for international football or to bring in these 18, 19-year-olds with Crew and Koumas and work with them.

“Not to single out Josh Sheehan but, at 29, is he going to offer Wales a decade of performances? No probably not, so do we go with those sorts of players or go with the youngsters coming through.

“I think the latter is what Rob Page’s got to do and that’s when it would feel like a proper transition for Wales fans, because the side against Gibraltar wasn’t a youth side, it had a lack of caps but it wasn’t that young.”

Koumas ‘Potential’ Shines Through

Koumas was one who was given his debut in the friendly against Gibraltar and as the son of former Wales midfield maestro Jason, he comes from “good stock” in the eyes of Vokes.

“I played alongside his dad years ago when I was coming through and some of the things he did in training, he was so talented,” said Vokes.

“With Lewis you could see against Gibraltar, even just that snapshot, he’s so sharp around the box.

“All you need is for a little bit of luck and for that to go the other side of the post and that’s your first goal and you’re up and running.

“He looks like he’s got a lot of potential, it’s great to see him being in and around the squad and hopefully he can get more caps in the Nations League coming up.”

Should Page Stay Or Go?

So, should Page stay or should he go? For Mora, it would perhaps be premature to assess Wales’ head coach on this summer.

“I think if you back him after the Poland game and say he’s going to be the man for the Nation’s League then on the back of a couple of friendlies it feels a bit unfair to sack Rob Page,” said Mora.

“EURO 2016 apart, we’re never really any good in the summer and we’re a different side in the Autumn and whether Page is in charge or not I can see us challenging Iceland, Turkey and Montenegro and potentially winning that Nation’s League group.

“I think Page has a hard job on his hands convincing the fans he’s the man to take them forward which is maybe a bit unfair considering what he’s done and the success he’s had with Wales and the joy he’s brought with the World Cup qualification.

“It’s a tricky situation at the moment but we’ll see what the FAW does because as every footballer knows that if the chairman or CEO is coming under pressure, then there’s normally only one winner and it’s not the manager.”

Vokes believes Page is still the right man for the job.

“It’s been a bad week for Wales, but I don’t think you can judge Page on this last week,” said Vokes.

“I personally think he’s still the right man, he’s had a lot to deal with over the last year or so and I think the transition has been a huge thing.

“Also, you can see there’s that unity between the staff and the manager as well.”