Hughes stunned by Toshack attack

John Toshack hit out on BBC Wales

Mark Hughes was forced to defend his team from an attack by former national boss John Toshack, after claiming the draw against Norway was the best display under his management.

The Wales chief was surprised to hear that Toshack had blasted senior players, including Ryan Giggs, while commenting on the game as a TV pundit for BBC Wales.

The fact that Toshack, who had just one embarrassing game in control of Wales - ironically a 3-1 defeat by Norway in 1994 - expanded his views in an article, will have done nothing to diminish the annoyance of Hughes and his players.

Hughes had seen his hard-working heroes get to within 10 minutes of a famous World Cup qualifying-group victory after a stunning Nathan Blake header had sent 51,000 Welsh hearts soaring in the Millennium Stadium.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but it doesn't mean I have to respect it

  Wales manager Mark Hughes

Thorstein Helstad's scrambled equaliser forced a fortunate draw for Norway before Toshack, who has just been appointed the new boss of French club St Etienne, launched his verbal broadside.

A clearly surprised Hughes hit back, saying: "If people want to criticise easy targets because they think they can criticise the senior players in the squad, they have to live with that and be honest with themselves and honest with what they have seen.

"It's always been the case that criticism works to bind players together, I'm aware of that and maybe some people are not as positive towards Wales games and performances as other people are. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion but it doesn't mean I have to respect it."

Toshack's criticism

Toshack had said: "We've got to pressurise this Welsh side to do better.

"With the sort of players that Wales have in John Hartson, Gary Speed and Nathan Blake, they should be competing more consistently.

I believe the fans have a right to expect a little better from their national team

  John Toshack

"And is it too much to ask Giggs to get down the wing on more than five or six times in a game, the way he does for Manchester United. I believe the fans have a right to expect a little better from their national team.

"Yet at times I wondered if the players really realised just what huge stakes they were playing for.

"Why do we seem to think we are incapable of qualifying? Wales possess players who have proved themselves in the Premiership.

"Yet these days it seems we are satisfied if Ryan Giggs just turns up for Wales."

Wales, 113th in the world, had played exceptionally well, particularly in the second half and had Norway rocking, so Hughes was taken aback to be informed of some of the criticism.

Motivation

But he said: "My team are together as a group and although they read and hear things, sometimes they feel it's unjust and sometimes they think what's said is correct.

"You use that to motivate yourself, I don't have to do it specifically for them.

"It's harder for me to take criticism of my team now I'm a manager than it was as a player.

I'm upset by the comments and I don't see a need for it. The team played really well, certainly in the second half

  Wales striker Nathan Blake

"That's because I know how hard they try and the effort they put into everything that we ask them to do.

"When Ryan Giggs gets the ball there's a thrill going through the crowd, and rightly so. I felt we were the only team trying to play the ball through midfield and have some kind of pattern of play."

Players' response

Wales skipper Gary Speed brushed aside the complaints, saying: "We are not interested in people who criticise us on TV.

"We are in the business of getting results for this country. It's important to believe in us."

Blake added: "It's easy to point the finger. I'm upset by the comments and I don't see a need for it. The team played really well, certainly in the second half.

People can sit and pick holes in anybody, but I doubt they played every game brilliantly at international level

  Wales striker Nathan Blake

"People can sit and pick holes in anybody, but I doubt they played every game brilliantly at international level."

After four successive defeats, including last month's opening qualifying reverse in Belarus, Hughes was already aware that the snipping at his side had started and he was more than conscious of the need for a morale-boosting performance. And he believed that his side had achieved just that in front of the Cardiff crowd.

Hughes' match analysis

He said: "The manner of the performance against a very good Norway side was pleasing, the lads didn't allow them to play.

"We knew what they would play like and I think I got my tactics spot on by playing Chris Coleman at left back, he was outstanding. He was there to counter them in the air, certainly at the back post, and it worked well.

The manner of the performance against a very good Norway side was pleasing, the lads didn't allow them to play

  Wales manager Mark Hughes

"I spoke to them before the game, and said it was time to show what good players they are, and I believe they are good players. They have taken a lot of stick from many quarters.

"Some warranted, some certainly not warranted. But they went out and performed and I was delighted for them."

He added: "I was aware that the players had the determination from very early on in the week that they wanted to go out and show everybody in the stadium that they can perform at this level, and that's what they have done.

"The lads have taken great heart with the way they played and that will certainly help us going to Poland on Wednesday.

"I think my tactics surprised Norway. I've found that since I've been manager you have to address the tactical side because if you don't you can find yourself very quickly behind in games.

"When I saw their team sheet and Tore Andre Flo wasn't playing I felt I might have got it wrong, but in the end they reverted to type and played how I expected them to.

"I knew they would work on getting Steffen Iversen onto the ball on diagonal runs across the box and that's why I used Coleman at full-back, and he played out of his skin.

"After half an hour Iversen went to play on the other wing, so that showed that what we did had worked."