Coleman throws hat into the ring

13 April 2012

Fulham manager Chris Coleman is ready to talk to the Welsh FA after it emerged that he is high on their list of candidates to replace outgoing coach Mark Hughes.

With No 1 choice John Toshack an unpopular candidate among the Wales players, officials at the FAW are considering an approach for Coleman, Swansea born and capped 32 times.

It was previously thought that the 34-year-old would not consider leaving a Premiership job in order to manage his struggling nation. But according to those close to the Fulham manager, he is becoming increasingly disillusioned with life at Craven Cottage and is particularly wary of a proposed takeover of the club by a syndicate from Turkey.

Brothers Husni and Halil Falyali insist talks are on-going regarding an £85million offer but Fulham owner Mohamed Fayed says he has not met the Turks nor has he any thoughts of selling up.

Nevertheless, although the Wales job brings a salary of only half the £600,000 Coleman earns at Fulham, he would consider moving if the FAW presented him with an attractive package. Interest in Coleman could lift the spirits of the Wales players, who have threatened to end their international careers if Toshack gets the job, and would cheer fans depressed because their country's hopes of World Cup qualification have all but ended after only four games.

The FAW will have been pleased that another possible candidate, newly retired skipper Gary Speed, has openly admitted he would be interested in the vacancy - despite the words of caution from his Bolton manager Sam Allardyce.

Speed told icons.com last night: 'If they want to talk to me I will listen. It means a lot to me that the players and Mark have backed me. I'm aware of Sam Allardyce's views on this, that he'd rather I concentrated on Bolton. So you can understand why I've said that if I'm approached, he'll be the first person I speak to.'

Allardyce said last night: 'I'll have a long discussion with Gary about the Wales situation after the Crystal Palace game on Saturday.

'The biggest objective for the FAW if they want Gary will be to pay us £750,000 for his services because that's what we had to pay Newcastle for him this summer. I think Brian Flynn, the old Wrexham manager, would be the best option because he has much more experience than Gary, for whom a No 2 role would be more feasible.'

It also became clear that former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier remains keen on the Wales job.

Losing 3-2 to Poland in Cardiff on Wednesday left Wales with just two points from four games in Group Six as Hughes' five-year reign came to an end. Speed has already announced his international retirement and it is feared the likes of Ryan Giggs and John Hartson will soon follow.

Last night, Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy captured the squad's mood when he said: 'At the moment I'm not sure who I want as manager. None of the names excite me.'

However, midfielder Carl Robinson has lined up in the Speed camp. The Sunderland man said: 'Gary is extremely influential on and off the pitch and he has this aura about him which makes people take notice.'

Poland defender Tomasz Hajto has hit out at Wales' tactics and accused midfielder Robbie Savage of being a 'showman'. He said: 'Wales didn't play football, they were kicking, fouling, biting and pinching us. Savage was the worst. He is a showman, not a footballer.'

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David Jones (Footballer)

Coleman throws hat into the ring

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