WALES manager John Toshack (pictured) lifted the lid on his frustration with the current plight of the national team yesterday by insisting: "I know we are in a mess and I take full responsibility for it."
Wales take on Northern Ireland at Windsor Park today (kick-off 2pm) knowing that they can't catch their hosts in Group Five even if they win and that if they lose, an embarrassing wooden spoon clash with Azerbaijan on Wednesday will be a reality.
Toshack, who has presided over four successive competitive defeats, believes he is still a couple of years away from having the squad and resources that he needs to get Wales to a major tournament, but admits recent performances could and should have been better.
He explained: "I would take 100% responsibility for the results we have had, I wouldn't blame anyone other than myself, we haven't been good enough and aren't creative enough."
Not only is Tosh shouldering the blame for the results but he is set to take decisive action as well, Wales are set to ditch their 5-4-1 formation adopted by Tosh in the last three competitive games and will revert today to a more tried and trusted 4-4-2.
But the injury curse continues to hinder the manager, and he was rocked yesterday when young Ipswich goalkeeper Lewis Price, who was set for his first competitive start at senior level today, hobbled out of training at Windsor Park with a recurrence of the hip injury that blighted him last season.
If Price fails a fitness test this morning, then 38-year-old Paul Jones will receive a recall, with uncapped Gillingham stopper Jason Brown set for a place on the substitutes' bench.
In defence Toshack is without the injured Robert Page and the suspended Danny Gabbidon, so Newport's James Collins will start alongside Bristol City's David Partridge.
Collins is relishing the opportunity to stake a claim for a regular birth at both club and country and admits that the 2-2 draw with Ireland at the Millennium Stadium last season, where his mistake cost Wales a goal, still haunts him.
"Slipping over for their second goal still sticks in my mind from last time and still hurts," he said.
"I wouldn't personally call it a mistake because I just slipped, but if you play in my position and slip then 70% of the time it will result in a goal. "But that memory is a nice motivator for today, I have put it behind me and now I just want to concentrate on us getting a result."
Aston Villa's Mark Delaney comes back into the side at right-back at the expense of Richard Duffy, but Swansea City's Sam Ricketts keeps his place as 'Thatchergate' continues to rumble on.
However, Toshack is defiant on the subject and believes he has the experience to know how to deal with players like Thatcher and Robbie Savage, who aimed a fresh attack at Toshack yesterday.
"There will always be people who agree with you and people who don't," Toshack said.
"I have to do things the way I see fit, it is very difficult for a player to pull the wool over my eyes, because after 27 years in the game you get to know all the excuses."
Toshack is able to call upon a first choice midfield today, his favoured pairing of Carl Robinson and Carl Fletcher will be supported by Simon Davies and skipper Ryan Giggs, the only world-class performer on either team.
Injury to Craig Bellamy means that West Brom exile Robert Earnshaw will start alongside John Hartson in attack, with further injuries to Rob Edwards and Jason Koumas restricting Toshack's options on the bench.
Northern Ireland also have injury concerns, particularly in goal, second- choice stopper Roy Carroll is ruled out with a dislocated finger, and first- choice stopper Maik Taylor is understood to be less than 100% due to a back injury.
Wales (probable): Price/Jones, Delaney, Ricketts, Partridge, Collins, Davies, Giggs, Robinson, Fletcher, Hartson, Earnshaw. Northern Ireland (Probable): Taylor, M Duff, Craigan, Murdock, Capaldi, Gillespie, D Johnson, S Davis, Elliott, J Quinn, Healy.
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