Bale and Ramsey can shine against England – Allen

Wales’ Joe Allen says team-mates Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey can be up to the task when they face England who need a win for any chance of progressing to the last 16 of the Cup Of the world.

wales Now they have to beat England on Tuesday and hope the USA draw with Iran.

“Two incredible players – they are and have been for our country,” said Allen, who is fit to start England.

“I don’t think there’s anyone else in the squad who has reached the heights he’s capable of.

“It’s a big game coming up. They’re big players and always have been and hopefully, if there’s been any criticism, they’ll be able to respond to some of that criticism with a great performance.”

This is Wales’ first World Cup appearance for 64 years but, after months of preparation, their performances in Qatar have been disappointing.

Lucky to get away with one draw in their first game against the United States, Robert Page’s men were serious against Iran, repeating the mistakes they made against the States and were thoroughly outplayed by their opponents.

Bale and Ramsey are two giants of Welsh football. Wales captain and all-time top scorer in men’s football, Bale is widely regarded as the country’s best player, while Ramsey is not far behind in the rankings.

Against Iran, however, they produced two of their worst displays in international football and finished the game with the the lowest ratings of any Wales player by BBC Sport readers.

If there was the slightest bit of positive news to take from the Iran defeat, it was Allen’s return to midfield as a late substitute, after a hamstring injury had kept him out since September.

“[It is] mixed feelings about the pride of playing for my country in a World Cup but a very disappointing performance and result,” said Allen, who confirmed he is now “good to go” against England.

“We’re not where we expected to be two games into the group stage. In terms of what went wrong, I don’t think there’s anything you can put your finger on.

“We’ve gone through all the places where we can improve and, so far, it hasn’t been a fair reflection of what we’re capable of.

“It was a real disappointment because we can offer a lot more and we will certainly have to in the next game.”

Wales face a daunting task as they aim to get out of their group, a feat achieved in the country’s previous three major tournaments.

In their only other World Cup appearance, in 1958, Wales reached the quarter-finals, and at Euro 2016 and Euro 2020 they reached the semi-finals and round of 16 respectively.

If Page’s side are to reach the knockout rounds in Qatar, they must first beat England and then hope that United States i Iran cannot be separated, or if that tie does not materialize, Wales will have to beat England by four goals to qualify at the expense of their neighbours.

Either way, Wales need to win against England, something they haven’t done since 1984.

“It’s not impossible,” Allen said. “It’s a tough task.

“It’s always uncomfortable when it’s out of your hands and you’re relying on certain things to develop, but even though there’s still potential, it’s very simple for us.

“We’re fully motivated, fully incentivized to throw absolutely everything to get the win. So who knows? Hopefully, there’s still a chance to get out of this group.”

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