Wales vs Georgia - Chris Coleman still has Georgia on his mind after all these years

Posted Sunday, October 09, 2016 by PA

Chris Coleman has had Georgia embarrassment on his mind for over 20 years, but insists the Wales side he now manages has a far stronger mentality than ones he played in.

Coleman featured in a 5-0 thumping by Georgia in November 1994 - a game he recalls as his "lowest moment in a Welsh shirt" - but the current team top their 2018 World Cup qualifying group just months after reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

Wales renew acquaintances with Georgia minus midfield pair Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen - the latter suffered a hamstring injury in Thursday's 2-2 draw with Austria and has returned to Stoke for treatment - but Coleman is confident ahead of Sunday's qualifier in Cardiff.

"It is down to experience and it is not because of us winning," Coleman said.

"It is losing, playing badly and getting criticised that hardens you.

"Any success I have had has not happened overnight, the journey has never felt like me sitting in the back of a limousine sipping champagne.

"It has always been more like riding up a hill on a push bike and the chain has come off.

"It is those disappointments that bring you through. That is what hardens us to the situation we are in now.

"Tomorrow will be as tough as anything we face, for different reasons, in the next eight games. But we are ready."

Wales were far from their best in Vienna but retained top spot in Group D on goal difference.

But Austria, the Republic of Ireland and Serbia also have four points in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive sections in World Cup qualifying.

Georgia have lost their opening two matches, 2-1 to Austria and 1-0 in Ireland on Thursday.

"One thing I've learned is that you've got to do yourself a favour," Coleman said.

"Nobody wants to give you anything for nothing, we learned that in the last campaign when we drew here with Israel and we were waiting for the result from Cyprus and Belgium scored a late goal.

"But of course you look at results because of the table and the standings. We all know who's playing next and that's the excitement of it all."

Vladimir Weiss has warned Wales that Georgia are capable of springing a surprise after adapting to his training methods.

Weiss - who guided his home nation Slovakia to the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup - was appointed in March and has had six games in charge of the national team.

The 52-year-old has only won one of those matches, albeit a 1-0 victory over Spain in Madrid, and Georgia's World Cup campaign has started with two narrow defeats.

But Weiss, the father of former Manchester City forward Vladimir, said: "We have had a bad start, but something has changed in the heads of our players.

"We play with good spirit and discipline in these last three games.

"For a new coach it is never easy coming to a new country, but now I feel like at home because the guys are talented and working well in the training sessions."