JOHN TOSHACK, the Wales manager, has so few options up front that the possibility of John Hartson being included in a Wales squad is not so outlandish.
The veteran forward lacks mobility, a particular drawback for away matches when Wales would look to break quickly, but he would offer Toshack the opportunity to change tactics during the European Championship qualifying campaign.
Toshack has said that he will consider picking Hartson, 31, who phoned him on Monday to express his wishes to come out of international retirement. The manager will not have to make an immediate decision on the West Bromwich Albion striker because he will probably play Craig Bellamy as a lone forward in the opening qualifying match against the Czech Republic in two weeks.
Nearly all of the team who played in the goalless draw against Bulgaria on Tuesday evening are likely to begin the match in the Czech Republic. Toshack has virtually ruled out the chances of Jason Koumas playing in the match. The midfield player, who was on loan to Cardiff City last season, is refusing to return to West Bromwich while Bryan Robson is manager and will lack match fitness. It will leave Ryan Giggs as the main source of creativity.
“You have seen we can play good football, but at the moment we are forced to keep the ball on the floor,” Giggs said.
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“John Hartson would definitely give us a different option, but we will have to wait and see what happens with that situation. He had his own reasons for saying he wanted to retire in the first place, but of course he would be welcome back with us. We need as many quality players as possible.”
Giggs is looking to earn at least a point against the Czechs and then defeat Slovakia and Cyprus in October. “Those later two matches are winnable and that would start us off on a good note and help our confidence to grow,” he said. “There were some encouraging signs against Bulgaria and I was particularly happy with the way that we ended the game. A lot of young players came on and they did very well.”
Wales lost 3-2 to Israel in the Netherlands in the European Under-21 Championship yesterday. Marc Williams, the Wrexham forward, scored two equalising goals before he and Craig Davies, a fellow forward, were sent off for retaliation.