5 defining moments of Chris Coleman's Wales

#4 Doing things his way

Chris Coleman shares a joke with his appointed captain Ashley Williams

Succeeding Gary Speed following his death would be an incredibly difficult task for any manager, and with Wales making progress under Speed, it was only natural that Coleman would not want to make wholesale changes. As well as being considered disrespectful, it also seemed unnecessary, and with the players slowly adjusting to the tragedy bestowed upon them it was only felt right to maintain the status-quo.

But implementing the plans and philosophy of another proved difficult for Coleman, and as pressure mounted on him he realised that in order to keep what he described as his dream job he would need to do things his way. He made Ashley Williams captain instead of Aaron Ramsey and began changing the shape and formation of the side to bring the best out of the players at his disposal.

Ramsey had been a controversial choice when Gary Speed made him captain at the age of just 20 but saw him as the natural leader in his long-term plan. Like Speed, Ramsey was a talented footballer in the middle of midfield, but Coleman opted for experience by appointing Williams. Like Coleman, Williams was a central defender, and it was no coincidence that both managers saw a captain in their own vision.

Moving away from Speed's blueprint was difficult for Coleman, but it was necessary if he was to have any chance of taking Wales forward. The changes and the subsequent upturn in results helped bring further closure to the loss of Speed amongst the group and emphasised that this was very much the start of a new era for Wales.