Toshack looking to Wales future

This goalless draw at the Millennium Stadium in Ryan Giggs' final international means the first objective in the Wales manager's five-year-plan has been consigned to the dustbin.

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Toshack continues to attract criticism but as Wales do not have enough decent footballers to qualify for a major championship, he sees his job as planning for the future.

He said: With all due respect, we've had far better sides than we've got at the moment and they have never managed to qualify for a major championship.

The way I see it is that at least further down the line somebody — maybe not me — is going to get the benefit of this and that is what it's all about.'

On inheriting the job from Mark Hughes two-and-a-half years ago, Toshack suggested he would have failed if he did not qualify for next summer's finals or the 2010 World Cup.

But qualification for any major tournament seems a long way off, especially given Giggs' decision to commit himself purely to club football.

In Wales, the criticism of Toshack comes largely from former players such as Robbie Savage and that irks him.

Toshack added: People must think we qualified for the last World Cup when I hear them talking. They had a golden year when they beat Azerbaijan twice, Finland away and then Italy at home.

"Before that they had won one out of 14, Qatar away. And after that they went two years and 10 competitive games without a win.

"Now we've come in to a situation where eight, 10, 12 players have left and people expect all of a sudden for us to qualify out of a group with the Czech Republic and Germany."

Giggs was substituted to a standing ovation two minutes from time, handing the captain's armband to Craig Bellamy.

Against a sluggish Czech side, Giggs would have signed off with a win had the home team enjoyed a little more fortune. Jason Koumas struck the bar with a second half free-kick and a terrific Giggs run ended with a shot against the hands of Petr Cech.

Ultimately Wales fell just short and perhaps that was fitting. During the Giggs era, they often have.

The 33-year-old said: "It's been an emotional week, rounded off by the reception I got. I'm very thankful to the fans, they helped me get into the team and they've been great with me right to the end."