Toshack airs defensive fears

Wales boss John Toshack admits he has serious defensive problems ahead of the World Cup campaign that starts next month.

Toshack witnessed a worrying 2-1 defeat at the hands of Georgia at Swansea's Liberty Stadium on Wednesday night and the errors at the heart of the Wales defence, where the inexperienced Ashley Williams and Craig Morgan were performing, have given him plenty to concern himself with.

"Injuries have ripped the heart out of what we have been doing," he said. "We do not have too many alternatives. The system we had planned and worked on is now giving us problems.

"We had been working on a system that was looking good, but then we have had bad injuries to James Collins, Danny Gabbidon and Lewin Nyatanga, and we have got to virtually start again," he added.

Toshack will be searching for solutions ahead of the home qualifier with Azerbaijan on September 6, with the daunting trip to face Russia in Moscow four days later.

Wales led at the break on Wednesday night through a Jason Koumas strike but Georgia hit back with goals from Levan Kenia and Beka Gotsiridze to claim victory.

Toshack said: "We have had a bad day at the office on two fronts. I am very disappointed with the manner of the defeat, and the goals we conceded were just schoolboy mistakes.

"In the first half we played some very good football and could have been further in the lead.

"Our football certainly deserved more of a reward, but we lacked a cutting edge in the second period.

"That second half was a very different story, and you could see it coming in the end."