Football: Southall left on Welsh sidelines

MARK HUGHES, the caretaker manager of the Welsh national team, has made his mark with sweeping changes in his back-room staff.

There is no place so far for Neville Southall, who was put in joint charge of Wales with Hughes for their last match, the 2-0 defeat by Denmark at Anfield in June. Southall was also a candidate for the job of caretaker manager, but Hughes has decided to leave the former Everton and Wales goalkeeper out of his initial plans.

Hughes said: "Neville has a part to play, but just for these two games he will not be involved. If I get the job full-time, then I will reconsider the situation."

In comes the former Manchester United youth-team coach Eric Harrison as his assistant manager, the Chelsea coach Eddie Niedzwiecki as senior team coach, and Jimmy Shoulder and Mark Bowen to run the Under-21 side.

Hughes has only been made manager for the next two games, the European Championship qualifiers against Belarus on 4 September, for which he named his squad yesterday, and Switzerland on 9 October. His new assistant, Harrison, coached Hughes as a youngster at Old Trafford and has been responsible for the development of players like David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.

WALES SQUAD (European Championship qualifier v Belarus, MInsk, 4 September): Jones (Southampton), Crossley (Nottingham Forest); Barnard (Barnsley), Delaney (Aston Villa), Coleman, Symons, Melville (all Fulham), Page (Watford), J Robinson (Charlton), Savage (Leicester), Speed (Newcastle), Pembridge (Everton), C Robinson (Wolves), Oster (Sunderland), Hartson (Wimbledon), Blake (Blackburn), Saunders (Bradford City), Giggs (Manchester Utd). Stand- by players: Ward (Notts County), Nielson (Fulham), Trollope (Fulham), M Hughes (Southampton), Coates (Swansea), Roberts (Norwich).