World Cup 2022: England v Wales - Geraint Williams on vital Qatar tie

The Dragons head into the Group B match in Qatar knowing that they must win to stand any chance of going through to the knockout stages of the competition.

Victory over England - coupled with the USA drawing with Iran - will see Wales progress to the last 16.

And former Colchester United boss Williams, who won 13 caps for Wales as a player and also managed their under-21 side between 2012 and 2016, says Robert Page's side must bring their A game if they are to get the victory they crave.

Williams told the Gazette: "Obviously for Wales, it's been a disappointment so far.

"It's been a big wait to get out there and I'm sure the boys will be feeling frustrated, at the moment.

"I suppose the only thing is that they know it's last-chance saloon and they've got to go out there and give a good performance.

"Knowing that you have to win definitely focuses the mind, as a player.

"You have to have that positive mentality.

"It doesn't mean that you have to go gung-ho from the first whistle.

"But you know that a draw isn't good enough and you have to have that positive intent.

"I think that will help to clear the mind and they know what the job is.

"What I think will stir the lads is the fact that they know they haven't made the most of the opportunities, so far.

"It's the big one - Wales v England always is and that rivalry will be there.

"We've got to come out and give the performance of a lifetime.

"There have been some surprises in this World Cup and it does give me a bit of hope for this game that in any given 90 minutes, we can do it.

"You can't fault the effort of the squad and it's great but it can only take you so far in top sport.

"If everyone is in it together which they will be and they're geeing each other up, they'll be flat out for it.

"But you've got to have ability and athleticism at the top of the game and I'm not sure we've got enough of that at the minute, where the senior players are.

"It's a World Cup and even the weaker teams have got good players and I would say England have got some of the best players.

"If you look at their first game (against Iran) certainly and how well they played in that, it'll be a real handful for Wales if they play like that."

Williams admits Wales need to have more attacking armoury at their disposal than their talisman Gareth Bale.

The Dragons captain received some criticism for his performance during his side's 2-0 defeat by Iran, in their second group game.

"We've got to find a bit more around Gareth, if we're going to go and create," said Williams, who led Colchester to the highest finish in their history in the 2006-07 season when they finished tenth in the Championship.

"It's tough for him because he's hardly had any football and you can see that and we can't just rely on him, in games.

"Fitness is so crucial now in the game at the very top level and that's where Gareth was a special, special player.

"I worked with Chris Coleman in 2016 out at the Euros and Gareth can take your breath away with his chance of pace.

"You could tell when he picked it up that people were scared.

"He would go past people and that would open spaces for other people but it doesn't seem that that's happening, at the moment.

"He's been very much a bit part in open play but he earned the penalty and scored it against the USA.

"If we don't win against England, it's the last game so he'll know that.

"He's perhaps trying to get through three games in nine days and it's tough, especially with the amount of football he's had."

Former Colchester and Ipswich Town midfielder Williams was capped 13 times as a player for Wales, between 1988 and 1996.

The 60-year-old also managed the Dragons' under-21s for four years between 2012 and 2016, along with coaching the country's under-17 and under-19 sides and worked alongside current Wales assistant manager Kit Symons, during his time as U's boss.

"I'm a very, very proud Welshman," added Williams, who managed Colchester between 2006 and 2008.

"I'm still hurting from the fact that we threw away the rugby game against Australia at the weekend!

"Rob Page is a Valley boy and I'm from the Rhondda Valley as well, so I know Rob.

"There are obviously connections and we are a very proud small nation.

"Rob has done a great job but it's not going to get any easier for him, as the older players get older.

"What we had coming through was a good group of youngsters who were good enough with a spine of Aaron Ramsey and Bale were able to get us to these finals.

"But there isn't an out and out Gareth Bale when Gareth isn't there and that's going to be tough then for Rob, to try and replace him.

"Gareth is a once in a generation talisman for the country - we are what we are."